DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a reply to the amendment dated November 5, 2025.
Claim 10 has been added as a new claim.
Claims 1-10 remain pending in this application.
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) 1-5 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Newmann et al. (US 6,418,916 B1), hereafter Newmann, as evidenced with Dwivedi et al. (US 2017/0314432 A1), hereafter Dwivedi.
Regarding claim 1, Newmann discloses an engine apparatus (10) that operates with a fuel including a corrosive substance (as evidenced with Dwivedi: [0006]), the engine apparatus comprising: a blow-by returning injector or a blow-by returning mixer that returns blow-by gas to a combustion chamber of the engine apparatus (Fig. 1; column 2, line 31-36 and column 4, line 30-34).
Regarding claim 2, Newmann discloses the engine apparatus according to claim 1,further comprising: a fuel supply path that supplies the fuel to the engine (fuel path is not depicted in the drawings; column 4, line 30-34); and a blow-by path (through the outlet 40) connected to the fuel supply path (at injector 26), wherein the blow-by gas is allowed to flow to the blow-by returning injector (26) or the blow- by returning mixer through the blow-by path and the fuel supply path (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 3, Newmann discloses the engine apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a main fuel supply device (26) that supplies the fuel supplied via the fuel supply path to the combustion chamber, wherein the main fuel supply device functions as the blow-by returning injector or the blow-by returning mixer that returns the blow-by gas supplied together with the fuel through the fuel supply path to the combustion chamber (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, Newmann discloses the engine apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an external drive pump (38) that allows the blow-by gas to flow in the blow-by path, wherein the blow-by gas is sucked, pressurized, or both sucked and pressurized by the external drive pump to merge the blow-by gas into the fuel supply path (Fig. 1; column 3, line 65 – column 4, line 6).
Regarding claim 5, Newmann discloses the engine apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a blow-by path that is connected to the blow-by returning injector (26) or the blow-by returning mixer and allows the blow-by gas to flow to the blow-by returning injector or the blow-by returning mixer.
Regarding claim 10, Newmann discloses the engine apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an intake manifold, wherein the blow-by retuning injector or the blow-by retuning mixer returns the blow-by gas to the combustion chamber while bypassing the intake manifold (direct injector 26 supplies fuel and blow-by gas to the combustion chamber 28).
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.
Claim(s) 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Newmann et al. (US 6,418,916 B1), as evidenced with Dwivedi et al. (US 2017/0314432 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Newmann discloses the engine apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a fuel supply path that supplies the fuel to the engine (abstract); a main fuel supply device that supplies the fuel supplied through the fuel supply path to the combustion chamber; and an external drive pump (38) that allows the blow-by gas to flow in the blow-by path, and the blow-by gas is sucked, pressurized, or both sucked and pressurized by the external drive pump and supplied to the blow-by returning injector or the blow-by returning mixer (Fig. 1).
Newmann does not disclose the blow-by returning injector or the blow-by returning mixer is provided independently of the main fuel supply device, however it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide a blow-by returning injector or the blow-by returning mixer provided independently of the main fuel supply device, since it has been held that constructing a formerly integral structure in various elements involves only routine skill in the art. Nerwin v. Erlicnrnan, 168 USPQ 177, 179.
Regarding claim 7, Newmann discloses the engine apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the blow-by returning injector injects the blow-by gas directly into the combustion chamber (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, Newmann discloses the engine apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the blow-by returning injector intermittently injects the blow-by gas (column 3, line 36-47).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Newmann et al. (US 6,418,916 B1), in view of Monros (US 8,370,048 B2).
Regarding claim 9, Newmann is silent to an engine wherein the corrosive substance is ammonia or methanol. (column 8, line 63-67). Monros discloses an engine apparatus that operates with a fuel including a corrosive substance (as evidenced with Dwivedi: [0006]), the engine apparatus comprising: a blow-by returning injector (19) or a blow-by returning mixer that returns blow-by gas to a combustion chamber of the engine apparatus (Fig. 2), and wherein the corrosive substance is methanol (column 8, line 63-67). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the type of fuel of Monros to the engine of Newmann in order to provide a combustible gas.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed November 5, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that prior art “Newmann fails to disclose an engine apparatus that operates with a fuel including a corrosive substance, the engine apparatus includes a blow-by returning injector or a blow-by returning mixer that returns blow-by gas to a combustion chamber of the engine apparatus, as in claim 1.” Page 4 of 6.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. Examiner asserts that claims are given their broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specifications. In this instance, Newmann discloses “The blow-by gases are subsequently delivered into the combustion chamber 28 by the dual fluid fuel injection system 26 where they are combusted together with the normal air/fuel mixture therein in the known manner. Due to the fact that the concentration of hydrocarbons in the crankcase 30 due to the build-up of blow-by gases can often be many times that found in the engine's exhaust gases, this method of treating the engine blow-by gases wherein they are directly injected into the combustion chamber 28 is a particularly effective way of dealing with such unwanted gases. This is because such hydrocarbons form part of the rich fuel spray that is delivered into the combustion chamber 28 in a controlled manner. Such fuel spray is typically delivered to an area within the combustion chamber such that a portion thereof is adjacent an ignition means (not shown) of the engine 10.” Column 4, line 30-34. And, prior art Dwivedi has been provided as an evidentiary support to show that blow-by gases contain corrosive components. Paragraph [0006].
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.
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/TEUTA HOLBROOK/
Examiner
Art Unit 3747
/GEORGE C JIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747