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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Song (KR20160052842).
Regarding claim 1, Song discloses An assembly of a gas turbine (this limitation only exists in the preamble and is not positively recited in the body of the claim. As such, it does not limit the structure of the claim and does not need to be disclosed in the prior art. See MPEP 2111.02),
the assembly comprising:
a metal structure including at least one bolt hole (Figure 1, item 200 with bolt holes 211. Paragraph 0037 describes 200 being made of metal);
a composite material structure overlapping the metal structure (Figure 1, item 300 shown to be overlapping the metal structure. Paragraph 0039 describes 300 being made of a composite);
at least one retainer including a bolt hole that coincides with the bolt hole of the metal structure (Figure 1, item 400); and
at least one bolt that is in the bolt hole of the retainer and the bolt hole of the metal structure (figure 1, items 211 and 410 align) and presses the composite material structure through the retainer to fix the composite material structure to the metal structure (Figure 1 shows 400 pressing against the left wall of 300 such that it presses the right wall of 300 up against the wall of 200), wherein
the retainer includes
a first pressing surface that presses the metal structure at an outside of the composite material structure (Figure 1, the left wall of 400 in the figure shown to be pressing against the metal structure 200) and
a second pressing surface that presses the composite material structure against the metal structure (Figure 1, the right wall of 400 in the figure shown to be pressing against the left wall of 300 such that it presses the right wall of 300 up against the wall of 200).
Regarding claim 2, Song discloses that the metal structure includes a pressure receiving surface pressed by the first pressing surface (Annotated Figure 1 shows the first pressing surface with a corresponding pressure receiving surface 210 of 200);
the composite material structure includes a pressure receiving surface pressed by the second pressing surface (Annotated Figure 1 shows the second pressing surface with a corresponding pressure receiving surface of 300);
the pressure receiving surface of the composite material structure and the pressure receiving surface of the metal structure are opposed to each other in a vertical plane direction orthogonal to an axis of the bolt (Annotated Figure 1 shows the two surfaces being opposed to each other across the bolt axis);
a pressure receiving surface set including the pressure receiving surface of the composite material structure and the pressure receiving surface of the metal structure includes a tapered shape that tapers in a bolt axial direction in which the axis of the bolt extends (Annotated Figure 1 shows a tapered shape of 400 which corresponds to a tapered shape of the various pressure surfaces); and
a pressing surface set including the first pressing surface and the second pressing surface includes a tapered shape along the pressure receiving surface set (Annotated Figure 1 shows a tapered shape of 400 which corresponds to a tapered shape of the various pressure surfaces).
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Annotated Figure 1
Regarding claim 3, Song discloses that the retainer includes a base portion including the bolt hole (Annotated Figure 1 shows a base portion with the bolt hole 410), a first pressing portion including the first pressing surface, and a second pressing portion including the second pressing surface (Annotated Figure 1 shows the two pressing surfaces);
the first pressing portion projects in the bolt axial direction from one of end portions of the base portion (Annotated Figure 1 shows the first pressing surface projecting in the bolt axial direction from the left end of the base portion); and
the second pressing portion projects in the bolt axial direction from the other end portion of the base portion (Annotated Figure 1 shows the second pressing surface projecting in the bolt axial direction from the right end of the base portion).
Regarding claim 4, Song discloses that the composite material structure and the metal structure include respective displacement restricting surfaces that restrict the composite material structure from being displaced in a vertical plane direction orthogonal to an axis of the bolt (The opposing surfaces that contact the first and second pressing surfaces serve as the displacement restricting surfaces as their interaction with the retainer prevents vertical displacement of the composite material. This can be clearly seen in annotated Figure 1).
Regarding claim 6, Song discloses that the composite material structure includes a main body portion and an outer edge portion that is continuous with the main body portion and overlaps the metal structure (Annotated Figure 1 shows a main body portion and an outer edge portion);
the second pressing surface of the retainer presses the outer edge portion of the composite material structure toward the metal structure (Annotated Figure 1 shows the second pressing surface pressing the outer edge portion); and
the outer edge portion is thicker than the main body portion of the composite material structure (annotated Figure 1 shows the outer edge portion being thicker than the main body portion).
Regarding claim 7, Song discloses that the at least one bolt hole of the metal structure comprises bolt holes located at intervals (Figure 1, items 410 and 211 shows multiple bolt holes);
the at least one bolt comprises bolts that are in the respective bolt holes (figure 1 shows multiple bolts); and
the at least one retainer comprises retainers that are located at intervals so as to correspond to the respective bolt holes (Figure 1 shows multiple retainers spaced around the hub and corresponding with the bolt holes).
Claim(s) 1 and 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xie (US 20110103726).
Regarding claim 1, Xie discloses An assembly of a gas turbine (abstract),
the assembly comprising:
a metal structure including at least one bolt hole (Figure 4, item 84 with bolt holes. Paragraph 0028 describes 84 being made of metal);
a composite material structure overlapping the metal structure (Figure 4, item 68 shows a composite that overlaps the metal. Paragraph 0025 describes 68 being part of the ring 60 and being made of a composite);
at least one retainer including a bolt hole that coincides with the bolt hole of the metal structure (Figure 4, item 22); and
at least one bolt that is in the bolt hole of the retainer and the bolt hole of the metal structure (Figure 4 shows a bolt in each bolt hole) and presses the composite material structure through the retainer to fix the composite material structure to the metal structure (figure 4 shows that the bolt and nut combined with the retainer press the composite material and the metal structure together), wherein
the retainer includes
a first pressing surface that presses the metal structure at an outside of the composite material structure (Annotated Figure 4 shows a first pressing surface that presses 84 outside of the composite structure) and
a second pressing surface that presses the composite material structure against the metal structure (Annotated Figure 4 shows a second pressing surface that presses the composite against the metal. The limitations do not require direct contact so because the second pressing surface presses the two items into each other, the limitations are met).
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Annotated Figure 4
Regarding claim 4, Xie discloses that the composite material structure and the metal structure include respective displacement restricting surfaces that restrict the composite material structure from being displaced in a vertical plane direction orthogonal to an axis of the bolt (The overlapping surfaces of 84 and 70 at the bottom of item 70 where they axially overlap prevents vertical movement of the composite material).
Regarding claim 5, Xie discloses that the metal structure and the composite material structure are tubular structures that are located around a rotating shaft of the gas turbine and overlap each other in a center axis direction in which the rotating shaft extends (Figures 1-8 show the structures being annular around the turbine axis and rotating shaft. Paragraph 0025 describes the systems as being annular); and
the retainer and the composite material structure include respective rotation restricting surfaces that interfere with each other in a circumferential direction around the rotating shaft to restrict the composite material structure from rotating (There are no specific structures required except for some prevention of rotation. The matching surfaces on the left of 84 and the right of 70 provide a frictional force between each other that prevents circumferential movement. Further, the bolt holes in 70 and 84 have internal surfaces of the bolt holes that interface with the bolt to prevent circumferential movement).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THEODORE C RIBADENEYRA whose telephone number is (469)295-9164. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:00-5:00 (CT).
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/THEODORE C RIBADENEYRA/ Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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