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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in present Application filed on September 15, 2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed September 15, 2023, September 25, 2024, and July 25, 205 have been submitted for consideration by the Office. It has been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered.
Applicants must continue to share prior art references throughout the patent application process. A supplemental IDS must be submitted if prior art is discovered through a foreign patent application or an International Patent Search, or a related application before a prosecution closes.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a) because they fail to show subject matter of claims 19-38. Any structural detail that is essential for a proper understanding of the disclosed invention should be shown in the drawing. MPEP § 608.02(d). 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 27-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Rejection of claim 27, the limitation “wherein each of said insulating carriers has a base part with said longitudinal grooves formed therein and a cover which is fastened to said base part” contains matters which failing to comply with the written description requirement.
Specification mentions that each level has an insulating carrier 20 with the longitudinal grooves 24. The insulating carriers 20 are arranged one above another; specifically, the opening slots 26 are oriented in the same direction. Preferably, the base of the one insulating carrier 20 forms a cover for the insulating carrier 24 located there below. Preferably, a separate cover 34 is provided only for the upper insulating carrier 20 (see further in paragraphs 0064 and 0065 of PGPUB of this application). Therefore, claim 27 contains new matter.
Claim 28 depends on claims 27 therefore, rejected for the same reason.
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 19-21, 23-26, and 29-38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C.103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe et al. (US6490169, herein referred to as Watanabe) and further in view of Nishimura et al (US20220263298, herein referred to as Nishimura) and/or Corsi et al. (US4907767, herein referred to as Corsi).
Rejection of claim 19, Watanabe discloses a distribution system (figures 2a-2b, Watanabe) for an electrical system of a motor vehicle, the distribution system comprising:
a supply line which, in the installed state, serves for the supply of components connected to the supply line (for defined intended use, by having structure as shown in figures 2a-2b, Watanabe capable of or I needed used for intended purpose. Additionally see specification In FIG. 4, reference numeral 10 denotes a synthetic resin-made case with its upper and front portions open, and reference numeral 11 denotes a synthetic resin-made cluster cover for covering openings 12 and 13 of the case 10. A bus bar circuit board 14 for power supply having the above-described bus bar circuit structure is vertically inserted and fitted in the case 10 through the upper opening 12, and used for automobile), wherein the supply line has, characterized in that - a case has an insulating carrier with in each case a plurality of longitudinal grooves which are delimited from one another in an insulating manner and into which bare and solid conductors are placed, each of the insulating carriers is in the form of a pre-manufactured component into which the conductors are insertable retrospectively(see figure 2B wherein resin substrate 1 having conductor are inserted in the substrate 1)
Watanabe fails to disclose wherein the supply line has a plurality of levels characterized in that - each level in each case has an insulating carrier; the two insulating carriers are arranged one above another.
Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose wherein the supply line has a plurality of levels characterized in that - each level in each case has an insulating carrier; the two insulating carriers are arranged one above another (see figure 2 of Nishimura, and/or figure 7 of Corsi).
It would have been obvious to ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the distribution system of Watanabe to have stacking of insulating carriers as taught by Nishimura and/or Corsi. By doing so stacking of insulating carriers one above another in the Watanabe carry out more or increase amount of space apart conductors to safely carry out current through from one place or device to other place or device in the vehicle. Note that it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Rejection of claim 20, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, in which a base of the one insulating carrier forms a cover for the insulating carrier located there below (see figure 7 of Corsi).
Rejection of claim 21, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, wherein a respective conductor of said bare and solid conductors is held in a form-fitting manner in a respective one of said longitudinal grooves and, for this purpose, said insulating carrier has an opening slot formed on an upper side of said insulating carrier and said opening slot has an opening width which is smaller than a width of said respective conductor, wherein said opening slots are oriented in a same direction (see the figures 2a-2b of Watanabe).
Rejection of claim 23, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, wherein said bare and solid conductors are in a form of solid round conductors (see the figures 2a-2b of Watanabe, ).
Rejection of claim 24, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, wherein said insulating carriers each have a base part with said longitudinal grooves formed therein, said base part is open upward, and said bare and solid conductors are disposed from above into said base part. (see the figures 2a-2b of Watanabe; additionally see Nishimura).
Rejection of claim 25, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, wherein adjacent ones of said longitudinal grooves are separated from one another by a wall of said insulating carrier and said wall widens upward and forms an undercut (see the figures 2a-2b of Watanabe; additionally see Corsi).
Rejection of claim 26, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, wherein said insulating carriers are in a form of an extruded part (see the figures 2a-2b of Watanabe; additionally see Nishimura; note that structure or product is what it is, not how it is made by different method or process).
Rejection of claim 29, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, wherein at least one of said bare and solid conductors protrudes on an end side beyond said insulating carrier and forms a contact tongue for contacting said one bare and solid conductor (see end of conductors the figures 6-7 of Nishimura going beyond insulating carrier for connecting connector ).
Rejection of claim 30, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, the distribution system according to further comprising a plug part; and wherein each of said bare and solid conductors has a contact tongue in a form of a plug-in contact tongue which, in a connected state, is plugged into said plug part (see end or contact of conductors in the figures 6-7 of Nishimura going beyond insulating carrier for connecting connector 13a ).
Rejection of claim 31, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, wherein a branching conductor connected to at least one of said bare and solid conductors via an integrally bonded connection (see figures 6-7 and paragraphs 0067-0068 of Nishimura wherein contact end of the branch line conductors and main line conductors are oriented differently).
Rejection of claim 32, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, wherein a branching conductor connected to at least one of said bare and solid conductors via an integrally bonded connection (see figures 6-7 and paragraphs 0067-0068 of Nishimura).
Rejection of claim 33, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, wherein said insulating carrier is fastened to a supporting structure of the motor vehicle or is part of the supporting structure (see figure 4 of Watanabe and/or see paragraph 0085 of Nishimura).
Rejection of claim 34, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, wherein the electrical system has a plurality of zones which are spatially spaced apart from one another and said supply line connects the plurality of zones to one another (note that herein each supply line conductor separate connected to each other considered as separate zones, as well as each insulating carrier having group of conductors also defined as separate zone , in Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi, and furthermore see in Nishimura wherein 10B and 10C are defined as two zones in figures 6-7) .
Rejection of claim 35, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 35, further comprising a plurality of decentralized control devices, wherein the zones each have one of said decentralized control devices and said supply line connects two of said decentralized control devices to each other (see figures 6-7 of Nishimura).
Rejection of claim 36, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, but fail to disclose wherein said supply line is one of two redundant supply lines which run parallel to one another in the motor vehicle from a front vehicle part to a rear vehicle part.
It would have been obvious design to ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the distribution system of Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi to have said supply line is one of two redundant supply lines which run parallel to one another in the motor vehicle from a front vehicle part to a rear vehicle part so that it able to supply power to multiple electrical or ecteronic devices by connecting though multiple supply lines.
Rejection of claim 37, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, but fail to disclose wherein said supply line is one of two redundant supply lines which run parallel to one another in the motor vehicle from a front vehicle part to a rear vehicle part.
It would have been obvious design to ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the distribution system of Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi to have at least two adjacent conductors of said bare and solid conductors have an identical potential during operation and are connected to one another.so that it creates electrostatic conditions. the net electric field inside a conductor is zero. Since electric field is zero, this implies that each point inside conductor is at same potential, or the conductor is equipotential. This equilibrium is a fundamental principle for conductors in electrostatic conditions. And electrostatic conditions are managed to control the electric field and prevent insulation failure.
Rejection of claim 38, claim 38 is rejected by the same way as mentioned in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C.103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe, Nishimura and/or Corsi and further in view of Ho et al. (US20090293233, herein referred to as Ho).
Rejection of claim 22, Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi disclose the distribution system according to claim 19, wherein a respective conductor of said bare and solid conductors is held in a form-fitting manner in a respective one of said longitudinal grooves and, for this purpose, said insulating carrier has an opening slot formed on an upper side of said insulating carrier and said opening slot has an opening width which is smaller than a width of said respective conductor (see figure 7 of Corsi).
Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi fail to disclose wherein said opening slots of said insulating carriers face each other.
Ho disclose wherein said opening slots of said insulating carriers face each other (see figure 1).
It would have been obvious design to ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the distribution system of Watanabe in view of Nishimura and/or Corsi to have said opening slots of said insulating carriers face each other as taught by Ho because it is just another structural design to securely hold conductors within the insulating carrier of the distribution system as well as keep some of sets of the pair of conductors close to each other.
Pertinent Prior Arts
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please refer to the enclosed PTO-892 form for the citation of pertinent art in the present case, all of which disclose various the distribution systems.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Susan M Heschel whose telephone number is (571)272-6621. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Daniel Troy can be reached on (571)270-3742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/PARESH PAGHADAL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847