Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of the hybrid transmission component shown in Figs. 2-4 (Species 1) in the reply filed on August 6, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 8-15 & 18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on August 6, 2026.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because they fail to show:
Each tooth 120 tapers from root 122 to the tip 124 as recited in claim 6.
The root 122 of each spline 120 forming an interference fit with the composite body 102 as recited in claim 7.
Gas turbine engine 10 including hybrid transmission component 100 as recited in claim 17.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.75(i) because elements of the claim are not separated by line indentation.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-7, 15 & 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 1, lines 24-25 recites the limitation, “the leading end of each spline tooth is configured to cut the composite body during joining”. It is unclear what feature(s) besides those previously recited configure the leading end 126 to cut the composite body 102.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1-3, 6-7, 15 & 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Reinhart, US 8,920,064. At Figs. 1-6, Reinhart discloses a hybrid transmission component (10) for a gas turbine engine (see “motor” at col. 1, line 16), the hybrid transmission component comprising:
a composite body (20); and
a metallic coupling (22) joined with the composite body and defining a longitudinal axis along its length, the metallic coupling comprising an axial end surface (40), a circumferential surface (42) circumferentially extending about the longitudinal axis, and a plurality of spline teeth (44) extending from the circumferential surface and angularly separated from each other about the longitudinal axis (see Fig. 3),
wherein each spline tooth from the plurality of spline teeth comprises
a root (see “base” at col. 3, line 25) disposed adjacent to the circumferential surface,
a tip (col. 3, line 26) distal to the circumferential surface, and
a leading end (46) disposed proximally to the axial end surface,
wherein each spline tooth extends radially from the root to the tip with respect to the longitudinal axis (see Figs. 1 & 2B),
wherein each spline tooth extends axially from the leading end along the longitudinal axis, the leading end of each spline tooth comprising a curved surface (52) extending from the root and a planar surface (see also “surfaces that are tangent” at col. 3, lines 43-44) extending from the curved surface to the tip,
wherein the curved surface curves inwardly from the root away from the axial end surface, such that the curved surface is concave with respect to the axial end surface (see Fig. 2B),
wherein the planar surface is inclined obliquely to the longitudinal axis by a rake angle (see Fig. 2B),
wherein, during joining (100) of the composite body with the metallic coupling, the composite body is moved relative (110) to the metallic coupling in a joining direction that extends away from the axial end surface along the longitudinal axis, and
wherein the leading end of each spline tooth is configured (106) to cut the composite body during joining of the composite body with the metallic coupling,
wherein the curved surface (52) is a circular arc having a transition radius (col. 3, lines 41-42),
wherein the metallic coupling further comprises a chamfered surface (see Fig. 4) extending between the axial end surface and the circumferential surface, such that the curved surface of the leading end of each spline tooth extends from the chamfered surface, and wherein the chamfered surface is inclined obliquely to the longitudinal axis by a lead angle,
wherein each spline tooth tapers from the root to the tip (col. 3, lines 24-26 & 39-41),
wherein the root of each spline tooth forms an interference fit (116) with the composite body,
wherein Fig. 3 shows the metallic coupling (22) is annular, such that the circumferential surface (42) is a radially inner circumferential surface of the metallic coupling, and Fig. 1 shows the composite body (20) is at least partially received within the radially inner circumferential surface.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reinhart.
As noted above, Reinhart discloses the hybrid transmission component (10) includes lead and rake angles but does not expressly disclose the lead angle is from 30 degrees to 45 degrees. and the rake angle is from 55 degrees to 85 degrees. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to make the lead angle from 30 degrees to 45 degrees. and the rake angle from 55 degrees to 85 degrees, since it has been held where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Kulling, 897 F.2d 1147, 14 USPQ2d 1056 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Each of Dunn, Mazzeo, Ikemoto, Digel and Matt discloses a hybrid transmission component.
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/Greg Binda/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679
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