DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-19 of U.S. Patent Application No. 18/495,387, filed on 26 October, 2023, were presented for examination. In the response filed 24 November, 2025, claim 4 was canceled and new claim 20 was added. Claims 1-3 and 5-20 are currently pending in the application.
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 24 November, 2025, was filed before the mailing date of this Office action. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
It is noted that the document number for citation no. 4 was mistakenly submitted as JP 29004178 U. The Examiner has corrected the number to JP 59004178 U in the signed/annotated IDS provided herein. No further action is required by Applicant.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 24 November, 2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claims 1-3 and 5-16 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as unpatentable over Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, claims 4 and 17 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as unpatentable over Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Quadir, and claims 18-19 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as unpatentable over Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Osaka, have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, new grounds of rejection are made in view of Glowacz (US 3,922,477 A).
Beginning on page 8 of the response/arguments, Applicant asserts in the first paragraph that claim 1 now recites in part “wherein the at least one connecting element, in an area of the sealing arrangement within the through hole of the holding element, has a pair of full-circumferentially formed notches adjacent each end of the joining elements into which the holding element is arranged to engage with the notches…”. In the second paragraph, Applicant alleges that the references used in the prior Office action do not teach the underlined feature. Applicant argues against the use of Quadir in the rejection but due to the cancelation of claim 4 and the amendments to claim 1 and claim 17, the rejections involving Quadir are moot. The Examiner concurs that none of Dodenhoff, Paletko, and Quadir teaches the above-underlined excerpt from the claim. Consequently, as mentioned above, the rejections have been withdrawn.
On page 9 of the response/arguments, Applicant presents new amended claim 20, which incorporates a limitation directed to openings for fastening elements, and alleges it likewise is not rejectable under Dodenhoff in view of Paletko. Applicant is directed to the rejection of claim 20 below. Applicant in page 9 asserts that claim 20 is “also allowable”. The Examiner disagrees, and the reasoning for doing so can be found in the rejection itself, below.
Concerning formal matters, Applicant asserts that the amendments to the claims overcome the claim objections and rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) put forth in the prior Office action. The Examiner concurs, the objections/rejections have been withdrawn.
Pre-Grant Publication Drawing Error
Applicant has brought to the attention of the Office that the Pre-Grant Publication (US 2024/0146147 A1) for this application was erroneously printed with the incorrect figures, whose provenance are unknown to the Examiner.
The Examiner, and the technology centers in general, do not process these matters, as they are outside the normal route of prosecution. Applicant is directed to the Inventors Assistance Center and/or Application Assistance Unit (contact information listed below), whose offices should be able to either start the process of getting the Pre-Grant Publication republished, or at least direct Applicant to the appropriate office for doing so.
Application Assistance Unit
Telephone: 888-786-0101
Email: HelpAAU@uspto.gov
URL: https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/application-assistance-unit-aau
Inventors Assistance Center
Telephone: 800-786-9199
URL: https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/inventors-assistance-center-iac
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the second notch 16a must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Specifically, either a second leader-line should run from the reference numeral 16a in Fig. 4C to the second notch or a new label 16a with its own leader-line (leading to the unlabeled notch) should be added to the bottom of Fig. 4C. The Examiner will not object to such an amendment as new matter because there is enough evidence in ¶ 0072 (at least one full-circumferentially formed local cross-sectional taper in the form of a notch 16a…”) and Fig. 4C (the second notch is clearly shown) to support that Applicant had knowledge of the claimed invention at the time of filing.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required:
Since claim 1 directly claims “notches adjacent each end of the joining element…”, the description of Fig. 4C must be supplemented (just as the drawing must be corrected) to mention that the notch (16a) occurs at both the top and the bottom of fig. 4B. For instance, ¶ 0072 could conclude with a sentence such as “The notch 16a is included in conductor 16 adjacent each end of the holding element 17…” (this being one of many ways to do this). As mentioned above, the Examiner will not object to such an amendment as new matter because there is enough evidence in ¶ 0072 and Fig. 4C to support that Applicant had knowledge of the claimed invention at the time of filing.
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 1-19 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.
Lines 15-16 of claim 1 recite the limitation “pair of full-circumferentially formed notches adjacent each end of the joining element…” However, from Fig. 4C and ¶ 0072, the Examiner can only find support for a single notch adjacent each end of the joining element. There is support for a “pair of… notches…” wherein “each notch of the pair of notches…” is adjacent a respective end of the joining element (the Examiner’s language being an approximation of what he believes is supported by the specification). The Examiner believes the indefiniteness is merely one of grammar or syntax, and for examination on the merits will use the latter interpretation (one notch on each end of the joining element), and leave it to Applicant to determine the best way to remedy the issue.
Line 2 of claim 17 recites the limitation “a notch”. Due to the most recent amendment, there are at least two notches present during the method. Therefore, a reader cannot tell if the method has molten material entering into one notch, the other notch, or both notches.
Claims 1-3, 5-16, and 18-19 are rejected for depending from rejected claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3 and 5-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dodenhoff (US 3,988,053 A) in view of Paletko (US 2021/0233686 A1), further in view of Glowacz (US 3,922,477 A).
With respect to claim 1, Dodenhoff teaches a sealing arrangement [terminal 10] for passing electrical connections [pins 24] through a wall [enclosure 36] of a casing for a device for driving a compressor (col. 4, lines 14-16 recite “the sections 30 of pins 24 extend into the confines of the enclosure 36 and then make electrical connection with the compressor or the like…” – see also col. 1, lines 9-12 which recite “this type of terminal is used to carry electrical current into a hermetically enclosed compressor to run the motor…”), the seal arrangement [10] comprising:
a connection arrangement [pins 24 in combination with their tabs 46] (see col. 4, lines 44-50) with at least one electrically conductive connecting element [24] (see col. 3, lines 47-56); and
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a holding element [body 12, comprising end wall 14] (see col. 3, lines 21-24), wherein the at least one connecting element [24] is arranged within a through hole [opening 20] formed in the holding element [12/14] (see col. 24-25 and joint annotated excerpts of figs. 1, 3, and 4 attached above) and through a feedthrough hole (labeled in the fig. 3 excerpt by the Examiner) of the casing [36] so as to project into a volume enclosed by the casing [36] (again, col. 4, lines 14-16 recite “the sections 30 of pins 24 extend into the confines of the enclosure 36…”), wherein a joining element [seal 26] is arranged between the holding element [12/14] and the at least one connecting element [24], which full-circumferentially encloses the at least one connecting element [24], wherein the holding element [12/14] full-circumferentially encloses the joining element [26] (figs. 2 and 4 establish that these elements are round, and therefore necessarily full-circumferentially enclose one another in each case they are shown as outside one another in the cross-section of fig. 3).
Dodenhoff does not teach wherein the holding element is formed as an injection-molded component made of a plastic.
Paletko discloses a sealing arrangement [10] for passing electrical connections through a wall [20], comprising a connection arrangement with at least one electrically conductive connecting element [12/14]; and a holding element [sealant 24], wherein the at least one connecting element [12/14] is arranged within a through hole formed in the holding element [24] and through a feedthrough hole of the wall [20], wherein a joining element [sleeve 15] is arranged between the holding element [24] and the at least one connecting element [12/14].
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Paletko teaches wherein the holding element [sealant 24] is formed as an injection-molded component (¶ 0008 recites “the method includes the use of a polyurethane material as the sealant. This allows the use of low-pressure injection molding technology wherein the overmold of sealant may be molded…”) made of a plastic [polyurethane].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the sealing arrangement of Dodenhoff while utilizing the injection-molded, plastic holding element, as taught by Paletko, in combination with Paletko’s manufacturing method, in order to provide an intermediate structure consisting of a shrunk sleeve and an adhesive allowing for an improved interconnection between the overmolded sealant [holding element] and the cable [connecting element] (Paletko, ¶ 0014), and also in order to promote adhesion, resulting in a sealing interface (Paletko, abstract).
Neither Dodenhoff nor Paletko teaches wherein the at least one connecting element, in an area of the sealing arrangement within the through hole of the holding element, has a pair of full-circumferentially formed notches adjacent each end of the joining element into which the holding element is arranged to engage with the notches.
Glowacz discloses a sealing arrangement for passing electrical connections through a wall (see title), the sealing arrangement comprising a connection arrangement with at least one electrically conductive connecting element [conductor 11], and a holding element [combined container 12 and insulation molding material 30], wherein the at least one connecting element [11/12] extends through a feedthrough hole formed in the holding element [12/30], wherein the holding element is formed as a molded component (see bottom of col. 3), and wherein a joining element [sealing member 24] (see col. 3, lines 29-40) is arranged between the holding element [12/30] and the at least one connecting element [11], which full-circumferentially encloses the at least one connecting element [11], wherein the holding element [12/30] full-circumferentially encloses the joining element [24].
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Glowacz teaches wherein the at least one connecting element [11], in an area of the sealing arrangement within the through hole of the holding element (inside insulating molding material 30), has a pair of full-circumferentially formed notches [undercuts 14 which, when “left free”, are “indicated by” reference numeral 25] (see col. 2, lines 29-40) adjacent each end (the ends have been labeled by the Examiner above) of the joining element [24] into which the holding element [12/30] is arranged to engage with the notches [14/25] (col. 2, lines 64-68 recite “on setting up, the insulating material secures the conductors within the container both by direct adhesion of the encapsulating to the metal surface and the locking or anchoring afforded by the recesses 25 and 28 which do not contain sealing means.”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the arrangement of Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, while further incorporating a pair of notches adjacent each end of the joining element, as taught by Glowacz, in order to avail of the “locking or anchoring afforded by” the notches (Glowacz, lines 67-68).
With respect to claim 2/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the arrangement of claim 1, Dodenhoff further teaches wherein the at least one connecting element [24] is formed cylindrically as a pin-shaped plug-in connector (see excerpts of figs. 3 and 4 below).
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With respect to claim 3/2/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the arrangement of claim 2, Dodenhoff further teaches wherein the at least one connecting element [24] is formed circular-cylindrically (see fig. 4 above) with a constant outer diameter (claim 1 recites “said pin comprising three solid cylindrical sections… each having substantially the same outer diameter”).
With respect to claim 5/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the arrangement of claim 1, Dodenhoff further teaches wherein the joining element [26] has a shape of a hollow cylinder (fig. 2 shows that the collars 22 of the holding element 12/14 around each joining element are circular, while fig. 4 shows that the connecting element 24 is circular – therefore, the space between them, and therefore the joining element 26 between them, is necessarily also cylindrical, and hollow where the connecting element 24 extends through), wherein the joining element [26] is arranged so as to abut the connecting element [24] with an inner lateral surface (see new annotated fig. 3 excerpt attached below).
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With respect to claim 6/5/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the arrangement of claim 5, Paletko further teaches wherein the joining element [15] is formed as a thermal shrink tube (¶ 0041 recites “a sleeve 15 which is made of heat shrinkable material “).
With respect to claim 7/5/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the arrangement of claim 5, Paletko further teaches wherein the joining element [15] has an adhesive structure [17] on the inner lateral surface (labeled in the new annotated excerpt of fig. 6 attached below) for gluing the joining element to the connecting element [12/14] (¶ 0041 recites “an adhesive 17 being provided between the sleeve 15 and the outer jacket 14… after a placement of the sleeve 15 over the outer jacket 14 with the adhesive 17 between the sleeve 15 and the jacket 14, the sleeve 15 is heat shrunk onto the cable seal 10 wherein the adhesive 17 serves to fix against an axial displacement of the sleeve 15”).
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With respect to claim 8/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the arrangement of claim 1, Dodenhoff further teaches wherein the at least one electrically conductive connecting element [24] is formed of copper or a copper alloy (col. 3, lines 50-56 recite “pin 24 comprises a first section 30 which is constructed of any suitable electrically conductive material… and a third section 34 constructed of a highly conductive, corrosion-resistant material, such as an oxygen-free, high conductivity copper…”).
With respect to claim 9/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the arrangement of claim 1, Dodenhoff further teaches wherein the holding element [12/14] is arranged on an outside of the casing [36] (it is arranged both inside and outside the casing) so as to abut the casing [36] and to tightly seal the feedthrough hole of the casing [36] (see the new annotated excerpt of fig. 3 below, wherein the Examiner has labeled the outside and inside of the casing, the feedthrough hole, and the abutment wherein the holding element abuts the casing).
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With respect to claim 10/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the arrangement of claim 1, Dodenhoff further teaches wherein the holding element [12/14, including its epoxy coating 28] (see col. 3, lines 40-46) is formed in a shape of a plate with surfaces arranged opposite one another (see new annotated excerpt of fig. 3 below wherein the Examiner has labeled the surfaces “first surface” and “second surface”).
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With respect to claim 11/10/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the arrangement of claim 10, Dodenhoff further teaches wherein the at least one connecting element [24] is arranged so as to protrude from the holding element [12/14/28] (still referring to annotated excerpt of fig. 3 attached above).
With respect to claim 12/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the arrangement of claim 1, Dodenhoff further teaches wherein at least three connecting elements [24 including tab 46 and first section 30] (see col. 4, lines 44-68 and the joint annotated excerpts of figs. 1-3 attached below) are formed, longitudinal axes (labeled in the fig. 1 excerpt, and into the page in the fig. 2 excerpt) of which are arranged so as to be aligned parallel and spaced apart from one another.
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With respect to claim 13/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the arrangement of claim 1, Paletko further teaches a method for producing the connection arrangement [24/26] with the at least one connecting element [24], the holding element [24] and the joining element [15] of the sealing arrangement [24/26] for passing the electrical connections through the wall [20] of the casing (taught by Dodenhoff) of claim 1 (please refer to the rejection of claim 1 above), having steps of:
sliding the joining element [15], which has a shape of a circumferentially closed hollow cylinder, onto the connecting element [12/14] (¶ 0041 recites “sleeve 15… is positioned over the cable…” – the only way a cylindrical sleeve, not disclosed as having a clipping or c-type configuration, can be positioned “over” a rod-shaped connector, is to slide it – also, the end of ¶ 0041 recites that after the sleeve is heat shrunk onto the cable seal, the adhesive serves to “fix against an axial displacement of the sleeve” which indicates that the sleeve was axially displaceable before the heat shrinking), which has a shape of a cylinder (shape established in ¶ 0041 wherein the sleeve 15 has an “inner circumference”, and in its hollow nature as depicted in the cross sectional view of fig. 6), wherein the connecting element [12/14] has a greater extension in a direction of a longitudinal axis (direction of longitudinal axis labeled in the annotated excerpt of fig. 6 attached below) than the joining element [15] and protrudes from both sides from the joining element [15] (see fig. 6 excerpt),
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shrinking the joining element [15] onto the connecting element [12/14] by input of heat (¶ 0041 recites “after a placement of the sleeve 15 over the outer jacket 14 with the adhesive 17 between the sleeve 15 and the jacket 14 the sleeve 15 is heat shrunk onto the cable seal 10…” – see also ¶ 0013, 0015, and 0017), and
generating the holding element [24] by means of injection molding and full-circumferential overmolding of the connecting element [10/12] in an area of the joining element [15] (¶ 0008 recites “the method includes the use of a polyurethane material as the sealant. This allows the use of low-pressure injection molding technology wherein the overmold of sealant may be molded…” – it is noted that the sealant is described in ¶ 0036 as reference numeral 24, said paragraph also reciting “the overmolded sealant 24…”) shrunk onto the connecting element [12/14].
With respect to claim 14/13/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the method of claim 13, Paletko further teaches wherein the joining element [15] is shrunk onto the connecting element [10/12] at a time prior to the holding element [24] being generated (the last sentence of ¶ 0041 and the first sentence of ¶0042 together recite “after a placement of the sleeve 15 over the outer jacket 14 with the adhesive 17… the sleeve 15 is heat shrunk…. Thereafter, the cable may be inserted into the opening of the wall 20 such that the sleeve 15 extends through the opening and the sleeve 15 is provided with an overmolding of sealant 24…”), and/or onto the connecting element during the generation of the holding element by means of the injection molding.
With respect to claim 15/13/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the method of claim 13, Paletko further teaches wherein an inner lateral surface of the joining element [15] is coated with an adhesive structure [17] (¶ 0041 recites “the adhesive 17 may be provided as an adhesive layer on the inner circumference of the sleeve 15”).
None of Dodenhoff, Paletko, and Glowacz teaches wherein the joining element is subjected to surface treatment before it is slid onto the connecting element.
However, Paletko teaches wherein the outer jacket of the connecting element [12/14] is subjected to a surface treatment before the joining element [15] is slid onto the connecting element [12/14] (¶ 0022 recites “the preparation step includes a mechanical treatment of the protective outer jacket of the cable, e.g., a roughening of the outer jacket…”).
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Thus, the relationship between the method step of claim 15, that of subjecting the joining element to a surface treatment (in the area where the joining element will be adhered to the connecting element), and the method step of Paletko, that of subjecting the connecting element to a surface treatment (in the area where the connecting element will be adhered to the joining element), represents a reversal of parts. It is well known that in applying an adhesive between two surfaces, a practitioner has the option to roughen one surface or the other, or both, and the selection of which surface to roughen would naturally be a design choice relying on only routine skill in the art. Either option would increase the contact surface of the bond.
Thus, in light of Paletko, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to subject the joining element of Dodenhoff in view of Paletko to a surface treatment, in the same way as Paletko teaches subjecting the connecting element to a surface treatment, as either an alternative to Paletko’s teaching or in addition to it, in order to increase contact surface between its surface and the adhesive (Paletko ¶ 0023). It has been held that mere reversal of parts is obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art – see MPEP 2144.04(VI)(A) which provides “A. Reversal of Parts – In re Gazda, 219 F.2d 449, 104 USPQ 400 (CCPA 1955) (Prior art disclosed a clock fixed to the stationary steering wheel column of an automobile while the gear for winding the clock moves with steering wheel; mere reversal of such movement, so the clock moves with wheel, was held to be an obvious modification.) and a method resulting in said reversal of parts is therefore equally obvious.
With respect to claim 16/13/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the method of claim 13, Paletko further teaches wherein the joining element [15] is glued to the connecting element [12/14] during the shrinking the joining element onto the connecting element [12/14] (¶ 0014 recites “to ensure compatibility and adhesion, an intermediate interface in the form of a heat shrinkable sleeve and an adhesive is applied. The heat shrinkable sleeve may be provided with a layer of adhesive. After heat shrinking a PUR foam can be molded… The intermediate structure consisting of the shrunk sleeve and the adhesive allows for an improved interconnection…” – see also ¶ 0013.
With respect to claim 17/13/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the method of claim 13, Glowacz further teaches wherein during the injection molding of the holding element [12/30], molten material [30] forming the holding element [12/30] enters into the notches [14/25] arranged adjacent to the joining element [24] and formed in a surface of the connecting element [11] (see col. 2, lines 60-68 which recite “a molten, fused or otherwise liquified encapsulant or insulating molding material 30 is provided…. by pouring or under pressure, filling he space…. the insulating material secures the conductors within the container both by directed adhesion of the encapsulant to the metal surfaces and the locking or anchoring afforded by the recesses 25 and 28”).
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Claims 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Osaka (US 2009/0285703 A1).
With respect to claim 18/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, teaches the arrangement of claim 1, but none of Dodenhoff, Paletko, and Glowacz teaches a device for driving a compressor of a vaporous fluid having a rotor and a stator, which are arranged so as to extend along a common longitudinal axis, and the casing, wherein the sealing arrangement according to claim 1 is formed on a first end face of the stator aligned in an axial direction.
Osaka discloses a seal arrangement [100] comprising a holding element [outer block 106] and joining element [collar 114], for passing a connecting element [conductive bolt 102] through a compressor housing wall [23a/23c] in order to seal the housing [casing 22] (see ¶ 0037-0038).
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Osaka teaches a device [motor 40] for driving a compressor [scroll/compressing unit 52] of a vaporous fluid having a rotor [42] and a stator [44] (see ¶ 0030), which are arranged (referring to the joint annotated excerpts of figs. 1 and 3 attached above) so as to extend along a common longitudinal axis (axis labeled in the fig. 1 excerpt), and the casing [22], wherein a sealing arrangement [100] is formed on a first end face [23c] of the stator [40] aligned in an axial direction (along the common axis drawn and labeled by the examiner, generally from left-to-right in fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the arrangement of Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, and use it in a motor-compressor unit, as taught by Osaka, in order to create an improved, inexpensive, effectively sealed motor-compressor unit, because Dodenhoff teaches that its arrangement is for driving a compressor but other than depicting the wall in the immediate vicinity of the seal, it simply leaves off dealing with the working components of the motor-compressor because the reference focuses on the sealing arrangement only. Osaka teaches a very similar sealing arrangement, and shows exactly how the sealing arrangement of Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, would be implemented, in the type of device Dodenhoff explicitly establishes as its intended use.
With respect to claim 19/18/1, Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Glowacz, and further in view of Osaka, teaches the device of claim 18, Osaka further teaches the use of said device for driving the compressor [52] for compressing the vaporous fluid for the compressor of a refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioning system (see ¶ 0026 “the motor-driven compressor 4 has a housing 20… installed into the refrigeration circuit or the like of the air conditioning system of a vehicle for usage…”).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, further in view of Hartl (US 2023/0156937 A1).
With respect to claim 20, Dodenhoff teaches a sealing arrangement [terminal 10] for passing electrical connections [pins 24] through a wall [enclosure 36] of a casing for a device for driving a compressor (col. 4, lines 14-16 recite “the sections 30 of pins 24 extend into the confines of the enclosure 36 and then make electrical connection with the compressor or the like…” – see also col. 1, lines 9-12 which recite “this type of terminal is used to carry electrical current into a hermetically enclosed compressor to run the motor…”), the sealing arrangement [10] comprising:
a connection arrangement [pins 24 in combination with their tabs 46] (see col. 4, lines 44-50) with at least one electrically conductive connecting element [24] (see col. 3, lines 47-56); and
a holding element [body 12, comprising end wall 14] (see col. 3, lines 21-24), wherein the at least one connecting element [24] is arranged within a through hole [opening 20] formed in the holding element [12/14] (see col. 24-25 and joint annotated excerpts of figs. 1, 3, and 4 attached below) and through a feedthrough hole (labeled in the fig. 3 excerpt by the Examiner) of the casing [36] so as to project into a volume enclosed by the casing [36] (again, col. 4, lines 14-16 recite “the sections 30 of pins 24 extend into the confines of the enclosure 36…”), wherein a joining element [seal 26] is arranged between the holding element [12/14] and the at least one connecting element [24], which full-circumferentially encloses the at least one connecting element [24], wherein the holding element [12/14] full-circumferentially encloses the joining element [26] (figs. 2 and 4 establish that these elements are round, and therefore necessarily full-circumferentially enclose one another in each case they are shown as outside one another in the cross-section of fig. 3).
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Dodenhoff does not teach wherein the holding element is formed as an injection-molded component made of a plastic.
Paletko discloses a sealing arrangement [10] for passing electrical connections through a wall [20], comprising a connection arrangement with at least one electrically conductive connecting element [12/14]; and a holding element [sealant 24], wherein the at least one connecting element [12/14] is arranged within a through hole formed in the holding element [24] and through a feedthrough hole of the wall [20], wherein a joining element [sleeve 15] is arranged between the holding element [24] and the at least one connecting element [12/14].
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Paletko teaches wherein the holding element [sealant 24] is formed as an injection-molded component (¶ 0008 recites “the method includes the use of a polyurethane material as the sealant. This allows the use of low-pressure injection molding technology wherein the overmold of sealant may be molded…”) made of a plastic [polyurethane].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the sealing arrangement of Dodenhoff while utilizing the injection-molded, plastic holding element, as taught by Paletko, in combination with Paletko’s manufacturing method, in order to provide an intermediate structure consisting of a shrunk sleeve and an adhesive allowing for an improved interconnection between the overmolded sealant [holding element] and the cable [connecting element] (Paletko, ¶ 0014), and also in order to promote adhesion, resulting in a sealing interface (Paletko, abstract).
Neither Dodenhoff nor Paletko teaches wherein the holding element includes continuous receiving openings formed therein configured to pass fastening elements therethrough for detachably connecting the holding element to the casing.
Hartl discloses a sealing arrangement for passing electrical connections through a wall of a casing for a device for driving a compressor (see ¶ 0001, 0014, 0023-0025, and 0075), the sealing arrangement (the embodiment of figs. 6B/6B1/6B2 and ¶ 0075-0077) comprising a connection element with at least one electrically connecting element [conductor 203.1], a holding element [120], wherein the at least one connecting element is arranged within a through hole formed in the holding element [120] and through a feedthrough hole, wherein a joining element [206.1] is arranged between the holding element [120] and the at least one connecting element [203.1], which full-circumferentially encloses the at least one connecting element [203.1] (see joint annotated excerpts of figs. 6B and 6B2 below).
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Hartl teaches holding elements including continuous receiving openings [screw bores 210.1 and 210.2] (discussed by reference number in ¶ 0073 with reference to the embodiment of fig. 5 and generally discussed as part of all the embodiments – the same reference numbers are kept for the embodiment of figs. 6B-6B2) formed therein configured to pass fastening elements (they are called “screw bores” and ¶ 0037 recites “the housing part is affixed to the structure by screws in at least two bores, e.g. screw bores at the edge…”) therethrough for detachably connecting the holding element [120] to a casing [the “structure” of ¶ 0037].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the arrangement of Dodenhoff in view of Paletko, while incorporating openings, as taught by Hartl, in order to affix the holding element and its terminals/components to the compressor housing (Hartl ¶ 0043).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2011/0083897 A1 (figs. 3-4) is one of many other references that teaches multiple notches in this type of device for anchoring the conductor.
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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.
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/Daniel K Schlak/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834