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 .
Response to Amendment
This Office Action is responsive to the amendment filed on 01/20/2026. Claims 21-27 and 29-31 are examined.
Specification
Amendments to the specification were received. The amended specification has been entered.
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 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.
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 nonobviousness.
Claims 21-23, 25-26, and 29-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Crawley 2017/0268784 in view of DiCintio 2015/0285502.
Regarding Claim 21, Crawley teaches a fuel mixer 51 configured to provide a fuel-air mixture (mixture of fuel and air) to a combustor 13 of an engine 50, the fuel mixer 51 comprising ([0048]; Figs. 6 & 16):
a mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53 having a mixer body outer wall 58, 53 (58 comprises elements 53 and 59 attached to downstream outer wall 53);
center body [c] (Annotated Fig. 16, below);
an annular passageway 57 defined between the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 and the center body [c] (Annotated Fig. 16, below),
the annular passageway 57 directing fuel (fuel from opening 56) and air (airflow from openings 91, 61) into the combustor 13 of the engine 50 as a flow of the fuel-air mixture (mixture of fuel and air) through the annular passageway 57 and along the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 ([0048]; Fig. 16),
the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 and the flow of the fuel-air mixture (mixture of fuel and air) defining a fuel-air mixture boundary layer, the fuel-air mixture (mixture of fuel and air) flowing through the annular passageway 57 in a flow direction (flow direction seen as arrows flowing left to right, in Fig. 16) (Fig. 16. The flow of fuel and air mixture flowing through the annular passageway 57 flows along the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 and therefore defines a fuel-air mixture boundary layer);
a fuel outlet 56 extending into the annular passageway 57, the fuel outlet 56 feeding a flow of fuel (fuel, seen as arrow through opening 56) into the annular passageway 57 (Annotated Figs. 6 & 16, below);
a fuel inlet [a] extending into the mixer body outer wall 58, 53, the fuel inlet [a] being downstream of the fuel outlet 56 (seen in annotated Fig. 6, below) with respect to the flow direction through the annular passageway 57 ([0044], annotated Fig. 6, below);
a first plurality of openings 91, [d] extending through the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 for introducing the air (air) into the annular passageway 57 ([0067-71]; Figs. 16-17; Annotated Fig. 16, below);
a second plurality of openings 91, [g] extending through the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 and axially spaced from the first plurality of openings 91, [d], the second plurality of openings 91, [g] introducing the air (air) into the annular passageway 57 ([0067-71]; Figs. 16-17; Annotated Fig. 16, below);
and one or more fuel tube assemblies 52, 58 (seen in Figs. 6 & 16) disposed circumferentially about the mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53, each fuel tube assembly 52 comprising at least one fuel channel 64, for injecting the flow of the fuel (fuel) from the fuel outlet 56 into the annular passageway 57, heat from the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 (specifically, the outer wall portion 53 that comprises inner surface 60 of the annular passage 57), the center body, or both the mixer body outer wall and the center body transfers to the fuel (fuel) flowing through the one or more fuel tube assemblies 52, 58, the one or more fuel tube assemblies 52, 58 (seen in Figs. 6 & 16) extending within the mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53 and directing the flow of the fuel (fuel flow through channel 64) through the mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53, the one or more fuel tube assemblies 2, 58 (seen in Figs. 6 & 16) being configured to cool the fuel-air mixture boundary layer present in the annular passageway 57 and to cool the mixer body outer wall 58, 53, the center body [c], or both the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 and the center body [c] ([0044, 0053]; Fig. 6. Fuel flowing through channel 64 of the mixer outer wall portion 58 is injected into the annular passage 57 through fuel port 56. Fuel flowing through 58 cools the mixer body outer wall 58, 53, or absorbs the heat from the surrounding mixer body outer wall 58, 53, specifically, the outer wall portion 53 that comprises inner surface 60 of the annular passage 57. Thus, the fuel injected into the annular passage 57 is cooler than the compressed air being injected through inlet 61. Therefore, the mixture of fuel and air flow in the annular passage 57 is cooled by the fuel being injected through fuel port 56 and cools the surrounding the fuel-air flow in its surroundings in the annular passage 57. Upon the release of the fuel flow into the annular passageway 57, the center body [c] is also cooled by the fuel, and the cooled fuel-air flow mixture propagates downstream toward the combustion chamber and thus cooling the boundary layer present along the inner surface 60 of the outer wall portion 53; therefore, cooling the mixer outer wall.).
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Figure A: Annotated Fig.16 of Crawley (U.S. 2017/0268784)
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Figure B: Annotated Fig.6 of Crawley (U.S. 2017/0268784)
Crawley does not teach at least one fuel channel being formed as a serpentine channel extending from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet, the serpentine channel comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions extending along a length of the mixer body in the flow direction of the fuel-air mixture flowing through the annular passageway.
DiCintio teaches at least one air channel 96 (cooling channel 96) being formed as a serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) extending from the inlet [m] (inlet at some point [m] to an outlet 100 (seen in annotated Fig. 8, below), the serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions [p] extending along a length of the fuel nozzle body 48, 76 (seen in Fig. 4) in the flow direction of the fuel-air mixture flowing through the annular passageway [q] ([0036-37; 0039; 0041; 0044; 0047]; Annotated Figs. 4 & 8, below). Note, DiCintio’s at least one air channel 96 being formed as a serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) extending from an inlet to an outlet, is applied for its stated and intended use of increasing the length of the cooling channel to increase the residence or flow time of the working fluid, enhancing the cooling effectiveness of the working fluid, thereby improving overall mechanical performance of the primary fuel nozzle, and not for its location in the prior art.
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Figure C: Annotated Fig. 8 of DiCintio (U.S. 2015/0285502)
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Figure D: Annotated Fig. 4 of DiCintio (U.S. 2015/0285502)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the at least one fuel channel 64 of Crawley to be formed as a serpentine channel 96 extending from Crawley’s fuel inlet [a] to the fuel outlet 56, the serpentine channel 96 comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions [p] extending along a length of the mixer body in the flow direction of the fuel-air mixture flowing through the annular passageway, as taught by DiCintio, in order to increase the length of the cooling channel to increase the residence or flow time of the working fluid, enhance the cooling effectiveness of the working fluid, and thereby improving overall mechanical performance of the primary fuel nozzle (DiCintio [0047]).
Crawley in view of DiCintio, as discussed so far, does not teach at least one fuel channel being formed as a serpentine channel extending from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet, the serpentine channel comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions extending along a length of the mixer body in the flow direction of the fuel-air mixture flowing through the annular passageway.
However, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches a fuel mixer 51 comprising a mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53, center body [c], an annular passageway 57 defined between the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 and the center body [c], a fuel inlet [a], a fuel outlet 56 extending into the annular passageway 57, a first plurality of openings 91, [d, g] extending through the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 for introducing the air (air) into the annular passageway 57, and one or more fuel tube assemblies 52, 58 disposed circumferentially about the mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53. Each of Crawley in view of DiCintio’s fuel tube assembly 52, 58 comprises DiCintio’s at least one fuel channel 96 being formed as a serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) extending from Crawley’s fuel inlet [a] to the fuel outlet 56, the serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions [p] extending along a length of Crawley’s mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53 in the flow direction of the fuel-air mixture flowing through the annular passageway 57.
Therefore, Crawley in view of DiCintio’s at least one fuel channel 96 being formed as a serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) extending from Crawley’s fuel inlet [a] to the fuel outlet 56 is capable of delivering fuel through the at least one fuel channel 96 formed as a serpentine channel, because it has been held that “if a prior art device, in its normal and usual operation, would necessarily perform the method claimed, then the method claimed will be considered an obvious extension of prior art teachings”. See MPEP 2114 (II).
Regarding Claim 22, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 21, and Crawley further teaches
the fuel-air mixture boundary layer (mixture of fuel and air) is present near the mixer body outer wall 58, 53, near the center body [c], or near both the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 and the center body [c]) (Fig. 16. Fuel flowing through channel 64 is injected into the annular passage 57 through fuel port 56, and is mixed with the airflow entering the annular passage 57 though opening 61. The flow of fuel and air mixture flowing through the annular passageway 57 flows along the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 and along the center body [c]. Therefore, the fuel-air mixture boundary layer is present near the mixer body outer wall 58, 53, near the center body [c], or near both the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 and the center body [c], as claimed.).
Regarding Claim 23, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 21, and Crawley further teaches
the fuel inlet [a] feeds the fuel (fuel) to the one or more tube assemblies 52, 58 (seen in Figs. 6 & 16), and the flow of the fuel (fuel) travels through the channel 64 from the fuel inlet [a] to the fuel outlet 56 ([0044], annotated Fig. 6, below).
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Figure B: Annotated Fig. 6 of Crawley (U.S. 2017/0268784)
Crawley in view of DiCintio, as discussed so far, does not teach the flow of the fuel travels through the serpentine channel from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet.
However, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches a fuel mixer 51 comprising a mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53, center body [c], an annular passageway 57 defined between the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 and the center body [c], a fuel inlet [a], a fuel outlet 56 extending into the annular passageway 57, and one or more fuel tube assemblies 52, 58 disposed circumferentially about the mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53. Each of Crawley in view of DiCintio’s fuel tube assembly 52 comprises DiCintio’s serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) from Crawley’s fuel inlet [a] to the fuel outlet 56. Therefore, the flow of the fuel (fuel) travels through the serpentine channel 96 from the fuel inlet [a] to the fuel outlet 56, as claimed.
Regarding Claim 25, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 21, and Crawley further teaches
the fuel mixer 51 comprises multiple fuel outlets 56 (fuel ports 56), and the multiple fuel outlets 56 are circumferentially offset from one another (seen in Figs. 4, 6 & 16) ([0047]; Figs. 4, 6 & 16).
Regarding Claim 26, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 21, and Crawley further teaches
a fuel manifold 52 coupled to the one or more fuel tube assemblies 52, 58 to supply the flow of the fuel (fuel) to the one or more fuel tube assemblies 52, 58 ([0047]; Annotated Fig. 6, below).
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Figure B: Annotated Fig.6 of Crawley (U.S. 2017/0268784)
Regarding Claim 29, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 21. However, Crawley in view of DiCintio, as discussed so far, does not teach one or more fuel tube assemblies comprise a plurality of fuel tube subassemblies, said each fuel tube subassembly of the plurality of fuel tube subassemblies having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet.
DiCintio further teaches one or more air channel assemblies 96 (at least one cooling channel 96) comprise a plurality of air channel subassemblies 96 (at least one cooling channel 96, four seen in Fig. 8 with four outlets 100), said each air channel subassembly 96 (at least one cooling channel 96) of the plurality of air channel subassemblies 96 (at least one cooling channel 96) having an inlet [m] and an outlet 100 ([0039; 0041; 0044; 0047]; Annotated Figs. 4 & 8, below). Note, DiCintio’s plurality of air channel subassemblies 96, formed as a serpentine channel (substantially serpentine pattern), each extending from an inlet to an outlet, are applied for its stated and intended use of increasing the length of the cooling channel to increase the residence or flow time of the working fluid, enhancing the cooling effectiveness of the working fluid, thereby improving overall mechanical performance of the primary fuel nozzle, and not for their location in the prior art.
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Figure C: Annotated Fig. 8 of DiCintio (U.S. 2015/0285502)
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Figure D: Annotated Fig. 4 of DiCintio (U.S. 2015/0285502)
Crawley in view of DiCintio, as discussed so far, does not teach one or more fuel tube assemblies comprise a plurality of fuel tube subassemblies, said each fuel tube subassembly of the plurality of fuel tube subassemblies having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet.
However, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches a fuel mixer 51 comprising a mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53, center body [c], an annular passageway 57 defined between the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 and the center body [c], a fuel inlet [a], a fuel outlet 56 extending into the annular passageway 57, a first plurality of openings 91, [d, g] extending through the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 for introducing the air (air) into the annular passageway 57, and one or more fuel tube assemblies 52, 58 comprising DiCintio’s at least one cooling channel 96 being formed as a serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) extending from Crawley’s fuel inlet [a] to the fuel outlet 56. Crawley in view of DiCintio’s one or more fuel tube assemblies 52, 58 comprises a plurality of air channel subassemblies 96, said each air channel subassembly 96 of the plurality of air channel subassemblies 96, as taught by DiCintio, having Crawley’s fuel inlet [a] and fuel outlet 56. Therefore, Crawley in view of DiCintio’s, one or more fuel tube assemblies 52, 58 comprising a plurality of subassemblies 96, is capable of transferring fuel between Crawley’s fuel inlet [a] and fuel outlet 56, because it has been held that “apparatus claims cover what a device is, not what a device does.” Hewlett-Packard Co. v Bausch & Lomb Inc., 909 F.2d 1464, 1469, 15 USPQ2d 1525, 1528 (Fed. Cir. 1990). See MPEP 2114 II, and a claim containing a "recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus" if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. Ex parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1987). See MPEP 2114 II. In this case, the claimed structure is identical to the applied prior art, and is found capable of operating in the claimed manner as discussed above, and therefore is unpatentable over Crawley in view of DiCintio.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the one or more fuel tube assemblies 52, 58 of Crawley in view of DiCintio with to comprise a plurality of fuel tube subassemblies 96, each fuel tube subassembly 96 of the plurality of fuel tube subassemblies 96 having Crawley’s fuel inlet [a] and fuel outlet 56, as taught by DiCintio, for the same reason as discussed in rejection of claim 21 above.
Regarding Claim 30, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 29. However, Crawley in view of DiCintio, as discussed so far, does not teach adjacent fuel tube subassemblies of the plurality of fuel tube subassemblies are circumferentially aligned so that curved portions of the adjacent fuel tube subassemblies are aligned.
DiCintio further teaches air channel subassembly 96 (at least one cooling channel 96)
adjacent air channel subassemblies 96 of the plurality of air channel subassemblies 96 (at least one cooling channel 96, four seen in Fig. 8 with four outlets 100) are circumferentially aligned (not shown, but implied by four outlets 100 shown in Fig. 8) with each air channel subassembly 96 comprising curved portions [s] (Annotated Fig. 8, below).
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Figure C: Annotated Fig. 8 of DiCintio (U.S. 2015/0285502)
DiCintio does not expressly state that adjacent air channel subassemblies 96 of the plurality of air channel subassemblies 96 are circumferentially aligned so that curved portions [s] of the adjacent air channel subassemblies 96 are aligned; however, an ordinary skilled worker, upon the preponderance of evidence, would conclude that the adjacent air channel subassemblies 96 are circumferentially aligned and thus the curved portions [s] of the adjacent air channel subassemblies 96 are aligned, as claimed. The description of the article pictured (in annotated Fig. 8, above) can be relied on, in combination with the drawings, for what they would reasonably teach one of ordinary skill in the art. In re Wright, 569 F.2d 1124, 193 USPQ 332 (CCPA 1977). See MPEP 2125 II. Therefore, the curved portions [s] of the adjacent air channel subassemblies 96, in the annotated Fig. 8 above, are aligned with each other. An ordinary skilled worker would understand that the adjacent air channel subassemblies 96 of the plurality of air channel subassemblies 96 are circumferentially aligned and the curved portions [s] of the adjacent air channel subassemblies 96 are also aligned, in order to enhance the cooling effectiveness of the working fluid and provide even cooling in a circumferential direction.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the plurality of fuel tube subassemblies 96 of Crawley in view of DiCintio and have the adjacent air channel subassemblies 96 (four seen in Fig. 8 with four outlets 100) be circumferentially aligned (not shown, but implied by four outlets 100 shown in Fig. 8) so that curved portions [s] of the adjacent fuel tube subassemblies 96 are aligned, as taught by DiCintio, for the same reason as discussed in rejection of claim 21 above.
Regarding Claim 31, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 21, and Crawley further teaches
a mixer array (seen in Fig. 3) comprising one or more fuel mixers 51 (several of staged injectors 51, seen in Fig. 3) according to claim 21 (see rejection of claim 1 above).
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Crawley in view of DiCintio, and further in view of Boardman 10352569.
Regarding Claim 24, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 21. However, Crawley in view of DiCintio does not teach the flow of the fuel through the one or more fuel tube assemblies is a flow of hydrogen fuel.
Boardman teaches a similar fuel nozzle 100 and the fluid flowing though the fuel tube assembly can be “gaseous or liquid fuel, or air, or an inert gas. Gaseous or liquid fuels may include, but are not limited to, fuel oils, jet fuels propane, ethane, hydrogen, coke oven gas, natural gas, synthesis gas, or combinations thereof (Col. 5, l. 64 – Col. 6, l. 13; Fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the fuel (fuel) of Crawley in view of DiCintio to be hydrogen, as taught by Boardman, because Boardman teaches that gaseous or liquid fuels such as “fuel oils, jet fuels propane, ethane, hydrogen, coke oven gas, natural gas, or synthesis gas” are equivalent (Boardman, Col. 6, ll. 2-4).
Claim 27 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Crawley in view of DiCintio, and further in view of McMasters 2017/0051675.
Regarding Claim 27, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 21. However, Crawley in view of DiCintio does not teach the mixer body outer wall, the center body, or both the mixer body outer wall and the center body are coated with a passivating agent.
McMasters teaches a component, such as a pilot nozzle, having a passage with an interior layer of a wall 24 coated with a passivating agent 22 (coating system can be silica, SiO2) ([0020]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to provide the center body [c] of Crawley in view of DiCintio with a coating having a passivating agent 22 (coating system can be silica, SiO2), as taught by McMasters, in order to facilitate the reduction of the tendency for hydrocarbon fluids, including such nonlimiting examples as fuels and oils, to form carbonaceous deposits that adhere to interior surfaces of a fluid passage or other containment surface (McMasters, [0017]).
Response to Argument
Applicant's arguments, filed on 01/20/2026, with respect to 35 U.S.C. 103 rejections of claims 21-27 and 29-31 have been considered, but are not persuasive and are still unpatentable over the previously applied prior art. However, to the extent possible, Applicant’s arguments have been addressed in the body of the rejections at the appropriate locations, and a summary is provided below.
Regarding the 35 U.S.C. 103 rejections of independent claims 1, 11, and 16:
Applicant argues (pp. 2-7 of Remarks) that prior art of Crawley in view of DiCintio does not teach “a fuel inlet extending into the mixer body outer wall, the fuel inlet being downstream of the fuel outlet with respect to the flow direction through the annular passageway; … and the at least one fuel channel being formed as a serpentine channel extending from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet, the serpentine channel comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions extending along a length of the mixer body in the flow direction of the fuel-air mixture flowing through the annular passageway” because DiCintio does not teach a fuel channel in serpentine shape and the fuel inlet is not downstream of the fuel outlet, and instead DiCintio teaches an air cooling channel.
Examiner disagrees. In response to Applicant's piecemeal analysis of the references, it has been held that one cannot show non-obviousness by attacking references individually where, as here, the rejections are based on combinations of references. In re Keller, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981). However, it is noted that all applied prior art addresses cooling of the fuel-air mixer using fluid flow in the surrounding mixer body.
Crawley teaches all of the claim 21 limitations, except “at least one fuel channel being formed as a serpentine channel extending from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet, the serpentine channel comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions extending along a length of the mixer body in the flow direction of the fuel-air mixture flowing through the annular passageway.”
DiCintio teaches at least one air channel 96 (cooling channel 96) being formed as a serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) extending from the inlet [m] (inlet at some point [m] to an outlet 100 (seen in annotated Fig. 8, below), the serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions [p] extending along a length of the fuel nozzle body 48, 76 (seen in Fig. 4) in the flow direction of the fuel-air mixture flowing through the annular passageway [q] ([0036-37; 0039; 0041; 0044; 0047]; Annotated Figs. 4 & 8, below).
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Figure C: Annotated Fig. 8 of DiCintio (U.S. 2015/0285502)
Note, DiCintio’s at least one air channel 96 being formed as a serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) extending from an inlet to an outlet, is applied for its stated and intended use of increasing the length of the cooling channel to increase the residence or flow time of the working fluid, enhancing the cooling effectiveness of the working fluid, thereby improving overall mechanical performance of the primary fuel nozzle, and not for its location in the prior art.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the at least one fuel channel 64 of Crawley to be formed as a serpentine channel 96 extending from Crawley’s fuel inlet [a] to the fuel outlet 56, the serpentine channel 96 comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions [p] extending along a length of the mixer body in the flow direction of the fuel-air mixture flowing through the annular passageway, as taught by DiCintio, in order to increase the length of the cooling channel to increase the residence or flow time of the working fluid, enhance the cooling effectiveness of the working fluid, and thereby improving overall mechanical performance of the primary fuel nozzle (DiCintio [0047]).
Crawley in view of DiCintio, as discussed so far, does not teach at least one fuel channel being formed as a serpentine channel extending from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet, the serpentine channel comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions extending along a length of the mixer body in the flow direction of the fuel-air mixture flowing through the annular passageway.
However, Crawley in view of DiCintio teaches a fuel mixer 51 comprising a mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53, center body [c], an annular passageway 57 defined between the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 and the center body [c], a fuel inlet [a], a fuel outlet 56 extending into the annular passageway 57, a first plurality of openings 91, [d, g] extending through the mixer body outer wall 58, 53 for introducing the air (air) into the annular passageway 57, and one or more fuel tube assemblies 52, 58 disposed circumferentially about the mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53. Each of Crawley in view of DiCintio’s fuel tube assembly 52, 58 comprises DiCintio’s at least one fuel channel 96 being formed as a serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) extending from Crawley’s fuel inlet [a] to the fuel outlet 56, the serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions [p] extending along a length of Crawley’s mixer body 61, 63, 58, 53 in the flow direction of the fuel-air mixture flowing through the annular passageway 57.
Therefore, Crawley in view of DiCintio’s at least one fuel channel 96 being formed as a serpentine channel 96 (substantially serpentine pattern) extending from Crawley’s fuel inlet [a] to the fuel outlet 56 is capable of delivering fuel through the at least one fuel channel 96 formed as a serpentine channel, because it has been held that “if a prior art device, in its normal and usual operation, would necessarily perform the method claimed, then the method claimed will be considered an obvious extension of prior art teachings”. See MPEP 2114 (II).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Prior art of Melton 9528705 (IDS referenced prior art) teaches in (Col. 8, ll. 3-39 and Col. 10, ll. 15-28; Figs. 3,5,7) fuel tube assemblies 124 one or more fuel tube assemblies 124 disposed circumferentially about the mixer body 102 with the at least one fuel channel (channel of 124) being formed as a serpentine channel extending from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet, the serpentine channel (helical pattern 138) comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions (seen in Fig. 7) extending along a length of the mixer body in the flow direction of the fuel-air mixture flowing through the annular passageway (seen in Fig. 7).
Prior art of Melton 10232440 teaches in in (Col. 8, ll. 3-39 and Col. 10, ll. 15-28; Figs. 3,5,7) the same claim 21 recitation as taught by Melton 9528705 above. This teaching may also be additionally applicable in making the present independent claims 21, 23, and 28 rejected as unpatentable under a 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 extension fee 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
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/JACEK LISOWSKI/Examiner, Art Unit 3741
/PHUTTHIWAT WONGWIAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3741