DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Election/Restrictions
Claim 1 is allowable. The restriction requirement between species A-E, as set forth in the Office action mailed on 17 September 2025, has been reconsidered in view of the allowability of claims to the elected invention pursuant to MPEP § 821.04(a). The restriction requirement is hereby withdrawn as to any claim that requires all the limitations of an allowable claim. Specifically, the restriction requirement is partially withdrawn. Claims 9-11, 15-17, and 21, directed to the non-elected species, are no longer withdrawn from consideration because the claim(s) requires all the limitations of an allowable claim. However, claims 78 and 81, directed to the non-elected method, remain withdrawn from consideration because they do not require all the limitations of an allowable claim.
In view of the above noted withdrawal of the restriction requirement, applicant is advised that if any claim presented in a divisional application is anticipated by, or includes all the limitations of, a claim that is allowable in the present application, such claim may be subject to provisional statutory and/or nonstatutory double patenting rejections over the claims of the instant application.
Once a restriction requirement is withdrawn, the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 121 are no longer applicable. See In re Ziegler, 443 F.2d 1211, 1215, 170 USPQ 129, 131-32 (CCPA 1971). See also MPEP § 804.01.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claim 89 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kacik et al. (US 2025/0052342 hereinafter “Kacik”).
In regards to claim 89, Kacik discloses an insulated sleeve connector comprising:
a tubular body (203) having a longitudinal axis and comprising a base layer (301) of a flexible material, the base layer forming:
a first end (at 407a) of the tubular body comprising a first opening;
a second end (at 407b) of the tubular body opposite the first end along the longitudinal axis and comprising a second opening; and
a central section (501) of the tubular body situated along the longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end; and
a number of first tabs (407a) between each channel 409) extending outwardly from the first end of the tubular body along the longitudinal axis; and
a number of second tabs (407b between each channel 409) extending outwardly from the second end of the tubular body along the longitudinal axis.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 4-12, 15-17, 21, and 25 are allowed.
Claims 90 and 91 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
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZACHARY T DRAGICEVICH whose telephone number is (571)270-0505. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 - 4:30 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, Matthew D. Troutman can be reached at (571) 270-3654. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZACHARY T DRAGICEVICH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679
09/30/2026
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