DETAILED ACTION
The response filed on May 22 2026 is being 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 Mizuno et al. (US20210020331, herein referred to as Mizuno) or Schilson et al. (US20030196828, herein referred to as Schilson) or Kendall et al. (US4611656, herein referred to as Kendall) .
Rejection of claim 1, Mizuno (figure 4 of Mizuno) or Schilson (figures 25-27 of Schilson) or Kendall et al. (figures 11-12 of Kendall) discloses a wire harness comprising:
a harness component that includes an electric wire group including a plurality of electric wires, and a pair of sheet-shaped insulating exterior members sandwiching a protection target region of the electric wire group and housing the protection target region inside (plurality of wires 20 between 30 and 140 in figure 4 of Mizuno; see wires in figures 25-27 of Schilson between two sheets; see wires 112-116 in figures 11-12 of Kendall between two sheets 124 and 126 ),
wherein the harness component includes joint portions in contact with each other between the pair of exterior members, and a weld having two free ends where the joint portions are welded to each other along an axial direction of the protection target region between the joint portions in contact with each other; each of the exterior members terminates at a first edge and a second edge in the axial direction, the first edges are aligned with each other and the second edges are aligned with each other, the weld extends continuously in a straight line in the axial direction from one of the free ends to another one of the free ends, and the one of the free ends is at the first edge and the other one of the free ends is at the second edge (see 34-44 in figure 4 of Mizuno wherein end potions of the pair of sheet-shaped insulating exterior members 32 and 140 in Mizuno wherein exterior members 32 and 140 are welded and contacted each other and see paragraph 0051 of Mizuno sates, " each of the first joint part W21 and the second joint part W22 is a partial spot joint part along the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30. Obviously, each of the first joint part W21 and the second joint part W22 may be a continuous joint part continuously formed along the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 30”; see edges joints portions in figure 25-27 of Schilson wherein end portions of the pair of sheet-shaped insulating exterior members 120 and 130 are welded and contacted each other and see paragraph 0063 of Schilson sates, " The seams 50 are formed by the continuous bonding between the upper layer 20 and the lower insulator layer 30. A plurality of parallel spaced-apart seams 50 run continuously along the length of the cable 10”; see weld joint portion 130,132 or 232,232 in figures 11-12 wherein figures 3-4 shows weld is continuous from top view, additionally see specification of Kendall ).
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 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mizuno or Schilson or Kendall in view of Gotou et al. (US20130292159, herein referred to as Gotou) or Uchida et al. (US5895889, herein referred to as Uchida).
Rejection of claim 14 Mizuno or Schilson or Kendall discloses the wire harness according to claim 1, but fails to disclose further comprising: a clamp that includes a clamp body configured to assemble a predetermined location of the electric wire group to an object to be assembled, and a fixing protrusion protruding from the clamp body, wherein the exterior member has a through-hole through which the clamp body is inserted from a first wall surface side to a second wall surface side, and sandwiches the fixing protrusion between the first wall surface and the electric wire group.
Gotou (figures 1-8) or Uchida (figures 4-5C and 7) discloses a clamp that includes a clamp body configured to assemble a predetermined location of the electric wire group to an object to be assembled, and a fixing protrusion protruding from the clamp body, wherein the exterior member has a through-hole through which the clamp body is inserted from a first wall surface side to a second wall surface side, and sandwiches the fixing protrusion between the first wall surface and the electric wire group ( Gotou in figures 1-8 wherein a fixing protrusion 37 protruding from the clamp body, wherein the exterior member 17 has a through-hole 31; the clamp body is inserted from a first wall surface side to a second wall surface side (opposite side surfaces of exterior member 17), and sandwiches the fixing protrusion 24a between the first wall surface and the electric wire group 19; Alternatively, see Uchida in figures 4-5C wherein a fixing protrusion 24a protruding from the clamp body, wherein the exterior member A has a through-hole through 23; and the clamp body is inserted from a first wall surface side to a second wall surface side (opposite side surfaces of exterior member A), and sandwiches the fixing protrusion 24a between the first wall surface and the electric wire group 12).
It would have been obvious to ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the wire harness of Mizuno or Schilson or Kendall to have clamp structural arrangement as taught by Gotou or Uchida because it is also preferable that the first resin sheet has projecting clamp to be fitted in engagement holes provided in the object. In this case, by fitting the clamp in the engagement holes of the object respectively, it is possible to fix the wire harness to the object quickly. Or a clamp attached to the wire harness is conveniently and detachably attached by being locked to clamp mounting hole bored at the body or the door.
Pertinent Prior Arts
The prior arts 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 arts in the present case, all of which disclose various wire harness assemblies.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any references ( Schilson or Kendall) applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Response to Applicant arguments referring to Mizuno, figure 4 of Mizuno clearly have two sheets having same length and connected each other at ends; It is advised to consider specification as whole instead just having argument based on figure 4. Wherein specification clearly states in paragraph 0051 that each of the first joint part W21 and the second joint part W22 is continuously formed along the longitudinal direction of the sheet material.
Therefore, applicant arguments are not persuasive.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached on (571)272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PARESH PAGHADAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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