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 .
Status of Claims
Currently claims 1-21 are cancelled and claims 22-41 are pending, and claims 22, 25, 32, and 37 are amended.
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 –
Claim(s) 22-27 and 29-41 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Osono (JP 2009167900A).
With respect to claims 22, 29, and 37 Osono discloses a method of forming a portion of a nozzle for an injector of a fuel system/an injector for a fuel system, the method comprising:
forming at least one spray hole within the nozzle (spray hole 13 in the nozzle of injector 1, see figures 1-4), the at least one spray hole (13) having a length extending from an inlet end located within the nozzle to an outlet end located on an outer surface of the nozzle (as shown in figures 1-4, having an inlet at 44 and an outlet at the bottom of 17), wherein the inlet end opens at an open volume of a nozzle sac of the nozzle (figure 1, the sac being defined by the nozzle tip being the area beneath 24) and the at least one spray hole having an inner surface defining a channel extending along the length from the inlet end to the outlet end (being the inner surface of 41, see figure 4); and
forming a plurality of grooves (47) in the inner surface of the at least one spray hole so that each of the plurality of grooves defines a recessed portion (as 47 is recessed from that of 45) of the channel that extends in a linear configuration (as shown in figures 4 and 5, where 47 runs down a length of 45), each of the plurality of grooves being formed in the inner surface (as they are formed extending from the inner surface inwards) to extend in the linear configuration from a first end (the first end of 45) to a second end (the bottom end of 45) of a corresponding one of the plurality of grooves, at least one of the plurality of linear grooves being spaced from at least one of the inlet end (as shown in figure 4, where they are spaced from the inlet end by 44, as 47 is formed on 45 and not on the inlet at 44) and the outlet end so that the at least one of the plurality of linear grooves extends along only a portion of the length of the at least one of the plurality of spray holes (as shown in figure 4, where 47 extends along 43/45 and not 44), the plurality of grooves being formed to be separated from one another by a plurality of lands (45) that form non-recessed portions of the channel (being non-recessed), wherein the linear configuration of each of the plurality of grooves is configured to interrupt laminar flow of fluid flowing through the at least one spray hole to mix the fluid with air (as 47 increases sheared, paragraphs 0009 and 0034, which is increased not by laminar flow but by turbulent flow).
With respect to claim 23, Osono discloses each of the plurality of grooves is formed in the inner surface (being formed within the nozzle) to extend in the linear configuration from the first end to the second end thereof so that each of the plurality of grooves extends along only a portion of the length of the at least one spray hole (as they do not extend within 44).
With respect to claim 24, Osono discloses each of the plurality of grooves extends along a majority of the length of the at least one spray hole (as understood in figure 4, where 43/45 grooves 47 extend are along the majority of the length).
With respect to claims 25, 32, and 39 Osono discloses each of the plurality of grooves is formed with a rectangular cross-sectional shape (as shown in figure 5).
With respect to claim 26, 33, and 38 Wetzel discloses each of the plurality of lands extending in a linear configuration from a first end thereof at the first ends of adjacent ones of the plurality of grooves to a second end thereof at the second ends of the adjacent ones of the plurality of grooves (as shown in figures 4-5, where the noted lands 45 extend linearly along the outlet hole and are adjacent the grooves and between them).
With respect to claims 27, Osono discloses forming at least six grooves (showing 6 grooves in figure 5).
With respect to claim 30, Osono discloses each of the plurality of grooves extends along less than the length of the at least one spray hole from the inlet end to the outlet end (as they do not extend within 44).
With respect to claim 31, Osono discloses the first ends of each of the plurality of grooves is spaced apart from the inlet end of the at least one spray hole and the second ends of each of the plurality of grooves is coplanar with the outlet end of the at least one spray hole (as shown in figures 4-5, where they are spaced from the inlet by 44, and the extend coplanar (flush) with the bottom of the nozzle hole).
With respect to claim 34, Osono discloses the plurality of grooves includes six to twenty-four grooves (showing six grooves).
With respect to claim 35, Osono discloses each of the plurality of grooves extends to the outlet end of the at least one spray hole (as shown in figures 4-5, where 47 extend along the length of 43/45, and thus to the end of the hole 13
With respect to claim 36, Osono discloses the plurality of grooves in the linear configuration interrupt a laminar flow of the fluid through the at least one spray hole to improve the mixing with air (as 47 increases sheared, paragraphs 0009 and 0034, which is increased not by laminar flow but by turbulent flow).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Osono in view of Sebastian (U.S. 2003/0116659).
With respect to claim 28, Osono discloses the plurality of grooves, but fails to disclose they are formed with a laser that applies heat to the inner surface of the at least one spray hole.
Sebastian discloses, paragraph 0031, forming their grooves by a various of machining methods one of which would be by a laser processing. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize a laze applied to the inner surface of a spray hole as disclosed by Sebastian into the system of Osono, allowing their holes to be cut with a known method such as lasering.
Response to Arguments/Amendments
The Amendment filed (04/27/2026) has been entered. Currently claims 1-21 are cancelled and claims 22-41 are pending, and claims 22, 25, 32, and 37 are amended. Applicants’ amendments to the claims have overcome each and every rejection previously set forth in the Office Action dated (02/19/2026). Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 22-41 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 JOSEPH A GREENLUND whose telephone number is (571)272-0397. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm EST.
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/JOSEPH A GREENLUND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752
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