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 .
This is the first office action in response to the above identified patent application filed on 05/20/2025. Claims 1-8 are currently pending and being examined.
Specification/Title
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested:
GAS TURBINE FUEL OIL SUPPLY DEVICE COMPRISING CAVITATION SUPPRESSION UNITS
Note: The title does not determine or define the meets and bounds of patentability, the title is mainly a description of the invention which serves the examiners at the USPTO during the searching process.
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 1-8 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the supply pressure adjustment valve" in lines 7-8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required (the supply pressure regulation valve; refer to line 5 in claim 1).
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the flow rate adjustment valve" in lines 12-13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required (Notice that line 7 in claim 1 recites a plurality of flow rate regulation valves).
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the flow rate regulation valve" in lines 13-14 and 14-15 respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required (notice that line 7 in claim 1 recites a plurality of flow rate regulation valves).
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the flow rate adjustment valve" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required (Notice that line 7 in claim 1 recites a plurality of flow rate regulation valves).
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the flow rate adjustment valve" in lines 3-4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required (Notice that line 7 in claim 1 recites a plurality of flow rate regulation valves).
Claims 2-4, 6 and 8 depend from Claim 1 and are rejected accordingly.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
With respect to independent claim 1, the closest prior art of record (JP 2011-241782, figures 7-11, paragraphs 49-61; OR US 2013/0098041, figure2) neither discloses nor makes obvious the combination set forth in the independent claim, particularly " a plurality of cavitation suppression units provided on a downstream side of each of the plurality of flow rate regulation valves", in combination with the other claim limitations.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM H RODRIGUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-4831. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:30-6:30.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Phutthiwat Wongwian can be reached at 571-270-5426. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/William H Rodriguez/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3741
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