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
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
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) 1, 9 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 8,544,364 B2 to (Michaels).
Regarding claims 1, (Michaels) discloses a cable stripping tool (power cable jacket tearing tool 10) for removing a cable jacket 8 from a cable 2 to expose a plurality of neutral wires, the cable stripping tool comprising: a housing 12B; a frame (static frame elements 42 and 44; Figs. 8 and 9) coupled to the housing 12B and configured to support the cable stripping tool on the cable 2; a mandrel (spindle or spool 14) extending from the housing 12B and rotatable about a first axis, the mandrel 14 configured to engage a starter wire 7a of the plurality of neutral wires; a motor (electric motor 18) supported by the housing 12B and operably coupled to the mandrel to rotate the mandrel about the first axis (Col. 4, lines 4-13), wherein rotation of the mandrel by the motor winds the starter wire around the mandrel such that the cable jacket is torn by the starter wire (Figs. 8 and 9); and a termination tool configured to score the cable jacket at a desired distance from an end of the cable (Col. 1, lines 52-55: “Once the jacket is torn longitudinally, it can be cut or scored circumferentially at the desired position, such as at the position "A" indicated in FIG. 1, and removed with little additional effort.”).
Regarding claims 9 and 10, (Michaels) discloses a cable stripping tool (power cable jacket tearing tool 10) for removing a cable jacket 8 from a cable 2 to expose a plurality of neutral wires, the cable stripping tool comprising: a housing 12B; a frame (static frame elements 42 and 44; Figs. 8 and 9) coupled to the housing 12B and configured to support the cable stripping tool on the cable 2; a mandrel (spindle or spool 14) extending from the housing 12B and rotatable about a first axis with respect to the housing (Figs. 8 and 9); a starter tool configured to expose an end of a starter wire (“With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, to tear the jacket a particular one of the conductors 7, e.g., the conductor 7a indicated, is selected, gripped by a gripping tool such as a pair of pliers, and pulled through the jacket 8, creating a generally longitudinally running tear-line "L."”; Col. 1, lines 48-52) of the plurality of neutral wires; a wire slot 14a positioned on the mandrel 14 (Fig. 8), the wire slot 14a configured to engage the starter wire 7a; and a motor 18 supported by the housing and operably coupled to the mandrel 14 to rotate the mandrel 14 about the first axis, wherein rotation of the mandrel by the motor winds the starter wire around the mandrel such that the cable jacket is torn by the starter wire (Figs. 8 and 9; Col. 4, lines 4-47); wherein the mandrel 14 extends along the first axis between a first end and a second end, opposite the first end, and wherein the first end of the mandrel 14 is removably coupled to the motor (see Col. 4, lines 38-47: “The mechanical power transmission system 16, including the shafts and gears as shown in FIG. 8, is considered sufficiently straightforward that it need not be explained beyond providing the illustration. Likewise, it will be readily appreciated by persons of ordinary mechanical skill that alternative arrangements and components could be utilized to perform the same function. For example, the mechanical power transmission system could be the spool itself, as a simple extension of the shaft of the motor, with no gears or additional mechanical parts being employed.”).
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 (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 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) 2, 3, and 5-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (Michaels), as applied to claim 1 above, in combination with US 11,276,993 B2 to (Sedlacek).
(Michaels), as applied to claim 1 above, provides a cable stripping tool as claimed except for explicitly stating any features of the termination tool configured to score the cable jacket at a desired distance from an end of the cable (Col. 1, lines 52-55: “Once the jacket is torn longitudinally, it can be cut or scored circumferentially at the desired position, such as at the position "A" indicated in FIG. 1, and removed with little additional effort.”).
(Sedlacek) provides a jacket removal tool, i.e., a “termination tool”, that includes a cutting unit and a drive unit. The cutting unit includes a cutting cylinder 24 with a blade housing 26 coupled along a leading end thereof. The cutting cylinder 24 provides a central bore 30 through which a cable 14 is insertable. A recess or cutout is formed in the leading end of the cutting cylinder positioned within the blade housing to enable a blade 52 mounted on the blade housing 26 to extend into the central bore 30 and into engagement with a cable 14 disposed therein. The leading end of the cutting cylinder 24 is further adapted to removably receive a die 28. A plurality of dies having selected interior dimensions configured to adapt the tool to a particular diameter cable may be provided and interchangeably coupled within the leading end of the cutting cylinder. The “termination tool” of (Sedlacek) may be coupled to a housing by a “termination assembly”, e.g., stabilizing plate 72, that includes a driveshaft (a drive axle 70) configured to rotate about a second axis (Fig. 6; Col. 5, lines 65-67); wherein the termination tool includes a channel (central bore 30) configured to receive a portion of cable 14, and a blade 52 extending into the channel, and wherein rotation of the drive shaft is transmitted to the termination tool, such that the blade is rotated around the cable and contacts the cable to score the cable jacket (“The cable-jacket removal tool 10 comprises a cutting unit 20 and a drive unit 22. The cutting unit 20 is operably coupled with the drive unit 22 to be rotated by the drive unit 22 about the cable 14 inserted through the cutting unit 20.”; Col. 4, lines 12-15); wherein the drive shaft (drive axle 70) is operably coupled to a second motor (“driver 96 includes the chuck 94 or similar adaptor which is configured to engage the drive axle 70 such that the drive axle 70 can be rotated by the driver 96.”; Col. 7, lines 34-37; see also, Col. 7, lines 13-34; Figs. 7-9) configured to rotate the drive shaft about the second axis (“and generally parallel to a rotational axis of the cutting cylinder 24.”; Col. 7, lines 17-18); wherein the termination tool includes a blade and is movable between a first position, in which the blade is spaced from the cable jacket, and a second position, in which the blade is in contact with the cable jacket (“The blade 52 is adjusted by rotating the fastener 54 to place the cutting edge 59 in a desired position relative to the central bore 30 of the cutting cylinder 24 to provide a desired depth of cut into the cable 14.”; Col. 7, lines 49-52); and, wherein the termination tool includes a blade having an adjustable diameter (see prior citation).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the cable stripping tool of (Michaels), as applied to claim 1 above, by providing a termination tool that includes a termination assembly including a drive shaft configured to rotate about a second axis; a channel and a blade…rotatable around the cable, where the drive shaft is operably coupled to a second motor to rotate the driveshaft about the second axis, the blade is movable between first and second positions, and has an adjustable angle, such as the “termination tool” of (Sedlacek), and having the predictable result of providing a means for scoring the cable jacket at a desired distance from an end of the cable.
Claim(s) 6 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (Michaels), as applied to claim 1 above, in combination with US 10,418,796 B2 to (Nelson).
(Michaels), as applied to claim 1 above, provides a cable stripping tool as claimed except for explicitly stating any features of the termination tool configured to score the cable jacket at a desired distance from an end of the cable (Col. 1, lines 52-55: “Once the jacket is torn longitudinally, it can be cut or scored circumferentially at the desired position, such as at the position "A" indicated in FIG. 1, and removed with little additional effort.”).
(Nelson) provides cable stripper tool, the tool terminates the insulation, i.e., jacket, of a cable at a desired location. The “termination tool” of (Nelson) comprises a blade 115 that is movable between a first position, (“after the user slides slide trigger assembly 110 downward, the user may insert cable 200 in cable opening 135” (Col. 2, lines 43-45) in which the blade is spaced from the cable jacket, and a second position, in which the blade is in contact with the cable jacket (“and release slide trigger assembly 110. After slide trigger assembly 110 is released, blade 115 may engage jacket 210 of cable 200.” (Col. 2, lines 45-47); and the blade has an adjustable diameter (“A spring 330 may be used to drive trigger assembly 110. For example, when the user slides slide trigger assembly 110 downward, spring 330 may be charged. After slide trigger assembly 110 is released by the user, spring 330 may be discharged. Slide trigger assembly 110 may slide within stripper body 105 in a cavity defined by front housing 320 and back housing 325. Spring 330 may provide a pressure of, but not limited to, 35.3 lbs./in to drive trigger assembly 110. However, the pressure of spring 330 may range between 25 lbs./in and 50 lbs./in.”; Col. 2, lines 55-64), thus implying that “the blade has an adjustable diameter.”
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the cable stripping tool of (Michaels), as applied to claim 1 above, by providing a termination tool that includes a blade and is movable between a first position, in which the blade is spaced from the cable jacket, and a second position, in which the blade is in contact with the cable jacket and a blade having an adjustable diameter, such as the cable tool of (Nelson), and having the predictable result of severing the jacket of the cable at a desired distance from an end of the cable.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (Michaels), as applied to claim 1 above, in combination with US 2009/0308483 A1 to (James).
(Michaels), as applied to claim 1 above, provides a cable stripping tool as claimed except for providing a “braid tool” for winding the plurality of wires exposed by removing the cable jacket.
(James) provides a handheld wire twisting tool 10. The tool includes a winding disk having a plurality of wire insertion apertures 12 therethrough in an annular array (Figs. 1 and 3) for respective insertion therethrough of the stripped ends of wires to be twisted together (Abstract)(Fig. 6).
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Thus, since (James) provides a tool for winding or twisting multiple wires that have been exposed after the jacket or insulation of the wire bundle has been removed (see Background of the Invention), it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the a cable stripping tool of (Michaels) by providing a “braid tool”, such as the wire twisting tool of (James), such that a user of the cable stripping tool of (Michaels) may gather and twist or wind the exposed wires together.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 8, 11-18 and 20-23 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if claims 4, 8, 11, 12, 15, 18, 20 and 22 are rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the additional features and the relationship thereof, as recited in claim 4, 8, 11, 12, 15, 18, 20 and 22, to the remaining limitations in the respective independent claim, have neither been disclosed nor suggested by the prior art of record considered as a whole, alone, or in combination.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure as describing devices having features that relate to the present application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to David B. Thomas whose telephone number is (571) 272-4497. The examiner’s e-mail address is: dave.thomas@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 11:30-7:30.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Posigian can be reached on (313) 446-6546. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/David B. Thomas/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/DBT/