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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 19 October 2023 was filed prior to the mailing date of this office correspondence. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-3 and 8-12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claims 1 and 8, line 5: “coextrusion of the hollow section together with the switch rail” should read:
-- coextruding the elastically resilient hollow section together with the jacket of the switch rail --
In claims 1-3 and 9-12: “live stranded wires” should read:
-- stranded wires --
(also, see Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112).
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-16 are 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.
In claim 1, the limitation “coextrusion of the hollow section together with the switch rail” renders claim indefinite because, from lines 1-2, “an elastically resilient hollow section composed of an elastomer” and “an electrically operating switch rail” it deemed to read that, the hollow section comprising of an elastomer and the switch rail comprising a non-elastomer such as a conducting material or metal. Therefore, the recited limitation “coextrusion of the hollow section together with the switch rail” is confusing. Further, line 10 recites “connecting live stranded wires of the switch rail to a connector cable”, which deemed to read, unless otherwise defined that, the switch rail comprising stranded wires. As best understood, it appears that the limitation “coextrusion of the hollow section together with the switch rail” actually intends that “coextruding the elastically resilient hollow section together with the jacket of the switch rail”, or the like.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “live stranded wires”. Given its plain and ordinary meaning, the “live stranded wires” deemed to read as live (hot) stranded wires having a voltage. Further, both claim and the specification fail to define a “live stranded wire”. As best understood, it appears that the limitation “live stranded wires” actually intends that “stranded wires”, or the like.
In claim 1, the limitation “assembling the switch rail at said first and/or second end of the switch rail to form the finger guard section” renders claim indefinite because it is unclear in the assembly step, how the finger guard section forms. What does “assembling the switch rail at said first and/or second end of the switch rail” mean. In other words, assembling with what forms the finger guard section?
In claim 8, the same issues are there for the recited limitations “coextrusion of the hollow section together with the switch rail”, “assembling the switch rail at said first and/or second end of the switch rail to form the finger guard section”.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the live stranded wires" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
In claim 9, the limitation “exposing the live stranded wires of the hollow section” renders claim indefinite because, claim 8 upon which claim 9 depends, does not have any wires of the hollow section.
Claims 2-7 depend on claim 1 and claims 9-16 depend on claim 8. Therefore, claims 1-16 are rejected.
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) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sugita (US 20180182570).
Regarding claim 8, Sugita teaches, a method of manufacturing a finger guard section (pressure-sensitive sensor, 11, 21, 31, Figs. 1 to 6) having an elastically resilient hollow section (see annotated Fig. 1 below) composed of an elastomer (tubular member 2, see annotated Fig. 1, tubular member 2 can be formed of a material,…or a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer composition, para. [0033]), having an electrically operating switch rail (electrode wires 3, Fig. 1) that is arranged in a chamber (space 6) of the hollow section and that has a jacket composed of elastomer (electrode wires 3 each comprise a metal wire 4 and a conductive elastomer, para. [0049]), the method comprising:
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Annotated Figs. 1 and 6, Sugita.
coextrusion of the hollow section together with the switch rail (forming the n electrode wires 3 and the tubular member 2, 12 by co-extruding the conductive elastomers 5, para. [0049]);
cutting free the jacket of the switch rail to form a first and/or second end of the switch rail projecting freely from the hollow section (a step of placing the electrode wires along the spacer and a step of pulling out the spacer…it is necessary to pull out the spacer after cutting into short lengths, para. [0006]); and
assembling the switch rail at said first and/or second end of the switch rail to form the finger guard section (see Fig. 6, four electrode wires 3 arranged at a distance from one another and held inside the tubular member 2….any two of the four electrode wires 3 come into contact with each other (short-circuited) para. [0029, 0049]).
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.
Claim(s) 1-7 and 9-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugita (US 20180182570) in view of Kawase (US 20190390501).
Regarding claim 1, Sugita teaches, a method of manufacturing a finger guard section (pressure-sensitive sensor, 11, 21, 31, Figs. 1 to 5) having an elastically resilient hollow section composed of an elastomer (tubular member 2, see annotated Fig. 1, tubular member 2 can be formed of a material,…or a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer composition, para. [0033]), having an electrically operating switch rail (electrode wires 3, Fig. 1) that is arranged in a chamber (space 6) of the hollow section and that has a jacket composed of elastomer (electrode wires 3 each comprise a metal wire 4 and a conductive elastomer, para. [0049]), the method comprising:
coextrusion of the hollow section together with the switch rail (forming the n electrode wires 3 and the tubular member 2, 12 by co-extruding the conductive elastomers 5, para. [0049]);
cutting free the jacket of the switch rail (see Fig. 6) to form a first and/or second end of the switch rail projecting freely from the hollow section (a step of placing the electrode wires along the spacer and a step of pulling out the spacer…it is necessary to pull out the spacer after cutting into short lengths, para. [0006]);
assembling the switch rail at said first and/or second end of the switch rail to form the finger guard section (see Fig. 6, four electrode wires 3 arranged at a distance from one another and held inside the tubular member 2….any two of the four electrode wires 3 come into contact with each other (short-circuited) para. [0029, 0049]); and
insulating the live stranded wires (elastic insulating material 42 around the electrode wires 3, Fig. 6, para. [0049]) of the switch rail in a moisture-proof manner in the region of their connection to the connector cable (sealing members at end portions or a portion for attaching the pressure-sensitive sensor, para. [0043], an elastic insulating material 42, and n electrode wires 3…arranged away from one another and held inside the tubular member 2, 12, para. [0049]).
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Annotated Fig. 4, Kawase.
Sugita does not explicitly teach, connecting live stranded wires of the switch rail to a connector cable in the region of the second end of the hollow section. However, Kawase teaches, finger guard sensor (pressure sensing member 4, Figs. 3A to 3C) having an elastically resilient hollow section (pressure sensing member 4 includes a tube 41 which is formed of a tubular elastic body, see annotated Fig. 4) composted of an elastomer (para. [0037]), in which, connecting live stranded wires of the switch rail to a connector cable (see Fig. 4) in the region of the second end of the hollow section (two conductor wires 42 of the linear shape pressure sensing member 4, and includes a power source 51, a contact detection resistor 52 that connects together end portions of the two conductor wires 42,…and its detection signal is output to the control device 14, Fig. 4, para. [0047], see the Note below).
Therefore, in view of the teachings of Kawase, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of manufacturing of a finger guard of Sugita and to connect the wires 3 of Sugita to a cable as Kawase taught in Fig. 4 so that it enables a control device to receive a signal indicating the occurrence of pinch from the finger guard sensors, and to generate an alarm signal to give an alarm to a driver or a conductor as Kawase disclosed in para. [0033].
Note: unless otherwise defined, the recited limitations such as, “cutting free the jacket of the switch rail… assembling the switch rail… connecting live stranded wires of the switch rail” does not contribute an inventive step over the prior art Sugita or Kawase, because these recited steps are normally required in the manufacturing process of a finger guard sensor and have been routinely done by one of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, there is no indication in the instant invention that any surprising results were derived, or that any special steps were devised in the recited steps. Such steps would have been done by one of ordinary skill in the art without any need for experimentation and with reasonable expectations of success.
Regarding claims 2-3 and 9-10, Sugita does not teach, connecting to a resistor. However, Kawase further teaches,
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing live stranded wires of the switch rail in a region of their first end for connection to an end resistor (contact detection resistor 52, see annotated Fig. 4).
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising insulating the live stranded wires in the region of the end resistor by an end piece connectable with material continuity to the jacket of the switch rail (contact detection resistor 52 that connects together end portions of the two conductor wires 42, see Fig. 4, para. [0047]).
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising exposing the live stranded wires of the hollow section in a region of their first end for connection to an end resistor (contact detection resistor 52, Fig. 4).
10. The method of claim 8, further comprising insulating the live stranded wires in the region of the end resistor by an end piece connectable with material continuity to the jacket of the switch rail (contact detection resistor 52 that connects together end portions of the two conductor wires 42, see Fig. 4, para. [0047]).
Therefore, in view of the teachings of Kawase, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of manufacturing of a finger guard of Sugita and to connect the wires 3 of Sugita to connect one end of the wires to a resistor as Kawase taught in Fig. 4 so that it enables a control device to receive a signal indicating the occurrence of pinch from the pinch detection sensors, and to generate an alarm signal to give an alarm to a driver or a conductor as Kawase disclosed in para. [0033].
Regarding claim 4, modified Sugita does not teach, a frame or in a frame portion of a door. However, Kawase further teaches, the method of claim 1, further comprising arranging the hollow section in a frame or in a frame portion of a door to form a finger guard section (pinch detection sensors 2 are vertically attached to respective edge portions of the left and right sliding doors 11 and 11 opposite each other, Fig. 1, para. [0033]). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Kawase, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of manufacturing of a finger guard of Sugita and to connect the wires 3 of Sugita to connect the hollow section to a frame or in a frame portion of a door as Kawase taught in Fig. 4 so that it enables a control device to receive a signal indicating the occurrence of pinch from the pinch detection sensors, and to generate an alarm signal to give an alarm to a driver or a conductor.
Regarding claim 5, Kawase further teaches, the method of claim 4, wherein the door is a sliding door (left and right sliding doors 11, Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Kawase further teaches, the method of claim 4, wherein the door is part of a vehicle for passenger transportation (passenger 8, see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, Kawase further teaches, the method of claim 6, wherein the vehicle is a bus or a rail vehicle (sliding doors 11 of a train vehicle 1, Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, modified Sugita does not teach, connecting live stranded wires of the switch rail to a connector cable. However, Kawase further teaches, the method of claim 8, further comprising connecting live stranded wires of the switch rail to a connector cable (electric circuit 5 is being configured to include the two conductor wires 42 of the linear shape pressure sensing member 4, and includes a power source 51, a contact detection resistor 52 that connects together end portions of the two conductor wires 42, see Fig. 4, para. [0047]) in the region of the second end of the switch rail. Therefore, in view of the teachings of Kawase, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of manufacturing of a finger guard of Sugita and to connect the wires 3 of Sugita to a cable as Kawase taught in Fig. 4 so that it enables a control device to receive a signal indicating the occurrence of pinch from the pinch detection sensors, and to generate an alarm signal to give an alarm to a driver or a conductor.
Regarding claim 12, Sugita in view of Kawase teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 11. Sugita further teaches, the method of claim 11, further comprising insulating the live stranded wires of the switch rail in a moisture-proof manner (sealing members at end portions or a portion for attaching the pressure-sensitive sensor, para. [0043]) in the region of their connection to the connector cable.
Regarding claim 13, modified Sugita does not teach, a frame or in a frame portion of a door. However, Kawase further teaches, the method of claim 8, further comprising arranging the hollow section in a frame or in a frame portion of a door (pinch detection sensors 2 are vertically attached to respective edge portions of the left and right sliding doors 11 and 11 opposite each other, Fig. 1, para. [0033]) to form a finger guard section.
Regarding claim 14, Kawase further teaches, the method of claim 13, wherein the door is a sliding door (left and right sliding doors 11, Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 15, Kawase further teaches, the method of claim 13, wherein the door is part of a vehicle for passenger transportation (passenger 8, see Fig. 1)
Regarding claim 16, Kawase further teaches, the method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle for passenger transportation is a bus or a rail vehicle (sliding doors 11 of a train vehicle 1, Fig. 1).
Conclusion
Prior art Bolbocianu (US 9234979) teaches, a finger guard sensor having an elastically resilient hollow section composed of an elastomer, an electrically operating switch rail that is arranged in a chamber of the hollow section; and coextrusion of the hollow section together with the switch rail; assembling the switch rail; and insulating the live stranded wires.
Prior art Kawaguchi (US 9114691) teaches, a finger guard sensor for a sliding door including an elastically resilient hollow section composed of an elastomer, an electrically operating switch rail that is arranged in a chamber of the hollow section; and coextrusion of the hollow section together with the switch rail; assembling the switch rail; and insulating the live stranded wires.
Prior art Suhara (US 8854061) teaches, a finger guard sensor for a sliding door of a vehicle including an elastically resilient hollow section composed of an elastomer, an electrically operating switch rail that is arranged in a chamber of the hollow section; and extrusion of the hollow section and the switch rail; and assembling the switch rail.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE K. ABRAHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1087. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, THOMAS J. HONG can be reached at (571) 272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSE K ABRAHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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