DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the communication(s) filed on 5/29/2025.
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 § 103
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.
Claims 1-2, 5-6, 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goudy, Jr (US 4,259, 021), in view of Ulrey et al. (US 8,353,270 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Goudy, Jr. discloses a methanol-gasoline mixing energizing device (fig. 1), comprising: a mixing chamber (38), wherein the mixing chamber has a liquid inlet (13) and a liquid outlet (17); the liquid inlet is configured for inflowing methanol and gasoline (column 5, line 22-31), and the liquid outlet is configured for connection with a carburetor; and a microwave heating device (24), configured for performing microwave heating on the methanol in the mixing chamber (column 4, line 62 - column 5, line 10) (see also fig. 1, 2).
Goudy, Jr discloses the invention above, but appears silent has to having a fuel injector to inject fuel into the engine via a fuel rail.
Ulrey discloses an internal combustion engine using a fuel rail and fuel injector configuration to inject fuel directly into the combustion chamber instead of using a carburetor (fig. 2, 3).
It would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the reference of Goudy, Jr. to having the fuel rail and direct fuel injector configuration of Ulrey in order to increase engine efficiency, increase engine output, and lower emissions.
For clarity, as modified, the liquid outlet of Goudy, Jr. is configured for connection with the fuel rail of the fuel injector of Ulrey.
Regarding claim 2, Goudy, Jr. further discloses wherein the methanol-gasoline mixing energizing device further comprises a stirring device (at least elements 31, 33), the stirring device is provided in the mixing chamber, the stirring device is configured for stirring the methanol and the gasoline in the mixing chamber (see at least fig. 1, -3).
Regarding claims 5 and 12, Goudy, Jr. further discloses wherein the methanol-gasoline mixing energizing device further comprises a sub-chamber and an outlet pipe, the mixing chamber is connected to an end of the outlet pipe, and the other end of the outlet pipe is the liquid outlet; the sub-chamber communicates with the mixing chamber; a control valve is mounted on a pipeline between the sub-chamber and the outlet pipe; and when the control valve is switched on, the methanol and gasoline circulate among the mixing chamber, the sub-chamber and the outlet pipe (see at least fig. 2).
Regarding claim 6, Goudy, Jr. further discloses a methanol-fueled automobile control system, comprising: a controller, a fuel rail and the methanol-gasoline mixing energizing device according to claim 2, wherein the methanol-gasoline mixing energizing device is configured for blending methanol and gasoline; and the fuel rail is configured for supplying the blended methanol and gasoline to an automobile engine; the controller is electrically connected to the microwave heating device and the stirring device of the methanol-gasoline mixing energizing device, respectively; and the controller is configured for controlling operating parameters of the microwave heating device and the stirring device, the operating parameters of the microwave heating device comprise a heating power and a duration, and the operating parameter of the stirring device comprises an operating current (at least implicitly taught).
Regarding claims 13, Goudy, Jr. further discloses an automobile, comprising the methanol-fueled automobile control system according to claim 6 (see rejection to claim 1 and 6).
Claims 3-4 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goudy, Jr (US 4,259, 021) and Ulrey et al. (US 8,353,270 B2), in view of applicant admitted prior art (specification paragraph 0041).
Regarding claims 3 and 10, Goudy, Jr. and Ulrey further discloses the invention above, but appears silent as to the stirring device comprises an electromagnetic stirrer.
Applicant admits that an electromagnetic stirrer is a mature product in the art (specification paragraph 0041).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to replacing the vibrating generator 23 of Goudy, Jr. with the well known electromagnetic stirrer as explained by applicant to mix the mixture in the mixing chamber (see at least fig. 1 of Goudy, Jr.).
Regarding claims 4 and 11, Goudy, Jr. and Ulrey further discloses the invention above, but appears silent as to the heating device being a magnetron heater.
Applicant admits that a magnetron heater is a mature product in the art (specification paragraph 0041).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to replacing the heating device of Goudy, Jr. with the well known magnetron heater as explained by applicant to heat the mixture in the mixing chamber (see at least fig. 1 of Goudy, Jr.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9 and 14-16 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
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/XIAO EN MO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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