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 § 102
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.
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) 1-8, 10-13, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Heng et al. (US 5622517 A).
In regard to claim 1, Heng et al. discloses a cable housing 1 configured to accommodate two cables C1, C2 (fig. 5 and col. 3, lines 22-42 and col. 7, lines 7-16), comprising:
a cable mounting slot (see annotated drawing below) in a wall (see annotated drawing below) of the cable housing 1, wherein the cable mounting slot comprises:
a cable-insertion portion 7 configured to receive a cable C1, wherein the cable-insertion portion 7 has a first width (diameter of 7), and
a cable-retention portion 8 configured to retain the cable C1, wherein the cable-retention portion 8 has a second width (gap between two edges of the two knife edges) which is smaller than the first width,
wherein the cable-retention portion 8 includes a knife edge (see annotated drawing below) configured to retain the cable C1 by means of force fit or form fit.
In regard to claim 2, Heng et al. discloses the cable housing 1 includes a fixation device 9 which can be switched between an open state (fig. 2) and a closed state (fig. 5), wherein the fixation device 9 is configured to at least partially close the cable-insertion portion 7 when being in the closed state, wherein the fixation device 9 is configured to extend into the cable-retention portion 8 when being in the closed state (see fig. 5).
In regard to claim 3, Heng et al. discloses the fixation device 9 is configured to press the cable C1 against one end of the cable mounting slot.
In regard to claim 4, Heng et al. discloses the cable-retention portion 8 includes two knife edges (see annotated drawing below) configured to retain the cable C1 by means of force fit and/or form fit and wherein the two knife edges are substantially parallel or define the second width.
In regard to claim 5, Heng et al. discloses the fixation device 9 is configured to press the cable C1 towards the knife edge or to press the cable between the two knife edges.
In regard to claim 6, Heng et al. discloses the two knife edges extend along the cable mounting slot.
In regard to claim 7, Heng et al. discloses the knife edge extends along the cable mounting slot.
In regard to claim 8, Heng et al. discloses the knife edge is configured for pressing in the cable C1.
In regard to claim 10, Heng et al. discloses the cable housing 1 includes two cable mounting slots (fig. 5 and col. 3, lines 22-42).
In regard to claim 11, Heng et al. discloses one of the two cable mounting slots is configured to receive two cables (see fig. 5 and col. 7, lines 7-16).
In regard to claim 12, Heng et al. discloses a cable housing system, comprising:
the cable housing 1 according to claim 1; and two cables accommodated in the cable housing 1 (fig. 5 and col. 3, lines 22-42).
In regard to claim 13, Heng et al. discloses a method for assembling a cable housing system, comprising:
a) providing a cable housing 1 having:
a cable mounting slot (see annotated drawing below) in a wall (see annotated drawing below) of the cable housing 1, wherein the cable mounting slot has:
a cable-insertion portion 7 having a first width, and a cable-retention portion 8 having a second width which is smaller than the first width, wherein the cable-retention portion 8 includes a knife edge (see annotated drawing below);
b) providing two cables C1, C2 (fig. 5 and col. 3, lines 22-42 and col. 7, lines 7-16);
c) inserting a cable through a cable-insertion portion 7 of the cable mounting slot;
d) transferring the cable into a cable-retention portion 8 of the cable mounting slot; and
e) repeating steps c) and
d) with another cable (see fig. 5 and col. 7, lines 7-16).
In regard to claim 15, Heng et al. discloses the cable housing 1 includes a fixation device 9 which can be switched between an open state (fig. 2) and a closed state (fig. 5), wherein the fixation device 9 is configured to at least partially close the cable-insertion portion 7 when being in the closed state, wherein the fixation device 9 is configured to extend into the cable-retention portion 8 when being in the closed state (see fig. 5).
[AltContent: textbox (knife edge )][AltContent: textbox (cable mounting slot)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (wall)][AltContent: connector]
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Claim(s) 1, 2, 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (US 5549484 A).
In regard to claim 1, Chen discloses a cable housing (a series of fig. 1 combined together, see fig. 7) configured to accommodate two cables (see fig. 7), comprising:
a cable mounting slot (see annotated drawing below) in a wall (see annotated drawing below) of the cable housing, wherein the cable mounting slot comprises:
a cable-insertion portion 24 configured to receive a cable, wherein the cable-insertion portion 24 has a first width (gap between two edges of 24), and
a cable-retention portion 25 configured to retain the cable, wherein the cable-retention portion 25 has a second width (gap between two edges of the two knife edges) which is smaller than the first width,
wherein the cable-retention portion 25 includes a knife edge (see annotated drawing below) configured to retain the cable by means of force fit or form fit.
In regard to claim 2, Heng et al. discloses the cable housing (see annotated drawing below) includes a fixation device 10 which can be switched between an open state (fig. 3) and a closed state (fig. 4), wherein the fixation device 10 is configured to at least partially close the cable-insertion portion 24 when being in the closed state, wherein the fixation device 10 is configured to extend into the cable-retention portion 25 when being in the closed state (see fig. 4).
In regard to claim 9, Chen discloses the knife edge is configured for cutting in the cable.
[AltContent: textbox (knife edges)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: textbox (cable mounting slot)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (wall)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: textbox (housing)][AltContent: connector]
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14 and 16 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 made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THO D. TA whose telephone number is (571)272-2014. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-4:30PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M Koehler can be reached at (571) 272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Tdt
2/5/2026
/THO D TA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834