Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/953,181

CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITE SURFACE ROUGHNESS

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Nov 20, 2024
Priority
Jan 28, 2022 — divisional of 12/180,591
Examiner
HANDVILLE, BRIAN
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
RTX Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
52%
Grant Probability
Moderate
1-2
OA Rounds
1y 9m
Est. Remaining
80%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 52% of resolved cases
52%
Career Allowance Rate
280 granted / 544 resolved
-8.5% vs TC avg
Strong +28% interview lift
Without
With
+28.5%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 5m
Avg Prosecution
34 currently pending
Career history
603
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103
79.7%
+39.7% vs TC avg
§102
5.8%
-34.2% vs TC avg
§112
14.3%
-25.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 544 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 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. Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2014/0272310 (hereinafter “Lazur”).Regarding claim 1 Lazur teaches an article (surface formed of ceramic matrix composites (CMC)) comprising a substrate (weaved CMC fibers) defining an outer surface, a plurality of joint conduits formed in the outer surface of the substrate (weaved CMC fibers), wherein each conduit of the plurality of joint conduits exhibits an undercut configuration, and a coating (bond coat) formed on the outer surface (applied to the upper surfaces) of the substrate (weaved CMC fibers), wherein the coating substantially fills the plurality of joint conduits formed in the surface of the substrate (abstract). Lazur teaches the substrate (weaved CMC fibers) 110 comprises a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material (paragraphs [0005] and [0020]) including a reinforcement material of multifilament weave comprising carbon, silicon carbide, aluminum, boron silicide, and the like (paragraphs [0020] and [0022]), which corresponds to weaved CMC fibers. Lazur teaches the coating (bond coat) 120 is applied to the upper surfaces of the substrate (weaved CMC fibers) 110 to form the article/component 100, 210, 220, 300, 600 (Figures 1-3; abstract; and paragraphs [0018] and [0030] – [0032]). Lazur teaches the article/component 100, 210, 220, 300, 600, including the substrate (weaved CMC fibers) 110 and the coating (bond coat) 120, has a macroscopic contour (Figure 6 and paragraph [0039]) and a microscopic undulating contour (Figure 5D; and paragraphs [0033] and [0037]) comprising locally smoothed sections (paragraph [0026]).Regarding claims 2 and 3 In addition, Lazur teaches the article/component 100 includes an air flow component of a gas engine turbine (surface of an aerodynamic component), such as a blade, vane, blade track, combustion liner or airfoil (paragraph [0018]). Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2014/0271161 teaches a CMC comprising a preform of woven ceramic fibers and a coating for an aerodynamic component (abstract and paragraphs [0016] – [0017] and [0039] – [0043]). US 2016/0102022 teaches a CMC comprising a preform of woven ceramic fibers and a coating for an aerodynamic component (abstract and paragraphs [0030] – [0033] US 2016/0136925 teaches a fiber architecture for a CMC comprising a preform of woven ceramic fibers and a coating for an aerodynamic component (abstract and paragraphs [0007], [0019] – [0025] and [0038]). US 2021/0001511 teaches a CMC comprising a preform of woven ceramic fibers and a bond coat for an aerodynamic component (paragraphs [0011], [0013] and [0017]). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN HANDVILLE whose telephone number is (571)272-5074. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, from 9 am to 4 pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Veronica Ewald can be reached at (571) 272-8519. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /BRIAN HANDVILLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1783
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 20, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 01, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12684709
DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
2y 10m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026
Patent 12643297
COMPOSITE ELEMENT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
1y 7m to grant Granted Jun 02, 2026
Patent 12624244
PART OF A COSMETIC ARTICLE DECORATED WITH A RESIN, AND METHOD FOR COVERING THIS PART WITH THE RESIN
2y 10m to grant Granted May 12, 2026
Patent 12600673
COMPOSITE MEMBER, AND HEAT GENERATION DEVICE, BUILDING MEMBER AND LIGHT EMITTING DEVICE, EACH OF WHICH USES SAME
4y 7m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026
Patent 12600109
CARBON FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITE MATERIAL
2y 2m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
52%
Grant Probability
80%
With Interview (+28.5%)
3y 5m (~1y 9m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 544 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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