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 Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 9, fourth line from the bottom, “membertoward” should be member toward”. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-2 and 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakano et al. 10,935,171.
In regard to claim 1, Nakano et al. discloses a flexible tube assembly, comprising:
a metal tube (12) comprising large diameter portions (16) and small diameter portions (18) positioned alternately along a longitudinal axis of the metal tube;
a wire braiding (20) mounted around the metal tube (12);
a mechanism mounted on one end of the meal tube and associated one end of the wire braiding to connect the one end of the metal tube with the associated one end of the wire braiding;
wherein the mechanism comprises a first ring (26) positioned between the metal tube and
the wire braiding and fitted in one of the small diameter portions of the metal tube (at 28);
a second ring (34) positioned around the first ring (26) and the wire braiding (20) to secure the wire braiding (20) around the first ring (26);
a first annular member (32) and a second annular member (52) positioned on opposite sides of the first ring (26) and the second ring (34) with respect to a direction along a longitudinal axis of the metal tube, the first annular member and the second annular member being configured to be assembled with each (via the threaded surfaces of 26 and 52) other by approaching toward each other along the longitudinal axis and, in an assembled condition, at least one of the first annular member and the second annular member surrounds cut wire ends of the wire braiding unexposed (see fig. 2 where the end of 20 is enclosed between 32 and 52).
In regard to claim 2, wherein the first annular member (32) comprises a first engagement portion (threads 36) and the second annular member (52) comprises a second engagement portion (threads 56), the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion being configured such that, in the assembled condition, the first engagement portion engages the second engagement portion and the at least one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion surrounds the cut wire ends of the wire braiding unexposed (see fig. 2 where end of 20 is covered or enclosed by 32 and 52).
In regard to claim 4, Nakano et al. discloses a flexible tube assembly, comprising:
a metal tube (12) comprising a first end and a second end,
a longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end, and
large diameter portions (16) and small diameter portions (18) positioned alternately along the longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end;
a first ring (26) fitted in one of the small diameter portions adjacent the first end of the metal tube (at 28);
a wire braiding (20) mounted around substantially an entire length of the metal tube and around the first ring 26);
a second ring (34) mounted on a first end portion of the wire braiding mounted around the first ring to secure the first end portion of the wire braiding on the first ring;
and a first annular member (32) and a second annular member (32) positioned on opposite sides of the first ring and the second ring with respect to a direction along the longitudinal axis,
the first annular member and the second annular member being configured to be assembled with each other by approaching toward each other along the longitudinal axis (via the threads 36 and 56) and, in an assembled condition, at least one of the first annular member and the second annular member surrounds the first end portion of the wire braiding such that cut ends of wires of the first end portion of the wire braiding are unexposed (end of 20 is covered by 32 and 52).
In regard to claim 5, wherein the first annular member (32) is disposed on a first side of
the first ring (26) and the second ring (34), close to the first end of the metal tube, with respect to a direction along the longitudinal axis;
the second annular member (52) is disposed on a second side of the first ring and the second ring, away from the first end of the metal tube than the first side; and
in the assembled condition, the first annular member (32) surrounds the first end of the wire braiding (see fig. 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 6-9 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. Strunk, Kramer, Quaranta, Mullen, Mau, Goodridge, Fuhmann, Humphrey, Monroe and Brinkman disclose similar couplings that are common and well known in the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID E. BOCHNA whose telephone number is (571)272-7078. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Troutman can be reached at (571) 270-3654. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID BOCHNA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679