DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1-3, 6, 17, 20, 22, and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gram 5,868,122.
Gram discloses, regarding claim 1, a fuel compressor 24 for compressing gaseous vehicle fuel, the fuel compressor 24 comprising: a housing (best seen in Fig. 3); a piston 25 arranged for reciprocating movement along a piston 25 axis within the housing; a drive arrangement (see 26, 29, and 35) arranged to drive reciprocating movement of the piston 25 along the piston axis; a first compression chamber 41 in which gaseous fuel is compressed by movement of the piston 25 in a first direction along the piston axis, in use; and a second compression chamber 43 in which gaseous fuel is compressed by movement of the piston 25 in a second direction along the piston axis, in use, the first and second compression chambers 41, 43 being mutually spaced along the piston axis so that the first and second compression chambers 41, 43 are arranged at opposed ends of the piston 25 (clearly shown in Fig. 3); Re claim 2, wherein the piston 25 is shaped to define each compression chamber 41, 43, at least partially (clearly shown in Fig. 3); Re claim 3, wherein each compression chamber 41, 43 is at least partially enclosed by the piston 25 (clearly shown in Fig. 3); Re claim 6, wherein the compressor 24 comprises a first head member (see member comprising 40 and 44 in Fig. 3) through which fuel flows into and out from the first compression chamber 41 and a second head member (see member comprising 42 and 46 in Fig. 3) through which fuel flows into and out from the second compression chamber 43; Re claim 10, wherein the piston 25 is generally cylindrical; Re claim 17, comprising an oil diverting arrangement (see 34/36) configured to divert oil flowing from the drive arrangement (see 26, 29, and 35) away from the compression chambers (substantially broad, see oil paths 34 and 36, as well as the sealed hydraulic cylinder arrangement in Fig. 3); Re claim 20, a first inlet valve 40 through which fuel is supplied to the first compression chamber 41, in use; a first outlet valve 44 through which compressed fuel is discharged from the first compression chamber 43, in use; a second inlet valve 42 through which fuel is supplied to the second compression chamber 43, in use; and a second outlet valve 46 through which compressed fuel is discharged from the second compression chamber 43, in use; Re claim 22, an inlet line arranged to convey fuel from a reservoir (2, 4, 6, 8) to each of the compression chambers 41, 43; and an outlet line arranged to receive fuel discharged from each of the compression chambers (clearly shown in Fig. 1)
Gram discloses, regarding claim 23, a method of compressing gaseous vehicle fuel, the method comprising: moving a piston 25 in a first direction along a piston axis to compress gaseous fuel in a first compression chamber 41; and moving the piston 25 in a second direction along the piston axis to compress gaseous fuel in a second compression chamber 43.
Claims 1-5, 10-11, 20-21, and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Patten 4,441,587.
Patten discloses, regarding claim 1, a fuel compressor (shown in Figs. 6-7) for compressing gaseous vehicle fuel, the fuel compressor comprising: a housing (see cylinder in Figs. 6-7); a piston 22 arranged for reciprocating movement along a piston axis within the housing; a drive arrangement (see combustion chambers 28 and 30) arranged to drive reciprocating movement of the piston 22 along the piston axis; a first compression chamber (left side of the piston in Fig. 6) in which gaseous fuel is compressed by movement of the piston 22 in a first direction along the piston axis, in use; and a second compression chamber (right side of the piston in Fig. 6) in which gaseous fuel is compressed by movement of the piston 22 in a second direction along the piston axis, in use, the first and second compression chambers being mutually spaced along the piston axis so that the first and second compression chambers are arranged at opposed ends of the piston 22 (clearly shown in Figs. 1-3. 6, and 7); Re claim 2, wherein the piston 22 is shaped to define each compression chamber at least partially (clearly shown in Figs. 6-7); Re claim 3, wherein each compression chamber is at least partially enclosed by the piston 22 (clearly shown in Figs. 6-7); Re claim 4, wherein the piston 22 includes a first end face at a first end of the piston 22 (clearly shown in Fig. 6) and a second end face at a second end of the piston 22 opposite the first end, and wherein the first end face includes a first recess 176 that at least partially defines the first compression chamber, and the second end face includes a second recess (see recess opposite to 176 on the piston 22 in Fig. 6) that at least partially defines the second compression chamber; Re claim 5, wherein each recess defines a cylindrical volume (substantially broad, the radially inner edge of the recess forms a cylindrical volume); Re claim 10, wherein the piston 22 is generally cylindrical; Re claim 11, wherein the first and second compression chambers are located inside the piston 22 (due to the recesses on either side of piston 22, the chambers are located partially inside the piston 22); Re claim 20, a first inlet valve 102 through which fuel is supplied to the first compression chamber, in use; a first outlet valve 114 through which compressed fuel is discharged from the first compression chamber, in use; a second inlet valve 104 through which fuel is supplied to the second compression chamber, in use; and a second outlet valve 116 through which compressed fuel is discharged from the second compression chamber, in use; Re claim 21, wherein the drive arrangement (see 28 and 30) is arranged to be coupled to, and driven by, a vehicle engine (see col. 2, lines 10-14)
Patten discloses, regarding claim 23, a method of compressing gaseous vehicle fuel, the method comprising: moving a piston 22 in a first direction along a piston axis to compress gaseous fuel in a first compression chamber (left side of the piston in Fig. 6); and moving the piston 22 in a second direction along the piston axis to compress gaseous fuel in a second compression chamber (right side of the piston in Fig. 6).
Claims 1-3, 12-16, 20-21, and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Milburn 6,283,723.
Milburn discloses, regarding claim 1, a fuel compressor (see compression chambers 19 and 41) for compressing gaseous vehicle fuel (see abstract), the fuel compressor comprising: a housing 20; a piston 18/40 arranged for reciprocating movement along a piston axis within the housing; a drive arrangement (see 10-12 and 46) arranged to drive reciprocating movement of the piston 18/40 along the piston axis; a first compression chamber 19 in which gaseous fuel is compressed by movement of the piston 18/40 in a first direction along the piston axis, in use; and a second compression chamber 41 in which gaseous fuel is compressed by movement of the piston 18/40 in a second direction along the piston axis, in use, the first and second compression chambers 19, 41 being mutually spaced along the piston axis so that the first and second compression chambers are arranged at opposed ends of the piston 18/40 (clearly shown in Fig. 5); Re claim 2, wherein the piston 18/40 is shaped to define each compression chamber 19, 41 at least partially (clearly shown in Figs 5); Re claim 3, wherein each compression chamber 19, 41is at least partially enclosed by the piston 18/40 (clearly shown in Fig. 5); Re claim 12, wherein the drive arrangement (10-12 and 46) comprises a drive cam 12 arranged to rotate about a drive axis to drive reciprocating movement of the piston 18/40 along the piston axis; Re claim 13, comprising a yoke 13 mounted to the drive cam 12 and in sliding engagement with the piston 18/40; Re claim 14, wherein the piston axis is orthogonal to the drive axis (clearly shown in Fig. 5); Re claim 15, wherein the piston axis and the drive axis intersect (clearly shown in Fig. 5); Re claim 16, wherein at least part of the drive arrangement (10-12 and 46) is received within the piston 18/40 (clearly shown in Fig. 5); Re claim 20, a first inlet valve 27 through which fuel is supplied to the first compression chamber 19, in use; a first outlet valve 26 through which compressed fuel is discharged from the first compression chamber 19, in use; a second inlet valve 44 through which fuel is supplied to the second compression chamber 41, in use; and a second outlet valve 45 through which compressed fuel is discharged from the second compression chamber 41, in use; Re claim 21, wherein the drive arrangement (10-12 and 46) is arranged to be coupled to, and driven by, a vehicle engine (see col. 1, lines 6-13)
Milburn discloses, regarding claim 23, a method of compressing gaseous vehicle fuel, the method comprising: moving a piston 18/40 in a first direction along a piston axis to compress gaseous fuel in a first compression chamber 19; and moving the piston 18/40 in a second direction along the piston axis to compress gaseous fuel in a second compression chamber 41.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9 and 18-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Peter J Bertheaud whose telephone number is (571)272-3476. The examiner can normally be reached 9am - 5pm M-F.
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PJB
/PETER J BERTHEAUD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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