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 .
35 USC 102 Rejections
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, 2, 5, 6, 16-22, 25 and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2007-305379.
Regarding claim 1, JP ‘379 (Figure 4) discloses a wiring harness module (center 32), wherein the wiring harness module comprises a conductor portion 14,16 and an insulation portion 18 enclosing the conductor portion, the conductor portion comprises at least one conductor, each of which is connected to at least one input conductive connector (left end) and at least one output conductive connector (right end), and an electrical connection of the conductors of different wiring harness modules is realized by connecting the input conductive connector and the output conductive connector of the different wiring harness modules 32.
Regarding claim 2, JP ‘379 discloses the conductor portion comprises a plurality of conductors 14,16 insulated to each other; or the conductor portion comprises a connecting segment, via which at least two conductors are electrically connected; or each conductor has one or more input contacts, each of which is connected with one input conductive connector, and each conductor has one or more output contacts, each of which is connected to one output conductive connector.
Regarding claim 5, JP ‘379 discloses at least one of the input conductive connector and the output conductive connector protrudes from the insulation portion 18.
Regarding claim 6, JP ‘379 discloses the input conductive connector and the output conductive connector are both butting connectors protruding from the insulation portion 18, and an electrical connection of the conductors 14,16 of different wiring harness modules 32 is realized by lapping joint and fixing the butting connectors of the different wiring harness modules.
Regarding claim 16, JP ‘379 discloses the conductor 14,16 and the input conductive connector are electrically connected by crimping, welding or integral forming, and the conductor and the output conductive connector are electrically connected by crimping, welding or integral forming.
Regarding claim 17, JP ‘379 discloses the insulation portion 18 has a to-be-spliced surface, and a connection of the insulation portions of different wiring harness modules 32 is realized by splicing the to-be-spliced surfaces of the different wiring harness modules together.
Regarding claim 18, JP ‘379 discloses the insulation portion 18 has two end faces oppositely arranged in a lengthwise direction of the wiring harness module 32, and the to-be-spliced surface comprises at least one of the end faces.
Regarding claim 19, JP ‘379 discloses the insulation portion 18 has a side circumferential face arranged in a circumferential direction of the wiring harness module 32, and the to-be-spliced surface comprises at least a partial area of the side circumferential face.
Regarding claim 20, JP ‘379 discloses the side circumferential face comprises a flat face, the to-be-spliced surface comprises at least a partial area of the flat face, and/or the side circumferential face comprises a curved face, and the to-be-spliced surface comprises at least a partial area of the curved face.
Regarding claim 21, JP ‘379 discloses a splice fixture member (the left and right ends of 32) is provided at the to-be-spliced surface or at an adjacent surface of the to-be-spliced surface, and the to-be-spliced surfaces of different wiring harness modules 32 are fixed relative to each other by a connection of the splice fixture members of them.
Regarding claim 22, JP ‘379 discloses the splice fixture member is an adhesive layer, a magnetic member, a plug-in connector, a snap-in member, a bolt structure, a rivet structure, a welding member, a bundling member or a locking member.
Regarding claim 25, JP ‘379 discloses the wiring harness module 32 has a lengthwise direction, the insulation portion 18 has two end surfaces oppositely provided in the lengthwise direction of the wiring harness module and a side circumferential faces provided in a circumferential direction of the wiring harness module; and at least one the input conductive connector is provided at one of the end face or at the side circumferential face, and at least one output conductive connector is provided at one of the end faces or at the side circumferential face; or a material of the insulation portion is a flexible material; or the conductor is a solid conductor, a multi-core stranded wire, conductive foil or a flat-shaped cable.
Regarding claim 33, JP ‘379 discloses a combined wiring harness, wherein the combined wiring harness is formed by splicing wiring harness modules 32 according to claim 1 in accordance with a preset splicing manner, and the conductors of a plurality of the wiring harness modules are electrically connected to each other via the input conductive connector and the output conductive connector.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 5, 7, 16-18, 24, 25 and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Morten 2218545.
Regarding claim 1, Morten (Figure 1) discloses a wiring harness module, wherein the wiring harness module comprises a conductor portion 55,57,57a and an insulation portion 50 enclosing the conductor portion, the conductor portion comprises at least one conductor, each of which is connected to at least one input conductive connector 55 and at least one output conductive connector 57,57a, and an electrical connection of the conductors of different wiring harness modules 63 is realized by connecting the input conductive connector and the output conductive connector of the different wiring harness modules.
Regarding claim 2, Morten discloses the conductor portion comprises a plurality of conductors 64 insulated to each other; or the conductor portion comprises a connecting segment, via which at least two conductors are electrically connected; or each conductor has one or more input contacts, each of which is connected with one input conductive connector, and each conductor has one or more output contacts, each of which is connected to one output conductive connector.
Regarding claim 5, Morten discloses at least one of the input conductive connector 55 and the output conductive connector 57,57a protrudes from the insulation portion 50.
Regarding claim 7, Morten discloses one of the input conductive connector and the output conductive connector is a male end pin 55 protruding from the insulation portion 50, while the other one is a female end slot 57,57a provided to be concave in the insulation portion, and an electrical connection of the conductors of different wiring harness modules 63 is realized by inserting the male end pin and the female end slot of the different wiring harness modules.
Regarding claim 16, Morten discloses the conductor 64 and the input conductive connector 55 are electrically connected by crimping, welding or integral forming, and the conductor and the output conductive connector 57,57a are electrically connected by crimping, welding or integral forming.
Regarding claim 17, Morten discloses the insulation portion 50 has a to-be-spliced surface (end faces), and a connection of the insulation portions of different wiring harness modules 62 is realized by splicing the to-be-spliced surfaces of the different wiring harness modules together.
Regarding claim 18, Morten discloses the insulation portion 50 has two end faces oppositely arranged in a lengthwise direction of the wiring harness module, and the to-be-spliced surface comprises at least one of the end faces.
Regarding claim 24, Morten discloses the input conductive connector 55 and the output conductive connector 57,57a are provided at the to-be-spliced surface.
Regarding claim 25, Morten discloses the wiring harness module 50 has a lengthwise direction, the insulation portion 50 has two end surfaces oppositely provided in the lengthwise direction of the wiring harness module and a side circumferential faces provided in a circumferential direction of the wiring harness module; and at least one the input conductive connector 55 is provided at one of the end face or at the side circumferential face, and at least one output conductive connector 57,57a is provided at one of the end faces or at the side circumferential face.
Regarding claim 33, Morten discloses a combined wiring harness, wherein the combined wiring harness is formed by splicing wiring harness modules 63,50,63 according to claim 1 in accordance with a preset splicing manner, and the conductors of a plurality of the wiring harness modules are electrically connected to each other via the input conductive connector 55 and the output conductive connector 57,57a.
35 USC 103 Rejections
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) 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morten as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Takahashi 2016/0254608.
Takahashi (see Abstract) discloses the claimed plating, and to plate at least a part of the male end pin 55 and/or the female end slot 57,57a of Morten with such a plating layer thereon thus would have been obvious, for good electrical conductivity.
Claim(s) 23 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morten.
The magnitude of the separating force of Morton is deemed to be an obvious matter of routine experimentation.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834