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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 3 – 8, and 10 - 12 have been considered, but they are not persuasive. Please see the ground(s) of rejection below. Thus, Applicant’s traversal of the instant rejection on these grounds is deemed unsuccessful.
Claim Objections
Claims 6, 7, and 12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 6: claim 6 depends from claim 2, a claim which has been cancelled.
Regarding claim 7: claim 7 depends from claim 2, a claim which has been cancelled.
Regarding claim 12: a period is needed at the end of claim 12.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yuji (JP 2012-028075A).
Regarding claim 12, in Figure 6 (see Annotated Figure 6 below), Yuji discloses an electrical junction box comprising: a busbar (31); a molded resin portion (20, 21) that is insert-molded (page 5, paragraph 4) using the busbar as an insert component; a case (54) that covers the molded resin portion to form a waterproof space (rubber seal member 54 provides waterproofing of the waterproof region; page 6, paragraph 5); a blocking portion (40) that blocks a first opening out of a first opening (bottom opening of cavity 33) and a second opening (top opening of cavity 33) of a through hole (33, water-stopping material filling cavity 33; page 6, paragraph 2) passing through the molded resin portion (closing portion 40 blocks the bottom opening of cavity 33); and a waterproofing resin (45) that is filled in the through hole, wherein the molded resin portion includes a first holding portion that holds one end portion of the busbar, and a second holding portion that holds the busbar with the other end portion of the busbar being exposed in the waterproof space (see Annotated Figure 6 below), the through hole is formed between the first holding portion and the second holding portion and an entire periphery of an intermediate portion of the busbar is exposed in the through hole (see Annotated Figure 6 below), the blocking portion is a member that is provided separately from the molded resin portion (closing portion 40 of the first housing 11 is a separately provided member), and the waterproofing resin reaches the blocking portion while entirely covering the periphery of the intermediate portion of the busbar (the water-stopping material 45 covers the entire circumference of the bus bar portion that is disposed in the cavity 33), wherein the blocking portion includes a bottom portion configured to be seated into the first opening (bottom opening of cavity 33) so as to close the first opening (bottom portion of blocking portion 40 fills the bottom opening of cavity 33).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 3 – 8, and 10 – 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuji.
Regarding claim 1, in Figure 6 (see Annotated Figure 6 below), Yuji discloses an electrical junction box comprising: a busbar (31); a molded resin portion (20, 21) that is insert-molded (page 5, paragraph 4) using the busbar as an insert component, the molded resin portion having a first holding portion and a second holding portion (see Annotated Figure 6 below); a case (54) that covers the second holding portion of the molded resin portion to form a waterproof space (rubber seal member 54 provides waterproofing of the waterproof region; page 6, paragraph 5; the claim does not recite that the case covers only the second holding portion of the molded resin portion); a blocking portion (40) formed integral to the case and blocks a first opening out of a first opening (top opening of cavity 33) and a second opening (bottom opening of cavity 33) of a through hole (33, water-stopping material filling cavity 33; page 6, paragraph 2) passing through the second portion of the molded resin portion (closing portion 40 blocks the bottom opening of cavity 33); and a waterproofing resin (45) that is filled in the through hole, wherein the first holding portion holds one end portion of the busbar, and the second holding portion holds the busbar with the other end portion of the busbar being exposed in the waterproof space (see Annotated Figure 6 below), the through hole is formed between the first holding portion and the second holding portion and an entire periphery of an intermediate portion of the busbar is exposed in the through hole (see Annotated Figure 6 below), the blocking portion is a member that is provided separately from the molded resin portion (closing portion 40 of the first housing 11 is a separately provided member), and the waterproofing resin reaches the blocking portion while entirely covering the periphery of the intermediate portion of the busbar (the water-stopping material 45 covers the entire circumference of the bus bar portion that is disposed in the cavity 33). Yuji does not specifically disclose the blocking portion 40 being formed integral to the case 54. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to integrally form the blocking portion 40 and the case 54, since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed into pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1893).
PNG
media_image1.png
662
872
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 3, Yuji discloses wherein the blocking portion is welded to a peripheral edge portion of the through hole in the molded resin portion (Figure 6).
Regarding claim 4, Yuji discloses wherein one of the blocking portion and a peripheral edge portion of the through hole in the molded resin portion is provided with an annular groove and the other is provided with an annular protrusion fitted to the groove (Figure 6).
Regarding claim 5, Yuji discloses wherein a portion of the blocking portion that serves as a bottom of the through hole enters the through hole (Figure 6).
Regarding claim 6, Yuji discloses wherein the blocking portion is welded to a peripheral edge portion of the through hole in the molded resin portion (Figure 6).
Regarding claim 7, Yuji discloses wherein one of the blocking portion and a peripheral edge portion of the through hole in the molded resin portion is provided with an annular groove and the other is provided with an annular protrusion fitted to the groove (Figure 6).
Regarding claim 8, Yuji discloses wherein one of the blocking portion and a peripheral edge portion of the through hole in the molded resin portion is provided with an annular groove and the other is provided with an annular protrusion fitted to the groove (Figure 6).
Regarding claim 10, Yuji discloses wherein a portion of the blocking portion that serves as a bottom of the through hole enters the through hole (Figure 6).
Regarding claim 11, Yuji discloses wherein a portion of the blocking portion that serves as a bottom of the through hole enters the through hole (Figure 6).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TREMESHA W BURNS whose telephone number is (571)270-3391. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am - 4:30 pm EST.
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, Timothy Thompson can be reached at (571) 272-2342. 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.
/TREMESHA W BURNS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847