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 .
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 1-20 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 1, line, 4, claim 8, line 3, and claim 16, line 2 recite the limitation "fuel.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 2-5, 11-13 and 17-19 recite the limitation "the plurality of locations" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the staged flame zone" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
The remaining claims are rejected due to dependency from rejected claims.
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) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Miller (US 10,344,971).
Regarding claim 1, Miller discloses a burner nozzle, comprising:
a main air/fuel port (202,42) located centrally within the burner nozzle (Figure 5);
a plurality of staged gas fuel ports (39) that surrounds the main air-fuel port (Figure 5) and which directs fuel to an established flame zone downstream from the burner nozzle (Column 3, lines 31-55, fuel from the gas ports is directed about the central flow of gas, to an established zone in outlet 55, downstream of the burner nozzle portion 102); and a trapped vortex chamber (117) formed in a wall (42) of the main air/fuel port (Figure 5) and which communicates with a plurality of primary gas ports in a fuel circuit (the ports in wall 206), wherein the trapped vortex chamber facilitates flame stability with respect to a flame produced by the burner nozzle (Column 4, lines 33-36).
Regarding claim 2, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of locations includes:
a primary zone (the zone about injector 202 within vortex chamber 117) wherein primary fuel is mixed with air prior to ignition inside the trapped vortex chamber of the burner nozzle (Column 4, lines 27-36, the fuel and air are mixed prior to ignition in the vortex chamber in the zone about injector 202).
Regarding claim 3, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of locations includes:
a location (the zone about igniter 204) wherein ignition fuel aids ignition and the flame holding in the trapped vortex chamber (Column 4, lines 27-36, the fuel supplied from the igniter aids in ignition).
Regarding claim 4, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of locations includes:
a location (55) where staged fuel is injected downstream of the fuel ignited in a primary zone (Column 3, lines 31-55 and Column 4, lines 27-36).
Regarding claim 5, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of locations includes:
a primary zone (the zone about injector 202 within vortex chamber 117) wherein primary fuel is mixed with air prior to ignition inside the trapped vortex chamber of the burner nozzle (Column 4, lines 27-36), a location wherein ignition fuel aids ignition and the flame holding in the trapped vortex chamber (Column 4, lines 27-36, the zone where ignition fuel is supplied via the igniter), and a location (55) where staged fuel is injected downstream of the fuel ignited in the primary zone (Column 3, lines 31-55 and Column 4, lines 27-36).
Regarding claim 6, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 1, wherein after ignition inside the trapped vortex chamber of the burner nozzle the flame is stable and self-sustaining (Column 4, line 35).
Regarding claim 7, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of staged gas fuel ports (39) is sized to split a percentage of the fuel and direct the fuel into the staged flame zone downstream of a primary flame (The size of the ports provides for each of the ports to supply a portion of the fuel and supply it into the staged flame zone).
Regarding claim 8, Miller discloses a burner nozzle, comprising:
a plurality of staged gas fuel ports (39) that surrounds a main air-fuel port (202, 42) (Figure 5) and which directs fuel to an established flame zone downstream from the burner nozzle (Column 3, lines 31-55, fuel from the gas ports is directed about the central flow of gas, to an established zone in outlet 55, downstream of the burner nozzle portion 102); and
a trapped vortex chamber (117) formed in the main air/fuel port (Figure 5) and which communicates with a plurality of primary gas ports in a fuel circuit (the ports in wall 206), wherein the trapped vortex chamber facilitates flame stability with respect to a flame produced by the burner nozzle (Column 4, lines 33-36).
Regarding claim 9, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 8 wherein the main air/fuel port is located centrally within the burner nozzle (Figure 5).
Regarding claim 10, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 8 wherein the trapped vortex chamber is formed in a wall (42) of the main air/fuel port (figure 5).
Regarding claim 11, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 8, wherein the plurality of locations includes:
a primary zone (the zone about injector 202 within vortex chamber 117) wherein primary fuel is mixed with air prior to ignition inside the trapped vortex chamber of the burner nozzle (Column 4, lines 27-36, the fuel and air are mixed prior to ignition in the vortex chamber in the zone about injector 202).
Regarding claim 12, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 8, wherein the plurality of locations includes:
a location (the zone about igniter 204) wherein ignition fuel aids ignition and the flame holding in the trapped vortex chamber (Column 4, lines 27-36, the fuel supplied from the igniter aids in ignition).
Regarding claim 13, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 8, wherein the plurality of locations includes:
a location (55) where staged fuel is injected downstream of the fuel ignited in a primary zone (Column 3, lines 31-55 and Column 4, lines 27-36).
Regarding claim 14, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 8, wherein after ignition inside the trapped vortex chamber of the burner nozzle the flame is stable and self-sustaining (Column 4, line 35).
Regarding claim 15, Miller discloses the burner nozzle of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of staged gas fuel ports (39) is sized to split a percentage of the fuel and direct the fuel into the staged flame zone downstream of a primary flame (The size of the ports provides for each of the ports to supply a portion of the fuel and supply it into the staged flame zone).
Regarding claim 16, Miller discloses a method of operating a burner nozzle, comprising:
directing fuel with a plurality of staged gas fuel ports (39) that surrounds a main air- fuel port (202, 42) to an established flame zone downstream from a burner nozzle (Column 4, lines 25-31 and 36-40), wherein the main air-fuel port is located centrally within the burner nozzle (Figure 5); and
facilitating with a trapped vortex chamber (117), flame stability with respect to a flame produced by the burner nozzle (Column 4, lines 33-36), wherein the trapped vortex chamber is formed in a wall (42) of the main air/fuel port (Figure 5) and which communicates with a plurality of primary gas ports (the ports of stabilizer 206) in a fuel circuit in the burner nozzle (Column 4, lines 31-33).
Regarding claim 17, Miller discloses the method of claim 16, further comprising:
mixing primary fuel with air in a primary zone among the plurality of locations, wherein the primary fuel is mixed with the air prior to ignition inside the trapped vortex chamber of the burner nozzle (Column 4, lines 31-36).
Regarding claim 18, Miller discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of locations includes a location (the location about the igniter) wherein ignition fuel aids ignition and the flame holding in the trapped vortex chamber (Column 4, lines 31-36, Column 4, lines 27-36, the fuel supplied from the igniter aids in ignition).
Regarding claim 19, Miller discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of locations includes a location (55) where staged fuel is injected downstream of the fuel ignited in a primary zone (Column 3, lines 31-55 and Column 4, lines 27-36).
Regarding claim 20, Miller discloses the method of claim 16 wherein each of the plurality of staged gas fuel ports is sized to split a percentage of the fuel and direct the fuel into the staged flame zone downstream of a primary flame (The size of the ports provides for each of the ports to supply a portion of the fuel and supply it into the staged flame zone).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER R. DANDRIDGE whose telephone number is (571)270-1505. The examiner can normally be reached M-T 9am-7pm.
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CHRISTOPHER R. DANDRIDGE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3752
/CHRISTOPHER R DANDRIDGE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752