DETAILED ACTION
This is the second office action for US Application 18/646,517 for a Cable Hanger.
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species IV in the reply filed on 10 November 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 6 and 7 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 10 November 2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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-AIA ) 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.
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) 1-5, 8-11, and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2020/0366076 to Naugler et al. Regarding claim 1, Naugler et al discloses a cable hanger (see figure 3) that comprises a body (formed by 22, 24, the portion between 22 and 24, 28, 30, and 60) that defines a cable retention channel (see fig. 3… between 22 and 24). There is an upper portion (40) that extends from the body and that is configured to suspend the cable hanger from structure of a solar array (see figure 14).
Regarding claim 2, the body defines a second cable retention channel (see fig. 3… 64) adjacent and parallel to the cable retention channel. Regarding claim 3, the second cable retention channel is smaller than the cable retention channel (see figure 3) and the second cable retention channel is both shorter and narrower than the cable retention channel (see figure 3).
Regarding claim 4, the second cable retention channel (64) is configured to receive and support one or more communication cables, the cable retention channel is configured to receive and support one or more feeder cables that are electrically coupled to one or more solar panels supported by the solar array. Claim 4 recites limitations directed towards the first and second retention channels relative to the first diameter of the one or more feeder cable and the second diameter of the one or more communication cables. However, the communication cables and the feeder cables are not positively recited in the claim. The first and second cable retention channels are resilient and therefore can perform the function of a first distance across an opening of the cable retention channel being less than a first diameter of each of the one or more feeder cables, or a second distance across an opening of the second cable retention channel being less than a second diameter of each of the one or more communication cables.
Regarding claim 5, the body includes a first hook that defines the cable retention channel (see figure 3… 24 and 30 form a hook) and a second hook that defines the second cable retention channel (see figure 3… 60 forms a hook under 24). The second hook extends from the first hook (see figure 3), and at least one of the first hook or the second hook is resiliently deformable (figure 10 shows 28 and 30 are resiliently deformable to receive 604).
Regarding claim 8, the upper portion comprises a retention clip (see figure 3… 40 is a clip) having a base wall (46) and two side walls (48 and the upper side of 22) that form a slot (44) therebetween, and the cable hanger further comprises at least one grip element (70) in the slot and coupled with at least one of the two side walls. Regarding claim 9, each grip element includes one or more teeth (see paragraph 0053) to engage a planar substrate of a component when the planar substrate is slidably received in the slot.
Regarding claim 10, the upper portion is configured to indirectly suspend the cable hanger from the structure of the solar array, and the upper portion includes a cable hanger slide-coupling element configured to couple with a component retention clip that is couplable to the structure of the solar array (the component retention clip is not positively recited in the claim, and the walls of the clip 40 are configured to slidably receive a clip).
Regarding claim 11, Naugler et al. discloses a cable hanger comprising a body (formed by 22, 24, the portion between 22 and 24, 28, 30, and 60) that defines a cable retention channel (see fig. 3… between 22 and 24). There is an upper portion (40) that extends from the body, the upper portion comprising a component retention clip having a base wall (46) and two side walls (48 and the top of 22) that form a slot (44) therebetween. There is also a grip element (70) disposed in the slot and coupled with at least one of the two side walls (see figure 3).
Regarding claim 13, the body defines a second cable retention channel (see fig. 3… 64) adjacent and parallel to the cable retention channel. The second cable retention channel is smaller than the cable retention channel (see figure 3) and the second cable retention channel is both shorter and narrower than the cable retention channel (see figure 3). The second cable retention channel (64) is configured to receive and support one or more communication cables, the cable retention channel is configured to receive and support one or more feeder cables that are electrically coupled to one or more solar panels supported by the solar array.
Claim 13 recites limitations directed towards the first and second retention channels relative to the first diameter of the one or more feeder cable and the second diameter of the one or more communication cables. However, the communication cables and the feeder cables are not positively recited in the claim. The first and second cable retention channels are resilient and therefore can perform the function of a first distance across an opening of the cable retention channel being less than a first diameter of each of the one or more feeder cables, or a second distance across an opening of the second cable retention channel being less than a second diameter of each of the one or more communication cables.
The body includes a first hook that defines the cable retention channel (see figure 3… 24 and 30 form a hook) and a second hook that defines the second cable retention channel (see figure 3… 60 forms a hook under 24). The second hook extends from the first hook (see figure 3), and at least one of the first hook or the second hook is resiliently deformable (figure 10 shows 28 and 30 are resiliently deformable to receive 604). The cable retention channel is wider and deeper in the cable retention channel than at an opening of the cable retention channel (see figure 3… the cable retention channel is wider and deeper between 22 and 24 than it is between 28 and 30).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 is 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. Claims 14-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 12, the claimed features of an aperture formed in the component retention clip, and a grip element that includes a retention spur that protrudes into the aperture to hold the grip element in a slot of the retention clip are not found in the prior art (shown in figures 6A, 6B, and 12A-12E.
Regarding claim 14, the features of an upper portion of a cable hanger with a cable hanger slide-coupling element and a component retention clip with a grip element formed in a slot of a body of the clip, and two clip slide-coupling elements as claimed, configured to couple the cable hanger slide-coupling element and the component retention clip are not found in the prior art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2024/0305077 to Peck
US 7635108 to Zeuner
US 8534625 to Heath
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN M MARSH whose telephone number is (571)272-6819. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 9 am-7:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at 571-272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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STEVEN M. MARSH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3632
/STEVEN M MARSH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632