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 Species E (with circumferential offset between secondary and tertiary slots) in the reply filed on 11/06/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 8-10, 14 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant identified claims 14 as reading on Species E, but that requires the slots being circumferentially aligned, e.g. per Species D. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/06/2025.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters listed in the specification are not present in the drawings, 132b.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-7, 11-13, 15-20 are objected to because of the following informalities: claim 1, 4th paragraph, beginning with “a second[ary] fuel circuit circumscribing the primary fuel circuit” should replace “second” with “secondary” for consistency. Note there are multiple recitations in claim 1 that should be addressed. 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 5, 6 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 5 recites “wherein a primary fuel supply circuit extends through the fuel nozzle for supplying fuel to the primary pressure atomizer port” but does not appear to be further limiting to claim 1, which recites “a primary fuel circuit extending through the elongated nozzle portion to a primary atomizer port centrally provided in a planar front surface of the distal spray tip.”
Claim 6, “wherein a secondary fuel supply circuit extends through the fuel nozzle for supplying fuel to the set of circumferentially spaced apart secondary flat spray slots” appears to be claiming the same element as that already recited in claim 1 “a second[ary] fuel circuit circumscribing the primary fuel circuit” but without specifying the relationship between the two. Furthermore, the limitation does not appear to be further limiting to claim 1, because in addition to the already quoted text, claim 1, also requires “wherein fuel is selectively routed through the second fuel circuit and the plurality of nominally central holes for a flow rate of the fuel to be metered by the plurality of nominally central holes to generate flat fuel spray through the set of secondary flat spray slots”
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, 5, 6, 12, 17, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mansour et al (6547163) in view of Jorgensen et al (2017/0003032) and/or Hersch et al (5685706) and optionally Graves (20030051480) or Myers et al (2016/0010855)1. Mansour et al teach(es) A fuel injector assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising: a fuel nozzle including a radial feed arm 42 with an elongated axially extending nozzle portion 82 extending to a distal spray tip including a radial center defining a central axis A, the distal spray tip including a frustoconical outer surface [containing 84]; a primary fuel circuit 92, 93 extending through the elongated nozzle portion to a primary atomizer port 99 centrally provided in a planar front surface of the distal spray tip; a second fuel circuit 105 circumscribing the primary fuel circuit 92, 93; and a plurality of nominally central holes [includes radially inner part of 108 compared to the central axis A] extending into an interior of the distal spray tip towards the frustoconical outer surface and extending between the second fuel circuit and a set of secondary spray slots to fluidically couple the second fuel circuit to the set of secondary spray slots [e.g. tip of 108 or 109]; wherein fuel is selectively routed through the second fuel circuit and the plurality of nominally central holes 108 for a flow rate of the fuel to be metered [inherent, note the diameter / flow area of holes 108 is significantly less than that of the flow area of the second fuel circuit 105, and thus function analogously to applicant’s to be metered. Alternately, note that more broadly “for a flow rate of the fuel to be metered “ may be treated as an intended use or desired result, as applicant does not positively claim how this limitation is to occur and the claimed structure will inherently participate in the metering as noted above] by the plurality of nominally central holes 108 to generate fuel spray through the set of secondary spray slots [tip of 108 or 109], (2) wherein the primary pressure atomizer port 99 is operatively associated with a primary pressure atomizer within the distal spray tip of the nozzle portion of the fuel nozzle, wherein the primary pressure atomizer includes an atomizing tip portion 93 which the primary pressure atomizer port 99 extends through, and a fuel swirler 96 surrounded by the atomizing tip portion 93. (3) wherein the fuel swirler 96 has a front surface which abuts an inner wall of the atomizing tip portion, wherein the fuel swirler has a plurality of offset slots 97 [what the slots are offset from is not defined, and slots 97 are offset from the axial passage 95 as well as 96] and a main swirler 96, wherein fuel exits the plurality of offset slots and is directed into the main swirler by the inner wall of the primary pressure atomizer 93 and through the primary pressure atomizer port 99. (5) wherein a primary fuel supply circuit 92, 93 extends through the fuel nozzle for supplying fuel to the primary pressure atomizer port 99. (6) wherein a secondary fuel supply circuit 105 extends through the fuel nozzle for supplying fuel to the set of circumferentially spaced apart secondary flat spray slots 108. (12) wherein the set of circumferentially spaced apart secondary flat spray slots 108 includes at least three circumferentially spaced apart secondary flat spray slots 108. (17) wherein the secondary flat spray slots 108 have flow rates. (20) wherein the primary pressure atomizer port 99 is adapted and configured to issue a conic fuel spray [col. 5, lines 50-67].
Mansour et al teach using a set of secondary spray slots [tip of 108 or 109] but do not teach the secondary spray slots are flat … to generate flat fuel spray set through the set of secondary flat spray slots. Jorgenson et al teach a fuel nozzle with circumferentially spaced apart secondary flat spray slots 196 [Figs. 3, 4] to generate flat fuel spray set through the set of secondary flat spray slots and teaches spaced about a primary fuel 190 injector. Jorgenson et al teach that the set of secondary spray slots 196 may be conical spray patterns 195 [e.g. Fig. 10B] or may be a flat fan spray slots / pattern 197 [Fig. 11B, ¶ 0060] and teach these are equivalents in the art or that the flat spray fan spray slots allow for varying the dispersion of the fuel so as to achieve optimal dispersion [¶ 0060]. Jorgenson et al further teach that the secondary fuel spray slots may be non-uniform in pattern / profile and allow varied fuel distribution / flow rates [see ¶ 0062, 0075]. Alternately, Hersch teaches a set of circumferentially spaced apart secondary flat spray slots 28 are provided in the frusto-conical outer surface 14 of the distal spray tip … to generate flat fuel spray. Hersch teaches that using the flat spray slots has beneficial impact on mixing, particulates and emissions [col. 6, line 64-col. 7, line 38]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make the secondary spray slots of Mansour, flat fan spray slots or flat spray slots … to generate flat fuel spray set through the set of secondary flat spray slots, as taught by Jorgenson et al and/or Hersch, in order to utilize an equivalent spray slot used in the art or because flat spray fan spray slots allow for varying the dispersion of the fuel so as to achieve optimal dispersion or because flat spray slots have beneficial impact on mixing, particulates and emissions. As previously set forth, Mansour et al also already teach wherein fuel is selectively routed through the second fuel circuit and the plurality of nominally central holes for a flow rate of the fuel to be metered by the plurality of nominally central holes to generate fuel spray. Jorgenson et al also teach wherein fuel is selectively routed through the second fuel circuit and the plurality of nominally central holes 196 for a flow rate of the fuel to be metered by the plurality of nominally central holes [smaller than the rectangular / flat aperture and thus metering, see annotations of Fig. 11D] to generate flat fuel spray through the set of secondary flat spray slots. Alternately, Graves [¶ 0048] teaches wherein fuel is selectively routed through the second fuel circuit [between 65 and 67, and circumscribing primary fuel circuit 79, 71] and the plurality of nominally central holes 81 for a flow rate of the fuel to be metered by the plurality of nominally central holes 81 to generate fuel spray [exiting tip of 81, which are analogous to the fuel slots, see e.g. Fig. 4]. Myers et al also teach wherein fuel is selectively routed through the second fuel circuit [between 104 and 102] and the plurality of nominally central holes 202 for a flow rate of the fuel to be metered by the plurality of nominally central holes to generate generally flat fuel spray 204 through the set of generally secondary flat spray slots 204 [note that the pressure drop is larger / more restricted at the inlet 202 than at the exit 204, see ¶ 0029, Fig. 2A]. To the point not already inherent, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make fuel routed through the plurality of nominally central holes for a flow rate of the fuel to be metered by the plurality of nominally central holes, as taught by either Graves or Myers et al, as the typical practice in the art, in order to provide fuel metering as typically done in the art and which facilitates knowledge of the fuel flow through the nominally central holes.
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Mansour et al do not teach the (17) wherein the secondary flat spray slots have non-uniform flow rates. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make the secondary flat spray slots have non-uniform flow rates, as taught by Jorgenson et al, as varying the fuel spray in the circumferential direction allows for a non-uniform fuel pattern / profile and varied fuel distribution / flow rates.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the Mansour combination, and further in view of Francis et al (12326259).
Mansour et al already teach (3) wherein the fuel swirler 96 has a front surface which abuts an inner wall of the atomizing tip portion, wherein the fuel swirler has a plurality of offset slots 97 [what the slots are offset from is not defined, and slots 97 are offset from the axial passage 95 as well as 96] and a main swirler 96, wherein fuel exits the plurality of offset slots and is directed into the main swirler by the inner wall of the primary pressure atomizer 93 and through the primary pressure atomizer port 99. For an alternate treatment of this limitation, Francis et al teach wherein the fuel swirler has a front surface 31 which abuts an inner wall 16 of the atomizing tip portion 26, wherein the fuel swirler has a plurality of offset slots 28 and a main swirler 29, wherein fuel exits the plurality of offset slots 28 and is directed into the main swirler 29 by the inner wall of the primary pressure atomizer 16 and through the primary pressure atomizer port. Francis et al teach the geometry of the offset slots 28 allows controlling the swirling strength to the primary atomization port [see col. 3, lines 60 - col. 4, line 8]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize wherein the fuel swirler has a front surface which abuts an inner wall of the atomizing tip portion, wherein the fuel swirler has a plurality of offset slots and a main swirler, wherein fuel exits the plurality of offset slots and is directed into the main swirler by the inner wall of the primary pressure atomizer and through the primary pressure atomizer port, as taught by Francis et al, in order to control the fuel swirl strength to the primary atomization port.
Claim(s) 4, 7, 11, 13, 16, 18, 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the Mansour combination, and further in view of Fossi (11873993) and for claim 11, further in view of Hurley et al (6024301). Mansour et al combination do not teach (4) wherein a set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary flat spray slots are provided in the frusto-conical outer surface rearward of the set of circumferentially spaced apart secondary flat spray slots. (7) wherein a tertiary fuel supply circuit extends through the fuel nozzle for supplying fuel to the set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary flat spray slots. (11) wherein the each flat spray slot in the set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary flat spray slots is a pressure washer style spray slot. (13) wherein the set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary flat spray slots includes at least three circumferentially spaced apart tertiary flat spray slots. Fossi teaches (4) wherein a set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary spray slots 134 are provided in the frusto-conical outer surface 110 rearward of the set of circumferentially spaced apart secondary spray slots 142 [see Fig. 3]. (7) wherein a tertiary fuel supply circuit 136 extends through the fuel nozzle for supplying fuel to the set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary spray slots 134. (13) wherein the set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary spray slots 134 includes at least three circumferentially spaced apart tertiary spray slots 134 [note at least two are illustrated and more are required for relative circumferential uniformity. This may be treated as obvious in view of itself or any of the previous applied prior art which uses at least three slots for such a purpose. It would have been obvious to utilize at least three tertiary spray slots to enhance circumferential uniformity.] Fossi teaches that using both secondary fuel injection and tertiary fuel injection in the frusto-conical outer surface of the fuel nozzle allows for more effective injection of the fuel under differing operating conditions [col. 3, lines 16-29]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to employ (4) wherein a set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary spray slots are provided in the frusto-conical outer surface rearward of the set of circumferentially spaced apart secondary spray slots; (7) wherein a tertiary fuel supply circuit extends through the fuel nozzle for supplying fuel to the set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary spray slots; (13) wherein the set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary spray slots includes at least three circumferentially spaced apart tertiary spray slots, in the manner taught by Fossi, as using both secondary fuel injection and tertiary fuel injection in the frusto-conical outer surface of the fuel nozzle allows for more effective injection of the fuel under differing operating conditions [col. 3, lines 16-29]. As for making these [tertiary] spray slots flat, this is already taught by Jorgenson et al and/or Hersch. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make the tertiary spray slots, flat fan spray slots or flat spray slots, as taught by Jorgenson et al and/or Hersch, in order to utilize an equivalent spray slot used in the art or because flat spray fan spray slots allow for varying the dispersion of the fuel so as to achieve optimal dispersion or because flat spray slots have beneficial impact on mixing, particulates and emissions. Furthermore, as for (11) wherein the each flat spray appears to be a pressure washer style spray slot, the slots of Jorgenson et al and/or Hersch, appear to be a pressure washer style spray slot. Alternately, Hurley ‘301 also teaches a fuel spray slot 150, 152 that appears to be pressure washer style spray slot [see Fig. 2d] and has an effective atomization spray pattern for fuel. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to employ a pressure washer style spray slot for each flat spray slot in the set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary flat spray slots, as taught by any of Jorgenson et al, Hersch and Hurley ‘301, as a slot geometry that has an effective atomization spray pattern for fuel. As for claims 16, 18, 19, Mansour already teach these limitations including (16) an air swirler 120 operatively associated with the distal spray tip; (18) wherein the air swirler 120 is a dome air swirler 156 [col. 7, lines 60-66]; (19) wherein the air swirler 120 is an air swirler cup [annular shroud].
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the Mansour et al combination in view of Fossi (11873993), as applied above, and further in view of either Hurley et al (6622944) or Mancini et al (6523350). The prior art do not teach (15) wherein the set of circumferentially spaced apart secondary spray slots and the set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary spray slots are axially offset from one another relative to the central axis of the elongated nozzle portion. Hurley et al ‘944 teach it is well known to have the set of circumferentially spaced apart secondary spray slots 74, 72 and the set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary spray slots 76 are axially offset from one another relative to the central axis of the elongated nozzle portion, the offset allowing easier / stronger accommodation of rows of spray slots, by allowing more material to be between slots in the adjacent rows. Mancini et al teach wherein the set of circumferentially spaced apart secondary spray slots 276 and the set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary spray slots 276 are axially offset from one another relative to the central axis of the elongated nozzle portion [see Fig. 6] which allows greater circumferential uniformity of the fuel injection when both rows of fuel spray slots are utilized. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make the set of circumferentially spaced apart secondary flat spray slots and the set of circumferentially spaced apart tertiary flat spray slots axially offset from one another relative to the central axis of the elongated nozzle portion, as taught by either Hurley et al ‘944 or Mancini et al, for easier / stronger accommodation of rows of spray slots, by allowing more material to be between slots in the adjacent rows or for facilitating greater circumferential uniformity of the fuel injection when both rows of fuel spray slots are utilized.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/30/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments focus on the new limitations added by amendment. In rebuttal, Mansour already teach the spray slots and nominally central holes, and will inherently have metering due to the nominally central holes being of smaller flow area than the “second[ary] flow circuit]. Jorgenson et al also teach wherein fuel is selectively routed through the second fuel circuit and the plurality of nominally central holes 196 for a flow rate of the fuel to be metered by the plurality of nominally central holes [smaller than the rectangular / flat aperture and thus metering, see annotations of Fig. 11D] to generate flat fuel spray through the set of secondary flat spray slots. Similarly, the newly applied Graves and Myers et al references also teach the nominally central holes for the spray slots, and explicitly teach the flow rate is metered by the smaller area / restriction of the nominally central holes.
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.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to TED KIM whose telephone number is 571-272-4829. The Examiner can be reached on regular business hours before 5:00 pm, Monday to Thursday and every other Friday.
The fax number for the organization where this application is assigned is 571-273-8300.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Devon Kramer, can be reached at 571-272-7118 Alternate inquiries to Technology Center 3700 can be made via 571-272-3700.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center. Should you have questions on Patent Center, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). General inquiries can also be directed to the Inventors Assistance Center whose telephone number is 800-786-9199. Furthermore, a variety of online resources are available at https://www.uspto.gov/patent
/Ted Kim/
Telephone
571-272-4829
Primary Examiner
Fax
571-273-8300
August 18, 2026
1 Hence the Mansour combination.
Prosecution Insights