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.
Claim(s) 21-24 and 26-33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by the Van Himme reference (US Patent Publication No. 2014/0103243).
4. Regarding claim 21, the Van Himme reference discloses:
a sub-assembly for a high-pressure fuel pump [Paragraph 0094], the sub-assembly comprising:
an armature guide (615) including a seat (FIG. 6a—bottom portion), a first surface extending from the seat (FIG. 6a—slanted surface of structure that extend from the seat), and a second surface extending from the seat (FIG. 6a—the vertical surface), the second surface extending along the first surface (FIG. 6a—they both extend along each other);
an armature (613) including an armature surface (FIG. 6a), the first surface of the armature guide and the armature surface of the armature cooperating to guide movement of the armature along the armature guide toward and away from the seat (FIG. 6a—the total structure is cooperating to facilitate such movement);
a plunger (609) located in an inlet passage (FIG. 6a), the plunger including a plunger surface (FIG. 6a—bottom surface on bottom end) and a plunger stop (FIG. 6a—the topmost section) at an end of the first surface opposite the seat (FIG. 6a), the second surface of the armature guide (FIG. 6a—vertical surface) and the plunger surface of the plunger cooperating to guide movement of the plunger along the armature guide between an open state permitting fuel flow through the inlet passage and a closed state (FIG. 6a—all of the structure cooperates to achieve this goal); and
a stator (625) operable to actuate the armature (613) to displace the armature along the first surface of the armature guide away from the seat toward the plunger stop to move the plunger from the open state to the closed state (FIG. 6a).
5. Regarding claim 22, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
wherein the armature (613) includes a first height along the armature surface that is measured from a bottom surface of the armature to a top surface of the armature (FIG. 6a).
6. Regarding claim 23, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
wherein the first surface of the armature guide includes a second height extending from the seat through the bottom surface of the armature through which the first height of the armature is measured (FIG. 6a).
7. Regarding claim 24, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
wherein the second height is greater than the first height (FIG. 6a).
8. Regarding claim 26, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
wherein the top surface of the armature is proximate to the plunger stop when the plunger is in the closed state (FIG. 6a).
9. Regarding claim 27, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
a spring (619) that biases the armature away (613) from the plunger stop (FIG. 6a).
10. Regarding claim 28, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
wherein low pressure fuel flow admitted into the inlet passage compresses the spring and moves the plunger to the open state (FIG. 6a—is a coaxial valve, which presumably flows the fuel around piston 605 into the inlet passage thereby compressing the spring (619) and moves the plunger to the open state [Paragraph 0068]).
11. Regarding claim 29, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
wherein actuation of the armature with the stator moves the armature away from the seat to contact the plunger stop and move the plunger to the closed state [Paragraphs 0067-0068].
12. Regarding claim 30, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
wherein the armature surface extends around the first surface of the armature guide (FIG. 6a).
13. Regarding claim 31, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
wherein the second surface of the armature guide extends around the plunger surface (FIG. 6a—615 surrounds the plunger surface and therefore can be considered to extend around).
14. Regarding claim 32, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
wherein the stator (625) and the armature (613) are electromagnetic components.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
15. 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.
16. Claim(s) 25 and 33-40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the Van Himme reference.
17. Regarding claim 25, the Van Himme reference fails to disclose:
wherein the second height is less than the first height. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art by the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use wherein the second height is less than the first height, since it has been held that a mere reversal of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144 (VI-A).
18. Regarding claim 33, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
a pump chamber in fluid communication with the inlet passage to receive fuel when the
plunger is in the open state (FIG. 6a).
The examiner takes Official Notice that it is well known in the art of fluid handling for pumps to use a check valve inside a valve for the purpose of allowing fluid flow when there is an overpressure situation. For one example, see WO 2019/113879 A1.
19. Regarding claim 34, the Van Himme reference discloses:
a method for controlling fuel flow into a high pressure fuel pump [Paragraph 0094], the method comprising:
guiding a plunger (609) along a plunger guide surface of an armature guide (615) in response to fuel pressure in an inlet passage from a first position in which the inlet passage to a pump chamber is closed by the plunger to a second position in which the inlet passage to the pump chamber is open [Paragraph 0067-68];
admitting fuel flow into the pump chamber through the open inlet passage [Paragraph 0064—CO valve]
in response to the fuel accumulating in the pump chamber, actuating an armature (613) away from a seat of the armature guide (FIG. 6a—the armature moves upward) and along an armature guide surface of the armature guide toward a plunger stop connected to the plunger (609) (FIG. 6a);
contacting the plunger stop with the actuated armature to move the plunger to the first
position to close the inlet passage [Paragraph 0067].
The examiner takes Official Notice that it is well known in the art of fluid handling for pumps to use a check valve inside a valve for the purpose of allowing fluid flow when there is an overpressure situation. For one example, see WO 2019/113879 A1.
20. Regarding claim 35, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
a spring (619) biasing the armature (613) toward the seat of the armature guide (615) (FIG. 6a), and the armature (613) is actuated against the bias of the spring to move along the armature guide surface to contact the plunger stop (FIG. 6a).
21. Regarding claim 36, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
wherein a bottom surface of the armature (613) conforms to the seat when the spring biases the armature toward the seat (FIG. 6a).
22. Regarding claim 37, the Van Himme reference fails to disclose:
wherein the outlet check valve opens in response to a fuel pressure in the pump chamber being equal to or greater than a predetermined fuel threshold.
The examiner takes Official Notice that it is well known in the art of fluid handling for pumps to use a check valve inside a valve for the purpose of allowing fluid flow when there is an overpressure situation. For one example, see WO 2019/113879 A1.
23. Regarding claim 38, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
wherein: the armature (613) has a first height extending from a bottom surface of the armature to a top surface of the armature (FIG. 6a); and the armature guide surface has a second height extending from the seat through the bottom surface of the armature (FIG. 6a—the vertical height extends through the position of the bottom surface of the armature albeit horizontally away).
24. Regarding claim 39, the Van Himme reference fails to disclose:
wherein the first height is greater than the second height. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art by the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use wherein the first height is greater than the second height, since it has been held that a mere reversal of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144 (VI-A).
25. Regarding claim 40, the Van Himme reference further discloses:
wherein the first height is less than the second height (FIG. 6a).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES J BRAUCH whose telephone number is (313)446-6511. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 AM to 6 PM.
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/CHARLES JOSEPH BRAUCH/
Examiner
Art Unit 3747
/LONG T TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747