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
2. 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.
3. Claim(s) 1, 3-5, 8-10, and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by the Fuerst reference (US Patent Publication No. 2008/0302336).
4. Regarding claim 1, the Fuerst reference discloses:
a fuel injector arrangement (FIG. 1) for installing a fuel injector (1) in an internal combustion engine (FIG. 1),
wherein the fuel injector (1) is designed configured for the metered dispensing of liquid or gaseous fuel (implicit), having a housing (FIG. 1) comprising an injector body (FIG. 1) and a
jacket tube (18) surrounding the injector body (FIG. 1), wherein the injector body (FIG. 1) comprises a fuel inlet (3) and an injection opening (FIG.1) for dispensing the fuel, and
wherein an annular gap (FIG. 1—between (1) and (18)) is formed between the jacket tube (18) and the injector body (1), forming a fuel flow path (FIG. 1—the fluid flows down inside of the annular gap), and
having a clamping device (21), via which a clamping force is exerted on the fuel injector (1), pushing the fuel injector (1-upward) against a contact face (11) in the internal combustion engine (FIG. 1), the clamping device (21) exerts the clamping force at least indirectly onto the
jacket tube (18-via an opposite reaction), wherein the end face (end face of (21)) of the jacket tube (18) facing the injection opening (FIG. 1---points towards the center where the opening is located) is supported on a pressure face (20) of the injector body (1).
5. Regarding claim 3, the Fuerst reference further discloses:
that the injector body (FIG. 1) comprises a nozzle body (FIG. 1) in which the injection opening (FIG. 1) is formed and which forms a combustion chamber-side end portion of the injector body (17), wherein the pressure face (20) is formed on the nozzle body (FIG. 1).
6. Regarding claim 4, the Fuerst reference further discloses:
the pressure face (20) is formed on a shoulder (FIG. 1) on the injector body (FIG. 1).
7. Regarding claim 5, the Fuerst reference further discloses:
in that the pressure face (20) is formed on a snap ring (FIG. 1—horizonal portion of (18)) that engages into an annular groove (FIG. 1—the chamfered portion of (1) that is annular can be considered an annular groove) on the injector body (FIG. 1).
8. Regarding claim 8, the Fuerst reference further discloses:
that a seal (6) is arranged between an end region of the jacket tube (18) facing away from the pressure face (20) and the injector body (FIG. 1).
9. Regarding claim 9, the Fuerst reference further disclose:
an end face (top portion) of the jacket tube (18) facing away from the pressure face (20) is formed in a convex or conical shape (FIG. 1—see where (18) flares outward creating conical shape).
10. Regarding claim 10, the Fuerst reference further discloses:
that a sleeve (6) surrounding the injector body (FIG. 1) is arranged between the clamping device (21) and the jacket tube (18—the upper part) and is pushed by the clamping
device (21) against the end face (FIG. 1—the face at the small end of (18) at the top) of the jacket tube (18) facing away from the pressure face (20).
11. Regarding claim 12, the Fuerst reference further discloses:
the clamping device (21) is a clamping jaw.
12. Regarding claim 13, the Fuerst reference further discloses:
the clamping jaw (FIG. 1—the horizontal portion of (18)) is fork-shaped and surrounds the injector body (FIG. 1), wherein an inwardly facing clamping surface (FIG. 1—end surface of (21)) is formed on the clamping jaw (FIG. 1).
13. Regarding claim 14, the Fuerst reference further discloses:
the fuel injector (1) is arranged in a receiving bore (FIG. 1) of the internal combustion engine, wherein the contact face (11) is formed in the receiving bore (FIG. 1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
14. 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.
15. Claim(s) 2 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the Fuerst reference.
16. Regarding claim 2, the Fuerst reference fails to disclose: the clamping device exerts the clamping force onto an end of the jacket tube facing away from the pressure face. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art by the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the clamping device exerts the clamping force onto an end of the jacket tube facing away from the pressure face, 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).
17. Regarding claim 7, the Fuerst reference fails to disclose:
the jacket tube comprises two partial jacket tubes that are longitudinally adjacent, wherein an intermediate seal is arranged between the two partial jacket tubes. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art by the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the jacket tube comprises two partial jacket tubes that are longitudinally adjacent wherein an intermediate seal is arranged between the two partial jacket tubes, since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 (V-B).
18. Claim(s) 6 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the Fuerst reference in view of the Gmelin reference (DE 198 53 090 A1).
19. Regarding claim 6, the Fuerst reference fails to disclose:
that the pressure face is formed on a union nut screwed into an external thread formed on the injector body.
The Gmelin reference teaches it is conventional in the art of fuel injectors to provide as taught in (FIG. 1) that the pressure face (FIG. 1—bottom surface of (27)) is formed on a union nut (27) screwed into an external thread (37) on the injector body (4). Such configurations/structures would allow affixing the injector body to the fuel rail (FIG. 1).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art by the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the arrangement of the Fuerst reference, such that the arrangement further includes that the pressure face is formed on a union nut screwed into an
external thread on the injector body, as clearly suggested and taught by the Gmelin reference, in order to allow affixing the injector body to the fuel rails (FIG. 1).
20. Regarding claim 11, the Fuerst reference fails to disclose:
that an end face of the sleeve cooperating with the end face of the jacket tube is chamfered such that an inwardly directed force acts on the jacket tube.
The Gmelin reference teaches it is conventional in the art of fuel injectors to provide as taught in (FIG. 1) that an end face (FIG. 1—bottom surface of (26)) of the sleeve (26) cooperating with the end face (FIG. 1—top surface of (21)) of the jacket tube (21) such that an inwardly directed force acts on the jacket tube (21) (FIG. 1). Such configurations/structures would allow affixing the injector body to the fuel rail (FIG. 1).
The Gemlin reference teaches the claim as essentially disclose. However, the Gemlin reference fails to teach is chamfered. The examiner takes Official Notice that it is well known in the art of combining two components to use a chamfered surface for the purpose of increasing the strength of the bond.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art by the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the arrangement of the Fuerst reference, such that the arrangement further includes that an end face of the sleeve cooperating with the end face of the jacket tube is chamfered such that an inwardly directed force acts on the jacket tube, as clearly suggested and taught by the Gemlin reference, in order to allow affixing the injector body to the fuel rails (FIG. 1).
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
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