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 Objections
Claim 5 objected to because of the following informalities: the claim recites “the downstream end” which should be “a downstream end”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 5743710 to Yapp.
(a) Regarding claim 1:
(i) Yapp discloses a mixed-flow fan assembly (blower assembly 10, Fig 1) comprising:
an impeller (impeller wheel 14, Fig 1) comprising a plurality of blades (blades 15, Fig 1) extending from a rotatable hub (hub plate 13, Fig 1);
a shroud (annular top plate 19, Fig 1) having a conical shape extending circumferentially around the impeller (Fig 1), wherein the shroud is secured to the plurality of blades (Fig 1);
a casing (envelope assembly 16, Fig 1) with a bellmouth (inlet 32, Fig 1) disposed circumferentially around the shroud (Fig 1), defining a cavity between the casing and the shroud (Fig 1), with flow control clearance gaps (gaps between top plate 19 and envelope assembly 16 at upstream and downstream ends of top plate 19, Fig 1) at a downstream end and an upstream end of the casing (Fig 1);
one or more first circular ribs (labyrinth members 9 and forward tip of top plate 19, Fig 1) extending axially from the shroud within the cavity and substantially parallel to a rotational axis of the impeller (Fig 1); and
a plurality of de-swirl vanes (leakage stator vanes 17, Fig 1) disposed on an inner surface of the bellmouth (Fig 1).
(b) Regarding claim 2:
(i) Yapp discloses the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Yapp further discloses wherein the plurality of de-swirl vanes extend axially from a forward inner surface of the bellmouth towards the shroud (Fig 1), such that corresponding de-swirl vanes remain upstream of a forward flow clearance gap of the casing (Fig 1).
(c) Regarding claim 3:
(i) Yapp discloses the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Yapp further discloses wherein a forward junction of the plurality of de- swirl vanes has a first profile concurrent to a forward inner surface of the bellmouth (Fig 1), and wherein a rear edge of the plurality of de-swirl vanes has a second profile based on a profile of the one or more first circular ribs that are adjacent to corresponding de-swirl vanes (Fig 1).
(d) Regarding claim 4:
(i) Yapp discloses the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Yapp further discloses wherein a first rib of the one or more first circular ribs (aftmost member 9, Fig 1) is positioned on the shroud (Fig 1), wherein a junction of the first rib aligns with a transition point in the casing from a nominally conical section to a nominally axial section (where transition 36 transitions to a forward cylindrical section proximate labyrinth 34, Fig 1), thereby forming an axial flow passage within the cavity (Fig 1).
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) 5-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 5743710 to Yapp in view of US 12631198 to Chiu.
(a) Regarding claim 5:
(i) Yapp discloses the fan assembly of claim 4.
(ii) Yapp further discloses wherein the casing comprises: a cylindrical section with a flange adapted to be attached to a fan deck (portion of part 16A of envelope assembly 16 proximate bosses 56 and transition 36, Fig 1); and an annular section (portion of part 16a between transition 36 and labyrinth 34, Fig 1) having the downstream end connected to an end of the cylindrical section (Fig 1), wherein a length of the annular section is less than a length of an inclined surface of the shroud (Fig 1) such that a forward end of the annular section terminates and transitions to the nominally axial section (Fig 1), and wherein the bellmouth is connected to the nominally axial section (Fig 1).
(ii) Yapp does not disclose wherein the annular section is a conical section such that the conical section remains substantially parallel to the shroud, with the cavity defined therebetween.
(iii) Chiu is also in the field of fans (see title) and teaches a casing comprising a conical section (upper frame 20, Fig 7) such that the conical section remains substantially parallel to a shroud (shell 43, Fig 7), with a cavity defined therebetween (gap of spacing distance G, Fig 7).
(iv) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the annular section as disclosed by Yapp to be a conical section as taught by Chiu for the purpose of gradually reducing the flow velocity and kinetic energy of backflow by increasing wind resistance between the casing and the shroud thereby reducing backflow and eliminating turbulent flow intensity (Col 7 Lns 53-65).
(b) Regarding claim 6:
(i) Yapp as modified by Chiu teaches the fan assembly of claim 5.
(ii) Yapp further discloses wherein the one or more first circular ribs extend axially from a forward end of the shroud to define a shroud lip (forward end of top plate 19, Fig 1) that extends substantially parallel to a lip of the bellmouth within the cavity (Fig 1) to form a forward flow clearance gap therebetween (gap between forward end of top plate 19 and inlet 32, Fig 1).
(c) Regarding claim 7:
(i) Yapp as modified by Chiu teaches the fan assembly of claim 6.
(ii) Yapp further discloses wherein the one or more first circular ribs extend axially from a rear end of the shroud to define an aft rib of the shroud (aftmost member 9, Fig 1) that remains substantially parallel to the cylindrical section of the casing (Fig 1) to form a rear flow clearance gap therebetween (gap between aftmost portion of top plate 19 and part 16A, Fig 1).
(d) Regarding claim 8:
(i) Yapp as modified by Chiu teaches the fan assembly of claim 5.
(ii) Yapp further discloses wherein the one or more first circular ribs extends axially from the inclined surface of the shroud (Fig 1), such that a corresponding first rib extends within the cavity of the bellmouth (Fig 1).
(e) Regarding claim 9:
(i) Yapp as modified by Chiu teaches the fan assembly of claim 5.
(ii) Yapp as modified by Chiu further teaches wherein a first gap remains between the inclined surface of the shroud and the conical section of the casing (Yapp: Fig 1; Chiu: gap of spacing G, Fig 7).
(f) Regarding claim 10:
(i) Yapp as modified by Chiu teaches the fan assembly of claim 9.
(ii) Yapp further discloses wherein second and third gaps remain between an apex of the one or more first circular ribs and a rear edge of the plurality of de-swirl vanes (gaps between members 9 and rear edge of control vanes 17, Fig 1).
(g) Regarding claim 11:
(i) Yapp as modified by Chiu teaches the fan assembly of claim 5.
(ii) Yapp as modified by Chiu further teaches wherein the one or more first circular ribs extend axially from the inclined surface of the shroud (Yapp: Fig 1), such that a corresponding first rib extends within the cavity at the conical section of the casing (Yapp: Fig 1; see rejection of claim 5 above).
(h) Regarding claim 12:
(i) Yapp as modified by Chiu teaches the fan assembly of claim 11.
(ii) Yapp as modified by Chiu further teaches one or more second circular ribs (Yapp: labyrinth 34, Fig 1) that extend axially from the conical section of the casing within the cavity (Yapp: Fig 1; see rejection of claim 5 above), such that the one or more first circular ribs and the one or more second circular ribs remain parallel to each other, forming a labyrinth structure within the cavity (Yapp: Fig 1).
(i) Regarding claim 13:
(i) Yapp as modified by Chiu teaches the fan assembly of claim 12.
(ii) Yapp as modified by Chiu further teaches wherein the bellmouth comprises:
an outer section (Yapp: radially outer section of inlet 32 proximate labyrinth 34, Fig 1) having a diameter decreasing from a rear end to a forward end (Yapp: Fig 1),
wherein the rear end of the outer section is connected to the forward end of the conical section of the casing (Yapp: Fig 1; see rejection of claim 5); and
an inner section (Yapp: radially inner section of inlet 32, Fig 1) defining a lip of the bellmouth (Yapp: radially inner lip of inlet 32, Fig 1), connected to the forward end of the outer section by a curved section (Yapp: radial midportion of inlet 32, Fig 1), wherein diameter of the inner section is less than diameter of the forward end of the outer section (Yapp: Fig 1), and height of the inner section is less than height of the outer section (Yapp: Fig 1), thereby forming the bellmouth (Yapp: Fig 1).
(j) Regarding claim 14:
(i) Yapp as modified by Chiu teaches the fan assembly of claim 13.
(ii) Yapp further discloses wherein the plurality of de-swirl vanes extends radially between the outer section and the inner section (Fig 1) and axially at least partially from the curved section of the bellmouth (Fig 1), such that corresponding de-swirl vanes remain upstream of a forward flow clearance gap at the upstream end of the casing (upstream of radially inner lip of inlet 32, Fig 1).
(k) Regarding claim 15:
(i) Yapp as modified by Chiu teaches the fan assembly of claim 14.
(ii) Yapp further discloses wherein a rear edge of the plurality of de-swirl vanes comprises a first portion extending from the outer section towards the inner section (radially outer portion of vanes 17, Fig 1), and a second portion extending from the first portion to the inner section of the bellmouth (radially inner portion of vanes 17 having a curved profile, Fig 1), such that an apex of a first rib downstream of the shroud lip remains aft of the first portion (Fig 1), and an apex of the shroud lip remains aft of the second portion (Fig 1), wherein height of the first portion from a forward inner surface of the bellmouth is more than height of the second portion from the forward inner surface (Fig 1).
(l) Regarding claim 16:
(i) Yapp as modified by Chiu teaches the fan assembly of claim 15.
(ii) Yapp further discloses wherein the first portion has a substantially planar profile and the second portion has a curved profile (Fig 1).
(m) Regarding claim 17:
(i) Yapp as modified by Chiu teaches the fan assembly of claim 15.
(ii) Yapp further discloses wherein the first portion and the second portion have a curved profile (radially inner curved profile of vanes 17, Fig 1) and a J-shaped profile (radially inner J-shaped profile of vanes 17, Fig 1).
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 5743710 to Yapp in view of US 9903387 to Stagg.
(a) Regarding claim 19:
(i) Yapp discloses the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Yapp does not disclose wherein number of the plurality of de-swirl vanes in the assembly is in a range of 6 to 80.
(iii) Stagg is also in the field of fans (see title) and teaches a fan assembly comprising a plurality of de-swirl vanes (guide vanes 42, Fig 7) wherein the number of the plurality of de-swirl vanes is 31 (Col 4 Lns 12-13).
(iv) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the plurality of de-swirl vanes as disclosed by Yapp to number 31 as taught by Stagg for the purpose of reducing noise and vibrations (Col 4 Lns 8-13).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18 and 20 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims or by amending the limitations of the claims and any intervening claims into a parent independent claim.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The closest prior art is US 5743710 to Yapp however the prior art does not disclose nor teach:
wherein a transitioning or connection point between the first portion and the second portion of the rear edge extends axially and at least partially aft of a line connecting the apex of the first rib and the apex of the shroud lip; nor
wherein a ratio between a length of the conical section of the casing and a length between junctions of the shroud lip and an aft rib of the shroud is in a range of 0.3 to 0.7.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20150211541 to Gamissans Bou teaches a shroud having axially extending circular ribs (Fig 5). US 12480516 to Corralejo teaches a fan assembly comprising an impeller with a plurality of circular axially extending ribs (Fig 3) and a plurality of de-swirl vanes (Fig 4).
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/JUSTIN A PRUITT/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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