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 Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 2-20, line 1, “A flexible hose” should be changed to -The flexible hose-.
Claims 12-20, line 1, “a flexible hose” should be changed to -the flexible hose-.
Claims 12-20, line 1, “A method” should be changed to -The method -.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which applicant regards as the invention.
It seems that independent claim 1 recites only a Preamble because the current form of claim 1 does not shows clear distinction between the preamble and a body of the claim, therefore it is not clear what the claimed invention is.
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.
Claims 1-10 and 16-18, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by D.F. Downey et al. (US 3,300,571) hereafter Downey.
Regarding claim 1, Downey, discloses a flexible hose 10 with an inner hose (formed by 24, 34) 6 which is profiled for itself in wave shape (fig. 2) and by an inner side bounds a cavity for the conveying of media along a longitudinal axis of the hose and which is surrounded at an outer side by a substantially smooth sheathing 34 and provided at at least one of its two ends with a connecting member 12 (fig. 1), wherein an electrical conductor 16, 18, 20, 22 extending from one end to the other end of the inner hose and ending in the connecting member for electrical contact-making is arranged radially between the inner hose and the sheathing, characterized in that the electrical conductor 16,18, 20, 22 is formed by a resilient flat conductor arrangement which extends along the hose parallel to the longitudinal axis substantially without pre-stress and with electrical insulation and which is held on the wave-shaped profiling of the inner hose by the sheathing (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 2, Downey, discloses the resilient flat conductor arrangement is pressed against elevations of the wave- shaped profiling by the sheathing (see fig. 1).
Regarding claim 3, Downey, discloses that the resilient flat conductor arrangement is provided with a rubberization (product-by process).
Regarding claim 4, Downey discloses the sheathing is a braiding of monofilamentary and/or multifilamentary plastics material threads.
Regarding claim 5, Downey discloses, the resilient flat conductor arrangement 16,18,20, 22 comprises at least one strand line 16/18, 202,22, which extends in loop shape or zigzag shape as seen in longitudinal direction of the flat conductor arrangement and is held in its course by threads which in the manner of a knitted fabric 34 form thread loops about the strand line, that are looped into stitches.
Regarding claim 6, Downey, discloses the resilient flat conductor arrangement comprises at least two strand lines 16, 18 /20, 22 which extend at a mutual axial spacing equally in loop shape or zigzag shape as seen transversely to the flat conductor arrangement.
Regarding claim 7, Downey discloses the strand line of the resilient flat conductor arrangement comprises a plurality of metallic individual wires and at least one plastics material thread for tension relief.
Regarding claim 8, Downey discloses the strand line of the resilient flat conductor arrangement is provided with an extruded insulation. (see fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Downey discloses the threads of the knitted fabric 34 are resilient at least in part, wherein the threads of the knitted fabric preferably comprise a mixture of polyester or polyamide fibers with elastane fibers.
Regarding claim 10, Downey discloses the connecting member 12, 38 has a contact region (body of )12, 40 with which the resilient flat conductor arrangement is electrically connected, wherein the contact region preferably comprises at least one slip ring (coupling itself).
Regarding claim 16, Downey discloses the sheathing 34 is a braiding of monofilamentary and/or multifilamentary plastics material threads.
Regarding claim 17, Downey discloses the resilient flat conductor arrangement 16, 18, 20, 22 comprises at least one strand line 16/18/20/22, which extends in loop shape or zigzag shape as seen in longitudinal direction of the flat conductor arrangement and is held in its course by threads which in the manner of a knitted fabric 34 form thread loops about the strand line that are looped into stitches.
Regarding claim 18, Downey discloses the connecting member 12, 38 has a contact region (body of )12, 40 with which the resilient flat conductor arrangement is electrically connected, wherein the contact region preferably comprises at least one slip ring (see fig. 1).
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.
Claims 11-15, 19 and 20, as best understood are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Downey.
Regarding claims 11-15, 19 and 20, Downey discloses all the claimed limitations except for method steps recited in claims 11-15, 19 and 20.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to follow the steps of method claims 11-15, 19 and 20, such as mounting securing, forming, since Downey discloses all the claimed structural limitations as discussed above, in order to form a flexible hose with an inner hose with resilient flat conductor of extending electrical connection from one end to the other for their intended use.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO 892.
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/HARSHAD C PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831