Appeal No. 2002-1853 Page 9
Application No. 09/340,339
Tsuchida ‘038 has been applied for showing this feature, and it is the examiner’s
position that it would have been obvious to additionally modify the engine of Tsuchida
‘638 to have two spark plugs. As shown in Figure 4 of Tsuchida ‘038, a pair of spark
plugs 75 flanks each fuel injector 66, and the examiner points out with reference to
column 5, lines 7 and 8, that this arrangement causes the fuel charge to be dispersed
toward the spark plug gaps “so as to ensure complete combustion.” The only argument
made by the appellants with regard to this rejection is that the spark plugs in Tsuchida
‘038 are located vertically below the fuel injector, and therefore the reference teaches
away from the claimed invention (Brief, page 5). However, Tsuchida ‘038 was not cited
for teaching the claimed location of the spark plug gaps; as explained above, that
feature is taught by Fujieda. We will sustain the rejection of claim 11. Claim 12 having
been grouped with claim 11, its rejection also is sustained.
CONCLUSION
Both of the rejections are sustained.
The decision of the examiner is affirmed.
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007