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 .
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 4/6/2026 has been entered.
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, 10-13, 15, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticiated by Lincoln Global Ranger 260MPX Welder/Generator Publication E6. 105, Pages 1-7 as cited by applicant, hereinafter referred to as “Lincoln.”
Regarding claim 1,17, Lincoln discloses, A welding system comprising (pages 1-4 show a welding system):
an enclosure (See Page 3) comprising a welding-type output port (welding type output port 5 or 4) on a first surface of an exterior of the enclosure, wherein the enclosure defines one or more apertures on the first surface of an exterior of the enclosure and adjacent the welding-type output port; (The opening as indicated by annotated figure below shows the enclosure having an overhang creating the opening with the first surface below the opening and adjacent the welding output port 4 or 5 and extending down toward the bottom of the enclosure below the strain relief element 13)
welding-type conversion circuitry configured to output welding-type power to the welding-type output port; and (user interface 1 would contain welding type conversion circuitry for outputting welding type power to the outlet port based on the selected type as evidenced by Figures on page 3)
a cable guide coupled to the enclosure via the one or more apertures and configured to direct a cable coupled to the welding-type output port from the welding-type output port along the first surface to the cable guide. (Annotated figure below (right) shows the cable guide 13 connected via the apertures for receiving screws indicated by arrows. Page 5 shows the cable directed along the first surface to the cable guide.)
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Regarding claim 2, the annotated figure shows two apertures for receiving screws, adjacent the welding output port. Regarding claim 10, the cable guide 13 is removable coupled via screws. Regarding claim 11, the Figures show a second cable guide which is identical to the first. Regarding claim 12, the strain relief guide 13 is capable of being rotated. Regarding claim 14, the enclosure and element 13 are separate elements. Regarding claim 15, the welding system comprises an engine and generator as indicated by Machine and Engine specifications on Page 7.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lincoln in view of Gurak (US 7,429,187).
The teachings of Lincoln have been discussed above. Lincoln fails to disclose no hardware is required to couple the cable guide to the enclosure.
Gurak discloses a cable strain relief device as show in Figs 1-4. The device does not require hardware for coupling to the enclosure. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention to provide the cable guide without hardware for coupling to allow for quick connection and removal. (See Abstract)
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lincoln in view of Bender (US 7,927,126).
The teachings of Lincoln have been discussed above. Lincoln fails to disclose the one or more apertures comprises a single aperture adjacent the welding-type output port and configured to receive a first end and a second end of the cable guide.
Bender discloses first and second apertures 46, 48 adjacent to the output port 18 and configured to receive a first and second end 42, 44, of the cable guide 20. (See Figs 1-7).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention to provide the one or more apertures comprises a single aperture adjacent the welding-type output port and configured to receive a first end and a second end of the cable guide for releasably securing the cable guide to the enclosure.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 6-9, 16 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN W JENNISON whose telephone number is (571)270-5930. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ibrahime Abraham can be reached at 571-270-5569. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN W JENNISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761 4/23/2026
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