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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-3, 5-9, and 11-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Male (U.S. Patent 8,991,424), hereinafter “Male”.
Regarding claim 1, Male discloses a fuel system for an internal combustion engine (abstract), the fuel system comprising: a fuel pump (105) having an inlet (109) for receiving fuel from a fuel source (103, shown in figure 1), the fuel pump having an outlet (112) for providing pressurized fuel; a bypass flow path (119) extending from the outlet toward the inlet (shown in figure 1); and a pressure regulator valve (1) connecting the bypass flow path to the inlet (109, shown in figure 1), wherein the pressure regulator valve includes a fuel passage that fluidly connects the fuel source to the inlet of the fuel pump (the fuel flow is all connected); and a plunger (3) in the fuel passage, wherein the plunger is displaced by fuel pressure in the bypass flow path to close the fuel passage in the pressure regulator in response to the fuel pressure in the bypass flow path exceeding a threshold pressure (the valve pin 3 shown in figure 2 can close the fuel passage from 119 to 120 based upon fuel pressure from 121 and from 119 exceeding the pressure that would bias the spring 27). Examiner notes that the valve still allows for the fuel source to be fluidly connected to the inlet of the fuel pump since everything eventually connects. The claim does not give a specific order or state that the fuel passage within the pressure regulator valve has to be “directly” connected to the inlet of the fuel pump.
Regarding claim 2, Male discloses the fuel system of claim 1, wherein the pump is a low pressure pump (105) and the fuel system includes a high pressure pump (115) downstream of the low pressure pump (shown in figure 1).
Regarding claim 3, Male discloses the fuel system of claim 2, further comprising a rail (column 1, lines 22-35 mentions the common rail system) connected to the high pressure pump (115), the rail for distributing pressurized fuel to a plurality of fuel injectors of the internal combustion engine. Examiner notes that the common rail system would connect the high pressure fuel pump to injectors.
Regarding claim 5, Male discloses the fuel system of claim 1, wherein the pressure regulator valve (1) includes an opening (13) connected to the bypass flow path (119 to 120), and the plunger (3) is located between the opening and the fuel passage (shown in figure 2).
Regarding claim 6, Male discloses the fuel system of claim 1, wherein the pressure regulator valve includes: a valve inlet (116) to the fuel passage, the valve inlet being connected to the fuel source (103, shown in figure 1); and a valve outlet (118) from the fuel passage, the valve outlet being connected to the inlet of the fuel pump (shown in figure 1).
Regarding claim 7, Male discloses the fuel system of claim 6, wherein the plunger (3) in the fuel passage is displaced by pressurized fuel in the bypass flow path from a first position to a second position (shown in figure 2), and in the first position fuel is allowed to flow through the fuel passage from the valve inlet to the valve outlet and in the second position the plunger obstructs fuel flow from the valve inlet to the valve outlet and fluidly disconnects the fuel source from the inlet of the fuel pump (shown in figure 2). Examiner notes that the actuating of valve pin (3) allows for opening and closing of the connection (13).
Regarding claim 8, Male discloses the fuel system of claim 7, wherein the pressure regulator valve (1) includes an opening (13) in fluid communication with the bypass flow path.
Regarding claim 9, Male discloses the fuel system of claim 7, wherein the plunger (3) is configured to progressively reduce fuel flow through the fuel passage from the valve inlet (116) to the valve outlet (118) as the plunger (3) is displaced from the first position toward the second position. Examiner notes that the progressive nature of reducing fuel flow is done by the force from the helical spring (27) shown in figure 2.
Regarding claim 11, Male discloses the pressure regulator valve for a fuel pump, the pressure regulator valve comprising: a plunger; and a body that is elongated between a first end and an opposite second end, the body defining a fuel passage therein, and the plunger is located in the fuel passage, wherein the body includes: an opening at the first end, the opening configured to receive fuel from a fuel pump bypass flow path; a valve inlet to the fuel passage configured to receive fuel from a fuel source, the valve inlet located on a side of the body between the first end and the second end of the body; a valve outlet from the fuel passage configured to provide fuel from the fuel passage to the fuel pump, the valve outlet located on the side of the body between the first end and the second end of the body, wherein: the plunger is movable from a first position in the fuel passage toward a second position in the fuel passage in response to a pressurized fuel in the fuel pump bypass flow path; in the first position the plunger allows fuel from a fuel source to flow through the valve inlet into the fuel passage and through the valve outlet to the fuel pump; and in the second position the plunger is located in the fuel passage to block the valve inlet and obstruct fuel flow into the fuel passage from the fuel source. Refer to rejections of claims 1, 6, and 7 for further detail since the limitations are similar.
Regarding claim 12, Male discloses the pressure regulator valve of claim 11, wherein the plunger (3) extends from a first plunger end to a second plunger end, and the first plunger end is oriented toward the first end of the body and the second plunger end (bottom end in figure 2) is engaged with a biasing member (27), the biasing member being configured to bias the first plunger end toward the first end of the body (shown in figure 2).
Regarding claim 13, Male discloses the pressure regulator valve of claim 12, wherein the biasing member is a spring (27) located in the body.
Regarding claim 14, Male discloses the pressure regulator valve of claim 11, wherein the plunger (3) includes a first end portion (top portion of 3) oriented toward the first end of the body; a second end portion (bottom portion of 3) oriented toward the second end of the body; and a neck (31) connecting the first end portion to the second end portion (shown in figure 2).
Regarding claim 15, Male discloses the pressure regulator valve of claim 14, wherein: in the first position the neck of the plunger is located between the valve inlet (116) and the valve outlet (118) and the fuel passage extends around the neck (from 119 to 120); and in the second position the first end portion of the plunger is located between the valve inlet and the valve outlet (shown in figure 2). Examiner notes that the second position is when the valve pin 3 is fully biased towards the bottom of the valve in figure 2 and the top end of the valve pin (3) would be blocking the opening (13).
Regarding claim 16, Male discloses the pressure regulator valve of claim 14, wherein the neck (31) is tapered from the first end portion toward the second end portion so that a flow volume around the neck between the valve inlet and the valve outlet progressively decreases as the plunger moves from the first position toward the second position (shown in figure 2).
Regarding claim 17, Male discloses the pressure regulator valve of claim 14, wherein: the fuel passage includes a first cross-sectional size (size around 31); and the first end portion and the second end portion each include a second cross-sectional size (size around top end and bottom end of 3) that corresponds substantially to said first cross-sectional size (shown in figure 2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 4 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Male.
Regarding claim 4, Male discloses the claimed invention but is silent to state that the fuel pumps are driven by the camshaft. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of when the invention was made to drive the fuel pumps by the camshaft since it was known in the art that such an arrangement allows for fuel pump operation without additional power needed and allows for a reduction of parts and complexity. Examiner notes that it is very known in the art to operate fuel pumps from a camshaft.
Regarding claims 18-20, Male discloses the claimed invention but is silent to disclose wherein the opening, the valve inlet, and the valve outlet are substantially the same size, wherein: the opening extends along a longitudinal axis of the body; and the valve inlet and the valve outlet extend through the body orthogonally to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the valve inlet and the valve outlet are aligned with one another along a second axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to provide such an arrangement for the pressure regulator valve, since applicant has not disclosed that such an arrangement solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with the pressure regulator valve from Male.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Male in view of Slaymaker et al. (U.S. Publication 2013/0238226), hereinafter “Slaymaker”.
Regarding claim 10, Male discloses the same invention substantially as claimed except for a pressure relief valve in the bypass passage. However, Slaymaker teaches the use of pressure relief valve (56) in the bypass passage (65, paragraph 23) for the purpose of reducing excess pressure within the fuel rail to be around tank pressure to avoid any failure (paragraph 28). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Male by incorporating a pressure relief valve within the bypass passage as taught by Slaymaker for the purpose of reducing excess pressure within the fuel rail to be around tank pressure to avoid any failure.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Refer to PTO-892.
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/SYED O HASAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747 6/23/2026
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