DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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 final rejection. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on February 26, 2026 has been entered.
Double Patenting
Claims 1 and 3 – 10 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1 - 9 of U.S. Patent No. 11,876,360 in view of Vrame (U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2020/0287366).
Regarding claim 1 of the instant application, as explained in the previous Office Action, claim 1 of ‘360 anticipates much of claim 1 of the instant application.
However, claim 1 of ‘360 does not teach the conduit coupling comprising a singular piece. Vrame teaches a method of forming a coupling assembly for electrical wire (abstract), comprising the steps of: providing a conduit in an associated concrete building slab so that said conduit project from a surface of the concrete slab (figure 3, step 1, element 12 being the ‘conduit’ and element C being the ‘concrete building slab’; paragraphs 16 and 18); cutting a portion of said conduit which projects above the surface of the concrete slab (figure 3, step 2, element 12; paragraph 19); cutting said conduit at an inside surface thereof to form a connection region (figure 3, step 3, element 14 being the ‘connection region’; paragraph 20); providing a conduit coupling (figure 2, element 16 being the ‘conduit coupling’; paragraph 21); inserting said conduit coupling into said connection region of said conduit (figure 3, step 4, elements 16 and 14; paragraph 21).
Vrame further teaches that the conduit coupling has a top and a singular piece (figure 1, element 16; paragraph 21), the singular defining an interior surface extending continuously from above the surface of the concrete slab to below the surface of the concrete slab (figure 3, step 4, element 18 being the ‘interior surface’; paragraph 21), wherein the singular piece has threads thereon (figure 2, element 17 being the ‘threads’; paragraph 23). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to form the conduit coupling of claim 1 of ‘360 as a singular piece, as taught by Vrame, because one skilled in the art would appreciate that forming the conduit coupling from a singular piece would provide the benefit of allowing the conduit coupling to couple the conduit to a tubing, as desired by the claims of ‘360.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1 – 3 and 6 - 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vrame (U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2020/0287366).
As to claim 1, Vrame teaches a method of forming a coupling assembly for electrical wire (abstract), comprising the steps of: providing a conduit in an associated concrete building slab so that said conduit project from a surface of the concrete slab (figure 3, step 1, element 12 being the ‘conduit’ and element C being the ‘concrete building slab’; paragraphs 16 and 18); cutting a portion of said conduit which projects above the surface of the concrete slab (figure 3, step 2, element 12; paragraph 19); cutting said conduit at an inside surface thereof to form a connection region (figure 3, step 3, element 14 being the ‘connection region’; paragraph 20); providing a conduit coupling (figure 2, element 16 being the ‘conduit coupling’; paragraph 21); inserting said conduit coupling into said connection region of said conduit (figure 3, step 4, elements 16 and 14; paragraph 21), and securing said conduit coupling to said conduit (figure 3, step 4, elements 16 and 14; paragraph 21), wherein the conduit coupling has a top and a singular piece (figure 1, element 16; paragraph 21), the singular defining an interior surface extending continuously from above the surface of the concrete slab to below the surface of the concrete slab (figure 3, step 4, element 18 being the ‘interior surface’; paragraph 21), wherein the singular piece has threads thereon (figure 2, element 17 being the ‘threads’; paragraph 23); and joining associated conduit to said conduit coupling by joining threads on the associated conduit with the threads on the singular piece, to thereby facilitate joining said associated conduit to said conduit in the associated concrete slab. Examiner notes that Vrame anticipates the limitation of ‘joining’ in several different ways. First, Vrame expressly teaches that a ‘liquid-tight connector’ (element 20) is joined to the conduit coupling by joining threads on the ‘liquid-tight connector’ with the threads on the singular piece (figure 2 and figure 3, step 4, elements 16, 20, 17, and 21; paragraph 23). It is the position of the Examiner that the ‘liquid-tight connector’ may reasonably be considered to be an “associated conduit.” This is because “conduit” is commonly defined by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as “a channel through which something is conveyed.” Because Vrame expressly teaches that an electrical wire later passes through the conduit connector, ‘liquid-tight connector,’ and then an ‘associated tubing’ (figure 3, step 4, elements 16 and 20; paragraphs 23 and 16), the ‘liquid-tight connector’ may reasonably be considered to be a type of “conduit.” Alternatively, Vrame teaches the conduit coupling being joined to a ‘liquid-tight connector’ by joining first threads of the ‘liquid-tight connector’ to the threads on the conduit coupling (figure 2, elements 20 and 23 being the ‘liquid-tight connector,’ element 17 being the ‘threads on the conduit coupling’ and element 21 being the ‘first threads on the liquid-tight connector’; paragraph 23), then then joining a tubing to the ‘liquid-tight connector’ by joining second threads on the ‘liquid-tight connector’ to threads on the tubing (figure 2, element 23 being the ‘second threads on the liquid-tight connector’; paragraphs 22 – 23). Therefore, the threads on the conduit coupling are joined to the threads on the tubing, via the first and second threads on the ‘liquid-tight connector.’
As to claim 3, Vrame teaches that the step of cutting said conduit comprises cutting said conduit at the inside surface thereof at a taper (figure 3, step 3, element 14; paragraph 20).
As to claim 6, Vrame teaches that said conduit coupling comprises polyvinyl chloride (figure 2, element 16; paragraph 16).
As to claim 7, Vrame teaches that the threads on the singular piece extend from the top of the conduit coupling over a majority of a distance between the top of the conduit coupling and the surface of the concrete slab (figure 2, element 17; paragraph 23).
As to claim 8, Vrame teaches that the concrete in the concrete building slab directly surrounds the conduit (figure 3, elements C and 12; paragraph 18).
As to claim 9, Vrame teaches that the conduit in the concrete building slab is made from PVC (figure 3, element C; paragraph 18).
As to claim 10, Vrame teaches a step of directing electrical wire through the conduit in the concrete building slab (paragraph 21).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vrame as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Vrame ‘091 (U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2008/0238091).
As to claim 4, Vrame teaches the threads on the singular piece comprise a male thread formation on an exterior surface of said singular piece (figure 2, element 17; paragraph 23), and including providing a female thread formation on an interior surface of the associate conduit (figure 2, element 21; paragraph 23) and engaging said male and female thread formations for joining said associate conduit to said conduit coupling (figure 2, elements 17 and 21; paragraph 23). However, Vrame ‘091 teaches a method of forming a coupling assembly for electrical wire (abstract), comprising the steps of: providing a conduit in an associated concrete building slab (figure 1, element E being the ‘conduit’ and element C being the ‘concrete building slab’; paragraph 14); inserting said conduit coupling over a connection region of said conduit (figure 1, element 10 being the ‘conduit coupling’; paragraph 14), and securing said conduit coupling to said conduit (figure 1, elements E and 10; paragraph 14), wherein the conduit coupling has a top and a singular piece (figure 1, element 10; paragraph 14); and joining a stopper to said conduit coupling by joining threads on the singular piece of the conduit coupling with threads on the stopper (figure 1, element 20 being the ‘threads of the conduit coupling’; paragraph 19). Vrame ‘091 further teaches that the threads on the singular piece comprise a female thread formation on the interior surface of said singular piece (figure 1, element 20; paragraph 19), and including providing a male thread formation on an exterior surface of the sopper and engaging said male and female thread formations for joining said stopper to said conduit coupling (paragraph 19). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to substitute the male threads on the conduit coupling and the female threads on the associated conduit, as taught by Vrame, with female threads on the conduit coupling and male threads on the associated conduit, as taught by Vrame ‘091, because Vrame ‘091 teaches that either male or female threads on the conduit coupling provides the benefit of allowing an additional element, such as a stopper or associated conduit, to be connected to the conduit coupling (figure 1, elements 20 and 22; paragraph 19).
As to claim 5, Vrame teaches providing an adhesive for adhering said male and female thread formations to each other (paragraph 23).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed February 26, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues, on pages 6 – 7, that the conduit couplings of Vrame and Flessas (U.S. Patent Number 4,802,792) are directed towards different applications, such that it would not have been obvious to one skilled in the art to form the conduit coupling of Vrame from a singular piece, as taught by Flessas. However, upon further consideration, claims 1, 3, and 6 – 10 are rejected as being anticipated by Vrame.
Conclusion
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/CHRISTOPHER J. BESLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726
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