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 1-12 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 recites the limitation "…when the plunger is close to the open position, also the secondary electromagnet so that the secondary electromagnet…" in lines 27-29. It appears to be idiomatically and/or grammatically incorrect.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the movable armature" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 Hohl (US6796511).
With respect to claim 1, Hohl discloses an electromagnetic fuel injector (Figs. 1 and 2) comprising: a tubular support body (3, 4); an injection nozzle (13, 16) arranged at an (lower) end of the support body; an injection valve (at 22) coupled to the injection nozzle; a plunger (13, 18), which is movable, so as to adjust the fuel flow through the injection nozzle, between a closed position (Fig. 1) and an open (lower and upper switch) position (Col. 3, lines 16-38. Fig. 2) of the injection valve; an electromagnetic actuator (1 and supply of current to the solenoid coils. Col. 1, line 59) provided with a main electromagnet (5, 9) configured (capable of), when it is activated, to apply a force to the plunger, which pushes the plunger towards the open position of the injection valve and provided with a secondary electromagnet (6, 10) configured (capable of), when it is activated, to apply a force to the plunger, which pushes the plunger towards the closed position of the injection valve; a closing spring (11, 12) configured to (capable of) push the plunger towards the closed position of the injection valve; and a control unit (supply of current to the solenoid coils. Col. 1, line 59) configured (capable of), so as to open the injection valve, to activate the main electromagnet so that the main electromagnet generates a magnetic force moving the plunger towards the open position, overcoming the elastic force of the closing spring; wherein the control unit is configured to (capable of) activate, during the opening of the injection valve and when the plunger is close to the open position, also the secondary electromagnet so that the secondary electromagnet generates a magnetic force (during partial stroke of valve stroke h in Fig. 2) slowing down the movement of the plunger towards the open position.
With respect to claim 2, Hohl discloses the electromagnetic injector according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic actuator comprises one single armature (12), which is movable, is integral (as one unit) with the plunger and is shared by both electromagnets (12 movement is controlled by 9 and 18), since it is subjected to the magnetic forces generated by both electromagnets.
With respect to claim 3, Hohl discloses the electromagnetic injector according to claim 2, wherein: the main electromagnet comprises a main armature (9), which is integral (as one unit) with the support body, and a main coil (5), which is arranged in the area of the main armature; the secondary electromagnet comprises a secondary armature (10), which is integral (as one unit) with the support body, and a secondary coil (6), which is arranged in the area of the secondary armature; and the armature is arranged between the main armature and the secondary armature (Fig. 1).
With respect to claim 4, Hohl discloses the electromagnetic injector according to claim 3, wherein: the closed position of the injection valve is determined by a contact of a shutter (14) of the plunger against a valve seat (15) of the injection valve; and the open position of the injection valve is determined by a contact of (12 and 9) the movable armature against the main armature.
With respect to claim 5, Hohl discloses the electromagnetic injector according to claim 3, wherein: the two coils of the two electromagnets are not connected to each other in series or in parallel; and the control unit is configured to (capable of) electrically power the two coils of the two electromagnets independently of each other (Fig. 2).
With respect to claim 6, Hohl discloses the electromagnetic injector according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured (capable of), so as to open the injection valve, to: activate the main electromagnet so that the main electromagnet generates a magnetic force (at 5) attracting the armature towards the main armature, overcoming the elastic force of the closing spring, thus moving the armature towards the open position; and also activate, when the armature is close to the open position, the secondary electromagnet, so that the secondary electromagnet generates a magnetic force (during partial stroke of valve stroke h in Fig. 2) attracting the armature towards the secondary armature, consequently slowing down the movement of the armature towards the open position.
With respect to claim 7, Hohl discloses the electromagnetic injector according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured to (capable of) deactivate the secondary electromagnet before the armature reaches the open position (Fig. 2).
With respect to claim 8, Hohl discloses the electromagnetic injector according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured (capable of), so as to close the injection valve, to: turn the main electromagnet off, so that the armature is pushed towards the closed position by the elastic force generated by the closing spring; and activate, when the armature is close to the closed position, the main electromagnet, so that the main electromagnet generates a magnetic force (during partial stroke of valve stroke h in Fig. 2) attracting the armature towards the main armature, consequently slowing down the movement of the armature towards the closed position.
With respect to claim 9, Hohl discloses the electromagnetic injector according to claim 8, wherein the control unit is configured to (capable of) deactivate the main electromagnet before the armature reaches the closed position (Fig. 2).
With respect to claim 10, Hohl discloses the electromagnetic injector according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to (capable of) deactivate the secondary electromagnet before the plunger reaches the open position (Fig. 2).
With respect to claim 11, Hohl discloses the electromagnetic injector according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured (capable of), so as to close the injection valve, to turn the main electromagnet off, so that the plunger is pushed towards the closed position by the elastic force generated by the closing spring; and activate, when the plunger is close to the closed position, the main electromagnet, so that the main electromagnet slows down the movement of the plunger towards the closed position (Fig. 2).
With respect to claim 12, Hohl discloses the electromagnetic injector according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to (capable of) deactivate the main electromagnet before the plunger reaches the closed position.
With respect to claim 13, Hohl discloses a control method (Figs. 1 and 2) to control an electromagnetic fuel injector (1) comprising: a tubular support body; an injection nozzle arranged at an end of the support body (3, 4); an injection valve (at 22) coupled to the injection nozzle; a plunger (13, 18), which is movable, so as to adjust the fuel flow through the injection nozzle, between a closed position (Fig. 1) and an open (lower and upper switch) position (Col. 3, lines 16-38. Fig. 2) of the injection valve; an electromagnetic actuator (1 and supply of current to the solenoid coils. Col. 1, line 59) provided with a main electromagnet (5, 9) configured (capable of), when it is activated, to apply a force to the plunger, which pushes the plunger towards the open position of the injection valve and provided with a secondary electromagnet (6, 10) configured (capable of), when it is activated, to apply a force to the plunger, which pushes the plunger towards the closed position of the injection valve; and a closing spring (11, 12) configured to (capable of) push the plunger towards the closed position of the injection valve; the control method, so as to open the injection valve, comprises the steps of: activating the main electromagnet so that the main electromagnet generates a magnetic force moving the plunger towards the open position, overcoming the elastic force of the closing spring; and activating, during the opening of the injection valve and when the plunger is close to the open position, also the secondary electromagnet, so that the secondary electromagnet generates a magnetic force (during partial stroke of valve stroke h in Fig. 2) slowing down the movement of the plunger towards the open position.
With respect to claim 14, Hohl discloses the control method according 13 comprising the steps of: turning the main electromagnet off (of I1), so that the plunger is pushed towards the closed position by the elastic force generated by the spring; and activating, when the armature is close to the closed position, the main electromagnet, so that the main electromagnet slows down the movement of the plunger towards the closed position (during partial stroke of valve stroke h in Fig. 2).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following patents are cited to show the art with respect to an electromagnetic injector: Wakeman, Cerny, Ohno et al., Varble et al., Timms, Male et al. and Harcombe et al.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHEE-CHONG LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-1916. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am -5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arthur O. Hall can be reached at (571)270-1814. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHEE-CHONG LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752 February 9, 2026