DaimlerChrysler AG v. Feuling Advanced Technologies, Inc.

Good Law

276 F. Supp. 2d 1054·2003 WL 21949776·68 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1450·2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19120

United States District Court, Southern District of CaliforniaJuly 25, 2003CIV.00 CV 1541-B (NLS)California5,702 words

Opinion

Brewster, J.

DECISION Re: BIFURCATED TRIAL

I. BACKGROUND

This lawsuit concerns a series of related patents (“the Feuling patents”), issued to James Feuling, that describe a three-valve combustion chamber for use in internal combustion engines: U.S. Patent No. 5,313,921 (“The ’921 Patent”), U.S. Patent No. 5,501,191 (“the ’191 Patent”) and U.S. Patent No. 5,638,787 (“the ’787 Patent”). The ’921 Patent describes, inter alia, a three-valve combustion chamber wherein the two intake valves and one exhaust valve are uniformly spaced around the cylinder centerline. The ’191 Patent, a continuation-in-part of the ’921 Patent, describes a three-valve combustion chamber wherein the valves are non-uniformly arranged: the intake valves are closer to one another than they are to the exhaust valve. The ’787 Patent, also a continuation-in-part of the ’921 Patent, does not describe valve arrangements. Rather, it claims a three-valve combustion chamber in which the exhaust valve to intake valve area ratio is within a range of 45% to 65%. The three patents also describe a variety of single, double, and triple spark plug arrangements.

In August, 2000, Plaintiffs Daimler-Chysler AG (“Daimler”) and Mercedes-Benz…

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