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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Regarding paragraph 32 of the specification, “sin(ϴ) + k or αcos(ϴ) + k” is unclear. The sine and cosine of an angle are dimensionless ratios meaning they have no units of measurement. Since α represents a diameter and k represents a length, the result of αcos(ϴ) + k would have units of length. However, sin(ϴ) + k results in a sum of a dimensionless value and a unit of length which renders the equation invalid.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Regarding claims 1 and 5, the claims are objected to because the inclusion of reference characters is inconsistent throughout these claims. If reference characters are included in a claim, they should be consistently utilized each time the corresponding limitation appears.
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 1-5 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.
Regarding claim 1, lines 33-34, “the rotor housing is determined by an equation” is indefinite. It is unclear what feature or value (e.g., rotor housing shape, rotor housing capacity, rotor housing diameter, etc.) about the rotor housing is determined using the equation.
Regarding claim 1, line 34, “sin(ϴ) + k or αcos(ϴ) + k” is indefinite. The sine and cosine of an angle are dimensionless ratios meaning they have no units of measurement. Since α represents a diameter and k represents a length, the result of αcos(ϴ) + k would have units of length. However, sin(ϴ) + k results in a sum of a dimensionless value and a unit of length which renders the equation invalid. Clarification is required.
Additional Subject Matter
Claims 1-5 are not rejected under art; however, they are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) and are therefore not allowable. The closest prior art is Machlet (US 825,671). Machlet discloses a sine rotary engine (Figure 1) comprising: a rotor housing [1, 5, 6] having an inlet pipe (see [2]) and an outlet pipe (see [2a]) respectively formed therein, the rotor housing [1, 5, 6] having an inner space (interior of drum [1]) formed with a curved inner surface [10] of the rotor housing [1, 5, 6] and configured to allow fluid introduced through the inlet pipe (see [2]) to fill the inner space (interior of drum [1]); a power shaft [3] rotatably installed inside the rotor housing [1, 5, 6], the power shaft [3] being installed at a position eccentric from a central point of the inner space (interior of drum [1]); a reciprocating rotor [9, 11, 12] formed corresponding to a width of the inner space (interior of drum [1]) of the rotor housing [1, 5, 6] and installed through a central portion of the power shaft [3] in a radial direction of the power shaft [3], wherein the reciprocating rotor [9, 11, 12] is rotated inside the rotor housing [1, 5, 6] while performing linear reciprocating motion in the radial direction of the power shaft [3] according to a rotation angle thereof; and an eccentric shaft [14] formed to have a smaller diameter than a diameter of the power shaft [3] and rotatably installed in the rotor housing [1, 5, 6], wherein the eccentric shaft [14] is connected to a central portion of the reciprocating rotor [9, 11, 12] and guides the reciprocating rotor [9, 11, 12] such that the reciprocating rotor [9, 11, 12] has a constant rotational orbit, wherein: the rotor housing [1, 5, 6] has bearings [19] (also see bearing surrounding shaft [22] in Figure 3) installed therein, wherein the bearings [19] (also see bearing surrounding shaft [22] in Figure 3) are respectively installed in portions of the rotor housing [1, 5, 6], the portions allowing the power shaft [3] and the eccentric shaft [14] to be respectively installed therein, and wherein, for smooth rotational motion, a first bearing (see bearing surrounding shaft [22] in Figure 3) is installed in the portion of the rotor housing [1, 5, 6], the portion allowing the power shaft [3] to be installed therein, and a second bearing [19] is installed in the portion of the rotor housing [1, 5, 6], the portion allowing the eccentric shaft [14] to be installed therein, the eccentric shaft [14] is installed in the rotor housing [1, 5, 6] such that a central point of the eccentric shaft is located above a central point of the power shaft [3] (see relative positions of hub or shoe [14] to cylinder [3] in Figure 1), the reciprocating rotor [9, 11, 12] has a first slot [12] formed in the central portion thereof, and the eccentric shaft [14] has a second slot [13], wherein the reciprocating rotor [9, 11, 12] and the eccentric shaft [14] are axially coupled to each other by the slots [12, 13], an internal shape of the rotor housing [1, 5, 6] is determined by a ratio of a length of the reciprocating rotor [9, 11, 12] to the diameter of the eccentric shaft [14] (page1 line 109 -page 2 line 70 and Figures 1-6). Machlet neither discloses nor renders obvious the reciprocating rotor and the eccentric shaft being axially coupled to each other by a guide pin inserted into a first pin hole formed in the reciprocating rotor and a second pin hole formed in the eccentric shaft or the rotor housing being determined by an equation of sin(ϴ) + k or αcos(ϴ) + k, however, as outlined in paragraphs 6 and 7 above, the rotor housing being determined by an equation of sin(ϴ) + k or αcos(ϴ) + k is unclear.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See Jessop (US 133,318 A), Marion (US 1,434,716 A), Jirnov et al. (US 5,758,501 A), and Richter (US 4,385,873) which all disclose similar rotary engines featuring reciprocating rotors.
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/AUDREY B. WALTER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746