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 .
The amendment filed 9/29/25 has been entered.
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 26-35 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.
Claim 26 claims “the cable receiving portion is structurally configured to continuously extend from an end wall portion”. It is unclear to examiner as to what is being claimed. For the purposes of this examination, the examiner is interpreting the claim to be claiming that the cable receiving portion extends through the axial surfaces.
Claims 27-35 are rejected for depending on a rejected claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-4 and 26-48 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Michiels et al. (US Pub. No. 2016/0216470).
Regarding claim 1, the Michiels reference discloses a seal (150) for a port of an enclosure (100) configured to permit a pre-connectorized cable to be inserted into and removed from the port with a connector attached to the cable, comprising:
a sealing portion (e.g. 151) configured to be received in a seal receiving portion of a port (e.g. port receiving 150);
a support portion (e.g. 160) configured to be received in the seal receiving portion;
wherein the sealing portion comprises a resilient member (e.g. 151);
wherein the sealing portion is configured to include a cable receiving portion (e.g. middle of 108) that is structurally configured to receive a portion of a pre-connectorized cable (Fig. 16);
wherein the sealing portion is configured to include a cable holding portion (e.g. 155,159) extending from the cable receiving portion;
wherein the cable holding portion is structurally configured to hold a cable received by the cable receiving portion (Fig. 1);
wherein the support portion is configured to include an engagement portion (e.g. 161) and elongated support portions (174) that extend from the engagement portion in a first direction;
wherein the elongated support portions are spaced apart from one another by a distance that is less than or equal to a thickness of the sealing portion(Fig. 10);
wherein the support portion is configured to be received by the sealing portion such that the engagement portion engages a top surface portion of the sealing portion so as to compress the sealing portion in the first direction, thereby enhancing sealing by the sealing portion (Fig. 1);
wherein each of the elongated support portions includes a free end portion (e.g. at 176) that is configured to be received in the seal receiving portion so as to maintain the distance between the elongated support portions such that the elongated support portions support a portion of the sealing portion in a direction of the thickness of the sealing portion (Fig. 2), thereby enhancing sealing by the sealing portion;
wherein the support portion is structurally configured to cover a portion of the cable receiving portion so as to enhance sealing by the sealing portion and to prevent a cable from being removed from the sealing portion via the cable receiving portion (Fig. 1);
wherein the cable holding portion is structurally configured to prevent a pre-connectorized cable from being inserted into and removed from the cable holding portion when the support portion is received by the sealing portion (Fig. 1); and
wherein the support portion is structurally configured to be removed from the sealing portion so as to permit a pre-connectorized cable to be inserted into or removed from the cable holding portion with a connector attached to the cable (Fig. 1).
Regarding claims 2, 28, and 41, the Michiels reference discloses the cable receiving portion comprises a slit (e.g. slit between 152,156) that extends from a first end of the seal portion to a portion of the seal portion spaced from a second end (Fig. 4); and
wherein the cable holding portion comprises a slit (e.g. 155 or 159) that extends from the cable receiving portion in a direction that slopes away from the first end (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3, the Michiels reference discloses seal receiving portion structurally configured to receive the seal so as to seal an opening to an enclosure (Fig. 1).
Regarding claims 4, 35, and 48, the Michiels reference discloses the port portion is configured to be removed from the enclosure (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 26, the Michiels reference, as best understood, discloses a seal (150) for a port of an enclosure (100) configured to permit a pre-connectorized cable to be inserted into and removed from the seal with a connector attached to the cable, comprising:
a sealing portion (e.g. 151) configured to be received in a port (e.g. port receiving 150);
a support portion (e.g. 160) configured to be received by the sealing portion;
wherein the sealing portion is configured to include a cable receiving portion (e.g. middle of 108), a first cable holding portion (e.g. one side of 108, or one of 108), and a second holding portion (e.g. other side of 108 or other one of 108) that are each structurally configured to receive a portion of a pre-connectorized cable (Fig. 1);
wherein the cable receiving portion is structurally configured to continuously extend from an end wall portion (e.g. extends from inner to outer axial surface);
wherein the first holding portion and second holding portion are each structurally configured to extend from a first side of the cable receiving portion (Fig. 4);
wherein the first holding portion and second holding portion are each structurally configured to extend away from the cable receiving portion in a direction that slopes away from the end wall (e.g. slopes of walls);
wherein the support portion is structurally configured to cover a portion of the cable receiving portion so as to enhance sealing by the sealing portion and to prevent a cable from being removed from the sealing portion via the cable receiving portion (Fig. 1); and
wherein the support portion is configured to be removed from the sealing portion so as to permit a pre-connectorized cable to be inserted into or removed from the cable holding portion with a connector attached to the cable (Fig. 5).
Regarding claims 27 and 40, the Michiels reference discloses the sealing portion is configured to include a cable holding portion extending from the cable receiving portion (Fig. 4); and
wherein the cable holding portion is structurally configured to hold a cable received by the cable receiving portion (Fig. 1).
Regarding claims 29 and 42, the Michiels reference discloses the cable holding portion is structurally configured to prevent a pre-connectorized cable from being inserted through and removed from the cable holding portion when the support portion is received by the sealing portion (Fig. 8.
Regarding claims 30 and 43, the Michiels reference discloses wherein the support portion is configured to include an engagement portion (e.g. 161) and elongated support portions (174) that extend from the engagement portion in a first direction;
wherein the elongated support portions are spaced apart from one another by a distance that is less than or equal to a thickness of the sealing portion (Fig. 10).
Regarding claims 31 and 44, the Michiels reference discloses wherein each of the elongated support portions includes a free end portion (e.g. at 176) that is configured to be received in the seal receiving portion so as to maintain the distance between the elongated support portions such that the elongated support portions support a portion of the sealing portion in a direction of the thickness of the sealing portion (Fig. 2), thereby enhancing sealing by the sealing portion.
Regarding claims 32 and 45, the Michiels reference discloses wherein the support portion includes an engagement portion (e.g. 161) that is structurally configured to engage an end surface of the sealing portion so as to compress the sealing portion (Fig. 1), thereby enhancing sealing by the sealing portion.
Regarding claims 33 and 46, the Michiels reference discloses the support portion is structurally configured to compress the sealing portion in a thickness direction of the sealing portion (Fig. 1).
Regarding claims 34, and 47, the Michiels reference discloses a port portion (Fig. 1) configured to provide access to an enclosure (Fig. 1), comprising:
the seal of claims 26 and 36;
a seal receiving portion (e.g. receiving portion accepting 150) structurally configured to receive the seal so as to seal an opening to an enclosure (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 36, the Michiels reference discloses a seal (150) for a port of an enclosure configured to permit a pre-connectorized cable to be inserted into and removed from the seal with a connector attached to the cable, comprising:
a sealing portion (e.g. 151) configured to be received in a port (e.g. port receiving 150);
a support portion (e.g. 160) configured to be received by the sealing portion;
wherein the sealing portion is configured to include a cable receiving portion (e.g. middle of 108) extending from a first end of the sealing portion and a cable holding portion (e.g. one side of 108, or one of 108) configured to extend laterally from the cable receiving portion such that a cable received in the cable receiving portion can be moved into the cable holding portion (Fig. 1);
wherein the support portion is structurally configured to be coupled with the sealing portion to cover at least a portion of the cable receiving portion so as to prevent a pre- connectorized cable from being moved into or out of the cable holding portion through the cable receiving portion with a connector attached to the cable (Fig. 1); and
wherein the support portion is configured to be removed from the sealing portion so as to permit a pre-connectorized cable to be inserted into or removed from the sealing portion with a connector attached to the cable (Fig. 3,5).
Regarding claim 37, the Michiels reference discloses the support portion is structurally configured to be coupled with the sealing portion to cover at least a portion of the cable holding portion so as to prevent a pre-connectorized cable from being moved from the cable holding portion to the cable receiving portion (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 38, the Michiels reference discloses the support portion is configured to cover an entirety of the cable receiving portion and less than an entirety of a cable holding portion of the sealing portion so as to prevent a pre-connectorized cable from being inserted into and removed from the sealing portion or to prevent a pre-connectorized cable from being moved from the cable holding portion to the cable receiving portion (Figs. 1,2).
Regarding claim 39, the Michiels reference discloses the sealing portion includes a cable receiving portion (e.g. middle of 108) that is structurally configured to receive a portion of a pre-connectorized cable (Fig. 1).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 9/29/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With regards to the applicant’s argument of the rejection of claim 1, the argument is not persuasive. The term “configured to” is being considered as intended use unless the structure is later positively claimed. The term “portion” does not claim any positive structure. A portion of a hole, is still being considered to be a “holding portion”. There is no structure claimed that reads over 108 having different “portions”.
With regards to the applicant’s argument of the “configured to cover a portion”, the argument is not persuasive because Figs. 1 and 2 clearly show 160 covering 108.
With regards to the applicant’s argument of the multiple cable holding portions, the argument is not persuasive because each half of each 108 can be considered a “portion” as well as each 108 being considered a “portion”.
With regards to the applicant’s argument of the support structure 160, the argument is not persuasive because Figs. 1 and 2 clearly show the element 160 in the manner claimed.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GILBERT Y LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-5894. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-430pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine Mills can be reached on (571)272-8322. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GILBERT Y LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675