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 .
This office action is a response to the election of species filed on 12/15/2025.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species A, claims 1-11 and 15, in the reply filed on 12/10/2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 12-14 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/10/2025.
Since the non-elect claims 12-14 are dependent claims to the allowable claim 6, previously restricted from the election of species, are now subject to bring rejoined. Claims 1-15 are hereby rejoined and fully examined for patentability under 37 CFR 1.104.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Re. claim 1: The phrase “a cable assembly for prior to platform installation” as recited in lines 1-2 appears to be --a cable assembly for prior to a platform installation--.
The phrase “wherein the cable assembly is configured for platform installation” as recited in line 9 appears to be --wherein the cable assembly is configured for the platform installation--.
The phrase “such that cable connections and corresponding apertures are” as recited in line 10 appears to be --such that the cable connections and corresponding apertures are--.
Re. claim 8: The phrase “the length of the elongated planar body” as recited in line 2 appears to be --a length of the elongated planar body--.
Re. claim 9: The phrase “respective sections of a cable assembly” as recited in lines 2-3 appears to be --respective sections of the cable assembly--.
Re. claim 12: The phrase “respective sections of a cable assembly” as recited in lines 2-3 appears to be --respective sections of the cable assembly--.
Re. claim 15: The phrase “a cable assembly for prior to platform installation” as recited in lines 1-2 appears to be --a cable assembly for prior to a platform installation--.
The phrase “wherein the cable assembly is configured for platform installation” as recited in line 9 appears to be --wherein the cable assembly is configured for the platform installation--.
The phrase “such that cable connections and corresponding apertures are” as recited in line 10 appears to be --such that the cable connections and corresponding apertures are--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Re. claim 2: The phrase “the cable assembly connections” as recited in line 2 lacks antecedent basis.
Re. claim 3: The phrase “the platform” as recited in line 2 lacks antecedent basis.
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.
Claims 1-4 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jockisch (US PAT. 8,276,882).
Jockisch teaches an apparatus, as per claim 1, and a system, as per claim 15, configured to enable off-platform presentation of a cable assembly for prior to platform installation of the cable assembly, the apparatus comprising: an elongated and substantially planar body having a first surface (24, Fig. 1, col. 5, lines 12-15) disposed between proximal and distal ends of the body and configured to receive thereupon the cable assembly (14, 16, Fig. 1, col. Lines 56-58), the first surface having formed therethrough a plurality of apertures arranged in accordance with a spacing of cable connections (20, Figs. 1 and 4) of the cable assembly; and a retention assembly (22, Fig. 1, col. 4, lines 5-11), configured to temporarily secure the cable assembly to the first surface in a manner allowing mechanical manipulation of the cable assembly; wherein the cable assembly is configured for platform installation when secured to the first surface such that cable connections and corresponding apertures are operatively aligned a shown in Figs. 1-4.
Re. claim 2: The apparatus is configured to be operatively engaged with the planar body such that the cable connections are located proximate respective corresponding platform connections as shown in Fig. 1.
Re. claim 3: The retention assembly is capable of releasing the cable assembly because the retention assembly is optionally included. It is noted that the phrase “such that the apparatus may be withdrawn from the platform after installation of the cable assembly on the platform” describes how the apparatus can be used. Therefore, the limitation appears to be an intended use.
Re. claim 4: The proximal and distal ends of the body correspond to, respectively, fore and aft platform orientations of the cable assembly as shown in Fig. 1.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-14 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.
The Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Selbach (US PAT. 8,069,556), Aramaki et al. (US PAT. 11,776,713), and Takada (US PAT. 6,125,532) are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to a system configured to enable off-platform presentation of a cable assembly for prior to platform installation of the cable assembly.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-4565. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:00 AM-2:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Hong can be reached at 571-272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL D KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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