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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Invention I Species II in the reply filed on 25 November 2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 6, 10-11, and 17-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention or Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 25 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.
Claims 1-5, and 12-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mori et al. (US 5,526,549).
With regard to claim 1, Mori discloses a seal assembly (as seen in Figs. 2-4), comprising: a seal (1) including a first section (as labeled in Examiner annotated Figs. 2-3 below) and a second section (as labeled in Examiner annotated Figs. 2-3 below) extending from the first section (as seen in Figs. 2-3), the seal has a sealing passageway (i.e. the portion 2 is passing through) extending through the first section and the second section along a longitudinal direction (as seen in Figs. 2-3), the second section has an adhesive channel (i.e. the channel shaped portion containing adhesive 3) extending around the sealing passageway (as seen in Figs. 2-3); and an adhesive (3) positioned in the adhesive channel of the second section (as seen in Figs. 2-3), the adhesive is disposed on an inner surface of the seal in the second section (as seen in Figs. 2-3).
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With regard to claim 2, Mori discloses that the second section tapers from a first end (as labeled in Examiner annotated Figs 2-3 above) connected to the first section (as seen in Figs. 2-3) to a second end (as labeled in Examiner annotated Figs 2-3 above) opposite the first end along the longitudinal direction (as seen in Figs. 2-3).
With regard to claim 3, Mori discloses that the seal has a plurality of ribs (as labeled in Examiner annotated Figs. 2-3 above) formed of an elastomeric material in the first section (as seen in the cross-hatching of Figs. 2-3).
With regard to claim 4, Mori discloses that the ribs circumferentially surround the seal and protrude outward from the seal in the first section (as seen in Figs. 2-3).
With regard to claim 5, Mori discloses that the seal has a first thickness in a height direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in the first section and the seal has a second thickness in the height direction in the second section, the first thickness is greater than the second thickness (as seen in Figs. 2-3 as each section has plural thicknesses including the thickness at 1b which is smaller than the maximum thickness of the first section).
With regard to claim 12, Mori discloses that the sealing passageway has a first height in a height direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and a first width in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the height direction, the adhesive channel has a second height in the height direction and a second width in the width direction, the second height is greater than the first height and the second width is greater than the first width (as seen in Figs. 2-3 as at the cable passage portion at 1b it is smaller in both width and height then the largest portion of the adhesive channel).
With regard to claim 13, Mori discloses that the adhesive is a heat-activated adhesive (as disclosed in col. 2 lines 57-63 it is a hot melt adhesive, which can be considered heat activated).
With regard to claim 14, Mori discloses a sealed cable (as seen in Figs. 2-4), comprising: a seal assembly (as seen in Figs. 2-4) including a seal (1) and an adhesive (3), the seal has a first section and a second section (as labeled in Examiner annotated Figs. 2-3 above) extending from the first section (as seen in Figs. 2-4), the seal has a sealing passageway (i.e. the portion receiving cable 2) extending through the first section and the second section along a longitudinal direction (as seen in Figs. 2-4), the second section has an adhesive channel (i.e. the portion shown receiving adhesive 3) extending around the sealing passageway (as seen in Figs. 2-4), the adhesive is positioned in the adhesive channel of the second section (as seen in Figs. 2-4), the adhesive is disposed on an inner surface of the seal in the second section (as seen in Figs. 2-4); and a cable (2) positioned in the sealing passageway (as seen in Figs. 2-4) and having a body contacted by the adhesive (as seen in Figs. 2-4).
With regard to claim 15, Mori discloses that the adhesive attaches the cable to the seal (as seen in Figs. 2-4 at least in that it aids in such).
With regard to claim 16, Mori discloses that the sealing passageway has a first height in a height direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and a first width in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the height direction, the first height is approximately equal to a cable height of the cable in the height direction and the first width is approximately equal to a cable width of the cable in the width direction (i.e. as seen in Figs. 2-3 as the cable passage approximates the size of the cable).
Claims 1 and 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Katoh (US 6,010,134).
With regard to claim 1, Katoh discloses a seal assembly (as seen in Figs. 1-4), comprising: a seal (11 with 12 and 18) including a first section (as labeled in Examiner annotated Fig. 1 below) and a second section (as labeled in Examiner annotated Fig. 1 below) extending from the first section (as seen in Fig. 1), the seal has a sealing passageway (i.e. the portion W is passing through) extending through the first section and the second section along a longitudinal direction (as seen in Fig. 1), the second section has an adhesive channel (i.e. the channel shaped portion containing adhesive 18) extending around the sealing passageway (as seen in Fig. 1); and an adhesive (18) positioned in the adhesive channel of the second section (as seen in Fig. 1), the adhesive is disposed on an inner surface of the seal in the second section (as seen in Fig. 1).
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With regard to claim 7, Katoh discloses that the seal includes an elastomeric material (i.e. of 11 as described in col. 4 lines 40-43, etc.) and a support (12) positioned within the elastomeric material (as seen in Fig. 1).
With regard to claim 8, Katoh discloses that the support is positioned in the first section (as seen in Figs. 1, etc.) and the elastomeric material extends around the support in the first section (as seen in Figs. 1, etc.), the support defines the sealing passageway in the first section (as seen in Figs. 1, etc. it at least partially defines such).
With regard to claim 9, Katoh discloses that the second section is formed of the elastomeric material (as seen in Figs. 1, etc. and disclosed col. 4 lines 40-43, etc.), the elastomeric material defines the sealing passageway and the adhesive channel in the second section (as seen in Figs. 1, etc. it at least partially defines such/aids in forming such even if the elastomeric material is not in contact with the cable).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and provides examples of similar seal assemblies/grommets for cables.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS L FOSTER whose telephone number is (571)270-5354. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Fulton can be reached at (571) 272-7376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NICHOLAS L FOSTER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675