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 .
Application Status
Claims 1-22 are pending and have been examined in this application.
This communication is the first action on the merits.
Claims 1-22 are rejected herein.
Information Disclosure Statement
As of the date of this action, an information disclosure statement (IDS) has been filed on 01/18/2024 and reviewed by the Examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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 1-4, 8-14 and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ghirardi (U.S. Pat. No. 3711632) in view of Tanaka (U.S. Pat. No. 7581564 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Ghirardi teaches a clamp (10) configured to fix a corrugated tube (T) to a housing of an electric working machine, the corrugated tube comprising a plurality of protrusions arranged along a longitudinal direction of the corrugated tube on an outer surface of the corrugated tube and accommodating a plurality of electrical wires inside the corrugated tube, the clamp comprising:
a first member (22); and
a second member (24) configured to clamp the corrugated tube between the first member and the second member,
wherein the first member comprises a first electrical wire fixation part (28 and/or 62 of 22) and a first engagement part (36),
the second member comprises:
a second electrical wire fixation part (24 and/or 67 of 24) and configured to clamp the plurality of electrical wires between the first electrical wire fixation part and the second electrical wire fixation part; and
a second engagement part (40) configured to engage with the first engagement part,
one of the first member and the second member comprises a plurality of first ribs (50 of one of 22 or 24) protruding from the one of the first member and the second member, and
when the corrugated tube (T) is clamped between the first member and the second member, each of the first ribs is disposed between adjacent protrusions of the corrugated tube. However, Ghirardi is silent to disclose the second electrical wire fixation part facing the first electrical wire fixation part. Tanaka teaches the second electrical wire fixation part (Tanaka; 71 of 40) facing the first electrical wire fixation part (Tanaka; 71 of 20) and configured to clamp the plurality of electrical wires between the first electrical wire fixation part and the second electrical wire fixation part.
Ghirardi and Tanaka are analogous because they are from the same field of endeavor or a similar problem-solving area e.g. providing a structure for supporting an object. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the invention of Ghirardi having the second fixation part facing the first fixation part. The motivation would have been to provide appropriate grip during the retention.
Regarding claim 2, Ghirardi teaches the other of the first member and the second member comprises a plurality of second ribs (50 of another one of 22 or 24) protruding from the other of the first member and the second member, and
when the corrugated tube (T) is clamped between the first member and the second member, each of the second ribs is disposed between adjacent protrusions of the corrugated tube.
Regarding claim 3, Ghirardi teaches the corrugated tube (T) has a central axis (central longitudinal axis of T) extending in the longitudinal direction and extending through a center of a cross section of the corrugated tube, and
the first electrical wire fixation part (62) and the second electrical wire fixation part (67) are disposed closer to the central axis of the corrugated tube than the plurality of the first rib (see Fig. 4 for configuration).
Regarding claim 4, Ghirardi as modified teaches the first electrical wire fixation part (Tanaka; 71 of 20) comprises a first surface facing the second electrical wire fixation part, and the first surface has a planar shape.
Regarding claim 8, Ghirardi teaches the first engagement part (36) is disposed adjacent to the first electrical wire fixation part (portion at 30 not including ribs and 62), and
the second engagement part (40) is disposed adjacent to the second electrical wire fixation part (portion at 28 not including ribs and 67).
Regarding claim 9, Ghirardi teaches the one of the first member (22) and the second member (24) comprises a tube fixation part (tubular portion of 22, 24 comprising 50) comprising the plurality of the first ribs, and
the tube fixation part is disposed adjacent to corresponding one of the first engagement part (62) of the first member and the second engagement part (67) of the second member.
Regarding claim 10, Ghirardi teaches the first engagement part (36) is one of a plurality of first engagement parts, the second engagement part (40) is one of a plurality of second engagement parts, the first member (22) comprises the plurality of first engagement parts, and the second member (24) comprises the plurality of second engagement parts.
Regarding claim 11, Ghirardi as modified teaches the first electrical wire fixation part (Tanaka; 71 of 20) is disposed between two of the plurality of first engagement parts (36), and the second electrical wire fixation part (Tanaka; 71 of 40) is disposed between two of the plurality of second engagement parts (67).
Regarding claim 12, Ghirardi teaches the first member (22) comprises the plurality of first ribs (50 of 22 near 62), and the plurality of first ribs is disposed between two of the plurality of first engagement parts (36).
Regarding claims 13 and 14, Ghirardi teaches the first engagement part and the second engagement part. However, Ghirardi is silent to disclose the first and second engagement are configured to engage with each other by a rivet or a screw. The Examiner takes the official notice that providing the first and second engagement parts configured to engage with each other by a rivet and a screw a screw is old and well known in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the invention of Ghirardi having the first and second engagement part engaged with each other by a rivet as specified in claim 13 or by a screw as specified in claim 14. The motivation would have been to provide appropriate grip and stability during the retention.
Regarding claim 16, Ghirardi teaches the first engagement part (36) and the second engagement part (40) are configured to engage with each other by a snap-fit structure.
Regarding claim 17, Ghirardi is capable of being used with at least one of the plurality of electrical wires that is a signal wire.
Regarding claim 18, Ghirardi teaches the one of the first member (22) and the second member (24) comprises a tube fixation part (portion of 22 and/or 24 comprising 50) comprising the plurality of the first ribs, and in the longitudinal direction of the corrugated tube, a length of the tube fixation part is equal to or more than 10 % of a length of the clamp and equal to or less than 70% of the length of the clamp.
Regarding claim 19, Ghirardi teaches a clamp (10) configured to fix a corrugated tube (T) to a housing of an electric working machine [intended use], the corrugated tube accommodating a plurality of electrical wires (L) inside the corrugated tube, the clamp comprising:
a tube restriction part (portion of 22, 24 comprising 50) configured to restrict a movement of the corrugated tube along a longitudinal direction of the corrugated tube; and an electrical wire restriction part (portion of 22, 24 comprising 30, 28) configured to restrict a movement of the plurality of electrical wires along the longitudinal direction [capable].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 20-22 are allowed.
Claims 5-7 and 15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUHAMMAD IJAZ whose telephone number is (571)272-6280. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 11:00 am-10:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Liu can be reached at 5712728227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MUHAMMAD IJAZ
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3631
/Muhammad Ijaz/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631