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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 states, “the first cylindrical part” & “the second cylindrical part”. It appears these should state “first cylindrical body” & “second cylindrical body” 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(s) 1 and 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okamoto et al. (US PG. Pub. 2018/0222404).
Regarding claim 1 – Okamoto teaches a protector (figs. 1-2 & 4-9, 30 [paragraph 0036] Okamoto states, “protector 30”) assembled to a vehicle ([paragraph 0033] Okamoto states, “A wire harness 20 according to the present embodiment can be used to route electrical wires in a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle”) in a state in which a wire harness (20) is penetrated, the protector (30) comprising: a first cylindrical body (fig. 6, element 40 having cylindrical portion 43) having a first body (40B [paragraph 0044] Okamoto states, “unit 40 is formed by fitting a pair of divisional members 40A and 40B to each other”) which stores a portion of the wire harness (wires 21 of wire harness 20) in a first region (region of first cylindrical body having wire harness 20 therein) over an entire extension direction and a first cover (40A) which is attached to the first body (40B) in a first attachment direction (vertical direction as shown in figure 6) so as to cover the first region (see fig. 6); and a second cylindrical body (element 31 having cylindrical portion 35 [paragraph 0044] Okamoto states, “unit 31 is formed by fitting a pair of divisional members 31A and 31B”) having a second body (31B) which at least stores a portion of the wire harness (wires 21 of wire harness 20) which is not stored in the first cylindrical body (element 40 having cylindrical portion 43) in a second region (region of second cylindrical body having wire harness 20 therein) over an entire extension direction and a second cover (31A) which is attached to the second body (31B) in a second attachment direction (vertical direction as shown in figure 6) so as to cover the second region (see fig. 6); wherein one end of the first cylindrical body (40 having cylindrical portion 43) in the extension direction is an inner cylindrical part (fig. 8, 43 [paragraph 0042] Okamoto states, “coupling portion 43 includes a second tubular portion 44”) formed into a cylindrical shape (claimed structure shown in figures 6 and 8), one end of the second cylindrical body (element 31 having cylindrical portion 35) in the extension direction is an outer cylindrical part (35 [paragraph 0040] Okamoto states, “coupling-target portion 35 includes a first tubular portion 36…the first tubular portion 36 has a cylindrical shape”) which rotates the inner cylindrical part (43) around an axis while holding the inner cylindrical part (43) at an inner side thereof, and a rotation angle of the inner cylindrical part (43) changes between a first angle (see first angle shown in figure 6) in which the first attachment direction (vertical direction) is in a same position as the second attachment direction (both are shown in the vertical direction) and a second angle (see fig. 4) in which the first attachment direction (figure 4 shows the first attachment direction being into the plane in the z direction) is not in a same position as the second attachment direction (vertical direction) and which is in a posture when the first cylindrical body (40 having cylindrical portion 43) and the second cylindrical body (element 31 having cylindrical portion 35) are assembled ([paragraph 0046] Okamoto states, “the first unit 31 and the second unit 40 are transported in a parallel orientation (the state depicted in FIG. 6). At the time of assembly, an operator grips the first unit 31 and the second unit 40, and rotates the second unit 40 by 90 degrees relative to the first unit 31”) to the vehicle (see structure shown in figure 1 having the both cylindrical bodies in their final structural arrangement relating to a vehicle battery pack).
Regarding claim 3 – Okamoto teaches the protector according to claim 1, wherein one of the outer peripheral part of the inner cylindrical part (fig. 9, 43) or the inner peripheral part of the outer cylindrical part has a projection (47 [paragraph 0043] Okamoto states, “restriction portion 47 that has a pate-like shape protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the second tubular portion 44”) projecting toward the other thereof, the other of the outer peripheral part of the inner cylindrical part or the inner peripheral part of the outer cylindrical part (fig. 9, 35) has a restriction groove (fig. 7, 38 [paragraph 0043] Okamoto states, “cutout portion 38 of the coupling-target portion 35”) which stores a portion of the projection (47) and restricts a movement of the projection (47) in a certain range in the circumferential direction (see figs. 4 & 6), a first end part (see projection 47 pressing on the upper end part of groove 38 in figure 7), which is one end part of the restriction groove (38), is in a position where the projection (47) comes into contact with the first end part when the rotation angle of the inner cylindrical part is the first angle (see structural arrangement as shown in figure 7), and a second end part (see projection 47 pressing on the lower end part of groove 38 in figure 4), which is the other end part of the restriction groove (38), is in a position where the projection (47) comes into contact with the second end part when the rotation angle of the inner cylindrical part is the second angle (claimed structure shown in figures 4, 6 and 7).
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) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto et al. in view of Nishi et al. (US PG. Pub. 2021/0291761).
Regarding claim 2 – Okamoto teaches the protector according to claim 1, wherein one of an outer peripheral part of the inner cylindrical part (fig. 8, 43) or an inner peripheral part of the outer cylindrical part has a rib (45 [paragraph 0052] Okamoto states, “engagement portion 45”) extending in a circumferential direction and projecting toward the other thereof ([paragraph 0042] Okamoto states, “the engagement portion 45, which protrudes outward by a constant length and engages with the engagement-target portion 37, is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the second tubular portion 44 at a predetermined position relative to a base end thereof, along the entire circumference thereof (so as to have a ring-like shape)”), the other of the outer peripheral part of the inner cylindrical part or the inner peripheral part of the outer cylindrical part (35) has an engagement groove (37 [paragraph 0040] Okamoto states, “engagement-target portion 37 is a ring-shaped protrusion 39”) engaged with the rib (45) in a rotational direction of the inner cylindrical part (43; claimed structure shown in figures 4-8).
Okamoto fails to explicitly teach the rib or the engagement groove of the inner cylindrical part is provided at a tip-end part of the inner cylindrical part in the extension direction.
Nishi teaches the rib (fig. 1, 41 [paragraph 0042] Nishi states, “ring-like protruding portions 41”) or the engagement groove of the inner cylindrical part (40 [paragraph 0042] Nishi states, “first corrugated tube 40”) is provided at a tip-end part (see distal end of inner cylindrical part 40) of the inner cylindrical part (40) in the extension direction (claimed structure shown in figure 1).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the protector having an inner cylindrical part with a rib aligned with a groove of an outer cylindrical part as taught by Okamoto with the rib of the inner cylindrical part being provided at a tip-end part in the extension direction as taught by Nishi because providing the rib at the tip-end allows for a secure connection between the two cylindrical bodies without occupy additional space within the protector and maximize flexibility between the two cylindrical bodies.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto et al. in view of Konishi (WO2020203084).
Regarding claim 4 – Okamoto teaches the protector according to claim 3, but fails to teach wherein the second end part has a projection receiving portion in which a portion of the projection is fitted when the projection comes into contact with the second end part.
Konishi teaches wherein the second end part has a projection receiving portion (figs. A and B show in page 2, area shown between wall 32a and protrusion 33a) in which a portion of the projection (24a [page 9] Konishi states, “two cams 24 (24a, 24b)”) is fitted when the projection (24a) comes into contact with the second end part ([page 9] Konishi states, “one cam 24a abuts on one end 32a of the cam groove 32 (see FIG. 12A)”; claimed structure shown in figures A and B).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling data of the claimed invention to modify the protector having a projection as taught by Okamoto with the second end part having a projection receiving portion in which a portion of the projection comes into contact with the second end part as taught by Konishi because this securement arrangement will prevent unintentional detachment between the two elements as discussed by Konishi on pages 11-12.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Menez et al. (US PG. Pub. 2020/0406838) discloses a connector including a shell with an orientable conduit.
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/STEVEN T SAWYER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847