DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . This is the initial office action based on the 18/872,829 application filed December 8, 2024. Claims 1-14 are pending and have been fully considered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) dated December 8, 2024 is noted. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the IDS is being considered by the Examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 8 and 10 are objected to because of the following informalities: the claims each recite “the tangential direction”. To avoid potential antecedent basis issues, Examiner suggests amending each instance to read --a tangential direction--. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-14 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 “a heat-dissipation ring disposed in a second axial region distally offset to the first axial region and tangentially surrounding the end portion at least for the most part” (emphasis added). The highlighted portion renders the claim indefinite since it fails to set forth a claim that “clearly and precisely inform[s] persons skilled in the art of the boundaries of protected subject matter” (see MPEP § 2173).
Claim 14 is similarly rejected under the same rationale.
Claims 2-13 are rejected as being dependent from a rejected base claim.
Furthermore, Claim 5 recites the limitation "the same recessed portion" in lines 2-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Specifically, the recessed portions are initially set forth in Claim 4, while Claim 5 depends from Claim 1. Therefore, it is unclear if Claim 5 should depend from Claim 4.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Specifically, various references are cited that provide detail or relevant fuel injectors.
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/GRANT MOUBRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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