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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on October 11, 2023 and November 9, 2023 have been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Ban-Andreasen (US 11,031,756) .
Regarding claim 1, Ban-Andreasen discloses an apparatus (10; see figure 1) for selectively releasing at least one retaining element during a pull-in process that locates a rigid support body (34) at a predetermined location with respect to an aperture in a wall (35) of a facility, comprising: a rigid support body (34) comprising a through bore (see figure 4) that extends through a length of the support body (34) and through which a flexible elongate member (12; see figure 5) is locatable; at least one latch arm (40) slidable along a respective axis of sliding with respect to the support body (34); and for each latch arm (40), an abutment element (see figure 6) that moves with the latch arm (40) and is disposed to abut with a portion of a wall (35) of a facility when the support body (34) is located through an aperture in the wall of the facility (see figure 6); wherein the latch arm (40) is disposed to respectively slide in a first direction of motion away from a retaining element (see figure 6) supported on the rigid support body (34) when the rigid support body (34) passes through the aperture to thereby release the retaining element (see figure 6) from a storage position when the retaining element is within the facility (see figures 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 2, Ban-Andreasen discloses the apparatus (10; see figure 1), further comprising: the latch arm (40) comprises a frangible connector (42), at a first end of the latch arm (40), that is releasably connected to an end region of the retaining element (see figure 6).
Regarding claim 3, Ban-Andreasen discloses the apparatus (10, see figure 1), further comprising: the frangible connector (42) comprises an elongate pin member and/or a socket body for receiving an elongate pin member (see figure 6).
Regarding claim 4, Ban-Andreasen discloses the apparatus (10, see figure 1), further comprising: the latch arm (40) comprises a frangible portion (42) that is connectable to the retaining element (see figure 6).
Regarding claim 5, Ban-Andreasen discloses the apparatus (10, see figure 1), further comprising: the frangible portion (42) is located within a latch body of the latch arm (40) such that the latch body is breakable at a predetermined cracking point of the latch arm (40).
Regarding claim 6, Ban-Andreasen discloses the apparatus (10, see figure 1), further comprising: the abutment element (see figure 5 and 6) comprises a peg member (teeth), that extends away from the latch arm, or a recess in the latch arm (40; see figure 6).
Regarding claim 7, Ban-Andreasen discloses the apparatus (10, see figure 1), further comprising: the peg (teeth) is locatable in a cooperating recess in an inner surface of an outer sleeve coupled to the rigid support body (34; see figures 5-8).
Regarding claim 8, Ban- Andreasen discloses the apparatus (10, see figure 1), further comprising: the latch arm (40) is slidably disposed in an elongate recess in an outer surface of the support body (34; se figure 5-8).
Regarding claim 9, Ban- Andreasen discloses the apparatus (10, see figure 1), further comprising: the axis of sliding extends substantially parallel with but spaced apart from a primary axis associated with a central through-bore that extends through the rigid support body (see figures 5-6).
Regarding claim 10, Ban- Andreasen discloses the apparatus (10, see figure 1), further comprising: the at least one latch arm (40) comprises a pair of latch arms each associated with a respective one of a pair of retaining elements disposed in a spaced apart relationship on opposed sides of the rigid support body (see figures 5-8).
Regarding claim 11, Ban- Andreasen discloses a method (see figures 5 and 6) for selectively releasing at least one retaining element (see figure 6) during a pull-in process that locates a rigid support body (34) at a predetermined location with respect to an aperture in a wall of a facility, comprising: urging a rigid support body (34) at least partially through an aperture in a wall (35) of facility (see figure 5), the rigid support body (34) comprising a through bore that extends through a length of the support body (34) and through which a flexible elongate member (12) is locatable; providing an abutment force on at least one abutment element (see figure 6) that moves with a respective at least one latch arm (40) that is coupled to the rigid support body (34) and that is slidable along a respective axis of sliding with respect to the support body (34); and responsive to the abutment force, respectively sliding the at least one latch arm (40) in a first direction of motion away from a retaining element (see figure 6) supported on the rigid support body (34) to thereby release the retaining element from a storage position when the retaining element is at a location within the facility (see figure 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 12, Ban- Andreasen discloses the method (see figures 5 and 6), further comprising generating the abutment force responsive to the abutment element (see figure 6) abutting an outer surface of the wall (35) of the facility proximate to the aperture as a portion of the rigid support body is urged through the aperture (see figure 5).
Regarding claim 13, Ban- Andreasen discloses the method (see figures 5 and 6), further comprising permitting relative sliding motion of at least a portion of the latch arm (40) with respect to the retaining element when the abutment force exceeds a predetermined threshold force (see figures 5-8).
Regarding claim 14, Ban- Andreasen discloses the method (see figures 5 and 6), further comprising sliding the at least one latch arm (40) subsequent to cracking a frangible portion (42) of the latch arm (40).
Regarding claim 15, Ban- Andreasen discloses the method (see figures 5 and 6), further comprising preventing undesired release of the retaining element from the storage position by holding the retaining element (see figure 5) in the storage position via a respective latch arm (40) that is connected to the respective retaining element via a frangible portion (42) that comprises a frangible connector (42; see figures 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 16, Ban- Andreasen discloses the method (see figures 5 and 6), further comprising sliding the at least one latch arm (40) subsequent to cracking a frangible portion (42) of the latch arm (40), wherein the predetermined threshold force is determined by a cracking force required to crack the frangible portion (see figures 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 17, Ban- Andreasen discloses the method (see figures 5 and 6), further comprising sliding the at least one latch arm (40) within an elongate recess in an outer surface of the rigid support body (34) or with respect to a recess carried on the outer surface of the rigid support body (34) as the rigid body is urged through the aperture whereby the abutment element remains fixed in place via abutment to an outer edge of the outer surface of the wall (35) around the aperture and the rigid support body and retaining element continues to move inside the facility (see figures 5-8).
Regarding claim 18, Ban- Andreasen discloses the method (see figures 5 and 6), further comprising respectively sliding the at least one latch arm (40) in the first direction of motion with respect to the rigid support body (34) until the at least one abutment element is located within an accommodating recess in an inner surface of an outer sleeve coupled to the rigid support body (see figure 5-8).
Regarding claim 19, Ban- Andreasen discloses the method (see figures 5 and 6), further comprising respectively sliding the latch arm (40) by holding a portion of the latch arm (40) in a fixed position as an abutment element carried with said a portion is stopped by abutting an outer surface of the wall and continuing to move the rigid support body that supports the retaining arm in a direction opposite to the first direction and that locates at least a rigid support body portion inside the facility (see figure 5-8).
Regarding claim 20, Ban- Andreasen discloses the method (see figures 5 and 6), further comprising: subsequent to the release/retaining element (see figures 5 and 6) being released from the storage position, via gravity and/or a biasing force provided via a respective biasing element, locating the retaining element in a disposed/deployed position thereby retaining the rigid support body at a predetermined location with respect to the aperture in the wall (see figures 5-8).
Conclusion
4. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Morse (US 9,800,030) and Gill (US 2024/0022050) disclose an apparatus having a retaining element.
5. Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Angel R. Estrada at telephone number (571) 272-1973. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:30am -5:00pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N. Hayman can be reached on (571) 270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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January 10, 2026
/ANGEL R ESTRADA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841