DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claims 1-15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claims 1-3, claim 1 recites “a preset EGR region” and later in claims 1-3 recites “the EGR region”; “the EGR region” should recite --the preset EGR region--.
Similarly, claim 2 recites “the set flow rate”, which should recite --the predetermined set flow rate--.
Claim 2 recites “in a region”, which should recite --is the region--.
Regarding claim 3, “the low-temperature EGR region” should recite --the predetermined low-temperature EGR region--.
Claims 4-15 should also include “predetermined” in regards to the first, second or third temperatures.
Optionally, regarding claims 1-15, applicant could omit words “preset” or “predetermined”.
Regarding claim 4, “than when the intake air temperature is higher” should be deleted; it is unnecessary.
Regarding claim 5, “then when the intake temperature is equal to or higher than the second set temperature” should be deleted.
Regarding claims 7 and 8, “than when the intake air temperature is higher” should be deleted.
Appropriate correction is required.
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, 2, 7, 11 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takaki (US 2015/0211447 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Takaki discloses an exhaust gas recirculation system for an engine (Fig. 1) including: an engine body (1) that is formed with a combustion chamber; an exhaust passage (3) that is connected to the engine body and through which exhaust gas introduced from the engine body flows; and an intake passage (2) that is connected to the engine body and through which intake air to be introduced into the engine body flows, the exhaust gas recirculation system comprising: an intake air temperature sensor (28) that detects an intake air temperature; an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) passage (20) that connects the exhaust passage and the intake passage to recirculate EGR gas as part of the exhaust gas to the intake passage (Fig. 1); an EGR valve (21) that opens and closes the EGR passage to change an EGR amount that is an amount of the EGR gas to be recirculated to the intake passage; and a controller (25) that executes EGR control for recirculating the EGR gas by opening the EGR valve when the engine is being operated in a preset EGR region [0016], wherein in a case where the intake air temperature that is detected by the intake air temperature sensor is lower than a first set temperature, the controller prohibits the EGR control even when the engine is being operated in the EGR region under a condition that an intake air flow rate of the intake air flowing through the intake passage is lower than a predetermined set flow rate [0025].
Regarding claim 2, Takaki discloses the exhaust gas recirculation system according to claim 1, wherein when the intake air temperature is lower than the first set temperature, the controller determines whether the engine is being operated in a predetermined low-temperature EGR region in the EGR region, and executes the EGR control when the engine is being operated in the low- temperature EGR region, the low-temperature EGR region being set in advance in a region where the intake air flow rate is equal to or higher than the set flow rate [0023].
Regarding claim 7, Takaki discloses the exhaust gas recirculation system according to claim 1, wherein during execution of the EGR control, the controller controls the EGR valve so that a maximum value of the EGR amount becomes lower when the intake air temperature is lower than the first set temperature than when the intake air temperature is higher [0023].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6 and 8-15 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/TEUTA HOLBROOK/
Examiner
Art Unit 3747
/GEORGE C JIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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