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 .
2. This Office Action is sent in response to Applicant's Communication received on April 01, 2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 01, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive as explained below.
Applicant respectfully asserts that the cited prior art fails to discloses/teaches the limitations “…wherein a first pressure controller is situated in a supply line to the first gas injector, and a second pressure controller is situated in a branch line to the second gas injector, wherein the first pressure controller and the second pressure controller vary as a function of a load state of the internal combustion engine…”.
The Examiner respectfully submits that SHINAGAWA explicitly discloses that a first pressure controller (secondary regulator 46: Fig. 1) is situated in a supply line to the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1), and a second pressure controller (primary regulator 44: Fig. 1) is situated in a branch line to the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1), where the first pressure controller (secondary regulator 46: Fig. 1) and the second pressure controller (primary regulator 44: Fig. 1) vary as a function of a load state of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1) (Fig. 2 and [0014, 0032]: “According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the main fuel injection valve and the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve are selected at the time of high load. At this time, since the hydrogen is supplied into the cylinder after the intake valve is closed, the intake air amount does not decrease. For this reason, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the torque by obtaining the combustion improvement effect by hydrogenation at the time of high load” and “As shown in FIG. 2, in the high load region, the gasoline injection valve 26 and the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 are selected as the injection valves for executing the fuel injection in order to give priority to the output. More specifically, in the high load region, fuel injection is performed by the gasoline injection valve 26 so as to achieve the output air-fuel ratio, and hydrogen is injected after the intake valve 22 is closed by the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30. It is supposed to be injected into the cylinder. According to such a configuration, the combustion state can be improved by hydrogenation, so that the torque can be improved”).
Disposition of Claims
Claims 13-24 are pending in this application.
Claims 13-24 are rejected.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 13-21 and 23-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by (SHINAGAWA – JP 2005299525 A).
Regarding claim 13, SHINAGAWA discloses:
A hydrogen injection system (Hydrogen Fuel Injection System as shown in Fig. 1) for an internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1) having an intake pipe (intake port 18: Fig. 1) and a combustion chamber (combustion chamber 16: Fig. 1), the hydrogen injection system (Hydrogen Fuel Injection System as shown in Fig. 1) comprising:
a first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1) configured to carry out an injection of hydrogen (hydrogen gas) into the intake pipe (intake port 18: Fig. 1) of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1); and
a second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1) configured to carry out an injection of hydrogen (hydrogen gas) directly into the combustion chamber (combustion chamber 16: Fig. 1) of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1),
wherein a first pressure controller (secondary regulator 46: Fig. 1) is situated in a supply line to the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1), and a second pressure controller (primary regulator 44: Fig. 1) is situated in a branch line to the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1),
wherein the first pressure controller (secondary regulator 46: Fig. 1) and the second pressure controller (primary regulator 44: Fig. 1) vary as a function of a load state of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1) (Fig. 2 and [0014, 0032]: “According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the main fuel injection valve and the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve are selected at the time of high load. At this time, since the hydrogen is supplied into the cylinder after the intake valve is closed, the intake air amount does not decrease. For this reason, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the torque by obtaining the combustion improvement effect by hydrogenation at the time of high load” and “As shown in FIG. 2, in the high load region, the gasoline injection valve 26 and the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 are selected as the injection valves for executing the fuel injection in order to give priority to the output. More specifically, in the high load region, fuel injection is performed by the gasoline injection valve 26 so as to achieve the output air-fuel ratio, and hydrogen is injected after the intake valve 22 is closed by the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30. It is supposed to be injected into the cylinder. According to such a configuration, the combustion state can be improved by hydrogenation, so that the torque can be improved”).
Regarding claim 21, SHINAGAWA discloses:
An internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1), comprising:
an intake pipe (intake port 18: Fig. 1) and a combustion chamber (combustion chamber 16: Fig. 1); and
a hydrogen injection system (Hydrogen Fuel Injection System as shown in Fig. 1) including:
a first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1) configured to carry out an injection of hydrogen (hydrogen gas) into the intake pipe (intake port 18: Fig. 1) of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1), and
a second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1) configured to carry out an injection of hydrogen (hydrogen gas) directly into the combustion chamber (combustion chamber 16: Fig. 1) of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1),
wherein a first pressure controller (secondary regulator 46: Fig. 1) is situated in a supply line to the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1), and a second pressure controller (primary regulator 44: Fig. 1) is situated in a branch line to the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1),
wherein the first pressure controller (secondary regulator 46: Fig. 1) and the second pressure controller (primary regulator 44: Fig. 1) vary as a function of a load state of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1) (Fig. 2 and [0014, 0032]: “According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the main fuel injection valve and the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve are selected at the time of high load. At this time, since the hydrogen is supplied into the cylinder after the intake valve is closed, the intake air amount does not decrease. For this reason, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the torque by obtaining the combustion improvement effect by hydrogenation at the time of high load” and “As shown in FIG. 2, in the high load region, the gasoline injection valve 26 and the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 are selected as the injection valves for executing the fuel injection in order to give priority to the output. More specifically, in the high load region, fuel injection is performed by the gasoline injection valve 26 so as to achieve the output air-fuel ratio, and hydrogen is injected after the intake valve 22 is closed by the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30. It is supposed to be injected into the cylinder. According to such a configuration, the combustion state can be improved by hydrogenation, so that the torque can be improved”).
Regarding claim 23, SHINAGAWA discloses:
A method for operating an internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1) using gaseous hydrogen (hydrogen gas is mentioned at least in 4 instances in the written specification of SHINAGAWA: “In the system of this embodiment, hydrogen gas charged into the hydrogen tank 38 from the outside is used as the hydrogen fuel supplied to the hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 and the hydrogen fuel cylinder injection valve 30” and “Since hydrogen is a gas fuel, if hydrogen is injected into the intake port 18 or into the cylinder before the intake valve 22 is closed, the amount of intake air is reduced by the amount of supplied hydrogen” and “The system of this embodiment includes a hydrogen tank 38 for storing hydrogen in a gaseous state at a high pressure”), the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1) having a first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1) for injecting hydrogen (hydrogen gas) into an intake pipe (intake port 18: Fig. 1) and a second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1) for injecting hydrogen (hydrogen gas) into a combustion chamber (combustion chamber 16: Fig. 1), the method comprising:
implementing an injection using exclusively only one of the first and second gas injectors (28, 30) as a function of a load state {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]} of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1), or
implementing an injection of hydrogen (hydrogen gas) using both of the first and second gas injectors (28, 30) as a function of the load state of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1) {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]},
wherein a first pressure controller (secondary regulator 46: Fig. 1) is situated in a supply line to the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1), and a second pressure controller (primary regulator 44: Fig. 1) is situated in a branch line to the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1),
wherein the first pressure controller (secondary regulator 46: Fig. 1) and the second pressure controller (primary regulator 44: Fig. 1) vary as a function of a load state of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1) (Fig. 2 and [0014, 0032]: “According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the main fuel injection valve and the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve are selected at the time of high load. At this time, since the hydrogen is supplied into the cylinder after the intake valve is closed, the intake air amount does not decrease. For this reason, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the torque by obtaining the combustion improvement effect by hydrogenation at the time of high load” and “As shown in FIG. 2, in the high load region, the gasoline injection valve 26 and the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 are selected as the injection valves for executing the fuel injection in order to give priority to the output. More specifically, in the high load region, fuel injection is performed by the gasoline injection valve 26 so as to achieve the output air-fuel ratio, and hydrogen is injected after the intake valve 22 is closed by the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30. It is supposed to be injected into the cylinder. According to such a configuration, the combustion state can be improved by hydrogenation, so that the torque can be improved”).
Regarding claim 14, SHINAGAWA disclose the hydrogen injection system and method according to claim 13, and further on SHINAGAWA also discloses:
wherein:
(i) an injection pressure of the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1) is lower than an injection pressure of the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1) {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]}, or
(ii) the injection pressures of the first and second gas injector (28, 30) are of an equal magnitude {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]}.
Regarding claim 15, SHINAGAWA disclose the hydrogen injection system and method according to claim 14, and further on SHINAGAWA also discloses:
wherein the injection pressure of the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1) and/or the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1) is constant in every load state of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1) {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]}.
Regarding claim 16, SHINAGAWA disclose the hydrogen injection system and method according to claim 13, and further on SHINAGAWA also discloses:
a control unit (ECU 50: Fig. 1) configured to control the hydrogen injection using the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1) and/or the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1) as a function of a load state {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]} of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 17, SHINAGAWA disclose the hydrogen injection system and method according to claim 16, and further on SHINAGAWA also discloses:
wherein in an idling operation and in a lower partial-load range of the internal combustion engine (10) {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]}, the control unit (50) is configured to inject hydrogen exclusively using the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1) into the intake pipe (18), and in a remaining load state {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]} of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1) from a lower partial-load range to a full load {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]}, the control unit (ECU 50: Fig. 1) is configured to inject hydrogen (hydrogen gas):
(i) using the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1) and the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1), or
(ii) exclusively using the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 18, SHINAGAWA disclose the hydrogen injection system and method according to claim 13, and further on SHINAGAWA also discloses:
a hydrogen tank (hydrogen tank 38 for storing hydrogen in a gaseous state at a high pressure: Fig. 1) and a line system for supplying hydrogen to the first and second gas injector (28, 30), and
a first pressure controller (secondary regulator 46 is disposed between the branch point 42 and the hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28: Fig. 1) is situated in a supply line to the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1), and
a second pressure controller (primary regulator 44 is disposed between the hydrogen tank 38 and the branch point 42: Fig. 1) is situated in a branch line to the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 19, SHINAGAWA disclose the hydrogen injection system and method according to claim 18, and further on SHINAGAWA also discloses:
wherein the first pressure controller (secondary regulator 46 is disposed between the branch point 42 and the hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28: Fig. 1) and/or the second pressure controller (primary regulator 44 is disposed between the hydrogen tank 38 and the branch point 42: Fig. 1) is adjustable to allow for a pressure control of the hydrogen supplied to the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1) and/or the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 20, SHINAGAWA disclose the hydrogen injection system and method according to claim 16, and further on SHINAGAWA also discloses:
wherein the control unit (50) is configured to:
implement an injection pressure of the hydrogen (hydrogen gas) at the first and/or second gas injector (28, 30) as a function of the load state {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]} of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1), and/or
implement an opening duration of the first and/or second gas injector (28, 30) as a function of the load state {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]} of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine 10: Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 24, SHINAGAWA disclose the hydrogen injection system and method according to claim 23, and further on SHINAGAWA also discloses:
wherein:
in an idling operation and in a lower partial-load range {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]}, which lies between an idling range and 50% of a full load, the injection is carried out only using the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1) into the intake pipe (18) {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]}, and
in a load range starting from the lower partial-load range to the full load {Engine Load Regions shown in Fig. 2 and [0026-0027, 0032-0034, 0039-0041, 0043, 0048]}, hydrogen is injected using:
(i) the first gas injector (hydrogen fuel port injection valve 28 for injecting hydrogen into the intake port 18: Fig. 1) and the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1), or
(ii) exclusively using the second gas injector (hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 for injecting hydrogen into the cylinder: Fig. 1).
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (SHINAGAWA – JP 2005299525 A), in view of (ITO – JP 2006046163 A).
Regarding claim 22, SHINAGAWA disclose the hydrogen injection system and method according to claim 21.
But SHINAGAWA does not explicitly and/or specifically meet the following limitations:
(A) wherein the second gas injector is {{{centrally situated on a center line of the combustion chamber}}} on a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine, or the second gas injector is laterally situated on the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine.
However, regarding limitation (A) above, ITO (Fig. 2 Embodiment) discloses/teaches that since the second injection valve (e.g., hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30: Fig. 2) is provided at the center of the combustion chamber, such that a hydrogen jet can be formed from the center of the combustion chamber toward the periphery. Therefore, by igniting the hydrogen jet with the spark plug, the flame can be instantaneously propagated from the center of the combustion chamber to the periphery (ITO [0010]).
It is noted that ITO discloses a similar hydrogen injection system and method like SHINAGAWA above.
Further on, ITO discloses a hydrogen tank 38 for storing hydrogen in a gaseous state at a high pressure. A hydrogen supply pipe 40 communicates with the hydrogen tank 38. The hydrogen supply pipe 40 communicates with the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30. In the system of this embodiment, hydrogen gas charged into the hydrogen tank 38 from the outside is used as the hydrogen fuel supplied to the hydrogen fuel in-cylinder injection valve 30 (ITO [0016]).
Accordingly, one skilled in the art would have been motivated to incorporate the teachings of ITO into SHINAGAWA to made possible that the flame can be instantaneously propagated from the center of the combustion chamber to the periphery.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the hydrogen injection system and method of SHINAGAWA incorporating centrally positioning the hydrogen direct injector on a center line of the combustion chamber as taught by ITO to made possible that the flame can be instantaneously propagated from the center of the combustion chamber to the periphery.
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 Ruben Picon-Feliciano whose telephone number is (571)-272-4938. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday within 11:30 am-7:30 pm ET.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lindsay M. Low can be reached on (571)272-1196. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RUBEN PICON-FELICIANO/Examiner, Art Unit 3747
/LINDSAY M LOW/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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