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 . Claims 1, 3-4, 6-31, and 34-35 of the amended claim set received 4/08/2026 are pending. Claims 7-8, 11-14, 19, 21-24, and 30 have been withdrawn and claims 2, 5, and 32-33 have been canceled.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 4/21/2026 has been entered.
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.
Claims 1, 3-4, 6, and 27-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Reed (US 3,368,605).
Regarding Claim 1, Reed discloses in Figs. 1-3, a nozzle assembly for a combustion chamber of an engine (the nozzle assembly can be used in a combustion chamber of an engine), comprising:
at least one nozzle for injecting a fuel into a combustion space 58 of the combustion chamber, wherein the at least one nozzle comprises a nozzle main body, which extends along a nozzle longitudinal axis (through the center of 44) and has a nozzle head (near the area 63), and a nozzle bracket 42, which is connected to the nozzle main body and has at least one fuel feed line 42,
wherein the nozzle main body comprises a central fuel pipe 44 that extends along the nozzle longitudinal axis, and at least two air-guiding ducts radially spaced from one another with each having at least one air outlet opening (see annotation of Fig. 1 below), the at least two air-guiding ducts being positioned on the nozzle head;
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wherein the at least two air-guiding ducts include a radially outermost air-guiding duct having an outermost air outlet opening and a radially innermost air-guiding duct having an inner air outlet opening (see defined ducts in annotation above), wherein the radially innermost air-guiding duct is configured to supply a non-swirling air flow into the combustion space 58 (no swirling apparatus in the innermost duct), or the radially innermost air-guiding duct is configured to supply into the combustion space a less swirled air flow, as compared to an airflow that is supplied into the combustion space via the radially outermost air-guiding duct of the at least two air-guiding ducts;
wherein the central fuel pipe 44 includes a fuel outlet opening (at 46; fuel delivered by element 68 as read at col. 4, ll. 27-33) having a radially outer edge, with the radially outer edge of the fuel outlet opening being positioned axially, with respect to the nozzle longitudinal axis, downstream of upstream-most edges of both the inner air outlet opening and the outermost air outlet opening (as shown in annotation of Fig. 1 below).
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Regarding Claim 3, Reed discloses wherein the outermost air outlet opening has a larger cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of the inner air outlet opening (cross sectional areas shown in Fig. 2) wherein the radially innermost air-guiding duct extends on the nozzle head between the radially outermost air-guiding duct and a portion of the central fuel pipe 44 (as seen in Fig. 1 with the ducts defined as shown in Fig. 1 above).
Regarding Claim 4, Reed discloses wherein the cross-sectional area of the outermost air opening is larger than the cross-sectional area of the inner air outlet opening by at least a factor of 2 (see overlay of the inner cross-sectional area over the outer cross-sectional area in the annotation of Fig. 2 below).
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Regarding Claim 6, Reed discloses in Figs. 1-3, one or more axial 51 or radial swirl-imparting swirlers for air that is to be caused to flow into the combustion space, the swirlers 51 being positioned at least in the radially outermost air-guiding duct of the at least two air-guiding ducts (as defined in the annotation of Fig. 1 above).
Regarding Claim 27, Reed discloses wherein the fuel pipe 44 is sealed off to prevent an inflow of air (there are no air inlets into 44 and only fuel is flowing therethrough).
Regarding Claim 28, Reed discloses wherein the at least one nozzle is configured to inject hydrogen (elements 41 and 44 are configured such that any fluid can be injected including hydrogen).
Claims 9, 10, 15-18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Patel (US 2012/0151929).
Regarding Claim 9, Patel discloses a nozzle assembly for a combustion chamber 18 of an engine (see Fig. 1), comprising:
at least one nozzle for injecting fuel into a combustion space 18 of the combustion chamber 18 (see Fig. 1), wherein the nozzle comprises a nozzle main body (all of the assembly captured in Fig. 2), which extends along a nozzle longitudinal axis 111 and has a nozzle head (all of the assembly captured in Fig. 2 excluding the nozzle bracket 56, see also Fig. 1), and a nozzle bracket 56 (see Fig. 2), which is connected to the nozzle main body and has at least one fuel feed line (the fuel transfer tube 64 within the bracket 56 as discussed at para. 0040 and shown in Figs. 2 and 3),
wherein the nozzle main body includes (see Figs. 2 and 6):
a central fuel pipe 57 which extends along the nozzle longitudinal axis, the central fuel pipe including a fuel outlet opening 100 and being connected to the at least one fuel feed line 64 to receive fuel from the at least one fuel feed line (read para. 0040 see Figs. 2-3), and
at least one flow body (see annotation of Fig. 6 below, the first figure below) centrally arranged in the central fuel pipe, with a majority of the at least one flow body extending over a majority of an axial extent of the central fuel pipe (see annotation, second figure, of Fig. 5 below), a majority an outer lateral surface of the at least one flow body positioned in the central fuel pipe being exposed only to fuel in the central fuel pipe (see annotation of Fig. 6 below and Fig. 2, the only fluid delivered to the channel 159 is fuel), with the fuel supplied to the central fuel pipe flowing along an outer lateral surface of the at least one flow body in a direction of the fuel outlet opening 100 of the central fuel pipe to be introduced into the combustion space 18 (see Fig. 2);
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wherein the central fuel pipe has, at the fuel outlet opening, an edge which encircles the nozzle longitudinal axis and which has a radially outwardly inclined bevel (see annotation of Fig. 6 above).
Regarding Claim 10, Patel discloses wherein the at least one flow body extends with one end (right end) as far as a nozzle end (right end of the body itself) of the at least one nozzle (see annotation of Fig. 6 above).
Regarding Claim 15, Patel discloses wherein the at least one flow body has an end (right end) which faces toward the combustion space 18 and which has a guide element by which the fuel that emerges at the fuel outlet opening 100 is directed radially outward with respect to the nozzle longitudinal axis (see annotation of Fig. 6 below).
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Regarding Claims 16 and 17, Patel discloses wherein the at least one flow body has an end face which faces toward the combustion space 18 and which is blunt at least in certain region (surface is substantially planar) and wherein the end face is substantially planar, convex or concave at least in certain regions (see annotation of Fig. 6 below).
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Regarding Claim 18, Patel discloses in Fig. 6, wherein the at least one flow body causes the fuel outlet opening 100 to be formed as an annular gap (yes, as shown in the annotation above), and/or locally narrowed, at the nozzle end.
Regarding Claim 20, Patel discloses wherein the at least one flow body is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the nozzle longitudinal axis (see the different views of Figs. 2 and 5, all elements of the defined at least one flow body are rotationally symmetrical).
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 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 nonobviousness.
Claims 29 and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harris (US 5,237,813) in view of Reed (US 3,368,605).
Regarding Claim 29, Harris discloses in Fig. 2 and annular combustion chamber 30 having at least one nozzle assembly (comprising 52, 54, and 56), in a combustion chamber ring (formed by the annular chamber 30). Harris does not teach the nozzle assembly of claim 1.
Reed teaches the nozzle assembly of claim 1 as discussed above.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified Harris substituting in at least one nozzle assembly taught by Reed in order to maintain a high temperature within the combustion chamber and insure self-sustaining combustion of a lean gaseous fuel (Reed col. 1, ll. 27-43).
Regarding Claim 31, Harris discloses in Fig. 2, an engine 10 having at least one nozzle assembly (comprising 52, 54, and 56). Harris does not teach the nozzle assembly of claim 1.
Reed teaches the nozzle assembly of claim 1 as discussed above.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified Harris substituting in at least one nozzle assembly taught by Reed in order to maintain a high temperature within the combustion chamber and insure self-sustaining combustion of a lean gaseous fuel (Reed col. 1, ll. 27-43).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 34-35 are allowed.
Claims 25 and 26 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record does not disclose or reasonably make obvious the following in combination with the limitations of the base independent claim -
Regarding Claims 25 and 34, “wherein the fuel pipe has, at a fuel outlet opening, an edge which encircles the nozzle longitudinal axis and which has a radially outwardly inclined bevel”.
Claims 26 and 35 are allowable at least by dependency on one of the claimed discussed above.
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues the §102 rejection of claim 1 over Reed with the argument that the tubular member 41 at the outlet is axially aligned with the inner and outer air-guiding ducts and does not meet the claim recitation of the radially outer edge of the central fuel pipe being downstream of the air outlet openings. This is not persuasive because tubular member 41 is not used in the rejection. It is element 44 which correlates with the claimed central fuel pipe and has the requisite axial positioning of the radially outer edge.
The amendment to claim 9 overcomes the §102 rejection over Reed but the amended claim is anticipated by Patel as described above.
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found in the attached Notice of References Cited.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RENE D FORD whose telephone number is (571)272-8140. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9am-5pm.
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, Phutthiwat Wongwian can be reached on (571) 272-7118. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/R.D.F/Examiner, Art Unit 3741
/PHUTTHIWAT WONGWIAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3741
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