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, see remarks, filed 05 January 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 35 USC 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Foskey in view of Thomas. The applicant argues relative to limitations that have been newly added to claim 1 and as such the rejections have been updated.
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.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foskey (US 20200047879) in view of Thomas (US 20170306979).
Regarding claim 1, Foskey discloses A blade spar (Figures 2A and 2B, item 201) for a rotor blade for a rotor of an aircraft propeller (Par. 0002), the blade spar comprising:
a laminate structure, the laminate structure comprising a plurality of plies of fibres in a matrix (Par. 0030),
wherein the blade spar has a longitudinal axis defining a longitudinal direction (Figure 2A shows that 201 would have a longitudinal axis going into and out of the page. The axis in Figure 2B would start at the root perpendicular to the cross-section and continue in that direction until the tip), the longitudinal axis extending along a radial direction of the rotor (See discussion above), wherein the blade spar comprises at least a portion that is curved from the longitudinal axis (Figure 2B shows that the spar 201 is curved along the axis and that the surface of the outside becomes smaller which requires the outer surface to curve away from the axis. This curved nature is more clearly shown in Figure 4 and the twist of the spar is described in paragraph 0027),
wherein the plurality of plies comprises a first ply comprising a plurality of first fibres (Par. 0004) wherein an alignment of the first fibres varies along the longitudinal direction to align the first fibres to the curved blade spar (Figure 4 shows a complex shape of the spar where the outer surface of the spar reduces in diameter as the spar extends towards the tip. Thereby, the fibers that are laid up to create the profile change angle to go inwards towards the longitudinal axis and thereby off-axis as the shape changes. The specific angle and layup process can be found in Paragraphs 0035-0041. Because these fibers angle away from or towards the longitudinal axis and do not stay angled with the longitudinal axis, the alignment of the fibers varies in response to the curved blade spar shape).
However, Foskey does not explicitly disclose that the alignment of the first fibres varies relative to the longitudinal direction. Foskey and Thomas are analogous prior art because both use automated tape layup composite methods to form composite articles.
Thomas teaches using steered fiber orientations (Par. 0004) during formation that allows the fibers to follow the contour of the blade and twist (Figures 4A-4C) so as to promote optimized centrifugal or aerodynamic loads on the blade (Par. 0095) and change the twist of the blade. Foskey already describes a twist in the blade and the spar and uses automated fiber layout for construction so it would be possible to use the steered fiber layout as described in Thomas in Foskey. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the steered fiber layout twisting at least partially around the longitudinal axis because it allows for the fibers to follow the contour of the spar and promotes optimized centrifugal or aerodynamic loads on the blade (Par. 0095). These fibres being steered to create the twist would create a variable fibre angle relative to the longitudinal direction.
Regarding claim 2, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches that the blade spar comprises a root, wherein at the root the first fibres are substantially aligned to the longitudinal axis (Foskey Figure 2B item 202 shows the root of the spar. The limitations “substantially aligned” means that the fibers do not have to be exactly aligned with the longitudinal axis. As Figure 2B shows the root extending generally longitudinally the fibers oriented at 0 degrees described in paragraph 0037 would extend substantially along the longitudinal axis).
Regarding claim 3, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches that the blade spar comprises a tip, where at the tip the first fibres are not aligned to the longitudinal axis (Foskey Figure 2B shows that the spar 202 is still reducing in diameter all the way until the tip meaning that the first fibers are directed inward towards the longitudinal axis at that point and are not aligned with the axis).
Regarding claim 4, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches that the blade spar tapers towards the tip, wherein a portion of the first fibres do not extend to the tip (Foskey Paragraph 0044 describes that some of the stacks and fibers can be applied to specific areas to create the shape meaning that some of the fibers do not extend to the tip), wherein a chord length and/or a thickness reduces to cause the blade spar to taper towards the tip (Figure 2B item 201 shows the spar reducing in chord length and thickness along the length).
Regarding claim 5, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches that the blade spar is curved towards a tangential direction, wherein the tangential direction is normal to the longitudinal direction and in the plane of rotation of the rotor, wherein the first fibres are curved towards the tangential direction. Foskey Figures 2B and 4 show that the spar reduces in diameter along each plane tangential to the longitudinal direction, meaning that the spar surface is curved towards the tangential direction in the plane of rotation of the rotor.
Regarding claim 6, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches that the blade spar is curved towards an axial direction, wherein the axial direction is parallel to the rotation axis of the rotor, wherein the first fibres are curved towards the axial direction. Foskey Figures 2B and 4 show that the spar reduces in diameter along each plane tangential to the longitudinal direction, meaning that the spar surface is curved in the axial direction.
Regarding claim 7, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches the fibers of the spar twisting with the profile of the spar (See rejection of claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 8, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches that the first fibres are formed from a carbon tape (Foskey Par. 0028).
Regarding claim 9, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches a plurality of first plies (Foskey Paragraph 0037 describes the unidirectional tape being a first layer).
Regarding claim 10, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches that the first fibres are placed with an automated fibre placement process to form the first ply. This is a product by process limitation so the only limitations given weight are what is imparted onto the structure by the automated fibre placement process. There is no clear structure provided by such a process that would not be provided by a manual layup. However, Foskey discloses the use of automated fiber placement (Par. 0029).
Regarding claim 11, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches that the plurality of plies comprises a second ply, wherein fibres of the second ply are orientated at ±α to the longitudinal axis, a being in the range 30° to 60° to the longitudinal axis. Foskey Paragraph 0037 describes using a second layer of tape with fibers oriented at + or – 45 degrees relative to the unidirectional tape.
Regarding claim 12, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches that the fibres of the second ply are manually or automatically placed. This is a product by process limitation so the only limitations given weight are what is imparted onto the structure by the automated fibre placement process or the manual process. However, Foskey discloses the use of manual or automated fiber placement (Foskey Par. 0029).
Regarding claim 13, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches a rotor blade for a rotor of an aircraft comprising the blade spar according to claim 1 (Foskey Paragraph 0002 and Figure 2B).
Regarding claim 14, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches that the rotor blade is an aircraft propeller blade (Foskey Paragraph 0002).
Regarding claim 15, Foskey in view of Thomas teaches A method of manufacturing a blade spar of claim 1, the method comprising using an automated fibre placement process to align the first fibres (Foskey Paragraph 0029 describes the spar being formed with automated fiber placement).
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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/THEODORE C RIBADENEYRA/ Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745