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
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 - 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Molnar et al (US 2016/0146050).
With regards to claim 1, Molnar teaches a system for assembling a fan case of a gas turbine engine (Abstract), the system comprising:
At least one adhesive layer disposed on an inner surface of a fan case barrel of the fan case, where the at least one adhesive layer includes an inwardly-facing surface that is radially spaced apart from the inner surface of the fan case barrel (Figure 2 item 34)
At least one liner disposed on the inwardly-facing surface of the at least one adhesive layer (Figure 2 item 32)
An annular structure adapted to be disposed on an outer surface of the fan case barrel (Figure 2 item 54)
A heat source coupled to the annular structure, where ethe heat source is adapted to heat the annular structure to at least a predetermined curing temperature, such that the annular structure inductively heats the at least one adhesive layer, and where, upon being inductively heated by the annular structure, the at least one adhesive layer is cured, thereby adhesively bonding the at least one liner to the inner surface of the fan case barrel (Figure 2 item 52, paragraph 43)
A controller that is communicably coupled to the heat source, where the controller is configured to control the heat source to heat the annular structure to at least the predetermined curing temperature (paragraph 39 discloses choosing a temperature which would require a controller)
At least one temperature sensor that is disposed proximal to the inner surface of the fan case barrel to measure a temperature proximal to the inner surface of the fan case barrel, where the at least one temperature sensor is communicably coupled to the controller, and where the controller is configured to control the heat source, so that the temperature proximal to the inner surface of the dan case barrel is equal to at least the predetermined curing temperature (paragraph 39 discloses choosing a temperature which would require a controller and a sensor)
With regards to claim 2, the teachings of Molnar are presented above. Additionally, Molnar teaches that the system further comprises an insulation layer covering each of the at least one liner and the at least one adhesive layer (Figure 2 item 40).
With regards to claim 3, the teachings of Molnar are presented above. Additionally, Molnar teaches that the at least one adhesive layer includes a plurality of adhesive layers that are circumferentially spaced apart from each other, where at least one liner includes a plurality of liners corresponding to the plurality of adhesive layers, where the plurality of liners corresponding to the plurality of liners are circumferentially spaced apart from each other, where each of the plurality of liners is disposed on the inwardly-facing surface of corresponding adhesive layer from the plurality of adhesive layers, and where each of the plurality of liners is adhesively bonded to the inner surface of the fan case barrel by the corresponding adhesive layer (paragraph 31).
With regards to claim 4, the teachings of Molnar are presented above. Additionally, Molnar teaches that the annular structure includes a composite material or a metallic material (paragraph 51).
With regards to claim 5, the teachings of Molnar are presented above. Additionally, Molnar teaches that the heat source is at least partially embedded within the annular structure (paragraph 43).
With regards to claim 6, the teachings of Molnar are presented above. Additionally, Molnar teaches that the heat source includes an electric cartridge, a heated fabric, a heated film, a ceramic heater, an induction heater or a heated fluid (paragraph 43).
With regards to claims 7 and 8, the teachings of Molnar are presented above. Additionally, Molnar teaches that the at least one liner is made of a metal, a composite material or a combination thereof, where the metal of the at least one liner is titanium, aluminum or a combination thereof (paragraphs 34 – 37).
With regards to claim 9, the teachings of Molnar are presented above. Additionally, Molnar teaches that the at least one adhesive layer includes a structural adhesive film (paragraph 38).
With regards to claim 10, Molnar teaches a method for assembling a fan case of a gas turbine engine (Abstract), the method comprising the steps of:
Disposing an annular structure on an outer surface of a fan case barrel of the fan case (Figure 2 item 54)
Coupling a heat source to the annular structure (paragraph 43)
Disposing at least one adhesive layer on an inner surface of the fan case barrel (paragraph 38)
Disposing at least one liner on an inwardly-facing surface of the at least one adhesive layer, where the inwardly facing surface of the at least one adhesive layer is radially spaced apart from the inner surface of the fan case barrel (Figure 2 item 32)
Heating, via the heat source, the annular structure to at least a predetermined curing temperature, such that the annular structure inductively heats the at least one adhesive layer (paragraph 43)
Controlling, via a controller that is communicably coupled to the heat source, the heat source to heat the annular structure to at least the predetermined curing temperature (paragraph 39 discloses choosing a temperature which would require a controller)
Measuring, via at least one temperature sensor disposed proximal to the inner surface of the fan case barrel, a temperature proximal to the inner surface of the fan case barrel, where the at least one temperature sensor is communicably coupled to the controller (paragraph 39)
Controlling via the controller, the heat source, so that the temperature proximal to the inner surface of the fan case barrel is equal to at least the predetermined curing temperature (paragraph 39)
Curing the at least one adhesive layer due to the inductive heating of the at least one adhesive layer by the annular structure (paragraph 39)
Adhesively bonding the at least one liner to the inner surface of the fan case barrel upon curing of the at least one adhesive layer (paragraph 37).
With regards to claim 11, the teachings of Molnar are presented above. Additionally, Molnar teaches that the method comprises disposing an insulation layer covering each of the at least one liner and the at least one adhesive layer (Figure 2 item 40).
With regards to claim 12, the teachings of Molnar are presented above. Additionally, Molnar teaches that the at least one adhesive layer includes a plurality of adhesive layers that are circumferentially spaced apart from each other, where the at least one liner includes a plurality of liners corresponding to the plurality of adhesive layers, where the plurality of liners are circumferentially spaced apart from each other, and where the step of disposing the at least one liner on the inwardly-facing surface of the at least one adhesive layer further includes disposing each of the plurality of liners on the inwardly-facing surface of a corresponding adhesive layer from the plurality of adhesive layers (paragraph 38).
With regards to claim 13, the teachings of Molnar are presented above. Additionally, Molnar teaches that the step of adhesively bonding the at least one liner to the inner surface of the fan case barrel further includes adhesively bonding each of the plurality of liners to the inner surface of the fan case barrel by the corresponding adhesive layer (paragraph 38).
Conclusion
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/JOSHEL RIVERA/Examiner, Art Unit 1746
/MICHAEL N ORLANDO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1746
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