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 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 1-4, 7-10, 14-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adachi et al. (9,345,180).
Regarding claims 1, 14 and 20, Adachi et al., Fig. 1B shows a grounding device for a vehicle, comprising:
a conducting element (8) and two contact elements (42 and 43),
wherein the conducting element comprises a flat braided wire assembly (40) configured to conduct high frequency currents,
wherein a first contact element (42) of the two contact elements is arranged at a first axial end of the conducting element and a second contact element (4) of the two contact elements is arranged at a second axial end of the conducting element,
wherein the first contact element is further configured to be attached to a first component (3) of the vehicle, and the second contact element is further configured to be attached to a second component (4) of the vehicle, and
Adachi et al. disclose the claimed invention as described above except for the flat braided wire assembly of the conducting element is formed at least partly as a spring element, the spring element being in a stable form configured to provide an elastic compression in at least two dimensions while preventing the flat braided wire assembly from being looped due to mechanical loads.
Kuboshima et al., Fig. 1 shows a braid (60) is formed by waving metal wire element (column 7, lines 7-9) as read on a spring element being in a stable form configured to provide an elastic compression in at least two dimensions while preventing the flat braided wire assembly from being looped due to mechanical loads. It would have been obvious to modify Adachi et al. to have the braid, as taught by Kuboshima et al. for better engaging.
Regarding claims 2 and 15, it is noted that Kuboshima et al. disclose the spring element is formed as a wave spring (column 7, lines 7-9).
Regarding claims 3 and 16, Adachi et al., Fig. 1B shows a coating (41) enclosing the conducting element, wherein the coating is configured to protect the conducting element from environmental influences comprising air or water.
Regarding claims 4 and 17, Adachi et al., Fig. 1B shows the coating further encloses a sacrificial anode configured to prevent corrosion of the conducting element.
Regarding claim 7, Adachi et al., Fig. 2 shows the contact elements (42 and 43) comprise separate elements and are conductively connected to the conducting element.
Regarding claim 8, Adachi et al., Fig. 3 shows the contact elements are integrally formed with the conducting element.
Regarding claim 9, the contact elements (42/43, Fig. 2) comprise a spring turn (50 and 55) configured to be positioned in a recess (a recess between 48 and a surface of 45, Fig. 1B) being formed on the first component of the vehicle or the second component of the vehicle.
Regarding claim 10, Adachi et al., Figs. 1B and 2 shows the contact elements are configured to be removably connected to at least one fixture of the first or the second component (connected to components 3 or 4 by a bolt (48, Fig. 1B)).
Claims 5-6 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adachi et al. and Kuboshima et al. as applied to claims 3 and 16 above, and further in view of Gladd et al. (7,726,985).
Regarding claims 5-6 and 18-19, Adachi et al. disclose the claimed invention as described above except for the coating is formed of at least a metal, or metal alloys and a plastic.
Gladd et al., Fig. 2 and column 4, lines 43-46 disclose a conductive layer (19) is a metal foil or a plastic braid that is coated with a conductive surface. It would have been obvious to modify Adachi et al.’s braid with the conductive layer, as taught by Gladd et al. for better conducting.
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adachi et al. and Kuboshima et al as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of De la Garza Fernandez et al. (10,056,702).
Regarding claim 11, Adachi et al. and Kuboshima et al. disclose the claimed invention as described above except for at least a solid metal part configured to conduct low frequency current.
De la Garza Fernandez et al., Fig. 6 shows an electrically conductive mesh (26) having at least a solid metal part (67) configured to conduct low frequency current. It would have been obvious to modify Adachi et al. and De la Garza Fernandez et al. to have at least a solid metal part configured to conduct low frequency current, as taught by De la Garza Fernandez et al. for better conducting.
Regarding claim 12, it is noted that De la Garza Fernandez et a., Fig. 6 shows the solid metal part is formed as a separate spring element configured to provide an elastic expansion or an elastic compression in at least two dimensions.
Regarding claim 13, the combination of over Adachi et al., Kuboshima et al. and De la Garza Fernandez et al. disclose the separate spring element is formed as a wave spring.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 THANH TAM T LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2094. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM.
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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 02/11/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov