DETAILED ACTION
Applicant's submission filed on July 11, 2025 has been entered.
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) or (a)(2) (whichever apply) as being anticipated by Heidom et al. (US5615852, herein referred to as Heidom) or Defosse et al. (FR1584982, herein referred to as Defosse).
Rejection of claim 1, Heidom (figures 1-3) or Defosse (figures 1 and 5-6) disclose a composite wire harness, comprising:
a first wire harness including a first electric wire and a first exterior tube covering the first electric wire ( first electric wire and exterior covering of first wire in figure 1-3 of Heidom; or first electric wire and exterior covering of first wire in figure 1 of Defosse );
a second wire harness including a second electric wire and a second exterior tube covering the second electric wire ( second electric wire and exterior covering of second wire in figure 1-3 of Heidom; or second electric wire and exterior covering of second wire in figure 1 of Defosse ); and
a first path that is attached to the first wire harness and the second wire harness, and collectively holds the first wire harness and the second wire harness (10 in figures 1-3 of Heidom; or support member in figures 5-6 of Defosse ), wherein:
the first wire harness is arranged side by side with the second wire harness (see the figures 1-3 of Heidom; or figures 5-6 of Defosse ) and is contact with the second wire harness (see exterior covering of the first and second wires harness contact each other in figure 1 of Heidom or figures 5-6 of Defosse),
the first path regulator including a first main body that partially covers an outer periphery of the first exterior tube and the second exterior tube (see the body of regulators as mentioned above which partially covers the first exterior tube and the second exterior tube in figures of Heidom or Defosse), and
a first insertion port is formed by a first end and a second end that are both end portions in a circumferential direction of the first main body portion (an insertion port between two free ends in the figures of Heidom or Defosse),
the first insertion port being an opening extending in a lengthwise direction of the first path regulator and extending over the entire length of the first path regulator (see insertion port between two ends in the figures of Heidom or Defosse).
Rejection of claim 3, Defosse (figures 1 and 5-6) disclose the composite wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the first path regulator includes the first end and comes into contact with an outer surface of the first exterior tube, and the second end and comes into contact with an outer surface of the second exterior tube (see figure 5 of Defosse).
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heidom or Defosse.
Rejection of claim 2, Heidom or Defosse discloses the composite wire harness according to claim 1, but explicitly do not mention that wherein the first path regulator is harder than the first exterior tube and the second exterior tube.
It would have been obvious to ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the composite wire harness of Heidom or Defosse to have higher rigidity first path regulator than the first and the second exterior tube because one of the ordinary skill in the art would have first path regulator such as clamp or holding member with high rigidity so it would able to fix or hold flexible wire harness to fix location or place with fix position in vehicle and prevent any disruption to transfer power, current or signal between two components in the vehicle.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kogure or Defosse and further in view of Orischak et al. (US10158217, hereinafter referred to as Orischak).
Rejection of claim 24, Kogure or Defosse discloses the composite wire harness according to claim 1, the first path regulator collectively holds the first wire harness and the second wire harness (see rejection of claim 1 the first path regulator collectively holds the first wire harness and the second wire harness when they are contact to each other); but fails to disclose wherein the first exterior tube has a first recess and a first protrusion, the second exterior tube has a second recess and a second protrusion, the first recess is in contact with the second protrusion and the first protrusion is in contact with the second recess.
Orischak discloses wherein the first exterior tube has a first recess and a first protrusion, the second exterior tube has a second recess and a second protrusion, the first recess is in contact with the second protrusion and the first protrusion is in contact with the second recess(see figures 4 or 7 wherein one exterior tube has a first recess and a first protrusion, the other exterior tube has a second recess and a second protrusion, the first recess is in contact with the second protrusion and the first protrusion is in contact with the second recess ).
It would have been obvious to ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the composite wire harness of Kogure or Defosse protrusion and recess structures on outer circumferential surface of each exterior tube as taught by Orischak so that exterior tubes are detachably or removably interlocked with each other to keep them together whenever needed without use of any tools or adhesives or tapes; additionally, Orischak mentions that Example apparatus disclosed herein include a wire conduit having outer ribs and interlocking flanges protruding from the outer ribs that enable the wire conduit to interlock with another conduit and/or corrugated structure (e.g., a corrugated wall) to enable the wire conduit to be quickly and easily positioned at a desired location. For example, the wire conduit is configured to interlock with another conduit and/or corrugated structure within a vehicle to enable the wire conduit and, thus, wires and/or cables positioned within the conduit to be quickly and easily positioned at a desired location for organizational and/or space-saving purposes.
Pertinent Prior Arts
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please refer to the enclosed PTO-892 form for the citation of pertinent art in the present case, all of which disclose various wire harness.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-3 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PARESH PAGHADAL whose telephone number is (571)272-5251. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00AM-4:00PM, Monday - Thursday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached on (571)272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PARESH PAGHADAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847