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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 05/24/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN 202310589452.7 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Ju et al. (WO 2020173130).
Regarding claim 1, Ju et al. disclose:
A diesel generator container with an integrated wiring harness interface (title, para 2), comprising
a control box (300, para 32),
a first container (200),
a diesel generator parallel cabinet (100),
a first sensor rod (102, Fig 5),
a second sensor rod (101), and
wherein the control box is internally provided with a controller (implicit in order for it to control something – also shown in Fig 1 as same as applicant’s illustration but not labeled);
the control box, the first container, and the diesel generator parallel cabinet are separately provided with a plurality of female connectors (para 37);
two ends of the first sensor rod, of the second sensor rod are separately provided with male connectors (paras 37,43,53);
the female connectors on the control box are plugged into the male connectors on the first sensor rod (paras 37,43,53),
the male connectors on the first sensor rod are plugged into the female connectors on the first container (paras 37,43,53),
the female connectors on the first container are plugged into the male connectors on the second sensor rod (paras 37,43,53),
the male connectors on the second sensor rod are connected to the female connectors on the second container (paras 37,43,53), and
a top and a bottom of the first sensor rod, of the second sensor rod, are sealed with a sealant (para 46).
Ju et al. do not teach the use of a second container, a third sensor rod, the second container provided with a plurality of female connectors, the third sensor rod is separately provided with male connectors, the female connectors on the control box are plugged into the male connectors on the third sensor rod, the male connectors on the third sensor rod are plugged into the female connectors on the diesel generator parallel cabinet and the third sensor rod is sealed with a sealant.
However, since Ju et al. clearly teach the use of multiple parts, a skilled artisan would readily recognize the benefits of adding other parts to enhance and scale the system as desired or needed, as it would depend on cost and desired functionality.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Ju et al. to have a second container, a third sensor rod, the second container provided with a plurality of female connectors, the third sensor rod is separately provided with male connectors, the female connectors on the control box are plugged into the male connectors on the third sensor rod, the male connectors on the third sensor rod are plugged into the female connectors on the diesel generator parallel cabinet and the third sensor rod is sealed with a sealant.
The motivation to do so would depend on available space, cost (paras 5,7, 21) desired functionality and efficiency of the system (paras 42.43) and desired scaling (paras 2, 7-10, 39).
In regards to claim 1, Ju et al. discloses the claimed invention except for the multiplicity of sensor rods, containers, connectors Nonetheless it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing of the invention to duplicate sensor rods, containers, connectors, since it has been held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced.
In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). The motivation to do so would depend on available space, cost (paras 5,21) desired functionality and efficiency of the system (paras 42.43) and desired scaling (paras 2,7-10,39 of Ju et al.).
Regarding claim 2/1, Ju et al. disclose
wherein 50 wiring harnesses are separately arranged inside the first sensor rod, inside each of the wiring harnesses having a cross-sectional area of 0.3 square millimeters (para 39).
Ju et al. do not explicitly teach wherein 50 wiring harnesses are separately arranged inside the second sensor rod, and inside the third sensor rod.
However, since Ju et al. clearly teach the use of multiple parts (paras 2, 7, 39), a skilled artisan would readily recognize the benefits of adding other parts to enhance and scale the system as desired or needed, as it would depend on cost and desired functionality.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Ju et al. to have wherein 50 wiring harnesses are separately arranged inside the second sensor rod, and inside the third sensor rod, as Ju et al. teaches scaling (paras 2,8-10, 39).
The motivation to do so would depend on available space, cost (paras 5,7,21) desired functionality and efficiency of the system (paras 42.43) and desired scaling (paras 2, 7-10, 39).
In regards to claim 2/1, Ju et al. discloses the claimed invention except for the multiplicity of sensor rods, wiring harnesses. Nonetheless it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing of the invention to duplicate sensor rods, wiring harnesses, since it has been held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced.
In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). The motivation to do so would depend on available space, cost (paras 5,21) desired functionality and efficiency of the system (paras 42.43) and desired scaling (paras 2, 7-10, 39 of Ju et al.).
In regards to claim 3/1, Ju et al. discloses wherein the wiring harness and a wiring harness of a sensor are converged onto a signal processing transmitter connected to a top end of the sensor rod (para 48).
In regards to claim 6/1, Ju et al. discloses wherein the cable and the cable core are gathered inside the sensor rods together with a heat shrink sleeve (para 59), and are correspondingly connected to an aviation plug female connector and an aviation plug male connector, respectively (paras 37,43,44).
Ju et al. do not explicitly teach all secondary wires are integrated into the aviation plug female connector inside the container.
However, since Ju et al. teaches to simplify a secondary process, a skilled artisan would readily recognize the benefits of having all secondary wires are integrated into the aviation plug female connector inside the container, as it would reduce complexity, facilitate implementation and improve user experience (para 10).
The motivation to do so would depend on desired reduced complexity, to facilitate implementation and improved user experience (para 10 of Ju et al.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 5 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: In claim 4/2 inter alia, the specific limitations of “…wherein the wiring harness comprises a first set of cables and a second set of cables, one end of the first and second sets of cables is jointly connected to a first terminal connector, other end of the first set of cables is connected to a second terminal connector, and other end of the second set of cables is connected to a third terminal connector; the first terminal connector comprises a plastic shell comprised of a front-end circular plug and a tail-end square tailstock, and the circular plug is internally provided with a USBA-TYPE socket and a USBB-TYPE socket.”, in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
Claim 5/4 is also allowable for depending on claim 4.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892 for details.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NAISHADH N DESAI whose telephone number is (571)270-3038. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M Koehler can be reached at 571-272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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NAISHADH N. DESAI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2834
/NAISHADH N DESAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834