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 .
Status of the Claims
This is a final rejection in response to the amendments and arguments filed 02/27/2026. Claims 1-20 are currently pending with claims 1 and 10 amended and claims 17-20 new.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see the response, filed 02/27/2026, with respect to objections to the drawings have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objections to the drawings of 11/28/2025 has been withdrawn in light of amendments to the drawings.
Applicant's arguments filed 02/27/2026, with respect to the art rejections, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to arguments to the combination of the prior art Ritchie and Zearbaugh, and with respect to claims 1 and 10, examiner agrees that the prior art Ritchie and Zearbaugh, in combination, do not teach all the limitations as amended in the claims. However, the prior art US Patent Application Publication 2021/0095575 to Beltran Paris teaches a circumferential distribution channel having a first interface at a first edge and a second interface at the second edge of a panel and makes obvious the limitations as amended in the claims. See rejection to follow.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 1-3 and 10-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent 5,399,066 to Ritchie et al. (Ritchie) in view of US Patent 6,454,529 to Zearbaugh et al. (Zearbaugh) and in view of US Patent Application Publication 2021/0095575 to Beltran Paris (Beltran Paris).
In Reference to Claim 1
Ritchie discloses a panel segment (Fig. 1, 12 for instance, see also 110 of figure 4) for a cooling panel for a casing structure of a turbomachine (Abstract, cooling panels such as seen in figure 6 for instance), the panel segment comprising:
an inner sheet made of sheet metal (Fig. 1, 16 for instance); and
an outer sheet made of sheet metal (14 for instance);
the outer sheet (14) being arranged radially outside of the inner sheet (16) and being materially connected to the inner sheet (col 2, ll 33-40) so as to define a first edge of a first end (Fig. 6, left end for instance) of the panel lying circumferentially opposite a second edge of a second end of the panel (Fig. 6, right end for instance),
circumferential cooling channels (21, 22 and 23 for instance) being defined between the inner sheet (16) and the outer sheet (14),
each circumferential cooling channel being provided with a row of cooling holes configured to eject cooling fluid radially inwards (27 or 28 for instance, see figure 2, see also flow 70 in figure 1),
the panel segment further defining an axial distributor volume (138 for instance, see figure 6), configured to supply the circumferential cooling channels (21, 22 and 23 for instance) with the cooling fluid,
the panel segment further defining a circumferential distribution channel (160 for instance, see figure 6) in fluid communication with the axial distributor volume (138).
Ritchie does not teach “... the circumferential distribution channel extending from a first end to a second end of the panel segment, the first end and the second end lying circumferentially opposite, the circumferential distribution channel having a first interface at the first edge and a second interface at the second edge, the first interface and the second interface configured to be connected to a respective neighboring panel segment ....”
Zearbaugh is related to a panel segment for a cooling panel for a casing structure of a turbomachine (abstract, figure 2 and col 2, ll 46-61), as the claimed invention, and teaches a circumferential distribution channel (Fig. 5, 204 for instance), the circumferential distribution channel (204) having a first interface (214 for instance) at the first end and a second interface (216) at the second end, the first interface and the second interface (214 and 216 for instance) configured to be connected to a respective neighboring panel segment (connections of 202 via 220 for instance).
Beltran Paris is related to a panel segment (Figs. 2a-b, 1 for instance) for a cooling panel for a casing structure of a turbomachine (see abstract), as the claimed invention, and teaches a circumferential distribution channel (Fig. 2a and 2b, top portion of 3 for instance) extending from a first end (1.1 for instance) to a second end (1.2 for instance) of the panel segment (1 for instance), the first end and the second end lying circumferentially opposite (as seen in figure 2a for instance), the circumferential distribution channel having a first interface at a first edge (5 at 1.1 for instance) and a second interface at a second edge (5 at 1.2 for instance), the first interface and the second interface configured to be connected to a respective neighboring panel segment (see ¶ [0167] for instance).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the system of Ritchie wherein the circumferential distribution channel (of Ritchie) extends from a first end to a second end (as taught by Beltran Paris) of the panel segment (of Ritchie), the first end and the second end lying circumferentially opposite (as taught by Beltran Paris), the circumferential distribution channel having a first interface (as taught by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris) at the first edge (of Ritchie) and a second interface (as taught by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris) at the second edge (of Ritchie), the first interface and the second interface configured to be connected to a respective neighboring panel segment (as taught by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris), so as to use an art known technique (of the use of a circumferential distribution channel of panel segments having circumferential ends that are connectable to further panels as taught by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris) into the system of Ritchie and predictably cool the casing structure of Ritchie.
In Reference to Claim 2
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses the panel segment as recited in claim 1, wherein the circumferential distribution channel is radially defined by at least one of the inner sheet and the outer sheet (as taught by Zearbaugh col 4, ll 24-31, 204 as formed integral with the panel 202 and adjacent outer portion of the panel for instance).
In Reference to Claim 3
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses the panel segment as recited in claim 2, Beltran Paris further teaching wherein a circumferential distribution channel (Fig. 2c, X for instance) is radially defined between an inner sheet (2 for instance) and an outer sheet (3 for instance).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the system of Ritchie wherein the circumferential distribution channel is radially defined between the inner sheet and the outer sheet (as taught by Beltran Paris), so as to use an art known technique (of a cooling air distribution channel formed by inner and outer sheets of a cooling panel as taught by Beltran) into the system of Ritchie and predictably distribute cooling air through the panels for the cooling system.
In Reference to Claim 10
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses a cooling panel comprising:
a first panel segment (Ritchie Fig. 1, one of 12 for instance, see also 110 of figure 4) as recited in claim 1 and a second panel segment (Ritchie, another of 12 for instance, or another of 110 of figure 4) comprising:
a second inner sheet made of sheet metal (Ritchie, 16 for instance); and
a second outer sheet made of sheet metal (Ritchie, 14 for instance);
the second outer sheet (Ritchie, 14) being arranged radially outside of the second inner sheet (Ritchie, 16) and being materially connected to the inner sheet (Ritchie, col 2, ll 33-40),
second circumferential cooling channels (Ritchie, 21, 22 and 23 for instance) being defined between the second inner sheet (Ritchie, 16) and the second outer sheet (Ritchie, 14),
each second circumferential cooling channel being provided with a second row of second cooling holes configured to eject cooling fluid radially inwards (Ritchie, 27 or 28 for instance, see figure 2, see also flow 70 in figure 1),
the second panel segment further defining a second axial distributor volume (Ritchie, 138 for instance, see figure 6), configured to supply the second circumferential cooling channels (Ritchie, 21, 22 and 23 for instance) with the cooling fluid,
the second panel segment further defining a second circumferential distribution channel (Ritchie, 160 for instance, see figure 6) in fluid communication with the second axial distributor volume (Ritchie, 138),
the second circumferential distribution channel (of Ritchie) extending from a third end to a fourth end of the second panel segment (as taught by Beltran Paris), the third end and the fourth end lying circumferentially opposite (as taught by Beltran Paris),
the second circumferential distribution channel (of Ritchie) having a third interface (as taught by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris) at a third edge (as taught by Beltran Paris) of the third end (of Ritchie) and a fourth interface (as taught by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris) at a fourth edge (as taught by Beltran Paris) of the fourth end (of Ritchie);
a fluidical connection (at taught by Zearbaugh, 220 for instance) being formed between the first interface of the first panel segment and the fourth interface of the second panel segment (as taught by Zearbaugh, see adjacent panels 202 in figure 5 for instance).
This so as to use an art known technique (of the use of a circumferential distribution channel of panel segments having circumferential ends that are connectable to further panels as taught by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris) into the system of Ritchie and predictably cool the casing structure of Ritchie.
In Reference to Claim 11
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses the cooling panel as recited in claim 10, wherein the fluidical connection is formed by a flexible jumper tube (226 as taught by Zearbaugh for instance) or by a sliding female-male type connection (such as 220 into 214 or 216 or vice versa as taught by Zearbaugh for instance).
In Reference to Claim 12
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses the cooling panel as recited in claim 10, further comprising a plurality of further panel segments (Ritchie Fig. 4, 110 for instance) arranged to form a closed ring with the first panel segment and the second panel segment (Ritchie, see figure 4), wherein each panel segment of the plurality of panel segments comprises a further circumferential distribution channel extending between ends of the respective panel segment (204 of each panel 202 as taught by Zearbaugh for instance, figure 5), the ends lying circumferentially opposite (see figure 5 of Zearbaugh).
In Reference to Claim 13
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses the cooling panel as recited in claim 12, wherein the further circumferential distribution channels of the plurality of further panel segments (Zearbaugh, 204 of 202 as taught, figure 5) and the circumferential distribution channel and the second distribution channel are fluidically connected to form a continuous channel over the whole circumference (Zearbaugh, the connection of 204’s via 220 for instance, see figure 5).
In Reference to Claim 14
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses a module for a turbomachine (Ritchie, such as see in figure 1 and 4), the module defining at least a axial section of a gas channel (Ritchie, as seen in figure 1 for instance, gas flow channel at lower portion) and comprising: a casing structure (Ritchie, 20 for instance) arranged radially outside of the axial section of the gas channel (Ritchie, 20 above lower portion in figure 1 for instance); a cooling panel (Ritchie, 12 for instance, see also 110 in figure 4) as recited in claim 10; wherein the cooling panel (Ritchie, 12 for instance) is mounted radially outside of the casing structure (Ritchie, 20 for instance) and configured to cool the casing structure by ejecting cooling fluid (Ritchie, 70 for instance) from the cooling holes radially inwards (Ritchie, see also col 2, ll 44-47).
In Reference to Claim 15
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses a method of employing the module as recited in claim 14 in a turbomachine, the method comprising: distributing the cooling fluid circumferentially in the cooling panel (Ritchie, see figure 5 and col 2, ll 44-47) through the circumferential distribution channels of the panel segments (Ritchie, through 138 for instance and as modified with 204 of Zearbaugh); and ejecting the cooling fluid from the cooling holes radially inwards onto the casing structure (Ritchie col 2, lol 44-47, the ejection of fluid 70 to casing 20 for instance, also see figure 1).
In Reference to Claim 16
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses a method of manufacturing the panel segment as recited in claim 1, the method comprising materially joining the inner sheet and the outer sheet (see Ritchie col 2, ll 35-40).
In Reference to Claim 17
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses the cooling panel as recited in claim 11, wherein the cooling panel has the flexible jumper tube (226 as taught by Zearbaugh for instance) circumferentially between the first end and the fourth edge (between edges of panel 202 for instance).
In Reference to Claim 18
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses the cooling panel as recited in claim 11, wherein the cooling panel has the sliding female-male type connection (such as 220 into 214 or 216 or vice versa as taught by Zearbaugh for instance) circumferentially between the first end and the fourth edge (between edges of panel 202 for instance).
In Reference to Claim 19
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses the panel segment as recited in claim 1, wherein the circumferential distribution channel extends from the first end to the second end of the panel segment at a first radial location and the first and second interface are at the first radial location (interface at radial location of panel segment as taught by Beltran Paris, see figure 2a and 2b for instance).
In Reference to Claim 20
Ritchie discloses a panel segment (Fig. 1, 12 for instance, see also 110 of figure 4) for a cooling panel for a casing structure of a turbomachine (Abstract, cooling panels such as seen in figure 6 for instance), the panel segment comprising:
an inner sheet made of sheet metal (Fig. 1, 16 for instance); and
an outer sheet made of sheet metal (14 for instance);
the outer sheet (14) being arranged radially outside of the inner sheet (16) and being materially connected to the inner sheet (col 2, ll 33-40),
circumferential cooling channels (21, 22 and 23 for instance) being defined between the inner sheet (16) and the outer sheet (14),
each circumferential cooling channel being provided with a row of cooling holes configured to eject cooling fluid radially inwards (27 or 28 for instance, see figure 2, see also flow 70 in figure 1),
the panel segment further defining an axial distributor volume (138 for instance, see figure 6), configured to supply the circumferential cooling channels (21, 22 and 23 for instance) with the cooling fluid,
the panel segment further defining a circumferential distribution channel (160 for instance, see figure 6) in fluid communication with the axial distributor volume (138).
Ritchie does not teach “... the circumferential distribution channel extending from a first end to a second end of the panel segment at a first radial location, the first end and the second end lying circumferentially opposite, the circumferential distribution channel having a first interface at the first edge and a second interface at the second edge, the first interface and the second interface configured to be connected to a respective neighboring panel segment at the first radial ....”
Zearbaugh is related to a panel segment for a cooling panel for a casing structure of a turbomachine (abstract, figure 2 and col 2, ll 46-61), as the claimed invention, and teaches a circumferential distribution channel (Fig. 5, 204 for instance), the circumferential distribution channel (204) having a first interface (214 for instance) at the first end and a second interface (216) at the second end, the first interface and the second interface (214 and 216 for instance) configured to be connected to a respective neighboring panel segment (connections of 202 via 220 for instance).
Beltran Paris is related to a panel segment (Figs. 2a-b, 1 for instance) for a cooling panel for a casing structure of a turbomachine (see abstract), as the claimed invention, and teaches a circumferential distribution channel (Fig. 2a and 2b, top portion of 3 for instance) extending from a first end (1.1 for instance) to a second end (1.2 for instance) of the panel segment (1 for instance) at a first radial location (location at 1.1 of 1.2 for instance), the first end and the second end lying circumferentially opposite (as seen in figure 2a for instance), the circumferential distribution channel having a first interface at a first edge (5 at 1.1 for instance) and a second interface at a second edge (5 at 1.2 for instance), the first interface and the second interface configured to be connected to a respective neighboring panel segment (see ¶ [0167] for instance) at the first radial location (location at 1.1 of 1.2 for instance).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the system of Ritchie wherein the circumferential distribution channel (of Ritchie) extends from a first end to a second end (as taught by Beltran Paris) of the panel segment (of Ritchie) at a first radial location (as taught by Beltran Paris), the first end and the second end lying circumferentially opposite (as taught by Beltran Paris), the circumferential distribution channel having a first interface (as taught by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris) at the first edge (of Ritchie) and a second interface (as taught by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris) at the second edge (of Ritchie), the first interface and the second interface configured to be connected to a respective neighboring panel segment (as taught by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris) at the first radial location (as taught by Beltran Paris), so as to use an art known technique (of the use of a circumferential distribution channel of panel segments having circumferential ends that are connectable to further panels as taught by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris) into the system of Ritchie and predictably cool the casing structure of Ritchie.
Claim(s) 4-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent 5,399,066 to Ritchie et al. (Ritchie) in view of US Patent 6,454,529 to Zearbaugh et al. (Zearbaugh) and in view of US Patent Application Publication 2021/0095575 to Beltran Paris (Beltran Paris) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US Patent Application Publication 2012/0304662 to Prociw et al. (Prociw).
In Reference to Claim 4
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses the panel segment as recited in claim 1, further comprising: an additional channel sheet (duct of 204 as taught by Zearbaugh), the circumferential distribution channel (of 204 as taught by Zearbaugh) being radially defined by the additional channel sheet (duct of 204 as formed integrally with the outer surface of 202 for instance, see col 4, ll 27-31 of Zearbaugh for instance). It is not explicitly taught, however, “... made of sheet metal ....”
Prociw is related to a cooling system for a turbomachine (abstract), as the claimed invention, and teaches that ducts in the cooling system can be formed of sheet metal (see ¶ [0025]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the system of Ritchie wherein the additional channel sheet is made of sheet metal (as taught by Prociw), so as to use an art known technique (of forming cooling system ducts of sheet metal as taught by Prociw) into the system of Ritchie and predictably route cooling air in the system of Ritchie.
In Reference to Claim 5
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh, Beltran Paris and Prociw, discloses the panel segment as recited in claim 4, wherein the circumferential distribution channel (of 204 as taught by Zearbaugh) is radially defined between the additional channel sheet (the duct of 204 as taught by Zearbaugh) and one of the inner sheet and the outer sheet (the outer surface of 52 or 202 of Zearbaugh and therefore with the outer sheet 14 of Ritchie).
In Reference to Claim 6
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh, Beltran Paris and Prociw, discloses the panel segment as recited in claim 5 wherein the additional channel sheet (of the duct of 204 of Zearbaugh for instance) is arranged radially outside of the outer sheet (the outer surface of 52 or 202 of Zearbaugh and therefore with the outer sheet 14 of Ritchie for instance), the circumferential distribution channel (of 204 as taught by Zearbaugh) being defined radially inwards by a radially outer surface of the outer sheet (as formed integrally with the outer surface of 52 or 202 for instance, see col 4, ll 27-31 of Zearbaugh for instance).
In Reference to Claim 7
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses the panel segment as recited in claim 1, except, “... wherein the sheet metal has a thickness of at least 0.4 millimeter ....”
Prociw is related to a cooling system for a turbomachine (abstract), as the claimed invention, and teaches that sheet metal used in the cooling system may have a thickness of at least 0.4 millimeter (of 0.5 mm for instance, ¶ [0025], see also MPEP 2144.05(I) regarding overlapping of ranges).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the system of Ritchie wherein the sheet metal has a thickness of at least 0.4 millimeter (as taught by Prociw), so as to use an art known technique (of forming sheet metal of a certain thickness as taught by Prociw for instance) into the system of Ritchie and predictably and suitably form the cooling system of Ritchie.
In Reference to Claim 8
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh, Beltran Paris and Prociw, discloses the panel segment as recited in claim 7 wherein the sheet metal has a thickness of at most 2.5 millimeter (of 0.5 mm as taught by Prociw for instance, ¶ [0025], see also MPEP 2144.05(I) regarding overlapping of ranges).
In Reference to Claim 9
Ritchie, as modified by Zearbaugh and Beltran Paris, discloses the panel segment as recited in claim 1, except, “... wherein the sheet metal has a thickness of at most 2.5 millimeter ....”
Prociw is related to a cooling system for a turbomachine (abstract), as the claimed invention, and teaches that sheet metal used in the cooling system may have a thickness of at most 2.5 millimeter (of 0.5 mm for instance, ¶ [0025], see also MPEP 2144.05(I) regarding overlapping of ranges).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the system of Ritchie wherein the sheet metal has a thickness of at most 2.5 millimeter (as taught by Prociw), so as to use an art known technique (of forming sheet metal of a certain thickness as taught by Prociw for instance) into the system of Ritchie and predictably and suitably form the cooling system of Ritchie.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, as cited in the Notice of References Cited, are cited to show cooling systems for turbomachines, cooling systems with circumferential panels, and the connection of cooling system panels of a turbomachine.
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 WAYNE A LAMBERT whose telephone number is (571)270-3516. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 9 am - 7 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel E 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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/WAYNE A LAMBERT/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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