DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 13-15 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Le Strat et al. (FR 3018313 B1; hereinafter Le Strat).
Regarding claim 13, Le Strat (Fig. 4-7) discloses a locking shaft (42) for a gas turbine engine having a rotating assembly, the locking shaft (42) comprising: a coupling end, a retaining end, and a body extending axially between the coupling end and the retaining end; the body extending between the coupling end and the retaining end, the body including a central chamber, an inner shaft surface and an outer shaft surface; the coupling end including a lug (54) extending radially from the outer shaft surface to an outer radial surface, the lug (54) extending axially from the coupling end to a distal end; and the retaining end includes a cavity, an inner circumferential surface, an outer circumferential surface, and a gap, the gap extending between the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface. Refer to Fig. I below.
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Fig. I. Le Strat, Fig. 6 (Annotated)
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Fig. II. Le Strat, Fig. 4 (Annotated)
Regarding claim 14, Le Strat discloses the locking shaft of claim 13, wherein Le Strat (Fig. 4-7) further discloses that the coupling end includes a plurality of lugs (54) circumferentially disposed around the coupling end, each of the plurality of lugs (54) angularly offset from another by a predetermined angle. Refer to Fig. I above.
Regarding claim 15, Le Strat discloses the locking shaft of claim 13, wherein Le Strat (Fig. 4-7) further discloses that the retaining end includes a plurality of gaps circumferentially disposed around the retaining end. Refer to Fig. I and II above.
Regarding claim 17, Le Strat discloses the locking shaft of claim 13, wherein Le Strat (Fig. 4-7) further discloses that the coupling end includes an opening in communication with the central chamber, the central chamber extending axially from the opening towards the retaining end. Refer to Fig. I above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-12 and 19-20 are allowed.
Claims 16 and 18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1:
Closest prior art: Le Strat et al. (FR 3018313 B1)
Le Strat discloses a shaft assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising: an outer shaft having a first end, a second end, an axial centerline and a bore extending between the first end and the second end; an inner shaft having a first axial end and a second axial end, at least a portion of the inner shaft extending within the outer shaft bore, the inner shaft extending along the axial centerline; a lock nut having a base extending between a first nut end and a second nut end, the lock nut secured to the inner shaft proximate the second axial end; a locking shaft including a coupling end, a retaining end, and a body portion extending between the coupling end and the retaining end, the locking shaft disposed within the outer shaft bore and extending along the axial centerline, and the coupling end engageable with the lock nut first nut end or the second nut end; and a washer including a washer inner circumferential surface and a washer outer circumferential surface, and wherein in an assembled state the locking shaft prevents rotation of the lock nut.
The closest prior art fails to disclose or suggest that the washer inner circumferential surface is engageable with the locking shaft retaining end and the washer outer circumferential surface is engageable with the outer shaft at the second end.
Claims 2-12 depend upon claim1 and so are allowable.
Regarding claim 16:
Closest prior art: Le Strat et al. (FR 3018313 B1)
Le Strat discloses all the limitations of claim 13.
The closest prior art fails to disclose or suggest that the locking shaft retaining end outer circumferential surface extends axially forward to a tapered region, and the tapered region extends axially towards the body such that the outer circumferential surface tapers radially inward toward the outer shaft surface of the body.
Regarding claim 18:
Closest prior art: Le Strat et al. (FR 3018313 B1)
Le Strat discloses that the coupling end includes a first diameter and the retaining end includes a second diameter.
The closest prior art fails to disclose or suggest that the first diameter is less than the second diameter.
Regarding claim 19:
Closest prior art: Le Strat et al. (FR 3018313 B1)
Le Strat discloses a method of assembling a gas turbine engine component, comprising: providing a shaft assembly including an outer shaft, an inner shaft, and a lock nut, the outer shaft extending axially along a centerline from a forward end to an aft end, the inner shaft extending along the centerline, and a portion of the inner shaft disposed within a bore of the outer shaft; securing the lock nut to a threaded section of the inner shaft; inserting a locking shaft within the bore and engaging a first end of the locking shaft with an end of the lock nut.
The closest prior art fails to disclose or suggest orienting a washer to align a radially-inward protruding tab with a second end of the locking shaft, and align a radially-outward protruding tab with the outer shaft aft end; and inserting the washer within the shaft assembly to engage the radially-inward protruding tab with the second end of the locking shaft and the radially-outward protruding tab with the aft end of the outer shaft
Claim 20 depends upon claim 19 and so is allowable.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Miny (US 12,435,727) discloses a rotor structure held together with a nut and an O-ring is used to inhibit rotation of the coupling nut.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIELLE M CHRISTENSEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3275. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Courtney Heinle can be reached at 571-270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Danielle M. Christensen/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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