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 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.
Claim(s) 32-35, 38-45, 50-56, and 59-62 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Heo et al. (US Pub. No. 2020/0395807).
Regarding claim 32, the Heo et al. (hereinafter Heo) reference discloses a sealing arrangement (Figs. 3,5) for guiding electrical connections through a wall (wall of 111) of a housing (111) for a device for driving a compressor, the sealing arrangement comprising:
a connection arrangement (Figs. 3,5) with at least one electrically conductive connection element (e.g. 52);
a holding element (51);
at least one connection terminal element (e.g. 53) for receiving the at least one connection element formed in a direction of a longitudinal axis, which is respectively enclosed by the holding element and a sealing element (61) around an entire circumference, wherein the sealing element is arranged in a region of a feed-through opening of the housing between the housing and the at least one connection terminal element and respectively sealing in a radial direction (Figs. 3,5), resting against the housing and the at least one connection terminal element in a fluid-tight manner (Figs. 3,5); and
at least one pressure element (613) is formed for creating a sealing acting in the radial direction by means of a pressure force on the sealing element acting in the direction of the longitudinal axis (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 33, the Heo reference discloses the at least one connection terminal element is arranged within a through opening formed in the holding element (Figs. 3,5), wherein the holding element rests against an outside of the housing and the at least one connection terminal element protrudes through the feed-through opening of the housing and into a volume enclosed by the housing (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 34, the Heo reference discloses the holding element is formed plate-shaped with oppositely arranged surfaces and at least one through opening for receiving the at least one connection terminal element (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 35, the Heo reference discloses an end face (e.g. at least end face of the snap fit) of the at least one connection terminal element is arranged flush with a surface of a side of the holding element oriented facing away from the housing (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 38, the Heo reference discloses the sealing element is formed in a ring-shaped manner around the longitudinal axis (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 39, the Heo reference discloses the sealing element has an incision formed around the entire circumference in a shape of a notch (e.g. notch at P3) at a first end face which is oriented in an axial direction (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 40, the Heo reference discloses the sealing element is formed with at least two sealing lips (e.g. 611,612) which are oriented in an axial direction and which are arranged, at an end face thereof, running around the sealing element and concentrically to one another (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 41, the Heo reference discloses the at least two sealing lips are formed tapering in free end sections facing the axial direction (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 42, the Heo reference discloses a first sealing surface e.g. surface of 611 in contact with 52) is formed at a lateral surface of a first inner one of the sealing lips pointing inwards in the radial direction and that a second sealing surface (e.g. sealing surfaces at P2,P3) is formed at a lateral surface of a second outer one of the sealing lips pointing outwards in the radial direction (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 43, the Heo reference discloses the first sealing surface is arranged sealingly resting against the at least one connection terminal element and the second sealing surface is arranged sealingly resting against the housing (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 44, the Heo reference discloses the sealing element has a formation (e.g. P2) running around the entire circumference at a second end face oriented distally to the first end face in the axial direction (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 45, the Heo reference discloses the formation is formed in a shape of a crease which is rectangular in cross-section and whose shape and dimension corresponds to a receptacle of the holding element (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 50, the Heo reference discloses the at least one connection terminal element is formed substantially in a shape of an annular cylinder with sections with different outer diameters arranged along the longitudinal axis (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 51, the Heo reference discloses the at least one connection terminal element is formed with an opening shaped as an annular cylinder for receiving the at least one connection element, starting from an end face oriented facing a direction of an outside of the housing and extending in the longitudinal direction of the at least one connection terminal element (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 52, the Heo reference discloses a first section (e.g. section of 53 at 51) of the at least one connection terminal element is arranged within a through opening formed in the holding element, wherein the first section of the at least one connection terminal element has an outer diameter which corresponds to an inner diameter of the through opening with a clearance (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 53, the Heo reference discloses the at least one connection terminal element has a second section (e.g. either end sections of the snap fit) joining the first section in the direction of the longitudinal axis and which is formed with an outer diameter larger than the first section (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 54, the Heo reference discloses the second section of the at least one connection terminal element is enclosed by the sealing element around the entire circumference at least in regions (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 55, the Heo reference discloses the second section of the at least one connection terminal element is formed with the outer diameter which corresponds to an inner diameter of the sealing element with a clearance (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 56, the Heo reference discloses the at least one connection terminal element has a third section (e.g. section of 53 left of lead line 53 but not all the way to the leftmost tip of 53) joining the second section in the direction of the longitudinal axis and which is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the second section (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 59, the Heo reference discloses the at least one connection terminal element has a fourth section (e.g. section at left tip of 53) joining the third section in the direction of the longitudinal axis and which is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the third section (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 60, the Heo reference discloses the at least one connection element is formed as a pin-shaped plug connector in a shape of a cylinder (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 61, the Heo reference discloses the at least one connection element is formed in the shape of an annular cylinder with a constant outer diameter (Figs. 3,5).
Regarding claim 62, the Heo reference discloses the at least one connection element, with a first end ahead, is arranged inserted in an opening formed as a blind hole, at an end face of the at least one connection terminal element oriented facing an outside of the housing (Figs. 1,3,5).
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.
Claim(s) 36 and 37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heo.
Regarding claim 36, the Heo reference discloses the holding element.
However, the Heo reference fails to explicitly disclose at a side oriented facing the housing, has a receptacle for the sealing element which is formed around an entire circumference of the at least one through opening and in a shape of a protrusion.
The Heo reference discloses a receptacle (1122) in the housing.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide a receptacle to the holding element in the Heo reference in view of the teachings of Fig. 5 of the Heo reference in order to ensure proper seating.
Regarding claim 37, the Heo reference, as modified in claim 36, discloses an elevation which is rectangular in cross-section is formed at a side of the receptacle oriented facing the housing (e.g. Heo, Fig. 5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 46-49, 57, and 58 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GILBERT Y LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-5894. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-430pm.
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/GILBERT Y LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675