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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species I in the reply filed on 10/15/2025 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 Claims 11-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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, 6, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Publication No. 2012/0073872 to Hildingsson (“Hildingsson”).
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); a lower housing (lower 2) disposed opposite the upper housing; 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).
Regarding claim 6, Hildingsson 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 discloses a stay plate 4 demountably attached between the plurality of modules.
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) 2, 4, 5, and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hildingsson EP 3883075 to Eggenschwiler (“Eggenschwiler”).
Regarding claim 2, Hildingsson 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 claims 4 and 5, Hildingsson 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 or wherein the upper housing comprises a plurality of upper channels, and wherein the lower housing comprises a plurality of lower channels.
Hjerpe 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 or wherein the upper housing comprises a plurality of upper channels (Eggenschwiler 17), and wherein the lower housing comprises a plurality of lower channels (Eggenschwiler 17).
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 or wherein the upper housing comprises a plurality of upper channels, and wherein the lower housing comprises a plurality of lower channels 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 does not disclose that the core comprises: a central cylinder having an exterior surface; and a plurality of ribs disposed along the exterior surface.
Hjerpe 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 GB 2204922 to Twist (“Twist”).
Regarding claim 9, Hildingsson 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 (planer 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
Claims 3 and 10 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 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 a plurality of air gaps formed between the plurality of upper layers, the plurality of lower layers, the upper housing, and the lower housing or 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.
The applied and cited prior arts do not disclose the structure of air gaps between the upper layers, lower layers, upper housing, and lower housing. Moreover, Hildingsson’s compression wedges is 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
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