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 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 the limitation "the total radial extension" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the maximum needle stroke" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Page 15, line 34 should recite “a moreuniform dispersal”.
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) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ragg (WO 8700584), hereinafter “Ragg”.
Regarding claim 1, Ragg discloses a fuel injector (31) suitable for gaseous fuels (shown in figures 6-7), the fuel injector (31) comprising: an injection nozzle (42) having a tip region that is shaped to define an annular valve seat (68) that extends about a central outlet opening (75); and an outward opening injection valve needle (43) slidably received in the injection nozzle (42), and operable to move between closed and open positions, the outward opening injection valve needle (43) comprising a valve stem (44) that defines a valve axis and a valve head (48) extending from the valve stem (44),
wherein the valve head (48) comprises: a circumferential sealing region (61) configured to seal against the valve seat (68) and close the central outlet opening (75) in the closed position and to define an annular gap with the valve seat (68) in the open position, and
a circumferential fuel guide region that is located downstream from the circumferential
sealing region (61), the circumferential fuel guide region including a first guide portion
(65) defining a first guide surface and a second guide portion (62) defining a second
guide surface, whereby the first guide portion (65) is configured to guide fuel injection at
a smaller angle with respect to the valve axis than the second guide portion (62).
Regarding claim 2, Ragg discloses the fuel injector (31) of Claim 1, wherein a first angle (angle of first guide portion 65) is defined between a tangent of an outermost radial extent (tip end of 65) of the first guide surface (surface of 65) and the valve axis, and a second angle (angle of second guide portion 62) is defined between a tangent of the outermost radial extent (tip end of 62) of the second guide surface (surface of second guide portion 62) the valve axis, and wherein the first angle is less than the second angle (shown in figure 7).
Regarding claim 3, Ragg discloses the fuel injector (31) of Claim 2, wherein the difference between the second angle (angle of 62 is 120°) and the first angle (angle of 65 is 30°) is at least 40° (specification page 10, lines 1-6 and page 10, lines 20-26).
Regarding claim 4, Ragg discloses the fuel injector (31) of claim 1, wherein the second guide portion (62) comprises a projection (tip portion of 62) that extends radially outward with respect to the first guide portion (65) to define the second guide surface (shown in figure 7).
Regarding claim 5, Ragg discloses the fuel injector (31) of Claim 4, wherein the projection (tip end portion of 62) extends radially outward with respect to the first guide portion (65) by at least 10% of the total radial extension of the valve head (48) downstream of the circumferential sealing region (68, shown in figure 7). Examiner notes that the difference between 65 and 62 is larger than 10 percent.
Regarding claim 6, Ragg discloses the fuel injector (31) of Claim 4, wherein the projection (tip end portion of 62) extends radially outward with respect to the first guide portion (65) by at least 10% of the maximum needle stroke of the injection valve needle (43, shown in figure 7). Examiner notes that the difference between 65 and 62 is larger than 10 percent.
Regarding claim 7, Ragg discloses the fuel injector (31) of Claim 4, wherein the projection (tip end portion of 62) takes the form of a curved ramp or annulus portion (figures 3 and 7 shows that the tip end portion of 62 is in the form of an annulus circumferentially around the valve head).
Regarding claim 8, Ragg discloses the fuel injector (31) of Claim 1, wherein the first guide surface (65) is substantially convex, and wherein the second guide surface (62) is substantially concave. Examiner notes that there is nothing within the specification that describes what “substantially” means. And therefore, Ragg’s portions 62 and 65 still read on being substantially convex and substantially concave.
Regarding claim 9, Ragg discloses the fuel injector (31) of claim 1, wherein the valve head (48) further comprises a circumferential common region (61) that extends between the circumferential sealing region (68) and the circumferential fuel guide region (76), and wherein the circumferential common region (61) is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the valve axis (shown in figure 7).
Regarding claim 10, Ragg discloses the fuel injector (31) of Claim 9, wherein the circumferential common region (61) defines a common surface that is substantially convex (shown in figure 4).
Regarding claim 11, Ragg discloses the fuel injector (31) of Claim 1, wherein the fuel guide region (76) comprises at least one pair of first guide portions (65) and at least one pair of second guide portions (62), and wherein each pair of first and second guide portions (62, 64) is arranged on opposite sides of the valve head (48). Examiner notes that there are more than two notches (65) and more than two annular portion (62) that are still arranged opposite from each other symmetrically as shown in figures 3 and 5.
Regarding claim 12, Ragg discloses the fuel injector (31) of Claim 1, wherein the first guide portion (65) extends circumferentially over a first subtended angle α and the second guide portion (62) extends circumferentially over a second subtended angle, and wherein the first subtended angle α is larger than the second subtended angle (shown in figures 3 and 5). Examiner notes that the width of 65 is larger that the width of 62 as shown in figure 3.
Regarding claim 13, Ragg discloses the fuel injector (31) of Claim 1any preceding claim, wherein at least one flute (66 and 65 shown curved portions in figure 5) is defined within the first and/ or second guide portions (second guide portion 65) for imparting rotational swirl to gaseous fuel passing thereover (toroidal airflow 73 shown in figure 10, page 12, liens 1-13).
Regarding claim 14, Ragg discloses an internal combustion engine (9, shown in figure 1) for gaseous fuels comprising, a cylinder head (21), a piston (12) and an engine combustion chamber (27), a fuel injector (31) of any preceding claim arranged in said cylinder head (21) and configured to guide fuel injection into the engine combustion chamber (27) for combustion, wherein the first guide portion (65) is configured to guide the injection jet towards the lower half of the combustion chamber (27) and the second guide portion (62) is configured to guide the injection jet towards the upper half of the combustion chamber (27). Examiner notes that with the outwardly opening fuel injection poppet valve with the first guide portion (65) being 30° and the second guide portion (62) being 120°, there would be one jet stream towards an upper half and another het stream towards a lower half of the combustion chamber.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Refer to PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SYED O HASAN whose telephone number is (571)272-0990. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday; 11AM-7PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lindsay Low can be reached at (571) 272-1196. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SYED O HASAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747 2/19/2026