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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-9, 11-15 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Miller (2025/0179958).
With respect to claim 1, Miller teaches an apparatus for an aircraft propulsion system (Figures 1-2, #10), comprising: an inner housing structure (see annoted view of Figure 1, provided below, #1) extending axially along and circumferentially about an axis (12), a radial outer side of the inner housing structure forming an inner peripheral boundary (5) of a flowpath (62/56), and the inner housing structure including an inner case (2), an inner platform (3) of a guide vane structure (52), a flowpath wall (4) and a bulkhead (108); the flowpath wall (4) axially adjacent the inner platform (3) along the inner peripheral boundary (5) of the flowpath, the flowpath wall (4) spaced radially outboard from the inner case (2), and the flowpath wall (4) configured with a flowpath wall acoustic treatment (120) extending along the inner peripheral boundary (5 - note upstream portions of boundary include acoustic treatment #120 as seen in Figure 2) of the flowpath (62/56); and the bulkhead (108) extending radially between and connected to the inner case (2) and the flowpath wall (4).
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With respect to claim 2, Miller teaches further comprising: an outer housing structure (50) spaced radially outboard from, extending axially along and extending circumferentially about the inner housing structure (1), a radial inner side (6) of the outer housing structure (50) forming an outer peripheral boundary of the flowpath (62/56), and the outer housing structure (50) including an outer case (7); and a plurality of vanes (see plurality of vanes #52 in Figure 4) of the guide vane structure arranged circumferentially about the axis (12) in an array, each of the plurality of vanes (52) projecting radially across the flowpath (62/56) from the inner platform (3) to the outer case (7).
With respect to claim 3, Miller teaches wherein the plurality of vanes (52) comprise a first vane (Figure 2, #52), and the first vane is canted and projects axially over the flowpath wall (4) acoustic treatment (120) as the first vane extends radially outward towards the outer case (7).
With respect to claim 4, Miller teaches wherein the plurality of vanes (52) comprise a first vane (Figure 2, #52), and the first vane is configured with a vane acoustic treatment (120) extending at least partially radially along the first vane (clearly seen in Figure 2).
With respect to claim 5, Miller teaches wherein the inner platform is configured with an inner platform (3) acoustic treatment (120) extending along the inner peripheral boundary (5) of the flowpath (62/56).
With respect to claim 6, Miller teaches wherein at least a portion of the inner platform (3) acoustic treatment (120) is disposed between a circumferentially neighboring pair of the plurality of vanes (52 – see Figure 4).
With respect to claim 7, Miller teaches further comprising: a fan rotor (38); and an engine core (22/24 and/or 152) configured to drive rotation of the fan rotor (38); the inner housing structure (1) housing the engine core (22/24 and/or 152), the outer case (7) radially next to and circumscribing the fan rotor (38), and the plurality of vanes (52) downstream of the fan rotor (38) ([0129]-[0130]).
With respect to claim 8, Miller teaches wherein the inner housing structure (1) further includes an inner nacelle structure (8); and the flowpath wall (4) extends axially between a downstream end of the inner platform (3) and an upstream end of a cowl (9) of the inner nacelle structure (8).
With respect to claim 9, Miller teaches wherein the cowl (9) of the inner nacelle structure (8) interfaces with the flowpath wall (4) at a v-groove coupling (102).
With respect to claim 11, Miller teaches wherein the inner housing structure (1) further includes a splitter structure (134 – note #134 is not described in the disclosure of Miller, but is pointing to a structure identical to Applicant’s “splitter structure” #68); an outer wall of the splitter structure extends axially from a leading edge of the splitter structure (134) to an upstream end of the inner platform (3).
With respect to claim 12, Miller teaches wherein the outer wall of the splitter structure (134) is configured with a splitter structure acoustic treatment (Figure 2, defined by upstream most of treatment #120) extending along the inner peripheral boundary (5) of the flowpath.
With respect to claim 13, Miller teaches further comprising: a bifurcation structure (160) projecting radially out from the inner housing structure (1) across the flowpath (62/56); the bifurcation structure (160) comprising a nose structure forming a leading edge of the bifurcation structure (160); and the nose structure connected to and axially overlapping a downstream end portion of the flowpath wall (4) ([0129]-[0130]).
With respect to claim 14, Miller teaches wherein the bulkhead (108) comprises a firewall (note frame 108 divides a space on either side of the frame #108, similar to Applicant’s “firewall” described in [0050] and is considered functionally identical in its broadest reasonable interpretation).
With respect to claim 15, Miller teaches wherein the flowpath wall (4) acoustic treatment (120) comprises an acoustic panel with a cellular core (see Figure 5, [0083]).
With respect to claim 18, Miller teaches an aircraft propulsion system (Figures 1-2, #10), comprising: a fan rotor (38); an engine core (152 – [0129]-[0130]) configured to drive rotation of the fan rotor (38) about an axis (12); an inner housing structure see annoted view of Figure 1, provided above, #1) housing the engine core (152), a radial outer side of the inner housing structure (1) forming an inner peripheral boundary (5) of a bypass flowpath (62/56), the inner housing structure including an inner platform (3), a flowpath wall (4) and an inner nacelle structure (8), the flowpath wall (4) axially adjacent and between the inner platform (3) and a cowl (9) of the inner nacelle structure (8) along the inner peripheral boundary (5) of the bypass flowpath (62/56), and the flowpath wall (4) configured with a flowpath wall acoustic treatment (120) extending along the inner peripheral boundary (5 - note upstream portions of boundary include acoustic treatment #120 as seen in Figure 2) of the bypass flowpath (62/56); an outer housing structure (50) spaced radially outboard from the inner housing structure (1), a radial inner side (6) of the outer housing structure (50) forming an outer peripheral boundary of the bypass flowpath (62/56); and a plurality of vanes (52 – see plurality in Figure 4) arranged circumferentially about the inner platform (3), each of the plurality of vanes (52) projecting radially across the bypass flowpath (62/56) from the inner platform (3) to the outer housing structure (50).
With respect to claim 19, Miller teaches an aircraft propulsion system (Figures 1-2, #10), comprising: a fan rotor (38); an engine core (152 – [0129]-[0130]) configured to drive rotation of the fan rotor (38) about an axis (12) the engine core (22/24 and/or 152) comprising a core flowpath (64/37); an inner housing structure (1) housing the engine core (22/24 and/or 152), a radial outer side of the inner housing structure forming an inner peripheral boundary (5) of a bypass flowpath (62/56), the inner housing structure including a splitter structure (134 – note #134 is not described in the disclosure of Miller, but is pointing to a structure identical to Applicant’s “splitter structure” #68) and an inner platform (3), a leading edge of the splitter (134) structure radially between and partially forming an inlet into the core flowpath (64/37) and an inlet into the bypass flowpath (62/56), an outer wall of the splitter structure (134) axially next to the inner platform (3) along the inner peripheral boundary (5) of the bypass flowpath (62/56), and the outer wall of the splitter structure (134) configured with a splitter structure acoustic treatment (Figure 2, defined by upstream most of treatment #120) extending along the inner peripheral boundary (5) of the bypass flowpath (62/56); an outer housing structure (50) spaced radially outboard from the inner housing structure (1), a radial inner side (6) of the outer housing structure (50) forming an outer peripheral boundary of the bypass flowpath (62/56), and a plurality of vanes (see plurality of vanes #52 in Figure 4) circumferentially about the inner platform (3), each of the plurality of vanes (52) projecting radially across the bypass flowpath (62/56) from the inner platform (3) to the outer housing structure (50).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller (2025/0179958) in view of Ali (9,856).
With respect to claim 10, Miller teaches the apparatus for an aircraft propulsion system of claim 1.
Miller fails to teach wherein the cowl of the inner nacelle structure is configured with a cowl acoustic treatment extending along the inner peripheral boundary of the flowpath.
Ali teaches a similar aircraft propulsion system, wherein a similar cowl (portion #170) of the inner nacelle structure is configured with a cowl acoustic treatment (174) extending along the inner peripheral boundary of a similar flowpath (B) (Col. 2, Lines 45-49).
Because Miller does not teach applying acoustic treatment to the cowl section of the along the inner peripheral boundary of a the flowpath, and Ali does tech applying acoustic treatment to the cowl section of the along the inner peripheral boundary of a the flowpath for the purpose of attenuating noise in the cowl region, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the apparatus of Miller, with the apparatus of Ali so as to further attenuate noise within the aircraft propulsion system axially aft of a fan cowl using an acoustic treatment (Col. 2, Lines 45-49).
With respect to claim 20, Miller teaches the apparatus for an aircraft propulsion system of claim 1. Miller further teaches wherein the inner housing structure (1) further includes a flowpath wall (4) and an inner nacelle structure; the flowpath wall (4) is axially adjacent and between the inner platform (3) and a cowl (9) of the inner nacelle structure (8) along the inner peripheral boundary (5) of the bypass flowpath (62/56); and the flowpath wall is configured with a flowpath wall acoustic treatment extending along the inner peripheral boundary of the bypass flowpath.
Miller fails to teach the flowpath wall is configured with a flowpath wall acoustic treatment extending along the inner peripheral boundary of the bypass flowpath.
Ali teaches a similar aircraft propulsion system, wherein a similar the flowpath (B) wall is configured with a flowpath acoustic treatment (174) extending along the inner peripheral boundary (defined by unlabeled inner wall along flowpath #B upstream of cowl section #170) of a similar bypass flowpath (B) (Col. 2, Lines 45-49).
Because Miller does not teach applying acoustic treatment along the inner peripheral boundary of a the flowpath, and Ali does tech applying acoustic treatment to the entire inner peripheral boundary (extending from unlabeled vane and continuing to an end of the cowl section) of a similar bypass flowpath purpose of attenuating noise aft of the cowl region, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the apparatus of Miller, with the apparatus of Ali so as to further attenuate noise within the aircraft propulsion system axially aft of a fan cowl using an acoustic treatment (Col. 2, Lines 45-49).
Claims 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller (2025/0179958) in view of Meslioui (2024/0360793).
With respect to claims 16 and 17, Miller teaches the apparatus for an aircraft propulsion system of claim 1. Miller further teaches wherein “the acoustic treatment 120 incorporated may have any suitable configuration, or any suitable combination of configurations” ([0081]).
Miller fails to teach wherein the flowpath wall acoustic treatment comprises a single degree-of- freedom acoustic treatment or a multi degree-of- freedom acoustic treatment.
Meslioui teaches a similar apparatus for an aircraft (Figure 11), wherein a similar flowpath wall (118) acoustic treatment (20) comprises a single degree-of- freedom acoustic treatment (Figures 1-2, #20 – [0052]) or a multi degree-of- freedom acoustic treatment (Figure 10, #20 – [0066]).
Because Miller teaches that essentially any suitable acoustic treatment structure #120 can be used in the turbine/nacelle flowpath wall structure (see Miller, [0081]), and Meslioui teaches that a similar turbine/nacelle structure for an aircraft can interchangeably include a single degree-of- freedom acoustic treatment or a multi degree-of- freedom acoustic treatment. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the apparatus of Miller, with the apparatus of Meslioui so as to provide simple substitution of one known acoustic treatment for another, to provide the predictable result of both the single degree-of-freedom acoustic treatment and the multi degree-of-freedom acoustic treatment being suitable for use in attenuating noise generated in the aircraft turbine engine structure of Miller. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ 2d 1385 (2007).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Pertinent arts of record relating to Applicant’s disclosure are disclosed in the PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEREMY AUSTIN LUKS whose telephone number is (571)272-2707. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (9:00-5:00).
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, Dedei Hammond can be reached at (571) 270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JEREMY A LUKS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
