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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/8/2025 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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kubiak (US 20230358404 as referenced in OA dated 5/9/2025) in view of Smith et al (US 20220389872 as referenced in OA dated 5/9/2025).
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Annotated Figure 1B of Smith
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Annotated Figure 3 of Kubiak
Regarding claim 1, Kubiak discloses a system of gas turbine cooling, the system comprising:
a combustion chamber (Figure 3; 40. The combustion chamber extends from Annotated Figure 3; labeled end) of a gas turbine (Figure 1; 10) with an interior portion (The portion between Figure 2; 33, 35. The interior portion extends from Annotated Figure 3; labeled end); and
a heat shield (Figure 3; 70, 72, 74) of an internal cooling circuit (Figure 5; 80) at least partly disposed inside the combustion chamber, the heat shield including:
a plurality of inner heat shield portions (Annotated Figure 3; labeled first base and first section), each of the plurality of inner heat shield portions including a first base surface (Annotated Figure 3; labeled first base) and a first section (Annotated Figure 3; labeled first section) extending from the first base surface;
an inner wall (Annotated Figure 3; labeled inner wall) formed by the first section of each of the plurality of inner heat shield portions;
a plurality of outer heat shield portions (Annotated Figure 3; labeled second base, second section, and third section) , each of the plurality of outer heat shield portions including a second base surface (Annotated Figure 3; labeled second base), a second section (Annotated Figure 3; labeled second section), and a third section (Annotated Figure 3; labeled third section), the second section and the third section extending from the second base surface, the third section abutting an edge (The edge of the first base surface that is abutted by the third section) formed by the first base surface;
an outer wall (Annotated Figure 3; labeled outer wall) formed by the second section of each of the plurality of outer heat shield portions; and
a divider wall (Annotated Figure 3; labeled divider wall) formed by the third section of each of the plurality of outer heat shield portions.
Kubiak does not disclose wherein at least one of the plurality of inner heat shield portions or the plurality of outer heat shield portions is being additively manufactured.
However, Smith teaches a system, the system comprising:
a combustion chamber (The chamber of Figure 1A; 103) of a gas turbine (Paragraph 0002) with an interior portion (The internal volume of Figure 1A; 103); and
a heat shield (Annotated Figure 1B; labeled heat shield) being additively manufacture (Paragraph 0010, 0013).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to modify the invention of Kubiak wherein the heat shield (In the context of Kubiak, the heat shield is formed of the plurality of inner heat shield portions and the plurality of outer heat shield portions) being additively manufactured as taught by and suggested by Smith in order to avoid fastening and welding and to provide suitable grain structures and material properties (Paragraph 0011, 0079, the modification makes the heat shield from additive manufacturing and heat treatment).
Regarding claim 2, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak does not disclose wherein the heat shield is additively manufactured by starting from layers of a metal powder material.
However, Smith teaches wherein the heat shield is additively manufactured by starting from layers of a metal powder material (Paragraph 0012).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to modify the invention of Kubiak wherein the heat shield is additively manufactured by starting from layers of a metal powder material as taught by and suggested by Smith in order to avoid fastening and welding and to provide suitable grain structures and material properties (Paragraph 0011, 0079, this is the same modification as claim 1).
Regarding claim 3, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein the heat shield extends axially into the interior portion of the combustion chamber.
Regarding claim 4, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein the heat shield extends into the interior portion of the combustion chamber and is substantially parallel to a central axis (Figure 3; 38) of the combustion chamber.
Regarding claim 5, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein the heat shield includes one or more openings (The openings for Figure 3; 50 and 52) to axially align the internal cooling circuit.
Regarding claim 6, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein the heat shield is disposed upstream from one or more rotating components (The turbine blades of Paragraph 0003) of the gas turbine.
Regarding claim 7, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein the one or more rotating components include at least one of a turbine blade (The turbine blades of Paragraph 0003) or an exhaust fan.
Regarding claim 8, Kubiak discloses a gas turbine cooling device comprising:
a heat shield (Figure 3; 70, 72, 74) of an internal cooling circuit (Figure 5; 80) configured to extend into an interior portion of a combustion chamber (The interior of Figure 3; 40. The combustion chamber extends from Annotated Figure 3; labeled end) of a gas turbine (Figure 1; 10), the heat shield including:
a plurality of inner heat shield portions (Annotated Figure 3; labeled first base and first section), each of the plurality of inner heat shield portions including a first base surface (Annotated Figure 3; labeled first base) and a first section (Annotated Figure 3; labeled first section) extending from the first base surface;
a first wall (Annotated Figure 3; labeled inner wall) formed by the first section of each of the plurality of inner heat shield portions;
a plurality of outer heat shield portions (Annotated Figure 3; labeled second base, second section, and third section), each of the plurality of outer heat shield portions including a second base surface (Annotated Figure 3; labeled second base), a second section (Annotated Figure 3; labeled second section), and a third section (Annotated Figure 3; labeled third section), the second section and the third section extending from the second base surface, the third section abutting an edge (The edge of the first base surface that is abutted by the third section) formed by the first base surface;
a second wall (Annotated Figure 3; labeled outer wall) formed by the second section of each of the plurality of outer heat shield portions; and
a divider wall (Annotated Figure 3; labeled divider wall) formed by the third section of each of the plurality of outer heat shield portions.
Kubiak does not disclose wherein at least one of the plurality of inner heat shield portions or the plurality of outer heat shield portions is additively manufactured using layers of metal powder.
However, Smith teaches a device comprising:
a heat shield (Annotated Figure 1B; labeled heat shield) configured to extend into an interior portion of a combustion chamber (The interior of the chamber of Figure 1A; 103) of a gas turbine (Paragraph 0002), and the heat shield is additively manufactured using layers of metal powder (Paragraph 0010, 0012, 0013).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to modify the invention of Kubiak wherein the heat shield (In the context of Kubiak, the heat shield is formed of the plurality of inner heat shield portions and the plurality of outer heat shield portions) is additively manufactured using layers of metal powder as taught by and suggested by Smith in order to avoid fastening and welding and to provide suitable grain structures and material properties (Paragraph 0011, 0079, the modification makes the heat shield from additive manufacturing and heat treatment).
Regarding claim 9, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak does not disclose wherein the heat shield has a metallographic structure refined by a heat treatment step.
However, Smith teaches wherein the heat shield has a metallographic structure (The metallographic structure of the heat shield) refined by a heat treatment step (Paragraph 0079).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to modify the invention of Kubiak wherein the heat shield has a metallographic structure refined by a heat treatment step as taught by and suggested by Smith in order to avoid fastening and welding and to provide suitable grain structures and material properties (Paragraph 0011, 0079, this is the same modification as claim 8).
Regarding claim 10, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein the heat shield extends into the interior portion of the combustion chamber at least partly along a central axis (Figure 3; 38) of the combustion chamber.
Regarding claim 11, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein the heat shield extends at least partly along an axis (Figure 1; 20) defined by an arrangement of the combustion chamber (The arrangement of Figure 3; 40) with a fuel injector assembly (Figure 3; 50, 52).
Regarding claim 12, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein the heat shield extends at least partly along an axis (Figure 1; 20) defined by an arrangement of the combustion chamber (The arrangement of Figure 3; 40) with a turbine (Figure 1, 26, 28).
Regarding claim 13, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein the plurality of inner heat shield portions is separated from the plurality of outer heat shield portions by the divider wall.
Regarding claim 14, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein the heat shield is disposed in the gas turbine around static components (The walls defining the inner instance of Figure 2; 42) of the gas turbine.
Regarding claim 15, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein the heat shield is disposed upstream from a hot gas path (The path through Figure 1; 26 and 28) of the gas turbine.
Regarding claim 16, Kubiak discloses a method of cooling a gas turbine (Figure 1; 24, 14, 26), the method comprising:
forming a heat shield (Figure 3; 70, 72, 74) of an internal cooling circuit (Figure 5; 80), the heat shield including a plurality of inner heat shield portions (Annotated Figure 3; labeled first base and first section), each of the plurality of inner heat shield portions including a first base surface (Annotated Figure 3; labeled first base) and a first section (Annotated Figure 3; labeled first section) extending from the first base surface, the first section forming at least a part of an inner wall (The at least a part of Annotated Figure 3; labeled inner wall formed by the first section) of the heat shield, and a plurality of outer heat shield portions (Annotated Figure 3; labeled second base, second section, and third section), each of the plurality of outer heat shield portions including a second base surface (Annotated Figure 3; labeled second base) and a second section (Annotated Figure 3; labeled second section), and a third section (Annotated Figure 3; labeled third section), the second section and the third section extending from the second base surface, the second section forming at least a part of an outer wall (Annotated Figure 3; labeled outer wall) of the heat shield, the third section abutting an edge (The edge of the first base surface that is abutted by the third section) formed by the first base surface and forming at least a part of a divider wall (Annotated Figure 3; labeled divider wall);
disposing the heat shield at least partly inside a combustion chamber (Figure 3; 40. The combustion chamber extends from Annotated Figure 3; labeled end) of a gas turbine system (Figure 1; 10); and
reducing a temperature (Paragraph 0014) of the gas turbine system by circulating a cooling fluid (The fluid through Figure 5; 80) through the internal cooling circuit.
Kubiak does not disclose forming an additively manufactured heat shield using an additive manufacturing machine.
However, Smith teaches a method, the method comprising:
forming an additively manufactured heat shield (Annotated Figure 1B; labeled heat shield. Paragraph 0013) using an additive manufacturing machine (At least the bed of Paragraph 0010 and the lasers of Paragraph 0005).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to modify the invention of Kubiak to form an additively manufactured heat shield using an additive manufacturing machine as taught by and suggested by Smith in order to avoid fastening and welding and to provide suitable grain structures and material properties (Paragraph 0011, 0079, the modification makes the heat shield from additive manufacturing and heat treatment).
Regarding claim 17, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak does not disclose wherein forming the additively manufactured heat shield includes forming a metallographic structure using layers of metal powder.
However, Smith teaches wherein forming the additively manufactured heat shield includes forming a metallographic structure (The metallographic structure of the head shield) using layers of metal material (Paragraph 0012).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to modify the invention of Kubiak wherein forming the additively manufactured heat shield includes forming a metallographic structure using layers of metal powder as taught by and suggested by Smith in order to avoid fastening and welding and to provide suitable grain structures and material properties (Paragraph 0011, 0079, this is the same modification as claim 16).
Regarding claim 18, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein disposing the heat shield (In the combined invention of Kubiak in view of Smith, the heat shield is an additively manufactured heat shield) in the gas turbine system includes disposing the heat shield in a static portion (Figure 1; 14) of the gas turbine system upstream from rotating components (The turbine blades of Paragraph 0003) or downstream from the rotating components.
Regarding claim 19, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein reducing the temperature of the gas turbine system includes circulating the cooling fluid at least partly through an interior portion (The portion between Figure 2; 33, 35. The interior portion extends from Annotated Figure 3; labeled end) of the combustion chamber.
Regarding claim 20, Kubiak in view of Smith teaches the invention as claimed.
Kubiak further discloses wherein the cooling fluid flows axially and non-radially through the interior portion of the combustion chamber (At least a portion of the cooling fluid flows axially and non-radially such as the portion of the cooling fluid in the topmost portion of Figure 3; 70 along Figure 4; 77, the portion of the cooling fluid in center portion of Figure 3; 72, the portion of the cooling fluid in the bottommost portion of Figure 3; 74 along the analogous Figure 4; 77 for 74).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/8/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant asserts that Kubiak does not disclose the amended features of claims dated 12/8/2025. Examiner respectfully disagrees. As shown in this OA, Kubiak teaches the amended features of the claims dated 12/8/2025.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWIN G KANG whose telephone number is (571)272-9814. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00 PM EST.
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/EDWIN KANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3741
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