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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention II and B-III in the reply filed on December 11, 2025 is acknowledged.
Applicant's election with traverse of A-I in the reply filed on December 11, 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the grounds that there is not a search/examination burden as the claims are not currently directed towards the variety of species. This is not found persuasive because an election of species is directed toward the disclosure and not directed towards the claims. Claims may be amended by applicant during prosecution. The examiner maintains the rationale for there being a search burden as presented in the requirement of September 11, 2025.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
No claims are currently withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected inventions / species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the election requirement for election group A in the reply filed on December 11, 2025.
Claim Objections
Claim 27 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 27 recites in “the first buttress” at the end of line 16. This recitation does not appear to be logically connected to the limitations of lines 13-16 of the claim. The examiner therefore believes this instance of “the first buttress” to be erroneously included. Appropriate correction is required.
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 18-27 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 18 recites, “the shank further including forward and aft walls below and connected to respective ends of the platform” and “each of the first and second buttresses extending from a lower portion of the shank away from the respective first and second inner walls to corresponding ends of the platform”. It is unclear if the “corresponding ends” are the same ends as the “respective ends”. The respective ends refer to axial upstream and down ends. The first and second inner walls are positioned on the suction side and pressure side relative to the airfoil. It is unclear if “corresponding ends” refer to ends of the platform associated with the suction side and pressure side, or axial upstream and downstream sides, or another directionality (radially inner end / radially outer end).
Claim 21 recites, “each of the first and second buttresses extending away from the first and second inner walls, respectively, between a lower portion of the shank and a corresponding end of the platform”. It is unclear what corresponding end refers to as there is no directionality recited in the claim and there are 6 faces which may correspond to an “end” of a roughly rectangular platform.
Claim 21 recites, “the shank including: an inner portion … an outer portion”. Where applicant acts as his or her own lexicographer to specifically define a term of a claim contrary to its ordinary meaning, the written description must clearly redefine the claim term and set forth the uncommon definition so as to put one reasonably skilled in the art on notice that the applicant intended to so redefine that claim term. Process Control Corp. v. HydReclaim Corp., 190 F.3d 1350, 1357, 52 USPQ2d 1029, 1033 (Fed. Cir. 1999). The terms “inner” and “outer” in claim 21 appear to be used by the claim to mean “radially outer” and “radially inner” respectively. The terms “inner” and “outer” conflict with the assumed reference point of a rotational axis. It is unclear what reference is being used for a portion of the shank near the platform to be considered “inner” while a portion further away from the platform where the buttresses extend from is considered “outer”. The term is indefinite because the specification does not clearly redefine the term.
Claims dependent from independent claims 18 or 21 are also rejected.
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.
Claims 18-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Keith et al. (U.S Pre-Grant Publication 20060024164) hereinafter Keith.
PNG
media_image1.png
661
600
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
676
753
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 18, Keith discloses:
A turbine blade {Figure 8 (50); [0029]} comprising:
an airfoil including a tip, a body, and a base {Figure 2 airfoil (60) has a tip (80), body (60), and base (78); [0080]};
a platform connected to the base of the airfoil {Figure 2 (62) is connected to (78)};
a root including a shank and a dovetail {Figure 2, root includes shank (64) and dovetail (66)},
the shank extending from the platform to the dovetail {Figure 2 shank (64) extends from the platform (62) to the dovetail (66). Above (III) in Annotated Figure 2 may be considered the shank and below (III) may be considered the dovetail },
the shank further including forward and aft walls below and connected to respective ends of the platform {Annotated Figure 1, the shank (64) has forward wall (Ia) and aft wall (Ib) connected to respective ends of the platform (90) and (92). Due to the perspective, the wall itself cannot be seen so leaders in dashed lines are used}, and
first and second inner walls on respective suction and pressure sides of the shank {Annotated Figure 1, (Ic) is a first inner wall on the suction side of the shank and (Id) is a second inner wall on the pressure side of the shank. Due to the perspective, the wall itself cannot be seen so leaders in dashed lines are used},
wherein a cross-sectional profile of the shank in a plane parallel to the platform includes an inner portion that includes the first and second inner walls {Annotated Figure 2 (IV) includes an inner portion that includes the first and second inner walls (Ic) and (Id)}
wherein the shank further includes first and second buttresses on the suction and pressure sides of the shank, respectively {Figure 8 is ambiguous if the left side of the figure corresponds to the pressure side or suction side of the airfoil. Depending on if the left side corresponds to the suction side or pressure side, the first and second buttress interpretations may be reversed. For rejection purposes, the left side of Figure 8 is assumed as the suction side, but the rejection applies equally appropriately if the right side is the suction side. The shank includes a first buttress (197) and a second buttress (196) on the suction and pressure side respectively},
each of the first and second buttresses extending from a lower portion of the shank away from the respective first and second inner walls to corresponding ends of the platform {Figure 8 (197) and (196) extend from a lower portion of the shank away from (Ic) and (Id) respectively to ends (IIa) and (IIb); [0030]},
at least the first and second buttresses together with the respective first and second inner walls and a bottom of the platform defining respective first and second pockets below the platform {Figure 8, (197) ad (196) each with inner walls (Ic) and (Id) as well as bottom of the platform (182) define first pocket (190) and second pocket (180) respectively}.
Regarding claim 19, Keith further discloses:
wherein a first portion of each of the first and second buttresses are oriented at respective angles of at least 30° with the first and second inner walls, respectively {Figure 8, (198) is about 45° for both buttresses; [0030]}.
Regarding claim 20, Keith further discloses:
wherein at least one of the first and second pockets is in fluid communication with a cooling circuit of the turbine blade {Figure 8, (190) and (180) are in fluid communication with (150) which is part of a cooling circuit of the turbine blade; [0028]}.
Regarding claim 21, Keith discloses:
A turbine blade {Figure 8 (50); [0029]} comprising:
an airfoil including a tip, a body, and a base {Figure 2 airfoil (60) has a tip (80), body (60), and base (78); [0080]};
a platform connected to the base of the airfoil {Figure 2 (62) is connected to (78)};
a root including a shank and a dovetail {Figure 2, root includes shank (64) and dovetail (66). Above (III) in Annotated Figure 2 may be considered the shank and below (III) may be considered the dovetail},
the shank extending from the platform to the dovetail {Figure 2 shank (64) extends from the platform (62) to the dovetail (66)},
the shank including:
an inner portion defined by at least first and second inner walls extending from the platform and away from the airfoil on respective suction and pressure sides of the shank {Annotated Figure 1, the shank has an inner portion that includes (Ic) as a first inner wall on the suction side of the shank and (Id) as a second inner wall on the pressure side of the shank. These inner walls extend away from the platform (62) and away from the airfoil (60) on the suction and pressure sides respectively. Due to the perspective, the wall itself cannot be seen so leaders in dashed lines are used};
an outer portion including first and second buttresses on the suction and pressure sides of the shank, respectively {Figure 8 is ambiguous if the left side of the figure corresponds to the pressure side or suction side of the airfoil. Depending on if the left side corresponds to the suction side or pressure side, the first and second buttress interpretations may be reversed. For rejection purposes, the left side of Figure 8 is assumed as the suction side, but the rejection applies equally appropriately if the right side is the suction side. The outer portion of (64) includes a first buttress (197) and a second buttress (196) on the suction and pressure side of the shank respectively},
each of the first and second buttresses extending away from the first and second inner walls, respectively, between a lower portion of the shank and a corresponding end of the platform {Figure 8 (197) and (196) extend from a lower portion of the shank away from (Ic) and (Id) respectively to ends (IIa) and (IIb); [0030]},
a first pocket defined at least by the first inner wall and the first buttress {Annotated Figure 2 (190) is defined by the first inner wall (Ic) and the first buttress (197)}; and
a second pocket defined at least by the second inner wall and the second buttress {Annotated Figure 2 (180) is defined by the second inner wall (Id) and the second buttress (196)},
wherein cross-sections of the inner portion taken in planes parallel to the platform vary with distance from the platform {Figure 8, the inner portion of the shank has different cross-sectional shapes in planes parallel to the platform when taken at different distances from the platform as the lines in Figure 8 which define the shank are curved along the radial direction and are not straight}.
Regarding claim 22, Keith further discloses:
wherein the first and second pockets are further defined by a bottom of the platform {Figure 8, first and second pockets (190) and (180) are further defined by the bottom of the platform (182)}.
Regarding claim 23, Keith further discloses:
wherein a first portion of each of the first and second buttresses is oriented at an angle of at least 30° with the first and second inner walls, respectively {Figure 8, (198) is about 45° for both buttresses; [0030]}.
Regarding claim 24, Keith further discloses:
wherein at least one of the first and second pockets is in fluid communication with a cooling circuit of the turbine blade {Figure 8, (190) and (180) are in fluid communication with (150) which is part of a cooling circuit of the turbine blade; [0028]}.
Regarding claim 25, Keith further discloses:
wherein the profile of the inner portion of the shank gradually transitions in a direction perpendicular to the platform to a cross-sectional profile of the dovetail where the shank meets the dovetail {Annotated Figure 2, the shank meets the dovetail at roughly the plane of (III) which defines the cross-section profile. The profile of the inner portion of the shank transitions in the radially direction (which is perpendicular to the platform) radially inward to the plane of (III) based on the shown curvature}.
Regarding claim 26, Keith further discloses:
wherein the cross-sectional profile of the dovetail is rectangular {Annotated Figure 2, the cross-section profile of the dovetail is rectangular as the dovetail is roughly and extruded shape that is axially slid into a corresponding slot in a disk, see implicit disclosure MPEP 2112 and MPEP 2144.01}.
Regarding claim 27, Keith discloses:
A gas turbine system {Figure 1 (10); [0001]}, comprising:
a turbine section including a hot gas flow path {Figure 1 (18) has a hot gas flow path; [0016]}; and
a plurality of circumferentially spaced turbine blades in the turbine section extending radially from a rotor of the turbine section and into the hot gas flow path {Figure 1, non-labeled circumferentially space turbine blades which extend radially from the rotor into the hot gas flow path are shown near (18); [0017]. The turbine blades (50) are shown in more detail in Figure 2},
each turbine blade {Figure 8 (50); [0029]} including:
The remainder of claim 27 is substantially identical to claim 21. For the purposes of brevity and clarity the rejection of these limitations is not repeated. Please see the rejection of claim 21 above.
Claims 28-32 are substantially identical to claims 22-26. For the purposes of brevity and clarity the rejection of these claims is not repeated. Please see the rejections of claim 22-26 above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Halfmann et al. (U.S Pre-Grant Publication 20120093649) teaches cavities on the pressure and suction side underneath the platform.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL K. REITZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1387. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 a.m. -5:30 p.m.
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, Courtney Heinle can be reached at 5712703508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MICHAEL K. REITZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3745