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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 9/3/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1, 4-6, 8, 12, 14-15, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maguire, US PGPub 2004/0179935 in view of Gaebler et al. US Patent 8,444,153.
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Regarding claim 1, Maguire discloses a lubrication system (see fig 2) for a gas turbine engine (10), comprising: a first rotating shaft (23) having a first outer surface (top of 23 in fig 2), the first rotating shaft (23) configured to rotate about a central axis (see [0022]);a second rotating shaft (22) having a second inner surface (bottom of 22, along 46 in fig 2) and a second outer surface (top of 22 in fig 2), the second rotating shaft (22) disposed radially outward (see fig 2) of the first rotating shaft (23), the second rotating shaft (22) configured to rotate about the central axis (see [0022]), the second inner surface (as described above) including a recess (35), the recess (35) having a depth radially outward (see fig 2) of the second inner surface (bottom of 22 at 46, as described above) and inward (see fig 2) into a thickness of the second rotating shaft (22); a flowpath (see arrows in fig 2) between the first outer surface (as described above) and the second inner surface (as described above); a lubricant (39) directed into the flowpath (as described above), the lubricant (39) in contact with the first outer surface (as described above); wherein the lubricant (39) separates from the first outer surface (as described above) through the flowpath (as described above) and into the recess (35), wherein the first outer surface (as described above) includes a protrusion (32), the protrusion (32) spaced from the second inner surface (as described above) by the flowpath (see fig 2), the protrusion (32) positioned radially along the first outer surface (as described above) between a first end (left end of 35 in fig 2) of the recess (35) and a second end (right side of 35 in fig 2) of the recess (35), and wherein the recess includes an outlet (37). Maguire does not specify that the outlet is proximal to the second end of the recess.
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Gaebler et al. teaches a similar lubrication system including a nozzle (133) , protrusion (see fig 3) and recess (121) wherein the recess (121) includes an outlet (123 ) proximal to the second end (left side in fig 3) of the recess (121). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to position the outlet in the location specified by Gaebler et al. in the system disclosed by Maguire in order to increase the flow rate through the outlet by exploiting horizontal pressure from the incoming flowpath.
Regarding claims 4 and 14, Maguire in view of Gaebler et al. discloses the lubrication system according to claims 1 and 12, wherein the protrusion (32) includes a plateau (flat top of 32 shown in fig 2), the plateau (as described above) extending along the first outer surface (as described above) and is radially proximal to the outlet (37) on the second inner surface (as described above).
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Maguire in view of Gaebler et al. discloses the lubrication system according to claims 1 and 12, wherein the first outer surface (as described above) includes a depression (region between protrusion above label of 23 in fig 2 and 32) disposed upstream of the protrusion (32).
Regarding claim 6, Maguire in view of Gaebler et al. discloses the lubrication system according to claim 1, further comprising a nozzle (34) disposed upstream of the protrusion (32).
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Maguire in view of Gaebler et al. discloses the lubrication system according to claims 1 and 12, wherein the first rotating shaft (23) and the second rotating shaft (22) rotate in a same rotational direction (co-rotating).
Regarding claim 12, Maguire discloses a lubrication system (see fig 2) for a gas turbine engine (10), comprising: a first rotating shaft (23) having a first outer surface (as described above), the first rotating shaft (23) extending along a central axis (see [0022]), the first rotating shaft (23) configured to rotate about the central axis (as described above), the first outer surface (as described above) including a protrusion (32) extending radially outward; a second rotating shaft (22) having a second inner surface (as described above) and a second outer surface (as described above), the second rotating shaft (22) extending along the central axis (as described above), the second rotating shaft (22) disposed radially outward (see fig 2) of the first rotating shaft (23), the second rotating shaft (22) configured to rotate about the central axis (as described above), the second inner surface (as described above) including a recess (35), the recess (35) having a depth radially outward (see fig 2) of the second inner surface (bottom of 22 at 46, as described above) and inward (see fig 2) into a thickness of the second rotating shaft (22); a flowpath (see arrows in fig 2) between the first outer surface (as described above) and the second inner surface (as described above); a lubricant (39) directed into the flowpath (as described above), the lubricant (39) in contact with the first outer surface (as described above); wherein the lubricant (39) separates from the first outer surface (as described above) through the flowpath (as described above) and into the recess (35); and wherein the protrusion (32) is spaced from the second inner surface (as described above) by the flowpath (as described above), the protrusion (32) positioned radially along the first outer surface (as described above) between a first end (left side in fig 2) of the recess (35) and a second end (right side in fig 2) of the recess (35). Maguire does not specify that the outlet is proximal to the second end of the recess. Gaebler et al. teaches a similar lubrication system including a nozzle (133) , protrusion (see fig 3) and recess (121) wherein the recess (121) includes an outlet (123 ) proximal to the second end (left side in fig 3) of the recess (121). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to position the outlet in the location specified by Gaebler et al. in the system disclosed by Maguire in order to increase the flow rate through the outlet by exploiting horizontal pressure from the incoming flowpath.
Regarding claim 20, Maguire in view of Gaebler et al. discloses the lubrication system according to claim 1, wherein the recess (35) is formed by a basin (bottom of 35) and a wall portion (40); and the recess (35) includes an outlet (37) having a mouth (end of 37 accessible in 25) located in the basin (35).
Claim(s) 7, 9-11, 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maguire in view of Gaebler et al. and further in view of Kildea et al., US Patent 4,453,784.
Regarding claims 7, 9-11, 17 and 19, Maguire in view of Gaebler et al. discloses the lubrication system of claims 1 and 12 but does not specify that the shafts are counter-rotating at varied speeds.
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Kildea et al. teaches a similar lubrication system for a turbine engine (see fig 1) wherein the first rotating shaft (12) rotates in a first rotational direction, and the second rotating shaft rotates (10) in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction (counter-rotating). (claims 7, 17)
wherein the first rotating shaft (12) rotates at a first angular velocity (high speed), and the second rotating shaft (10) rotates at a second angular velocity (low speed) that is different than the first velocity (see col. 4-5). (claim 9-11, 19)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the lubrication system disclosed by Maguire in view of Gaebler et al. to the counter-rotating shafts described by Kildea et al. in order to enhance lubrication to the shaft bearings and components and promote system efficiency.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 12 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely the references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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MICHAEL A. RIEGELMAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3654
/MICHAEL A RIEGELMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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