DETAILED ACTION
The response filed on January 22, 2025 is acknowledged.
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-AlA) 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 102 which forms the basis for all rejections set forth 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) (whichever apply) as being anticipated by Zhou et al. (US20160049222, herein referred to as Zhou) or Brorein et al. (US4468089, herein referred to as Brorein), or Saito et al. (US20050129347, herin referred to as Saito).
Rejection of claim 1, Zhou (figures 4-5) or Brorein (figures 3-4) or Saito (figure 28A) discloses a wire harness comprising:
a wire bundle having a plurality of electrical wires and a flat part in which the plurality of wires are lined up flat in at least part thereof in a direction in which the wire bundle extends; and a first tape member and a second tape member affixed together with the flat part sandwiched therebetween from both sides in a thickness direction of the flat part, wherein the first tape member and the second tape member are each band-shaped and comprise a band-shaped substrate and an adhesive layer laminated on one surface of the substrate, wherein the first tape member and the second tape member are directly affixed to each other on both sides in a width direction of the flat part, and wherein the first tape member has first circular-arc sticking portions that are circular arc shaped extending around outer peripheral surfaces of wires located at both edges in the flat part, out of the wires located between the first tape member and the second tape member, and adhered to the outer peripheral surfaces thereof, and the second tape member has second circular-arc sticking portions that are circular arc shaped extending around the outer peripheral surfaces of the wires located at both edges in the flat part, out of the wires located between the first tape member and the second tape member, and adhered to the outer peripheral surfaces thereof (Zhou in figures 4-5 discloses to have the transmission lines 2a are flat-configuration multi-core wires (as shown in FIG. 4); the top and bottom coating portions 13 of the abrasion-resistant flexible sheets 10a are partially adhered to the outer surfaces of the plurality of transmission lines 2a by top and bottom adhesive layers 12, the abrasion-resistant flexible sheets 10a are directly affixed to each other on both sides in a width direction of the flat part at ; and the abrasion-resistant flexible sheets 10a have circular-arc sticking portions that are circular arc shaped extending around outer peripheral surfaces of wires located at both edges in the flat part, out of the wires located between the first tape member and the second tape member, and adhered to the outer peripheral surface; or Similarly Brorein in figures 3-4 having flats configuration with wires 15 with curved shaped at the both ends covered by and between two strips 16 and 17 as substrates with adhesive on their surfaces 18 and 19; or similarly Saito in figure 28A having flat configuration with wires 506 with curved shaped at the both ends covered by and between two strips 504 with adhesive on their inner surfaces).
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) (whichever apply) as anticipated by Saito or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Zhou or Brorein.
Rejection of claim 2, Saito discloses the wire harness according to claim 1 wherein the first tape member and the second tape member are each band shaped and extend in the direction in which the wire bundle extends (see Saito mentions that for the material of the sheets, …polypropylene… or the like is used; or Brorein mentions that ) .
Additionally or Alternatively , It was well known and old to use polyethylene in cable or wire jacketing, sheathing, or protecting layers or tapes due to environmentally friendly insulation Materia, durability, high resistance to wear, and/or ability to withstand harsh environmental condition. Therefore. It would have obvious to ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the wire harness of the Zhou or Brorein have the first tape and the second tape members made of polypropylene because of the well-known reason mentioned above.
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 wire harness assemblies.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PARESH PAGHADAL whose telephone number is (571)272-5251. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00AM-4:00PM, Monday - Thursday.
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/PARESH PAGHADAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847