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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 04/24/2026 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.
Claim(s) 40-55, 57, 98-100 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US2020/0123950 to Kemmerling et al. (Kemmerling)
In Reference to Claim 40
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
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A turbine dosing system for a turbocharger, the turbine dosing system comprising:
a turbine inlet passage (via exhaust manifold 148) configured to receive exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine 110;
a turbine wheel chamber 5 configured to receive exhaust gas from the turbine inlet passage, the turbine wheel chamber 5 containing a turbine wheel 4 supported for rotation about a turbine wheel axis A (see shaft 4a shows the wheel axis in fig 1), the turbine wheel comprising an exducer defining an exducer diameter B;
a turbine outlet passage C downstream of the turbine wheel chamber and configured to receive exhaust gas from the turbine wheel chamber, the turbine outlet passage being at least partly defined by a turbine housing 2a, or connection adapter,
which comprises a dosing module mount (a mounting surface D) configured to receive a dosing module 3’, the turbine outlet passage defining a flow axis (same axis A annotated see Fig.1) which extends from a downstream end of the turbine wheel;
wherein the dosing module mount D is located within 5 exducer diameters, along the flow axis, downstream of the downstream end of the turbine wheel; and
wherein the dosing module mount D is angled orthogonal to, or downstream relative to, the flow axis A
In Reference to Claim 41
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
a dosing module 3 configured to inject aftertreatment fluid into exhaust gas in the turbine outlet passage.
In Reference to Claim 42 and 49
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
wherein the dosing module mount is located between .5 and 5 exducer diameters, along the flow axis, downstream of the downstream end of the turbine wheel.
In Reference to Claim 43 and 50
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
wherein the dosing module mount D is located between 1 and 3 exducer diameters, along the flow axis, downstream of the downstream end of the turbine wheel.
In Reference to Claim 44 and 51
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
wherein the dosing module mount D is located within 3 exducer diameters, along the flow axis, downstream of the downstream end of the turbine wheel.
In Reference to Claim 45 and 52
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
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wherein the dosing module mount D is located upstream of a first bend B1 of the turbine outlet passage.
In Reference to Claim 46 and 54
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
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wherein the dosing module D is configured to inject aftertreatment fluid into exhaust gas in a diverging portion D1 of the turbine outlet passage.
In Reference to Claim 47
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
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A method of operating a turbine dosing system for a turbocharger, see paragraph [0002], comprising:
receiving exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine (110, see paragraph [0089]) into a turbine inlet passage 6, see paragraph [0076] and Fig.1;
receiving exhaust gas from the turbine inlet passage 6 into a turbine wheel chamber, the turbine wheel chamber containing a cupless turbine wheel 4 supported for rotation about a turbine wheel axis A, the turbine wheel comprising an exducer defining an exducer diameter;
receive exhaust gas from the turbine wheel chamber into a turbine outlet passage 7 downstream of the turbine wheel chamber, the turbine outlet passage being at least partly defined by a structure which comprises a dosing module mount D configured to receive a dosing module 3, the dosing module mount comprising an opening (3a, 3B, 3C) defined in an otherwise continuous, uninterrupted surface, proximate the dosing module mount, that defines the turbine outlet passage, the turbine outlet passage defining a flow axis A which extends from a downstream end of the turbine wheel;
wherein the dosing module mount is located within exducer diameters, along the flow axis, downstream of the downstream end of the turbine wheel, see Fig.1.
In Reference to Claim 48
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
injecting aftertreatment fluid into exhaust gas in the turbine outlet passage using a dosing module 3.
In Reference to Claim 55
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
wherein the dosing module is a self-atomising dosing module, see paragraph [0082].
In Reference to Claim 57
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
wherein the structure comprises a single wall.
In Reference to Claim 98
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
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A turbocharger comprising:
a compressor, see paragraph [0056], the compressor comprising a compressor housing and a compressor wheel;
a bearing housing BB, the bearing housing being configured to support a shaft 4a for rotation about the turbine wheel axis; and
the turbine dosing system according to claim 40;
wherein the compressor wheel and turbine wheel 4 are coupled to the shaft in power communication with one another.
In Reference to Claim 99
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
An engine arrangement comprising;
an engine 110; and
a turbocharger 1 according to claim 98;
wherein the turbocharger is configured to receive exhaust gas from the engine.
In Reference to Claim 100
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
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A turbine dosing system for a turbocharger, the turbine dosing system comprising:
a turbine inlet 6 passage configured to receive exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine 110;
a turbine wheel chamber configured to receive exhaust gas from the turbine inlet passage, the turbine wheel chamber containing a turbine wheel supported for rotation about a turbine wheel axis A, the turbine wheel comprising an exducer defining an exducer diameter;
a turbine outlet passage 7 downstream of the turbine wheel chamber and configured to receive exhaust gas from the turbine wheel chamber, the turbine outlet passage being at least partly defined by a structure DF which comprises a dosing module mount D configured to receive a dosing module 3, the structure defining a turbine diffuser DF, the turbine outlet passage defining a flow axis A which extends from a downstream end of the turbine wheel;
wherein the dosing module mount is located within 5 exducer diameters, along the flow axis, downstream of the downstream end of the turbine wheel; and
wherein the dosing module mount D is angled orthogonal to, or downstream relative to, the flow axis.
In Reference to Claim 101
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
wherein the dosing module is configured to inject the aftertreatment fluid directly into the exhaust gas.
In Reference to Claim 102
Kemmerling, see Fig.1 annotated, discloses:
a dosing module defining a primary impingement zone 30 within the turbine outlet passage.
In Reference to Claim 104
Kemmerling disclose:
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wherein the dosing module mount 3’ comprises a single opening in a surface defining the turbine outlet passage.
In Reference to Claim 105
Kemmerling disclose:
wherein the dosing module is angled orthogonal or downstream relative to the flow axis, see fig.1 above.
In Reference to Claim 106
Kemmerling disclose:
wherein the dosing module mount is defined by a connection adapter located downstream of the turbine housing.
laim 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.
Claim(s) 103 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US2020/0123950 to Kemmerling et al. (Kemmerling)
In Reference to Claim 103
Kemmerling does not disclose:
wherein the step of injecting aftertreatment fluid includes injecting the aftertreatment fluid within a diverging portion of the turbine outlet passage.
Kemmerling fails to specifically teach the diverging portion, as claimed. The claimed dimensions/shapes are provided as preferred configurations of the invention and provide no inherent advantage. Limitations drawn to the specific dimensions/shapes of the diverging portion would have been a matter of obvious design choice to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention, absent criticality or unexpected results, as the skilled artisan would have chosen from various dimensions/shapes based on suitability for the intended results. See MPEP § 2144.04(IV).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY AYALA DELGADO whose telephone number is (571)270-3452. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark III Laurenzi can be reached at (571) 270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANTHONY AYALA DELGADO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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