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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/9/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 21, 22 and 24-32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kuronita et al. (2006/0097077).
Regarding claim 21, Kuronita et al shows a fuel injector nozzle including a longitudinal axis (down the center, fig 1) the fuel injector nozzle comprising: a plurality of injector orifice sets (2A, and the adjacent 2A, fig 6a), each consisting of two injector orifices (5a, 5b) each of the plurality of injector orifice sets including a first injector orifice (5a) and a second injector orifice (5b), wherein the first injector orifice extends parallel to and is positioned at the same location along the longitudinal axis as the second injector orifice in each of the plurality of injector orifice sets (fig 2a, 2b, fig 6a, each of the orifices 5a and 5b are parallel and are positioned at the same location along the longitudinal axis), the first and second injector orifices in each of the plurality of injector orifice sets (5a and 5b) are angled relative to each of the first and second injector orifice in each of the other plurality of injector orifice sets (5a and 5b of the adjacent set. Fig 6a), and wherein, wherein one of the first and second injector orifices from the plurality of injector orifice sets adjacent to one of the first and second injector orifices from an adjacent one of the plurality of injector orifice sets is spaced apart from the adjacent one of the first and second injector orifices by a distance greater than a distance between the first and second injector orifices ([0040] the outlets of 5a and 5b are further apart than the inlets ), and wherein each of the first and second injector orifices in each of the plurality of injector orifice sets has an inlet and an outlet (fig 2b 20, 22), and the inlets of each of the first and second injector orifices are spaced apart evenly from the other of the first and second injector orifices of the corresponding injector orifice sets and spaced evenly apart from the inlet the adjacent one of the first and second injector orifices of the adjacent one of the plurality of injector orifice sets on a nozzle sac of the fuel injector nozzle (fig 6a shows the inlets 20 all being evenly spaced apart by a distance C where C=a).
Regarding claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of injector orifices sets extends from the nozzle sac to an exterior surface of the fuel injector nozzle (fig 2b).
Regarding claim 24, wherein the plurality of injector orifices includes a third injector orifice (5b of the adjacent set 2a) in the adjacent one of the plurality of injector orifice sets, the outlet of the first injector orifice and the outlet of the second injector orifice being spaced apart a first distance (C or a), and the outlet of the second injector orifice and the outlet of the third injector orifice being spaced apart by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance (fig 2b, the outlets of each group are further apart then then the inlets [0040]).
Regarding claim 25, wherein the plurality of injector orifices sets further includes a fourth injector orifice (5b of the adjacent set), in the adjacent one of the plurality of injector orifice sets, an inlet of the fourth injector orifice, the inlet of the third injector orifice, the inlet of the second injector orifice, and inlet of the first injector orifice being evenly spaced from adjacent one of different orifices on the nozzle sac ( fig 6a), and an outlet of the fourth injector orifice spaced apart from the outlet of the third injector orifice by the first distance (fig 2a).
Regarding claim 26, wherein the first injector orifice and the second injector orifice are angled relative to the third injector orifice and the fourth injector orifice (fig 2b).
Regarding claim 27, wherein the first and second injector orifices are angled relative to the third injector orifice (fig 2b).
Regarding claim 28, wherein the plurality of injector orifices sets includes at least two injector orifice sets (fig 6a sets 2a), a first injector orifice set (2a) of the plurality of injector orifice sets including the first and second injector orifices (5a, 5b) and each additional injector orifice sets including a first and second injector orifice thereof (5a and 5b adjacent), and wherein for each of the injector orifice sets, the first injector orifice is parallel to the second injector orifice (fig 2a, 2b), and each of the injector orifice sets is angled relative to at least one other injector orifice sets (fig 2a, 2b).
Regarding claim 29, Kuronita et al. shows a fuel injector nozzle including a longitudinal axis (down the center in fig 1), the fuel injector nozzle comprising: at least two sets of injector orifices (2a, and adjacent 2a, figure 6a), each set of injector orifices consisting of a first injector orifice and a second injector orifice (5a, 5b), wherein the first injector orifice is parallel to and is positioned at the same location along the longitudinal axis as the second injector orifice in each of the sets of injector orifices (orifices in a set 2a are parallel and start at the same longitudinal position, fig 6a), each set of injector orifices is angled relative to at least one other set of injector orifices ([0040], fig 2b), wherein one of the first and second injector orifices of one of the at least two sets of injector orifices adjacent to one of the first and second injector orifices of the other of the at least two sets of injector orifices is spaced apart from the one of the first and second injector orifices of the other of the at least two sets of injector orifices by a distance greater than a distance between the first and second injector orifices (the distance between the outlets of 5a and 5a form an adjacent set would be greater than the distance between inlets because the second 5a is of a different set of orifices than the first 5a) and wherein each of the first and second injector orifices has an inlet and an outlet (20, 22), and the inlet of each of the first and second injector orifices of each of the at least two sets of injector orifices is spaced apart evenly from to adjacent inlets on a nozzle sac of the fuel injector nozzle (fig 6a show spacing for the inlets and the spacing is the same C=a).
Regarding claim 30, wherein the at least two sets of injector orifices includes at least three sets of injector orifices (fig 6a).
Regarding claim 31, further comprising one or more third injector orifices (5a form an adjacent set) of one or more other sets of injector orifices, wherein each of the first injector orifices has an inlet and an outlet (fig 2b), each of the third injector orifices has an inlet and an outlet (fig 2b), the inlets of the first injector orifice, the inlet of the second injector orifice, and the inlet of the third injector orifice each being spaced apart evenly on a nozzle sac, (fig 6a) and the outlets of each of the first injector orifices and the second injector orifices being spaced apart within the respective set of fuel injector orifices by a first distance (the first and second orifices are in the same set so they are Parallel), and the outlets of each of the second injector orifices and the third injector orifices being spaced apart within the respective set of fuel injector orifices by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance ([0040]).
Regarding claim 32, further comprising one or more fourth injector orifices (5b of the adjacent set of orifices) of the one or more other sets of injector orifices, wherein: inlets of each of the fourth injector orifices and the inlets of each of the third injector orifices, the second injector orifices, and the first injector orifice (fig 6a) are evenly spaced apart from one another from adjacent ones of the injector orifices on the nozzle sac (fig 6a), and outlets of each of the fourth injector orifices are spaced apart from the outlets of respective ones each of the third injector orifices orifice within the respective set of fuel injector orifices by the first distance (they are parallel so the distance is C), and wherein each of the first injector orifices and the second injector orifices within the respective set of fuel injector orifices are angled relative to each of the third injector orifices and each of the fourth injector orifices (fig 2a, 2b).
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) 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuronita et al. (2006/0097077) in view of Mahato et al. (2017/0218909).
Regarding claim 23, Kuronita discloses the fuel injector nozzle according to claim 21, but fails to disclose the first diameter being larger than the second diameter.
Mahato et al. is In the art of a fuel injection nozzle (Para. [0002]) and teaches a first diameter (diameter at inlet 202, Fig. 2) being larger than (inlet 202 has a diameter which is different than a diameter of outlet 204 ... the inlet diameter is larger than the outlet diameter, Para. {0031]) a second diameter (diameter at outlet 204).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively field to modify the first diameter and the second diameter of Kuronita to include the first diameter being larger than the second diameter as taught by Mahato et al. for the purpose of providing different diameters to a passage and thereby ensure that the inlet is sized to reduce the turbulence that causes cavitation (Mahato, Para. [0031]).
Claim(s), 21, 29, 33-37, 41-43 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tebbe (8,935,998) in view of Kuronita et al. (2006/0097077)
Regarding claim 33, Tebbe shows an engine wherein plurality of injector orifices (the orifices on 17) are positioned along a wall of a cylinder (10) of a two-stroke opposed piston engine, and the cylinder has an intake piston (20) at a first end of the cylinder, an exhaust piston (22) at a second end of the cylinder opposite the first end, and further comprising two fuel injectors (17), each including a longitudinal axis, the fuel injectors positioned across from one another along the wall of the cylinder (fig 1), and wherein the fuel injector nozzle includes two fuel injector nozzles (the nozzles of 17) provided on respective ones of the two fuel injectors so that fuel spray plumes from the plurality of injector orifices of each of the two fuel injector nozzles interlace with one another between the intake piston and the exhaust piston (fig 1),
But fails to disclose that the a plurality of injector orifices including: at least a first injector orifice, a second injector orifice, and a third injector orifice, wherein the first injector orifice has an inlet and an outlet, the second injector orifice has an inlet and an outlet, and the third injector orifice has an inlet and an outlet, the inlets of the first injector orifice, the second injector orifice, and the third injector orifice each being evenly spaced apart on a nozzle sac and the inlets are all positioned at a same first location along the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector nozzle, the outlet of the first injector orifice and the outlet of the second injector orifice being parallel to one another and spaced apart a first distance, and the outlet of the second injector orifice and the outlet of the third injector orifice being angled and adjacent relative to one another and spaced apart a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance, and the outlets are all positioned at the same second location along the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector nozzle.
However, Kuronita et al. shows a fuel injector nozzle, comprising: a plurality of injector orifices (5, fig 3b) including: at least a first injector orifice (5a), a second injector orifice (5c), and a third injector orifice (5a form an adjacent set 2a, fig 6a), wherein the first injector orifice has an inlet and an outlet, the second injector orifice has an inlet and an outlet, and the third injector orifice has an inlet and an outlet (20, 22), the inlets of the first injector orifice, the second injector orifice, and the third injector orifice each being evenly spaced apart on a nozzle sac (fig 6a) and the inlets are all positioned at a same first location along the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector nozzle (fig 6a), the outlet of the first injector orifice and the outlet of the second injector orifice being spaced apart a first distance (they are parallel so the distance is c), and the outlet of the second injector orifice and the outlet of the third injector orifice being angled and adjacent relative to one another and spaced apart a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance ([0040] the injectors of different injector groups are not parallel and the outlets are further apart than the inlets), and the outlets are all positioned at the same second location along the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector nozzle( fig 2b)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively field to use the fuel injectors of Kuronita et al. in the engine of Tobbe, in order to suppress black smoke and achieve higher performance form the engine as taught by Kuronita et al. [0008]
Regarding claim 34, wherein the plurality of injector orifices further includes a fourth injector orifice (5b adjacent set), an inlet of the fourth injector orifice, the inlets of the third injector orifice, the second injector orifice, and the first injector orifice are evenly spaced apart on the nozzle sac (fig 6a, C=a), and an outlet of the fourth injector orifice spaced apart from the outlet of the third injector orifice by the first distance (they are parallel, so the distance is C).
Regarding claim 35, wherein the first injector orifice and the second injector orifice are angled relative to the third injector orifice and the fourth injector orifice (fig 2a, 2b).
Regarding claim 36, wherein each injector orifice has an inlet and an outlet, and each of the inlets are spaced a first distance apart and each of the outlets are spaced apart by a second distance, the second distance between equal to or greater than the first distance (fig 2a, 2b).
Regarding claim 37, wherein the plurality of injector orifices includes three sets of injector orifices (fig 6a)
Regarding claims 41 and 21, Tebbe shows an engine where the plurality of injector orifices (of 17) are positioned along a wall of a cylinder (10) of a two-stroke opposed piston engine, and the cylinder has an intake piston (20) at a first end of the cylinder, an exhaust piston (22) at a second end of the cylinder opposite the first end, and further comprising two fuel injectors (17) positioned across from one another along the wall of the cylinder, and wherein the fuel injector nozzle includes two fuel injector nozzles (of 17) provided on respective ones of the two fuel injectors so that fuel spray plumes from the plurality of injector orifices (of 17) of each of the two fuel injector nozzles interlace with one another between the intake piston and the exhaust piston (fig 1).
But fails to disclose that the injector orifices are those of claim 21.
Kuronita et al shows a fuel injector nozzle including a longitudinal axis (down the center, fig 1) the fuel injector nozzle comprising: a plurality of injector orifice sets (2A, and the adjacent 2A, fig 6a), each consisting of two injector orifices (5a, 5b) each of the plurality of injector orifice sets including a first injector orifice (5a) and a second injector orifice (5b), wherein the first injector orifice extends parallel to and is positioned at the same location along the longitudinal axis as the second injector orifice in each of the plurality of injector orifice sets (fig 2a, 2b, fig 6a, each of the orifices 5a and 5b are parallel and are positioned at the same location along the longitudinal axis), the first and second injector orifices in each of the plurality of injector orifice sets (5a and 5b) are angled relative to each of the first and second injector orifice in each of the other plurality of injector orifice sets (5a and 5b of the adjacent set. Fig 6a), and wherein, wherein one of the first and second injector orifices from the plurality of injector orifice sets adjacent to one of the first and second injector orifices from an adjacent one of the plurality of injector orifice sets is spaced apart from the adjacent one of the first and second injector orifices by a distance greater than a distance between the first and second injector orifices ([0040] the outlets of 5a and 5b are further apart than the inlets ), and wherein each of the first and second injector orifices in each of the plurality of injector orifice sets has an inlet and an outlet (fig 2b 20, 22), and the inlets of each of the first and second injector orifices are spaced apart evenly from the other of the first and second injector orifices of the corresponding injector orifice sets and spaced evenly apart from the inlet the adjacent one of the first and second injector orifices of the adjacent one of the plurality of injector orifice sets on a nozzle sac of the fuel injector nozzle (fig 6a shows the inlets 20 all being evenly spaced apart by a distance C where C=a).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively field to use the fuel injectors of Kuronita et al. in the engine of Tobbe, in order to suppress black smoke and achieve higher performance form the engine as taught by Kuronita et al. [0008]
Regarding claims 42 and 29, Tebbe shows an engine where the plurality of injector orifices (of 17) are positioned along a wall of a cylinder (10) of a two-stroke opposed piston engine, and the cylinder has an intake piston (20) at a first end of the cylinder, an exhaust piston (22) at a second end of the cylinder opposite the first end, and further comprising two fuel injectors (17) positioned across from one another along the wall of the cylinder, and wherein the fuel injector nozzle includes two fuel injector nozzles (of 17) provided on respective ones of the two fuel injectors so that fuel spray plumes from the plurality of injector orifices (of 17) of each of the two fuel injector nozzles interlace with one another between the intake piston and the exhaust piston (fig 1).
But fails to disclose that the injector orifices are those of claim 29.
Kuronita et al. shows a fuel injector nozzle including a longitudinal axis (down the center in fig 1), the fuel injector nozzle comprising: at least two sets of injector orifices (2a, and adjacent 2a, figure 6a), each set of injector orifices consisting of a first injector orifice and a second injector orifice (5a, 5b), wherein the first injector orifice is parallel to and is positioned at the same location along the longitudinal axis as the second injector orifice in each of the sets of injector orifices (orifices in a set 2a are parallel and start at the same longitudinal position, fig 6a), each set of injector orifices is angled relative to at least one other set of injector orifices ([0040], fig 2b), wherein one of the first and second injector orifices of one of the at least two sets of injector orifices adjacent to one of the first and second injector orifices of the other of the at least two sets of injector orifices is spaced apart from the one of the first and second injector orifices of the other of the at least two sets of injector orifices by a distance greater than a distance between the first and second injector orifices (the distance between the outlets of 5a and 5a form an adjacent set would be greater than the distance between inlets because the second 5a is of a different set of orifices than the first 5a) and wherein each of the first and second injector orifices has an inlet and an outlet (20, 22), and the inlet of each of the first and second injector orifices of each of the at least two sets of injector orifices is spaced apart evenly from to adjacent inlets on a nozzle sac of the fuel injector nozzle (fig 6a show spacing for the inlets and the spacing is the same C=a).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively field to use the fuel injectors of Kuronita et al. in the engine of Tobbe, in order to suppress black smoke and achieve higher performance form the engine as taught by Kuronita et al. [0008]
Regarding claim 43, wherein each inlet of the first injector orifice, the second injector orifice, and the third injector orifice is evenly spaced apart from two adjacent inlets on the nozzle sac (fig 6b).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/16/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The examiner notes that figure 6a of Kuronita teaches multiple orifice sets 2A in the top row that all are located at the same point on the longitudinal axis and meet all the remainder of the claim limitations. See the updated rejections above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON J BOECKMANN whose telephone number is (571)272-2708. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am to 5pm.
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/JASON J BOECKMANN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752 3/26/2026
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