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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 1, 4, 16-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mellott et al. (10,573,988).
Regarding claims 1 and 16, Mellott et al. disclose a cable seal assembly, comprising:
a cylindrical seal including:
a first inner semi-cylindrical portion (a lower 24, Fig. 2) having a first cable engagement surface (80, Fig. 4) formed along a first inner surface of the first inner semi-cylindrical portion, and
a second inner semi-cylindrical portion (an upper 24, Fig. 2) having a second cable engagement surface formed along a second inner surface of the second inner semi-cylindrical portion; and
a seal retainer including a first retainer half-shell (30, Fig. 2) associated with the first inner semi-cylindrical portion (Fig. 3) and a second retainer half-shell (32, Fig. 2) associated with the second inner semi-cylindrical portion (Fig. 3), the seal retainer configured to rotatably close to compress at least a portion of the first inner semi-cylindrical portion and the second inner semi-cylindrical portion between the seal retainer and a cable (14).
Regarding claim 4, Fig. 4 shows the cylindrical seal includes a plurality of inner ribs (walls of 82) configured to deform against the cable.
Regarding claim 17, Mellott et al., Figs. 2 and 3 show urging the first retainer portion toward the second retainer portion includes engaging a latch (not labeled) on the first retainer portion with a channel (not labeled) on the second retainer portion to lock the first retainer portion to the second retainer portion.
Regarding claim 20, Fig. 2 shows the first retainer portion and the second retainer portion are placed on the cable at an angle orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the cable.
Claims 8-12 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Metzler et al. (9,825,445).
Regarding claim 8, Metzler et al. disclose a system for sealing a cable connector, the system comprising:
a cable seal, including: a seal retainer (10, Fig. 1) including a first retainer shell (an upper half of 10) and a second retainer shell (a lower half of 10), the first retainer shell and the second retainer shell forming a retainer aperture, and a cylindrical seal (6a and 6b, Fig. 1) extending radially inward from the retainer aperture (Fig. 3), the cylindrical seal including a first semi-cylindrical portion (6a) and a second semi-cylindrical portion (6b); and
a connector housing (2, Fig. 1) including a cavity (8) configured to receive the cylindrical seal of the cable seal therein (Fig. 3 and column 5, lines 49-53).
Regarding claim 9, Fig. 2 shows the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion of the cylindrical seal form a seal aperture, wherein a cable (4, Fig. 2) is positioned between the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion and within the seal aperture.
Regarding claim 10, Fig. 3 shows the cylindrical seal includes a plurality of ribs (not labeled) having an engagement surface configured to deform against a cable.
Regarding claim 11, Figs. 3 and 4 show securing the first retainer shell to the second retainer shell provides a clamping force to urge the plurality of ribs toward the cable.
Regarding claim 12, the connector housing includes a locking tab (14, Fig. 3) and wherein the seal retainer includes an attachment feature (pointed at 13b, Fig. 3), wherein the cable seal is secured to the connector housing via the attachment feature engaging the locking tab (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 14, Fig. 3 shows the seal retainer is configured to rotatably close to compress at least a portion of the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion between the seal retainer and a cable.
Regarding claim 15, the seal retainer includes a forward end, wherein the cylindrical seal extends forward of the forward end of the seal retainer (Figs. 8 and 9).
Claims 1, 8, 13, 16 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Goodwin et al. (6,948,976).
Regarding claims 1 and 16, Goodwin et al. disclose a cable seal assembly, comprising:
a cylindrical seal (29, Fig. 1) including:
a first inner semi-cylindrical portion (one half of 29) having a first cable engagement surface formed along a first inner surface of the first inner semi-cylindrical portion, and
a second inner semi-cylindrical portion (another half of 29) having a second cable engagement surface formed along a second inner surface of the second inner semi-cylindrical portion; and
a seal retainer (37, Fig. 1) including a first retainer half-shell (one half of 37) associated with the first inner semi-cylindrical portion and a second retainer half-shell (another half of 37) associated with the second inner semi-cylindrical portion, the seal retainer configured to rotatably close to compress at least a portion of the first inner semi-cylindrical portion and the second inner semi-cylindrical portion between the seal retainer and a cable (27, fig. 3).
Regarding claim 18, Fig. 1 shows a connector housing (3) including a cavity (31); and inserting the cable seal into the cavity of the connector housing, wherein the cylindrical seal includes an outer seal portion to engage an inner surface (pointed at 31) of the connector housing.
Regarding claim 19, the seal retainer includes an attachment feature (at an inner wall of 37, Fig. 1) and the connector housing includes a locking tab (39, Fig. 1), wherein inserting the cable seal into the cavity of the connector housing secures the attachment feature to the locking tab to lock the cable seal to the connector housing (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 8, Goodwin et al. disclose a system for sealing a cable connector, the system comprising:
a cable seal, including: a seal retainer (37, Fig. 1) including a first retainer shell (an upper half of 37) and a second retainer shell (a lower half of 37), the first retainer shell and the second retainer shell forming a retainer aperture, and a cylindrical seal (29, Fig. 1) extending radially inward from the retainer aperture (Fig. 3), the cylindrical seal including a first semi-cylindrical portion (a first half of 29) and a second semi-cylindrical portion (a second half of 29); and a
connector housing (3, Fig. 1) including a cavity (31) configured to receive the cylindrical seal of the cable seal therein (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 13, Figs. 1 and 3 show the cylindrical seal includes an outer seal portion to engage an inner surface (pointed at 31, fig. 1) of the connector housing.
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mellott et al.
Regarding claim 3, Mellott et al., Fig. 2 shows the cylindrical seal is co-molded with the seal retainer, the cylindrical seal formed of a first material having a first durometer and the seal retainer formed of a second material having a second durometer.
Mellott et al. disclose the claimed invention as described above except the second durometer is greater than the first durometer. It would have been obvious to modify Mellott et al. to have the second durometer is greater than the first durometer for better engaging.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mellott et al. in view of Chatelus et al. (12,358,386).
Regarding claim 5, Mellott et al. disclose the claimed invention as described above except for the cylindrical seal includes first and second outer semi-cylindrical portions positioned on an outer surface of the seal retainer to engage with an inner surface of a connector housing.
Chatelus et al., Fig. 2A shows the cylindrical seal (14, Fig. 2A) includes first and second outer semi-cylindrical portions (38) positioned on an outer surface (34) of the seal retainer (12) to engage with an inner surface (102) of a connector housing (100). It would have been obvious to modify Mellott et al. to have the cylindrical seal includes first and second outer semi-cylindrical portions positioned on an outer surface of the seal retainer to engage with an inner surface of a connector housing, as taught by Chatelus et al. for better connection.
Regarding claim 6, it is noted that Chatelus et al. disclose the first and second outer semi-cylindrical portions include a plurality of outer ribs (62, Fig. 3) and the seal retainer includes a non-compliant ring positioned between the plurality of inner ribs and the plurality of outer ribs (Fig. 2A).
Claims 1-2 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pearman et al. (11,901,670) in view of Nooner et al. (10,056,745).
Regarding claim 1, Pearman et al. disclose a seal assembly, comprising:
a cylindrical seal including:
a first inner semi-cylindrical portion (950A, Fig. 67) having a first engagement surface formed along a first inner surface of the first inner semi-cylindrical portion, and
a second inner semi-cylindrical portion (950B, Fig. 67) having a second engagement surface formed along a second inner surface of the second inner semi-cylindrical portion; and
a seal retainer including a first retainer half-shell (948A, Fig. 67) associated with the first inner semi-cylindrical portion and a second retainer half-shell (902) associated with the second inner semi-cylindrical portion, the seal retainer configured to rotatably close to compress at least a portion of the first inner semi-cylindrical portion and the second inner semi-cylindrical portion.
Pearman et al. disclose the claimed invention as described above except for the seal retainer configured to rotatably close to compress at least a portion of the first inner semi-cylindrical portion and the second inner semi-cylindrical portion between the seal retainer and a cable.
Nooner et al., Fig. 9 shows the seal retainer configured to rotatably close to compress at least a portion of the first inner semi-cylindrical portion and the second inner semi-cylindrical portion between the seal retainer and a cable (not labeled). It would have been obvious to modify Pearman et al. to have the seal retainer configured to rotatably close to compress at least a portion of the first inner semi-cylindrical portion and the second inner semi-cylindrical portion between the seal retainer and a cable, as taught by Nooner et al. for better connection.
Regarding claim 2, Pearman et al., Fig. 67 shows the first retainer half-shell is hingedly connected to the second retainer half-shell.
Regarding claim 7, Pearman et al., Fig. 67 shows the first retainer half-shell is secured to the second retainer half-shell via a hinge, wherein actuation of the hinge urges the first retainer half-shell toward the second retainer half-shell to engage the first inner semi-cylindrical portion with the second inner semi-cylindrical portion.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH TAM T LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2094. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM.
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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 07/23/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov
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