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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 9/18/2026 has been entered.
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.
Claims 13-20 are 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 13, the recitation of, “a mount of the tip shroud” in Lines 3-4 is unclear as it is not understood what specifically is being referenced e.g. a mounting portion of the tip shroud or a separate structure. For the purposes of prior art examination, the recitation is considered to mean, “a mounting portion of the tip shroud” and Applicant is suggested to amend the limitation accordingly.
Claims 15-20 are also rejected by virtue of their dependency.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 4-12 are allowed.
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Regarding Claim 1, the closest prior art considered to be US 20220/282666 A1 discloses a high pressure packing seal (HPPS) circuit apparatus for a turbomachine (100) comprising:
a circumferential groove (see annotated figure 3) in an inner casing (9, figure 3) of the turbomachine, the circumferential groove extending substantially radially inward from an outer surface of the inner casing and having a bottom wall, a forward wall, and an aft wall (see annotated figure 3);
an HPPS cavity (Cs, figure 3) defined by the inner casing and a rotor (4, figure 3) of the turbomachine and including an HPPS inlet (G, figure 2 also reproduced above) between the forward portion of the inner casing and an aft end of a compressor portion of the rotor of the turbomachine (best seen from figure 2);
a vane (8, figure 2) mounted in an outer casing (1C, figure 2) of the turbomachine and extending to the inner casing (see figure 2), the vane having a tip (see tip of 8, figure 3) disposed at the circumferential groove (see annotated figure 3);
a tip shroud (82, figure 3) of the vane extending from the tip and having an outer surface substantially coplanar with the outer surface of the inner casing (see figure 3) and an inner surface disposed in the circumferential groove (see figure 3), the tip shroud and the forward wall of the circumferential groove defining an upstream opening (see annotated figure 3), and the tip shroud and the aft wall of the circumferential groove defining a downstream opening (see annotated figure 3);
a first seal (see seal S, figure 5 also reproduced above which can also be applied to the embodiment in figure 3, para 46) mounted in the circumferential groove and extending toward the tip shroud of the vane and having a first clearance therewith (see figure 3 and 5);
The prior art fails to disclose an exit channel extending from the circumferential groove through the inner casing to the HPPS cavity,
wherein the exit channel extends substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of the turbomachine from the forward wall of the circumferential groove to the forward portion of the inner casing. Therefore, it is not known in, nor obvious from the prior art to construct a high pressure packing seal (HPPS) circuit apparatus as claimed.
Claims 2 and 4-12 are also allowed by virtue of their dependency.
Claim 13 and 15-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
Regarding Claim 13, the claim is allowable for similar reasons to that of Claim 1 above, specifically, the prior art US 20220/282666A1 fails to disclose the exit channel extending substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of the turbomachine from the circumferential groove to a forward portion of the inner casing that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the turbomachine. Therefore, it is not known in, nor obvious from the prior art to construct a seal apparatus as claimed.
Claims 15-20 also contain allowable by virtue of their dependency.
Internet/E-mail Communication
In order to permit communication regarding the instant application via email, Applicant is invited to file form PTO/SB/439 (Authorization for Internet Communications) or include the following statement in a filed document or remarks of a filed response (see MPEP 502.03 Il): Recognizing that Internet communications are not secure, I hereby authorize the USPTO to communicate with the undersigned and practitioners in accordance with 37 CFR 1.33 and 37 CFR 1.34 concerning any subject matter of this application by video conferencing, instant messaging, or electronic mail. I understand that a copy of these communications will be made of record in the application file. If such authorization is provided, please include an email address in the remarks of a filed response. The examiner’s e-mail address is sabbir.hasan@uspto.gov.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sabbir Hasan whose telephone number is (571)270-7651. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 10:30 am-6:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel 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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/Sabbir Hasan/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
