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 .
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) 1, 6, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Publication No. 2012/0073872 to Hildingsson (“Hildingsson”) in view of U.S. Patent No. 4,702,444 to Beele (“Beele”).
Regarding claim 1, Hildingsson discloses a multi-cable transit comprising: a frame assembly 1; a plurality of modules 2 disposed within the frame assembly; each of the plurality of modules comprising: an upper housing (upper 2) comprising an upper module surface (top surface of 2); a lower housing (lower 2) disposed opposite the upper housing the lower housing comprising a lower module surface; and a plurality of upper layers (upper 5) and a plurality of lower layers (lower 5) disposed between the upper housing and the lower housing; and a compression wedge unit 3 connected between the frame assembly and the plurality of modules, wherein expansion of the compression wedge unit compresses the plurality of modules within the frame assembly to form a gas-tight seal within the plurality of modules (par 004).
Hildingsson does not disclose that the upper module surface has a plurality of upper channels extending along a first width of the upper module surface; nor that the lower module surface has a plurality of lower channels extending along a second width of the upper module surface.
Beele discloses a multi-cable transit wherein an upper module surface has a plurality of upper channels (Beele 7; see Figs. 5-6) extending along a first width of the upper module surface; and wherein a lower module surface has a plurality of lower channels (Beele 7; see Figs. 5-6) extending along a second width of the upper module surface to form air ducts (Beele 9) to help reduce heat transfer (Beele col 2, ln 23-26).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the multi-cable transit of Hildingsson to have the upper module surface include a plurality of upper channels extending along a first width of the upper module surface; and the lower module surface include a plurality of lower channels extending along a second width of the upper module surface to form air ducts as taught in Beele with a reasonable expectation of success because it would predictably help reduce heat transfer.
Regarding claim 6, Hildingsson in view of Beele discloses that the plurality of modules comprising a core 6 connected between the plurality of upper layers and the plurality of lower layers.
Regarding claim 8, Hildingsson in view of Beele discloses a stay plate 4 demountably attached between the plurality of modules.
Claim(s) 2-4 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hildingsson in view of Beele as applied in claim 1 above and further in view of EP 3883075 to Eggenschwiler (“Eggenschwiler”).
Regarding claim 2, Hildingsson in view of Beele does not disclose that each of the plurality of upper layers and the plurality of lower layers comprising alternating side ribs and side channels configured to restrain axial movement of the plurality of upper layers and the plurality of lower layers.
Eggenschwiler discloses a sealing module wherein each of plurality of upper layers and a plurality of lower layers comprise alternating side ribs (Eggenschwiler 18) and side channels Eggenschwiler 24) configured to restrain axial movement of the plurality of upper layers and the plurality of lower layers.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the cable transit of Hildingsson to have each of the plurality of upper layers and the plurality of lower layers comprising alternating side ribs and side channels configured to restrain axial movement of the plurality of upper layers and the plurality of lower layers as taught in Eggenschwiler with a reasonable expectation of success because it would facilitate maintaining position of the upper and lower layers within the upper and lower housing.
Regarding claim 3, Hildingsson in view of Beele discloses a plurality of air gaps formed between the plurality of upper layers, the plurality of lower layers, the upper housing, and the lower housing (air gaps 9 as taught in Beele per the modification in claim 1).
Regarding claim 4, Hildingsson in view of Beele does not disclose that the plurality of upper layers and the plurality of lower layers comprising a set of protrusions configured to restrain rotational movement of the plurality of upper layers and the plurality of lower layers
Eggenschwiler discloses a sealing module wherein a plurality of upper layers and a plurality of lower layers comprising a set of protrusions (Eggenschwiler 18) configured to restrain rotational movement of the plurality of upper layers and the plurality of lower layers.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the cable transit of Hildingsson to have a plurality of upper layers and the plurality of lower layers comprising a set of protrusions configured to restrain rotational movement of the plurality of upper layers and the plurality of lower layers as taught in Eggenschwiler with a reasonable expectation of success because it would facilitate maintaining position of the upper and lower layers within the upper and lower housing.
Regarding claim 7, Hildingsson in view of Beele does not disclose that the core comprises: a central cylinder having an exterior surface; and a plurality of ribs disposed along the exterior surface.
Eggenschwiler discloses a sealing module wherein a core comprises: a central cylinder (Eggenschwiler 25) having an exterior surface; and a plurality of ribs (protrusions with larger diameter in 25) disposed along the exterior surface
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the cable transit of Hildingsson to have the core comprise a central cylinder having an exterior surface; and a plurality of ribs disposed along the exterior surface as taught in Eggenschwiler with a reasonable expectation of success because it would facilitate maintaining position of the central cylinder with respect to the upper and lower layers.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hildingsson in view of Beele as applied in claim 8 above and further in view of GB 2204922 to Twist (“Twist”).
Regarding claim 9, Hildingsson in view of Beele does not expressly disclose that the stay plate comprises a central planar member having a plurality of ridges extending in opposite directions from the central planar member.
Twist discloses a sealing assembly wherein a stay plate (Twist 6) comprises a central planar member (planar central member abutting 5a, 5b) having a plurality of ridges (Twist 6, better shown in Fig. 2) extending in opposite directions from the central planar member.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the cable transit of Hildingsson to have the stay plate comprises a central planar member having a plurality of ridges extending in opposite directions from the central planar member as taught in Twist with a reasonable expectation of success because it would facilitate maintaining position of modules relative to each other.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 is 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
None of the prior art alone or in obvious combination discloses applicant’s invention of a multi-cable transit comprising inter alia the compression wedge unit comprising a central receiving module comprising: a top receiver configured to receive and retain a top wedge insert; a bottom receiver configured to receive and retain a bottom wedge insert, the bottom receiver disposed opposite the top receiver; and a set of nuts configured to engage the back wedge insert and the set of dual-threaded bolts, wherein rotation of the set of dual-threaded bolts urges the front receiver and the back receiver towards each other, thereby expanding the compression wedge unit which compresses the plurality of modules within the frame assembly to form a gas-tight seal within the plurality of modules. Hildingsson’s compression wedges are composed of interconnected wedges that are not received in top, bottom, front, and back receivers. Milton (US10371182) similarly discloses compression wedges that are not received in top, bottom, front, and back receivers.
Conclusion
Applicant's submission of an information disclosure statement under 37 CFR 1.97(c) with the timing fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(p) on 06/25/2026 prompted the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 609.04(b). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTINE T CAJILIG whose telephone number is (571)272-8143. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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/CHRISTINE T CAJILIG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3633
