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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character “56” of figs. 5 and 6 are not mentioned in the description. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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.
Claim Objections
Claims 6, 9 and 16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 6, 9 and 16, line 2, recites, “a thickness than …elastic portion”. is grammatically awkward and appears to be missing punctuation and/or text. Appropriate correction is required.
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 5, 11 and 15 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.
Claims 5, 11 and 17 , recites, “tapping portions” it is not clear that these tapping portions of the structural parts of the wire guide or wire harness? For the further examination ‘tapping portions’ are considered as part of the wire harness, which is not positively claimed. And being portion of the wire (harness) there are flexible and can be bend or rout in any direction as needed. Appropriate corrections are required.
Claims 6, 9 and 16, line 2, recites, “the first and second connection portions each have a thickness than a thickness of the elastic portion”. is grammatically awkward and appears to be missing punctuation and/or text. For the further examination - the first and second connection portions each have a width greater than a width of the elastic portion-. 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.
Claims 1-5, 7, 8, 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being antecedent by Dallmann (US 2021/0247002) Naugler et al. (US 11,862,956) hereafter Naugler.
Regarding claim 1, Dallmann discloses, a wire guide 100 for an airbag (capable to use for airbag, the wire guide 100 comprising: a first connection portion 140a (capable to be) connected to a wire harness; a second connection portion 140b (capable to be) connected to a branch wire branching off from the wire harness (it is to be noted that wire harness and branch wires are not positively claimed); and an elastic portion 135 connecting the first and second connection portions 140a, 40b and provided to be elastically deformable,
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, wherein a cross-section of the wire guide is formed in a shape, and the wire guide (capable to) limits an installation route for the branch wire that transmits power and a control signal to a lighting emblem module (not positively claimed) provided on an airbag cover that accommodates an airbag module therein.
Regarding claim 2, Dallmann discloses, the second connection portion 140b is rotated about one end portion connected to the elastic portion 135 in response to operation (pressed) of an operator (user), and wherein when the operation is released, the second connection portion is rotated to return to an original position thereof by a restoring force of the elastic portion.
Regarding claim 3, Dallmann discloses, the first and second connection portions 140a, 140b are each formed in a straight bar shape (see fig. 1A), and wherein the wire guide further includes first and second fixing pieces 180-1, 180-2 respectively provided on the first and second connection portions and surrounding and fixing the wire harness and the branch wire, respectively (fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 4, Dallmann discloses, the first and second fixing pieces are respectively formed to be curved or bent to surround the wire harness and the branch wire, respectively (see fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 5, as best understood, Dallmann discloses, portions (it is to be noted that these taping portions are portion of wire harness, which is having an elasticity lower than predetermined elasticity), which are configured by a fabric material or a tape having an elasticity lower than a predetermined elasticity, are respectively provided on external surfaces of the first and second connection portions in a state in which the first and second connection portions are respectively fixed to the wire harness and the branch wire to prevent abnormal noise caused by vibration.
Regarding claim 7, Dallmann discloses, a wire guide 100 for an airbag (capable to use for airbag, the wire guide 100 comprising: a first connection portion140a (capable to be) connected to a wire harness; a second connection portion 140b connected (capable to be) to a branch wire branching off from the wire harness (it is to be noted that wire harness and branch wires are not positively claimed); and an elastic portion 135 configured to connect the first connection portion and the second connection portion, having elasticity, and configured to limit a spacing distance between the first connection portion 140a and the second connection portion 140b, wherein the branch wire transmits power and a control signal to a lighting emblem module provided on an airbag cover that accommodates an airbag module therein.
Regarding claim 8, Dallmann discloses, the wire guide for an airbag is made of a synthetic resin material (which is plastic) (see paragraph [0047], and the first connection portion 140a, the second connection portion 140b, and the elastic portion135 are integrated.
Regarding claim 10, Dallmann discloses, the first and second connection portions 140a, 140b are each formed in a straight bar shape (see fig. 1A), and wherein the wire guide further includes first and second fixing pieces 180-1, 180-2 respectively provided on the first and second connection portions and surrounding and fixing the wire harness and the branch wire, respectively (fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 11, as best understood, Dallmann discloses, portions (it is to be noted that these taping portions are portion of wire harness, which is having an elasticity lower than predetermined elasticity), which are configured by a fabric material or a tape having an elasticity lower than a predetermined elasticity, are respectively provided on external surfaces of the first and second connection portions in a state in which the first and second connection portions are respectively fixed to the wire harness and the branch wire to prevent abnormal noise caused by vibration.
Regarding claim 12, Dallmann discloses, a wire guide 100 for an airbag (capable to use for airbag, the wire guide 100 comprising: a first connection portion 140a connected to a wire harness; a second connection portion 140b connected to a branch wire branching off from the wire harness (it is to be noted that wire harness and branch wires are not positively claimed); and an elastic portion 135 configured to connect the first connection portion and the second connection portion, having elasticity, and configured to allow the first connection portion 140a and the second connection portion 140b to be positioned adjacent to each other, wherein the branch wire transmits power and a control signal to a lighting emblem module provided on an airbag cover that accommodates an airbag module therein.
Regarding claim 13, Dallmann discloses, the first and second connection portions 140a, 140b are each formed in a straight bar shape (see fig. 1A), and wherein the wire guide further includes first and second fixing pieces 180-1, 180-2 respectively provided on the first and second connection portions 140a, 140b and surrounding and fixing the wire harness and the branch wire, respectively (fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 14, Dallmann discloses, the first and second fixing pieces 180-1, 180-2 are respectively formed to be curved or bent to surround the wire harness and the branch wire, respectively.
Regarding claim 15, as best understood, Dallmann discloses, portions (it is to be noted that these taping portions are portion of wire harness, which is having an elasticity lower than predetermined elasticity), which are configured by a fabric material or a tape having an elasticity lower than a predetermined elasticity, are respectively provided on external surfaces of the first and second connection portions in a state in which the first and second connection portions are respectively fixed to the wire harness and the branch wire to prevent abnormal noise caused by vibration.
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 6, 9 and 12, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dallmann.
Regarding claims 6, 9 and 12, Dallmann discloses all the claimed limitations except for the first and the first and second connection portions each have a width greater than a width of the elastic portion.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the first and second connection portions each have a width greater than a width of the elastic portion, in order to have better mechanical stability and durability, and since a change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dallmann in view of Backmann et al. (US 10,773,673) hereafter Backmann.
Dallmann discloses all the claimed limitations except for a steering wheel airbag for a vehicle, the steering wheel airbag including the wire guide for the airbag of claim 1.
Backmann discloses the cable duct is used for the guiding and retaining a wire harness.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have use of replace the cable duct of Backmann by the retaining clip of Dallmann. Or It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the wire guide of Dallmann as claimed in claim 1, in order to have better guising and mechanically retaining the wire harness or cable duct of Backmann.
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 HARSHAD C PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-8289. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 8:00 am - 5.00 pm (EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A Riyami can be reached at 571-270 3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HARSHAD C PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831