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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
A broad range or limitation together with a narrow range or limitation that falls within the broad range or limitation (in the same claim) may be considered indefinite if the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. See MPEP § 2173.05(c). In the present instance, claim 3 recites the broad recitation “the ratio of the minimum height over the maximum height is less than or equal to 10%, and the claim also recites “and preferably equal to 5%” which is the narrower statement of the range/limitation. The claim(s) are considered indefinite because there is a question or doubt as to whether the feature introduced by such narrower language is (a) merely exemplary of the remainder of the claim, and therefore not required, or (b) a required feature of the claims.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2 and 4-7 are allowed.
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Regarding claim 1, Clements et al. (EP 3372785 A1) discloses a stator part (62) for a turbomachine (10) comprising:
a platform (70, 76) defining a wall of a gas flow duct ([0027]-[0029]),
a blade (64) extending radially with respect to an axis (11) of the turbomachine from the platform (Fig. 7), the blade having a camber maximum (T3), and
a fin (164) extending radially in the duct from a root (184) to a tip (182), the root being located on the platform (76), the tip extending axially along the axis (Fig. 7) from a leading edge (190) to a trailing edge (192), the tip having a chord length (C4), the chord length connecting, in a straight line, the leading edge and the trialing edge (Fig. 7).
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Sato (JP H04287802) discloses a fin (4) and blade (1) design such that:
the camber maximum (shown as the thickest part of the blade) is axially located between the leading edge (of the fin, Fig. 6) and the trailing edge (of the fin, Fig. 6),
a ratio of an axially measured distance between the camber maximum (of the blade) and the leading edge over the chord length (of the fin, Fig. 6) is less than or equal to 95% and greater than or equal to 5% (Fig. 6, it appears to be about 20%).
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Hiernaux (BE 1028234 A1) teaches, a fin height (32.1) defined between the root and the tip varies along the axis so as to define a recess (32.4) in the fin, the recess extending axially over a recess length (32.2), the recess length being less than or equal to 20% of the chord length (Fig. 5).
However, neither Clements et al., Sato, Hiernaux, nor any of the prior art of record teach or suggest, “a projection of the camber maximum along the axis lies within a projection of the recess along the axis.”
Hiernaux shows in Fig. 5 the recesses lying away from the camber maximum (e).
Claims 2, 4-7 are allowable based on their dependencies.
Claim 3 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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US PGPUB 2017/0022835 A1 discloses a turbine stator vane assembly for a turbomachine.
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US PGPUB 2018/0335051 A1 discloses a method and system for leading edge auxiliary vanes.
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US PGPUB 2018/0306041 A1 discloses a multiple turbine vane frame.
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US PGPUB 2018/0252113 A1 discloses gas turbine engine vanes.
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US PGPUB 2018/0156124 A1 discloses turbine engine frame incorporating splitters.
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US PGPUB 2007/0154314 A1 discloses a reduction of tonal noise in cooling fans using splitter blades.
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US Patent 11,125,089 B2 discloses a turbine incorporating endwall fences.
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GB 2568109 A discloses a splitter vane.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN C CLARK whose telephone number is (571)272-2871. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 0730-1730, Alternate Fridays 0730-1630.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Courtney D Heinle can be reached at (571)-270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RYAN C CLARK/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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