Office Action 3: Notice of Allowance (2025-09-30)

CLAIMS:
Amendments to the Claims This listing of claims will replace all prior versions, and listings, of claims in the application:SVG {EMBED HERE} 0.1836.543

1\. (Previously presented) An apparatus to regulate a gaseous fuel system, the apparatus comprising:a first valve connected to a fuel supply line, the first valve including:
a first plug to control a flow of fuel;
a first spring coupled to a first end of the first plug; and a first magnet coupled to a second end of the first plug;
a second valve connected to a purge system in parallel with the fuel supply line, the second valve including:
a second plug to control a flow of a fluid;
a second spring coupled to a first end of the second plug; and
a second magnet coupled to a second end of the second plug, the second magnet magnetically coupled to the first magnet; and
an actuator coupled to at least one of the first valve or the second valve.
2\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 1, further including a third valve upstream of the second valve, the third valve including:
a third plug to control the flow of the fluid; and
a third spring coupled to a first end of the third plug.
3\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the actuator is a first actuator, and the apparatus further including a second actuator, the second actuator coupled to the third valve.SVG {EMBED HERE} 0.1836.543

4\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second actuator is controlled by a controller, the controller to signal the second actuator to actuate when an engine overspeed state is determined.
5\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first valve and the second valve are upstream of a combustor in an engine.
6\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 5, further including a three-way valve downstream of the first valve and the second valve, the three-way valve upstream of the combustor.
7\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the three-way valve is coupled to a vent stack.
8\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the three-way valve is controlled by a controller, the controller to open a flow from the first valve to the combustor when the engine is in a run state.
9\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the three-way valve is controlled by a controller, the controller to open a flow from the second valve to the vent stack when the engine is in at least one of a shut off state or an overspeed state.

10\. (Currently amended) A system to reduce fuel combustion, the system comprising:SVG {EMBED HERE} 0.1836.543

a controller to determine an operating state of an engine;
a first valve of a fuel metering system connected to a fuel supply line, the first valve upstream of a combustor of the engine, the first valve controlled by the controller based on the operating state; \[\[and\]\] a second valve of a purge system connected to the fuel supply line, the second valve upstream of the combustor, the second valve in parallel with the first valve, the second valve magnetically coupled to the first valve; and
a three-way valve downstream of the first valve and the second valve, the three-way valve upstream of the combustor.

11\. (Original) The system of claim 10, wherein a configuration of the first valve is changed by an actuator.

12\. (Original) The system of claim 10, further including a third valve upstream of the second valve, the third valve to control a flow of non-flammable, pressurized fluid based on a signal sent by the controller, the signal sent by the controller based on the determined operating state of the engine.

13\. (Original) The system of claim 12, wherein an actuator of the third valve is controlled by the controller to adjust configuration of the third valve.

14\. (Canceled)SVG {EMBED HERE} 0.1836.543

15\. (Canceled)

16\. (Currently amended) The system of claim \[\[15\]\] 10, wherein the three-way valve is coupled to a vent stack.

17\. (Original) The system of claim 16, wherein the three-way valve is controlled by the controller, the controller to open a flow from the first valve, close the three-way valve to the vent stack, and to open the three-way valve to the combustor when the engine is in a running state.

18\. (Currently amended) The system of claim 17, wherein the three-way valve is controlled by the controller, the controller to close a fuel flow from the first valve, close the three-way valve to the combustor, and open the three-way valve to the vent stack when the engine is in at least one of a shut off state or overspeed state.

19\. (Canceled)

20\. (Canceled)

OFFICE ACTION:
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 .
EXAMINER'S AMENDMENT
An examiner’s amendment to the record appears below. Should the changes and/or additions be unacceptable to applicant, an amendment may be filed as provided by 37 CFR 1.312. To ensure consideration of such an amendment, it MUST be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee.
Authorization for this examiner’s amendment was given in an interview with Mr. Kristopher Sabatini on 9/15/2025.
The application has been amended as follows:
IN THE CLAIMS:
CLAIMS 12-13 ARE CANCELLED.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-11, 16-18 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The Applicant has adopted all allowable subject matter and the claims are in condition for allowance for the reasons previously stated.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKS
The Office action of July 02, 2025, has been considered. By way of this response, claims 10, 16, and 18 have been amended, and claims 14, 15, and 19 have been canceled without prejudice to their further prosecution. No new matter has been added. This application is in condition for allowance, and favorable reconsideration is respectfully requested.
The Allowed Subject Matter
In the Office action, claims 1-9 are identified as allowed. The Office action also identifies that claims 15-18 would be allowed if rewritten in independent form. By way of this response, the subject matter of allowable claim 15 and intervening claim 14 has been incorporated into independent claim 10. Additionally, independent claim 19 has been canceled. The Applicant believes all pending claims are in condition for allowance.
35 U.S.C. §103 Rejections
The Office action rejects claims 10-11, 14, and 19 under 35 U.S.C. §103 as allegedly unpatentable over Jansen (U.S. Patent No. 6,050,081) in view of Williams (U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2024/0068404). All art-based rejections are traversed. However, the foregoing amendments render the art-based rejections moot. Therefore, the art-based rejections of claims 10-11, 14, and 19 are not discussed further herein. However, the Applicant expressly reserves the right to challenge the rejections of the Office action in the future should the need arise (e.g., if such rejections should become relevant by appearing in a rejection of any current or future claim).
CONCLUSION