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
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) 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 8,099,954 to Hoshi.
In Reference to Claim 1
Hoshi discloses:
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An exhaust gas purification device for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
at least one or more header pipe 11 through which an exhaust gas emitted from cylinders of the engine flows;
a catalytic converter 4 arranged downstream of the header pipe;
a diffusion chamber A arranged between the header pipe 11 and the catalytic converter 4;
a receiving surface 32 formed in the diffusion chamber with which a mainstream of the exhaust gas flowing into the diffusion chamber via the header pipe collides;
an orifice (where AF sensor 15 is inserted) formed in a downstream end plate 25 of the diffusion chamber, a cross-sectional area thereof is smaller than a cross-sectional area of an internal space of the diffusion chamber (D2 is less than D1); and
an air/fuel ratio sensor 15 arranged downstream of the orifice to measure an air/fuel ratio of an air/fuel mixture supplied to the engine.
In Reference to Claim 2
Hoshi discloses:
wherein the orifice is formed in the downstream end plate of the diffusion chamber at a portion where an inner edge of the orifice is distant from the receiving surface of the diffusion chamber, see Fig.3 of Hoshi.
In Reference to Claim 3 and 4
Hoshi discloses:
wherein the orifice is formed on the downstream end plate of the diffusion chamber at aportion where a predetermined clearance C is maintained between an inner edge of the orifice and the receiving surface of the diffusion chamber in a flowing direction of the mainstream of the exhaust gas flowing toward the receiving surface.
In Reference to Claim 5 and 6
Hoshi discloses:
a retention surface 32 formed on at least a portion of the downstream end plate between the receiving surface of the diffusion chamber and the inner edge of the orifice so as to prevent the exhaust gas colliding with the receiving surface from flowing into the catalytic converter 4.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY AYALA DELGADO whose telephone number is (571)270-3452. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark III Laurenzi can be reached at (571) 270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANTHONY AYALA DELGADO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746