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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made wherein a domestic priority of this application is claimed under 35 U.S.C. 120. The PCT Application PCT/CN2022/108983, being filed on July 29, 2022.
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in present Application filed on January 30, 2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed August 30,2024, May 02, 2025, August 12, 205, October 14, 2025, and January 12, 2026 have been submitted for consideration by the Office. It has been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered.
Applicants must continue to submit prior art references throughout the patent application process. A supplemental IDS must be submitted if prior art is discovered through a foreign patent application or an International Patent Search, or a related application before a prosecution closes.
Election/Restriction
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, Species A1, A12 and B2 encompassing claims 1-2, 19 and 23-25 in the reply filed on May 14, 2026 is acknowledged. Therefore, claims 3-7,10, 12, 14-15, 20-21, 26, 30-31, and 33 are withdrawn as being drawn to a nonelected subject matter.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
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.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Rejection of claim 19, the limitation “further comprising terminals, each terminal comprises … a plugging end, …the plugging end comprises a male pin and a female slot, which belong to different integrated harness assemblies or electrical devices, respectively, and an electrical loop is formed by the plugging between the male pin and the corresponding female slot” is infinite and unclear.
Claim 19 depends claim 1, and claim 1 is product of only an integrated harness assembly, not a product of multiple devices or integrated harness assemblies. Therefore, structure of claiming a plugging end, …the plugging end comprises a male pin and a female slot, which belong to different integrated harness assemblies or electrical devices… and an electrical loop is formed by the plugging between the male pin and the corresponding female slot” under the product of or boundary of the integrated harness assembly considered to be improper.
See terminally, claim 1, a car comprising a body, claim 2, wherein the car according to claim 1, further comprising a body of another car.
Claim 19 has to properly clarify by use of configured to language for additional components (see MPEP) or appropriate claim modification such as a connection device comprises: the integrated harness assembly according to claim 1, the connection device further comprising… so on.
Therefore, Claim 19 is indefinite or unclear; and appropriate action is required.
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-AlA) 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 102 which forms the basis for all rejections set forth 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 and 23-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) (whichever apply) as being anticipated by Sugiura et al. (US6177635, herein referred to as Sugiura).
Rejection of claim 1, Sugiura discloses an integrated harness assembly (see figures 1-30 of Suguira), comprising: a substrate (1A) and a conductive wire (2-3 of 1B), wherein the conductive wire comprises an insulating layer (3) and at least one conductive core (2), and the insulating layer wraps the conductive core and is connected to the substrate (see 2-3 of 1B attached to 1A) .
Rejection of claim 2, Sugiura (see figures 1-30 of Suguira) discloses the integrated harness assembly according to claim 1, wherein the conductive wire comprises a plurality of conductive cores which are insulated from each other and an insulating layer which wraps the plurality of conductive cores (see the figures of Sugiura wherein the insulating layer 3 and wires 2 wrapped by the insulating layer 3).
Rejection of claim 23, Sugiura (see figures 1-30 of Suguira) discloses the integrated harness assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing member (5) which is integrally formed with the insulating layer by injection molding, and the fixing member and a portion of the insulating layer corresponding to the fixing member are disposed on two sides of the substrate, respectively (see figures of Sugiura).
Rejection of claim 24, Sugiura (see figures 1-30 of Suguira) discloses the integrated harness assembly according to claim 23, further comprising wherein the substrate is provided with a connecting hole (a hole in 1A); the fixing member comprises a fixing portion and a connecting portion (see 5 which as a fixing portion and a connecting portion ); the connecting portion has one end connected to the fixing portion, and the other end connected to the insulating layer via the connecting hole; and a cross-sectional area of the fixing portion is greater than an area of the connecting hole (see figures of Sugiura).
Rejection of claim 25, Sugiura (see figures 1-30 of Suguira) discloses the integrated harness assembly according to claim 24, wherein the fixing portion is frustum-shaped, and has a diameter gradually reduced in a direction away from the substrate ( see shape of 5 other fixing member in other figures, further see specification).
Pertinent Prior Arts
The prior arts made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please refer to the enclosed PTO-892 form for the citation of pertinent arts in the present case, all of which disclose various integrated harness assemblies.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PARESH PAGHADAL whose telephone number is (571)272-5251. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00AM-4:00PM, Monday - Thursday. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached on (571)272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/PARESH PAGHADAL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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