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
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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) 11, 12 and 16-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 102019/129366 A1 to Hall (Hall). A machine translation was relied upon for the basis of this rejection.
In reference to claim 11, Hall discloses an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle, with: a crankcase (9; Fig. 2); an inlet tract (4, 5, 6) through which air can flow; and a crankcase ventilation device which has: a suction jet pump (33) to which at least a part of the air from the inlet tract can be fed in order to ventilate the crankcase such that a gas can be drawn from the crankcase as a suction medium in order to ventilate the crankcase by means of the suction jet pump utilizing the air fed to the suction jet pump as a motive medium for the suction jet pump (par. 0023); a supply line (30, 34 or alternatively, 37) via which the suction jet pump can be supplied with the motive medium; and a suction line (17, 35) via which the suction medium can be drawn from the crankcase by means of the suction jet pump and conveyed to the suction jet pump; a branch line (the line between elements 8 and 28, leading to 38) by means of which at least a part of the air from the inlet tract can be introduced into the suction line.
In reference to claim 12, Hall discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 11, wherein: the supply line is fluidically connected to the inlet tract at a first connection point (at symbol 14 or at symbol 5) and to the suction jet pump at a second connection point (37 or 34); and the branch line is fluidically connected to the inlet tract at a third connection point (the line between elements 8 and 28) different from the first connection point and to the suction line at a fourth connection point (at 38) different from the second connection point.
In reference to claim 16, Hall discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first connection point is arranged, in a flow direction of the air flowing through the inlet tract, downstream from a compressor (11 or 3) that is arranged in the inlet tract and is configured to compress the air flowing through the inlet tract.
In reference to claim 17, Hall discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 16, wherein the fourth connection point (at 38) is arranged, in a flow direction of the gas flowing through the suction line, upstream from the second connection point (37 or 34).
In reference to claim 18, Hall discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 17, wherein the fourth connection point (at 38) is arranged, in the flow direction of the gas flowing through the suction line, downstream from the crankcase (9).
In reference to claim 19, Hall discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least one longitudinal region of the suction line is formed by a suction piece of a housing of the suction jet pump (portion of 17 between 38 and 35), wherein the branch line opens out into the suction piece.
In reference to claim 20, Hall discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the fourth connection point (at 38) is arranged, in a flow direction of the gas flowing through the suction line, upstream from the second connection point (37 or 34).
In reference to claim 21, Hall discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 20, wherein the fourth connection point (at 38) is arranged, in the flow direction of the gas flowing through the suction line, downstream from the crankcase (9).
In reference to claim 22, Hall discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the fourth connection point (at 38) is arranged, in a flow direction of the gas flowing through the suction line, downstream from the crankcase (9).
In reference to claim 23, Hall discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one longitudinal region of the suction line is formed by a suction piece of a housing of the suction jet pump (portion of 17 between 38 and 35), wherein the branch line opens out into the suction piece.
In reference to claim 24, Hall discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a valve device (38) arranged in the branch line by means of which a quantity of the air coming from the inlet tract and flowing through the branch line can be set (par. 0040).
In reference to claim 25, Hall discloses a motor vehicle (par. 0005) with the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 11.
Claim(s) 11-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2014/0224232 A1 to Hotta (Hotta).
In reference to claim 11, Hotta discloses an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle, with: a crankcase (par. 0051; Fig. 4); an inlet tract (22; Fig. 4) through which air can flow; and a crankcase ventilation device which has: a suction jet pump (36) to which at least a part of the air from the inlet tract can be fed in order to ventilate the crankcase such that a gas can be drawn from the crankcase as a suction medium in order to ventilate the crankcase by means of the suction jet pump utilizing the air fed to the suction jet pump as a motive medium for the suction jet pump (par. 0052); a supply line (line leading to 36 from portion of 22 between 26 and 28) via which the suction jet pump can be supplied with the motive medium; and a suction line (64) via which the suction medium can be drawn from the crankcase by means of the suction jet pump and conveyed to the suction jet pump; a branch line (60) by means of which at least a part of the air from the inlet tract can be introduced into the suction line.
In reference to claim 12, Hotta discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 11, wherein: the supply line is fluidically connected to the inlet tract at a first connection point (from 22 between 26 and 28) and to the suction jet pump at a second connection point (where the line enters 36); and the branch line is fluidically connected to the inlet tract at a third connection point (from 22 downstream of 38) different from the first connection point and to the suction line at a fourth connection point (via inside of 18) different from the second connection point.
In reference to claim 13, Hotta discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the third connection point (from 22 downstream of 38) is arranged, in a flow direction of air flowing through the inlet tract, upstream from the first connection point (from 22 between 26 and 28).
In reference to claim 14, Hotta discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first connection point (from 22 between 26 and 28) is arranged, in the flow direction of the air flowing through the inlet tract, downstream from a compressor (26b) that is arranged in the inlet tract and is configured to compress the air flowing through the inlet tract.
In reference to claim 15, Hotta discloses the internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 14, wherein the third connection point (from 22 downstream of 38) is arranged, in the flow direction of the air flowing through the inlet tract, upstream from the compressor (26b).
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US 2015/0308310 A and 2015/0240732 A1 each appear to also anticipate at least claim 11 and may be relied upon in a subsequent Office action.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN MATTHIAS whose telephone number is (571)272-5168. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Wednesday 10am - 6pm Pacific Time.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi III 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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/JONATHAN R MATTHIAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
05 October 2026
