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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 20 November 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The examiner disagrees that the prior art previously cited does not disclose the limitations of the balancing section because the prior art does not explicitly describe the section to be used for balancing. These limitations were functional limitations and as such as long as the structure provided is capable of providing the function, the limitations are met. As any shape or structure provides a different balance for the overall structure, any shape or structure provides a different balancing of the rotor and impeller and as such meets the limitations required. This was set forth in the prior rejection and the examiner maintains these rationales. Simply because the slots are created to assist with the assembly does not mean that they do not also provide a different balance for the overall structure. Updated rejections are presented below.
Claim Objections
Claim 16 objected to because of the following informalities: the limitations “balancing weights” should make it clear whether these are the same balancing weights already set forth in claim 1 or if they are intended to be new recitations and new structures. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-7, 9-10, 12, and 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gessler (US 4915589).
Regarding claim 1, Gessler discloses A connection adapter (Figure 2, item 5) for the detachable connection of an impeller (3) with a shaft (2) to a rotor assembly for a turbo compressor that can rotate about a rotation axis (abstract), the connection adapter comprising:
an impeller section for fixing the impeller to the connection adapter (Figure 2, items 10 and the interface at 7 show the impeller section of the adapter along with any structures that serve to fix the adapter to the impeller), and
a shaft section for fixing the connection adapter to the shaft (figure 2, the area around the interface between 2 and 5 at item 6 serves at the shaft section along with any structures that serve to fix the adapter to the shaft),
wherein the impeller section has a first axial alignment means for axial alignment (No structure was imparted on the alignment means other than them being capable of axial alignment so these limitations are being interpreted broadly as any structure that is capable of limiting axial movement in a final position. Such an interpretation applies to the second axial alignment means below and with regards to radial movement with the first and second radial alignment means provided below. Annotated Figure 2 shows multiple structures of the impeller section that serve to abut the impeller axially against the adapter to position the adapter and impeller axially relative to each other. Each of these can each meet the limitations of the first axial alignment means individually or in combination) and a first radial alignment means for radial alignment of the impeller on the connection adapter (Annotated Figure 2 shows first radial alignment means that radially abut the impeller such that the adapter and impeller cannot shift radially relative to each other. Each of these can meet the limitations of the first radial alignment means individually or in combination) and the shaft section has a second axial alignment means for axial alignment (Annotated Figure 2 shows multiple axial abutments where the shaft and adapter can abut so that the axial movement is restricted. Further, the blocks 15 and 16 serve to radially compress the adapter against the shaft when the system is tightened such that the axial location of the shaft is locked in the adapter and axial movement is restricted. Each of these can each meet the limitations of the second axial alignment means individually or in combination) and a second radial alignment means for radial alignment of the shaft on the connection adapter (Annotated Figure 2 shows second radial alignment means that radially abut the shaft such that the adapter and shaft cannot shift radially relative to each other that can each meet the limitations of the second radial alignment means individually or in combination), by means of which the impeller and the shaft can be fixed to the connection adapter in a predetermined axial and radial alignment with respect to one another (Column 2, lines 55-68 and column 3, lines 1-21),
a balancing section provided between the impeller section and the shaft section for balancing the connection adapter or a unit comprising the connection adapter and the shaft or a unit comprising the connection adapter and the impeller or the rotor assembly,
wherein a mass configured for material removal and/or interfaces for fixing balancing weights are provided in the balancing section. Figures 2 and 6 item 6 shows slots arranged between the shaft and impeller sections that has material removed from the connection adapter to create the slots. As the balancing section must simply be capable of balancing the connection adapter and removal of such material to create the slots changes the balance of the connection adapter, the slots 6 meet the limitations of a balancing section. Further, while item 6 is being pointed to as the balancing section here, as any portion of the connection adapter is capable of providing a variable balance for the entire system, any portion of the connection adapter is capable of being considered the balancing section. The “mass being configured for removal” can further be any portion of the balancing section and the connection adapter, as this limitation is a functional limitation. As any material is capable of being removed either by a machining process or by destruction, any structure provided meets those limitations. See MPEP 2173.06(g) for detailed discussion of functional limitations.
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Annotated Figure 2
Regarding claim 2, Gessler discloses that the impeller portion has a thread for establishing a screw connection with the impeller (Figure 2, item 11 shows a screw connection between the impeller and the nut 14 that establishes a screw connection with the impeller).
Regarding claim 3, Gessler discloses that the shaft section forms or has a joining portion configured as a joining partner of a fit,
wherein the joining portion is configured as a sleeve extending with its longitudinal axis in the axial direction (figure 2 shows the shaft portion having a sleeve defined by item 5 and the bore 9) and is configured for joining with a projection provided on the shaft and corresponding thereto (Figure 2, item 2 shows a projection portion on the shaft that fits within the sleeve), so that the connection adapter can be connected to the shaft via the fit formed by the sleeve and the projection (Column 2, lines 55-68 and column 3, lines 1-21),
and wherein the fit is a transition fit or an interference fit (Column 2, lines 55-68 and column 3, lines 1-21 describes that the sleeve clamps the shaft which provides an interference fit).
Regarding claim 4, Gessler discloses a first circumferential alignment means for aligning the impeller on the connection adapter in a predetermined position is provided on the impeller section and/or
wherein a second circumferential alignment means is provided on the shaft portion for aligning the connection adapter on the shaft in a predetermined position, by way of which the impeller and the shaft can be fixed to the connection adapter in a predetermined orientation in the circumferential direction relative to one another.
Similarly to as it is described above, no structure was imparted on the circumferential alignment means other than them being capable of circumferential alignment so these limitations are being interpreted broadly as any structure that is capable of limiting circumferential movement in a final position. Column 2, lines 55-68 and Column 3, lines 1-21 describe the operation of the connecting system and describe that the complete assembly is clamped together between a washer and the collar with a nut such that the impeller and shaft, and thereby the connection adapter, are frictionally clamped together. As this would prevent the three items from rotating circumferentially to each other they provide circumferential alignment means between both the shaft and the adapter and the impeller and the adapter to lock in a predetermined circumferential position. The specific adapter structures that cause this are the adapter threading 11, the adapter outer surface 20, the adapter inner surface and slots 9 and 6, and the subsequent blocks 15-17.
Regarding claim 5, Gessler discloses that the connection adapter is configured to extend at least with its impeller section in the axial direction into the impeller (Figure 2 shows the connection adapter 10 extending axially into and through the impeller), so that the connection adapter overlaps with the impeller in the axial direction at least in its impeller section (Figure 2, items 10 and 3 show the impeller and connection adapter axially overlapping).
Regarding claim 6, Gessler discloses that the connection adapter is configured to encompass the shaft radially on the outside (Figure 2, item 5 shows the connection adapter having a sleeve that radially encompasses the shaft on the outside), so that the connection adapter overlaps with the shaft in the axial direction at least in its shaft section (Figure 2, items 5 and 2 show the shaft and connection adapter axially overlapping).
Regarding claim 7, Gessler discloses that the impeller section and the shaft section are designed to produce an axial overlap of the impeller fixable to the connection adapter with the shaft fixable to the connection adapter (Figure 2 shows that the two sections of the connection adapter overlap axially with the impeller and shaft respectively and as described in the rejection of claim 1 above the connection adapter serves to fix to both the impeller and shaft).
Regarding claim 9, Gessler discloses that the impeller section is connected to the shaft section in a thermally conductive manner and the connection adapter is designed to connect the impeller to the shaft in a thermally conductive manner. Figure 2 shows the connection adapter being connected to both the shaft and the impeller and as those connections are capable of transmitting thermal energy they are connected in a thermally conductive manner. The application describes the impeller being made of metal and the shaft being made of a ceramic and does not describe the sleeve being made of a thermal insulator. Further, the abstract describes the connection as being thermally and mechanically loadable.
Regarding claim 10, Gessler discloses A rotor assembly with an impeller of a shaft and a connection adapter connecting the impeller to the shaft configured according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above and Figure 1),
wherein the impeller and the shaft are axially and radially aligned with each other and fixed to each other via the connecting adapter (Figure 2 shows the shaft 2 and impeller 3 being both axially and radially aligned and connected via the connecting adapter 5).
Regarding claim 12, Gessler discloses that the shaft is made of ceramic or tungsten carbide (Column 2, lines 46-54).
Regarding claim 14, Gessler discloses that the thread is an external thread extending with its longitudinal axis in the axial direction (Figure 2, item 11), so that the impeller can be screwed to the external thread by a nut or an internal thread formed by the impeller (Figure 2, items 11 and 14 show a screw and nut connection for the impeller).
Regarding claim 15, Gessler discloses that the balancing section is located between axially facing surfaces of the impeller and the shaft when assembled to the connection adapter. Figure 2 shows the balancing section 6 being located between axially facing surfaces of the impeller and the shaft. Annotated Figure 2-B provided below shows axially facing surfaces of the impeller and axially facing surfaces of the shaft. As can be seen there, the balancing section 6 is axially located between the left impeller axial surface and both shaft axially facing surfaces and between the right impeller axial surface and the right shaft axial facing surface. As described above, other portions of the connection adapter can be considered the balancing section as they all meet the limitations of claim 1 above, and as such other portions of the balancing section that are located between each of the surfaces can meet these limitaitons.
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Annotated Figure 2-B
Regarding claim 16, Gessler discloses that the balancing section is radially exposed when the impeller and the shaft are assembled to the connection adapter, such that material can be removed and/or balancing weights affixed to the balancing section. As described above, any portion of the connection adapter can be considered the balancing section with the limitations provided from claim 1. As such, when the two are fully assembled, item 26 shows a portion of the adapter being radially exposed and as such it is possible in that state for material to be removed from that section. Similarly to what was described above, the limitations for material removal are functional limitations and the structure provided by Gessler makes material removal possible.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathan Wiehe can be reached at (571)-272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THEODORE C RIBADENEYRA/ Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745