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 § 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 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lutz US 2017/0122226.
Regarding claims 1 and 5, Lutz discloses an engine system comprising: a combustion chamber 8 to which air and a gaseous fuel are supplied, and within which the gaseous fuel is combusted (see FIG. 1A and paragraph [0031]); a liquid fuel injecting unit 24 configured to inject a liquid fuel into the combustion chamber (see paragraph [0039]); and a control unit 31 configured to control the liquid fuel injection unit to perform: a first injection of the liquid fuel in association with ignition of the gaseous fuel (see FIG. 5-7); and a second injection of the liquid fuel subsequent to the first injection, thereby suppressing at least one of the generation of nitrogen oxides or the generation of remaining unburned hydrocarbons when the gaseous fuel is combusted. See FIG. 5-7 and at least paragraph [0044].
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.
Claims 2-4 and 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lutz, as applied above, in view of Yerace et al US 2021/0404371.
Regarding claims 2 and 6, Lutz fails to explicitly disclose, but Yerace et al discloses wherein the control unit is configured to be able to change at least one of following: a number of second injections of the liquid fuel, an injection amount of the second injection of the liquid fuel, or an injection timing of the second injection of the liquid fuel. See paragraphs [0057], [0061], [0064], and [0070]-[0074].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the adjustments as disclosed by Yerace et al in the system of Lutz to provide smoother engine operation while minimizing emissions.
Regarding claims 3 and 7, Lutz fails to explicitly disclose, but Yerace et al discloses wherein a plurality of combustion cycles are performed in a predetermined period of time, the liquid fuel injecting unit is configured to perform an ignition of the gaseous fuel and a second injection of the liquid fuel for each combustion cycle, and the control unit is configured to prohibit an increase in the injection amount of the liquid fuel when igniting the gaseous fuel within the predetermined period. See paragraphs [0051] and [0055]-[0057]. Further, the office takes official notice that this would occur in an idling state of the engine. The liquid fuel amount would be held to a constant target amount as long as a vehicle is idling. Therefore, the system of Yerace et al would not increase the liquid fuel amount during this situation.
Regarding claims 4 and 8 Lutz fails to explicitly disclose, but Yerace et al discloses wherein an increase in the amount of liquid fuel injected when igniting the gaseous fuel refers to an increase in the amount of liquid fuel injected in response to an increase in the load on the engine, and the predetermined period is 10 seconds. See paragraphs [0051] and [0055]-[0057]. Further, the office takes official notice that this would occur in an idling state of the engine. The liquid fuel amount would be held to a constant target amount as long as a vehicle is idling. Therefore, the system of Yerace et al would not increase the liquid fuel amount during this situation.
Conclusion
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/JOSEPH J DALLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747