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 .
2. This Office Action is sent in response to Applicant's Communication received on April 28, 2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments/arguments filed April 28, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claims 1-8 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by (Pierro - US 6,286,475 B1) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made as being anticipated by Nishimura.
Disposition of Claims
Claims 1-8 are pending in this application.
Claims 1-8 are rejected.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by (Nishimura - US 2015/0226101 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Nishimura (Figs. 5 and 11-12) discloses:
An engine device (fuel system structure of the diesel engine 1: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11) comprising:
a fuel feed pump (Fuel Pump 42: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11); and
a cylinder block (cylinder block 5: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11) that includes a first rib (First Rib 501: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11) and a second rib (Second Rib 502: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11),
PNG
media_image1.png
707
855
media_image1.png
Greyscale
wherein the first rib (501) is disposed below the fuel feed pump (42) and the second rib (502) is disposed directly under the first rib (501).
Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11
Regarding claim 2, Nishimura disclose the engine device according to claim 1, and further on Nishimura also discloses:
wherein the first rib (First Rib 501: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11) is disposed at a position overlapping with the fuel feed pump (Fuel Pump 42: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11) in a plan view.
Regarding claim 3, Nishimura disclose the engine device according to claim 1, and further on Nishimura also discloses:
wherein the first rib (First Rib 501: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11) is disposed on a right side of the cylinder block (cylinder block 5: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 4, Nishimura disclose the engine device according to claim 1, and further on Nishimura also discloses:
wherein the first rib (First Rib 501: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11) is connected to a front end of the cylinder block (cylinder block 5: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11), a rear end of the cylinder block (cylinder block 5: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11), or both.
Regarding claim 5, Nishimura disclose the engine device according to claim 4, and further on Nishimura also discloses:
wherein the front or rear end of the cylinder block (cylinder block 5: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11) is an end on a flywheel (flywheel 9) side of the cylinder block (cylinder block 5: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 8, Nishimura disclose the engine device according to claim 1, and further on Nishimura also discloses:
the first and second ribs (First Rib 501 and Second Rib 502: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11) are provided in an up-down direction of the engine device (fuel system structure of the diesel engine 1: Examiner Annotated Nishimura Fig. 11).
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (Nishimura - US 2015/0226101 A1), in view of (MOCHIDA - JP 2011-112014 A).
Regarding claims 6-7, Nishimura disclose the engine device according to claim 1.
But Nishimura does not explicitly show the following limitations:
(A) wherein the rib is disposed between a flywheel housing and an oil filter in plan view.
However, regarding limitations (A) above, MOCHIDA (Figs. 1-4) discloses:
A cylinder block structure for an engine device including:
a cylinder block (cylinder block 1: Figs. 1-4), wherein:
side surfaces (side surface 2 of the cylinder block 1 and the other side surface 3 of the cylinder block 1: Figs. 1-4) of the cylinder block (cylinder block 1: Figs. 1-4) have reinforcing ribs (first rib 12 and the second rib 13, Transverse ribs 16a, 16b and longitudinal ribs 17a, 17b, vertical reinforcing ribs 18a extending in the vertical direction are connected and vertical reinforcing ribs 18b extending in the vertical direction are connected; horizontal reinforcing ribs 19a extending in a straight line along the cylinder row direction (left and right direction in FIG. 3) are connected and horizontal reinforcing ribs 19b extending in a straight line along the cylinder row direction (left and right direction in FIG. 4) are connected: Figs. 1-4),
a plurality of mount attachment pedestals (engine mount attaching boss part 11 which have at least one-side engine mount mounting boss portion 11a and another side engine mount mounting boss portion 11b: Figs. 1-4) configured to attach to an engine mount (On one side surface 2 of the cylinder block 1, a one-side engine mount mounting boss portion 11a to which an engine mount bracket (not shown) is fixed, a one-side engine mount mounting boss portion 11a, and a front-end flange are provided. 7 is formed, and one side second rib 13a that connects the one side engine mount mounting boss 11a and the rear end flange 8 is formed: Figs. 1-4 and [0010]) are provided on the side surfaces (side surface 2 and side surface 3: Figs. 1-4) of the cylinder block (cylinder block 1: Figs. 1-4),
the engine mount (On one side surface 2 of the cylinder block 1, a one-side engine mount mounting boss portion 11a to which an engine mount bracket (not shown) is fixed, a one-side engine mount mounting boss portion 11a, and a front-end flange are provided. 7 is formed, and one side second rib 13a that connects the one side engine mount mounting boss 11a and the rear end flange 8 is formed: Figs. 1-4 and [0010]) is configured to couple the engine device to a vehicle body (Since a part of engine mount mounting boss part 11 is constituted by the oil pan rail 10, while suppressing a weight increase caused by providing a rib dedicated to the engine mount mounting boss part 11 in the cylinder block 1, Vibration transmitted from the internal combustion engine (cylinder block 1) to the vehicle body can be suppressed without making the engine mount mounting boss 11 thick: [0029]), and
the reinforcing ribs (first rib 12 (12a, 13b) and the second rib 13 (13a, 13b), Transverse ribs 16a, 16b and longitudinal ribs 17a, 17b, vertical reinforcing ribs 18a extending in the vertical direction are connected and vertical reinforcing ribs 18b extending in the vertical direction are connected; horizontal reinforcing ribs 19a extending in a straight line along the cylinder row direction (left and right direction in FIG. 3) are connected and horizontal reinforcing ribs 19b extending in a straight line along the cylinder row direction (left and right direction in FIG. 4) are connected: Figs. 1-4) are coupled to the side surfaces (side surface 2 and side surface 3: Figs. 1-4) of the cylinder block (cylinder block 1: Figs. 1-4) and to the plurality of mount attachment pedestals (engine mount attaching boss part 11 which have at least one-side engine mount mounting boss portion 11a and another side engine mount mounting boss portion 11b: Figs. 1-4).
Further on, one of the transverse direction ribs constituting the box shaped parts 21 to 23 is composed of an oil pan rail 10 disposed at a lower portion of the cylinder block 1. Transverse ribs 16a, 16b and longitudinal ribs 17a, 17b constituting the center box shaped part 22 constitute an engine mount attaching boss part 11. Thus, at least a part of the ribs constituting the box shaped parts 21 to 23 can also be used as the engine mount attaching boss part 11 and the oil pan rail 10.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the engine device of Nishimura providing the rib disposed between a flywheel housing and an oil filter as taught by MOCHIDA to install the engine cylinder block to a vehicle body using an optimum anti-vibration manner.
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
CN 100406736 C - SAGARA
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ruben Picon-Feliciano whose telephone number is (571)-272-4938. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday within 11:30 am-7:30 pm ET.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lindsay M. Low can be reached on (571)272-1196. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RUBEN PICON-FELICIANO/Examiner, Art Unit 3747
/GRANT MOUBRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
Prosecution Insights