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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/5/24 and 6/20/25 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Double Patenting
Claim 1-2 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 2-3 of copending Application No. 18699418. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the claims 1-2 of the instant application are anticipated by claims 2-3 of Application 18699418.
18699051
18699418
1.(Original) A multicore cable, comprising: a plurality of coated electric wires;
a detection wire; and
a sheath, wherein
the coated electric wires include an electric wire conductor and an electric wire coating, the electric
wire conductor being a stranded wire of a plurality of electric wire filaments, and the electric wire coating covering an outer surface of the electric wire conductor, the detection wire includes a detection wire conductor that is a stranded wire of a plurality of detection wire filaments, the sheath covers an outer surface of a core that includes the coated electric wires and the detection wire,
the detection wire is disposed in a region enclosed by the coated electric wires, and
a filament diameter of the detection wire filaments is equal to or greater than a filament diameter of the electric wire filaments.
1. (Original) A multicore cable, comprising:
a plurality of coated electric wires;
a detection wire; and
a Sheath, wherein
the coated electric wires include
an electric wire conductor and an electric wire coating, the electric
wire conductor being a stranded wire of a plurality of electric wire filaments, and the electric wire coating covering an outer surface of the electric wire conductor,
the detection wire includes a detection wire conductor that is a stranded wire of a plurality of detection wire filaments,
the sheath covers an outer surface of a core that includes the coated electric wires and the detection wire,
the coated electric wires include two electric power supply wires disposed so as to be next to each other, and
the detection wire is disposed in a region enclosed by: the two electric power
supply wires disposed so as to be next to each other; and the sheath.
2. (Original) The multicore cable according to claim 1, wherein a filament diameter of the detection wire filaments is equal to a filament
diameter of the electric wire filaments included in the electric power supply wires.
2.The multicore cable according to claim 1, wherein the filament diameter of the detection wire filaments is greater than the
filament diameter of the electric wire filaments.
3.The multicore cable according to claim 1, wherein a filament diameter of the detection wire filaments is greater than a filament diameter of the electric wire filaments included in the electric power supply wires.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
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) 1, 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eshima et al, US 20130222002 in view of Sugino, US 20180175596
Regarding claim 1, Eshima discloses a multicore cable (Figs. 1-5; cable 1, or 51), comprising: a plurality of coated electric wires (Fig. 5; detected wires 53); a detection wire (Fig. 5; detecting wire 52); and a sheath (Fig. 5; sheath 54), wherein the coated electric wires include an electric wire conductor and an electric wire coating (Fig. 5; conductor 53a, insulation 53b), and the electric wire coating covering an outer surface of the electric wire conductor (Fig. 5; as shown), the detection wire includes a detection wire conductor (Fig.5; conductor 52a), the sheath covers an outer surface of a core that includes the coated electric wires and the detection wire (sheath 54 surrounds wires 52, 53), the detection wire is disposed in a region enclosed by the coated electric wires (detecting wire 52 in the center), and a filament diameter of the detection wire is equal to or greater than a filament diameter of the electric wire (Fig. 5; ¶[0008]; “conductor 52a of the detecting wire 52 to have a thicker strand diameter than that of the conductor 53a of the detected wire 53”).
Eshima does not explicitly disclose the electric wire conductor being a stranded wire of a plurality of electric wire filaments and the detection wire is a stranded wire of a plurality of detection wire filaments. Sugino discloses a wire conductor being a stranded wire of a plurality of electric wire filaments (Fig. 4; ¶[0022]; conductor 10a is a stranded conductor formed by twisting multiple filaments). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the conductor design of Sugino into Eshima since it is known that providing a stranded conductor would produce the predictable result of directing current flow in high voltage environments.
Regarding claim 4, Eshima teaches wherein the coated electric wires include an electric power supply wire (Fig. 5; wire 53). Eshima further teaches in a different embodiment that the electric power supply wire includes a first stranded wire obtained by twisting the electric wire filaments together, and a second stranded wire obtained by twisting a plurality of first stranded wires together, and a pitch of twisting of the detection wire conductor is longer than a pitch of twisting of the first stranded wire (¶[0011]; [0039]; “detecting wire 2 having the conductor 2a formed by twisting plural strands and the detected wires 3 each having the conductor 3a formed by twisting plural strands, and the twist pitch of the conductor 2a of the detecting wire 2 is longer than that of the conductor 3a of the detected wire 3”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the embodiment of Eshima into Eshima for the benefit of providing better management of strands.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eshima et al, US 20130222002 in view of Sugino, US 20180175596 in view of Kim, US 2002/0005036
Regarding claim 2, Eshima is silent in wherein the filament diameter of the detection wire filaments is greater than the filament diameter of the electric wire filaments. Kim teaches wherein the filament diameter of a wire filament is greater than the filament diameter of electric wire filaments (Fig. 2b; ¶[0041]; filament 31A “has a diameter slightly larger than those of the internal and external steel element wires 31B and 31C”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Kim into Eshima for the benefit of providing a flexible and high-strength cable.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eshima et al, US 20130222002 in view of Sugino, US 20180175596 in view of Kim, US 2002/0005036 in view of Sudo, JP 2004022178 A
Regarding claim 3, Eshima teaches all the limitations of claim 2. Eshima is silent in wherein the detection wire is a coaxial cable including a detection wire coating covering an outer surface of the detection wire conductor, and a shield conductor covering an outer surface of the detection wire coating. Sudo teaches a detection wire is a coaxial cable including a detection wire coating covering an outer surface of the detection wire conductor, and a shield conductor covering an outer surface of the detection wire coating (Fig. 2; detecting conductor 3 with conductor 32, insulator 33 being a wire coating and shield 41). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Sudo into Eshima as modified for the benefit of removing outside interference from the cable and the detection portion.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eshima et al, US 20130222002 in view of Sugino, US 20180175596 in view of Huang, CN 102222539
Regarding claim 5, Eshima is silent in wherein the coated electric wires include an electric power supply wire and a communication wire, and a relation of S1>S2≥S3 is satisfied, where S1 denotes a conductor cross-sectional area of the electric wire conductor included in the electric power supply wire, S2 denotes a conductor cross-sectional area of the electric wire conductor included in the communication wire, and S3 denotes a conductor cross-sectional area of the detection wire conductor. Huang teaches wherein the coated electric wires include an electric power supply wire and a communication wire, and a relation of S1>S2 is satisfied, where S1 denotes a conductor cross-sectional area of the electric wire conductor included in the electric power supply wire, S2 denotes a conductor cross-sectional area of the electric wire conductor included in the communication wire (Fig. 1; power lines 4; comm wire 33). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Huang into Eshima for the benefit of providing electric signals as well as data signals through the cable. Eshima is silent in wherein a relation S2> S3 is satisfied, wherein S3 denotes a conductor cross-sectional area of the detection wire conductor. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have a desired cross-sectional area, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980). It would be within the level of one of ordinary skill in the art to have a detection wire which is smaller than the electric and communication wires for the benefit of producing a compact cable assembly.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eshima et al, US 20130222002 in view of Sugino, US 20180175596 in view of Suzuki, JP 2007299608 in view of Huang, CN 102222539
Regarding claim 6, Eshima is silent in wherein the core is formed by twisting the coated electric wires and the detection wire together, the coated electric wires include two electric power supply wires, and in the core, the detection wire and a first electric power supply wire of the electric power supply wires are disposed so as to contact each other and are twisted together. Suzuki teaches wherein the core is formed by twisting the coated electric wires and the detection wire together, the coated electric wires include two electric power supply wires, and in the core, the detection wire and a first electric power supply wire of the electric power supply wires are disposed so as to contact each other and are twisted together (Best mode “The cable 8 with a disconnection detection function of the present invention has a structure in which six wire cores 4 are twisted around the center disconnection detection line 4a”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Suzuki into Eshima for the benefit of reducing the diameter of the cable assembly.
Eshima is silent in the first electric power supply wire being connected to a ground potential. Huang teaches a first electric power supply wire being connected to a ground potential (Fig. 1; ground wire 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Huang into Eshima for the benefit of providing a ground and protecting the cable from voltage fluctuations.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eshima et al, US 20130222002 in view of Sugino, US 20180175596 in view of Sudo, JP 2004022178
Regarding claim 7, Eshima is silent in further comprising: a shield layer covering the outer surface of the core, wherein the shield layer is disposed between the core and the sheath. Sudo teaches a shield layer covering the outer surface of the core, wherein the shield layer is disposed between the core and the sheath (Fig. 2; sheath 42, shield 41). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Sudo into Eshima for the benefit of providing protection from electromagnetics waves and reducing noise.
Claim(s) 8, 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eshima et al, US 20130222002 in view of Sugino, US 20180175596 in view of Sudo, JP 2004022178 in view of Uchino et al., JP 2015090807
Regarding claim 8, Eshima is silent in further comprising: a drain wire, wherein the shield layer has a stacked structure of a conductive layer disposed to face the core, and a substrate including an insulating material, and the drain wire is in contact with the conductive layer. Uchino teaches a drain wire, wherein the shield layer has a stacked structure of a conductive layer disposed to face the core, and a substrate including an insulating material, and the drain wire is in contact with the conductive layer (Fig. 1-3; drain wire 3, shield member 4 – substrate 7, conductor 8). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Uchino into Eshima for the benefit of shielding noise to the cable via the drain wire.
Regarding claim 9, Eshima is silent in further comprising: a drain wire, wherein the shield layer has a stacked structure of a substrate disposed to face the core and including an insulating material, and a conductive layer, and the drain wire is in contact with the substrate including the insulating material. Uchino teaches a drain wire, wherein the shield layer has a stacked structure of a substrate disposed to face the core and including an insulating material, and a conductive layer, and the drain wire is in contact with the substrate including the insulating material (Fig. 1-3; drain wire 3, shield member 4 – substrate 7, conductor 8). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Uchino into Eshima for the benefit of shielding noise to the cable via the drain wire.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eshima et al, US 20130222002 in view of Sugino, US 20180175596 in view of Hayakawa, US 20180286538
Regarding claim 10, Eshima is silent in further comprising: a filler, wherein the filler is disposed in a region enclosed by the sheath. Hayakawa teaches a filler wherein the filler is disposed in a region enclosed by the sheath (Fig. 1; sheath 3; filler 41, 42). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Hayakawa into Eshima as modified for the benefit of removing a gap between the conductors so that a more durable cable is formed.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eshima et al, US 20130222002 in view of Sugino, US 20180175596 in view of Hayakawa, US 20180286538 in view of Huang, CN 102222539 A
Regarding claim 11, Eshima teaches the detection wire is disposed in a region enclosed by the two electric power supply wires (Fig. 5; detecting wire 52). Eshima is silent in wherein the coated electric wires include two electric power supply wires that are a first electric power supply wire and a second electric power supply wire, and two communication wires, the two communication wires are twisted together to form a twisted pair communication wire, the filler includes a first filler and a second filler, and in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the core, the detection wire is disposed in a region enclosed by the two electric power supply wires, the twisted pair communication wire, and the filler, the first filler is disposed so as to contact the first electric power supply wire and the twisted pair communication wire, and the second filler is disposed so as to contact the second electric power supply wire and the twisted pair communication wire.
Hayakawa teaches wherein the filler includes a first filler and a second filler, and in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the core, the twisted pair communication wire, and the filler, the first filler is disposed so as to contact the first electric power supply wire and the twisted pair communication wire, and the second filler is disposed so as to contact the second electric power supply wire and the twisted pair communication wire (Fig. 1; filler 41, filler 42; twisted pair 31, electric wire 20). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Hayakawa into Eshima as modified for the benefit of removing a gap between the conductors so that a more durable cable is formed.
Huang teaches wherein the coated electric wires include two electric power supply wires that are a first electric power supply wire and a second electric power supply wire, and two communication wires, the two communication wires are twisted together to form a twisted pair communication wire (Fig. 1; power lines 4 and comm lines 33). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Huang into Eshima for the benefit of providing electric signals as well as data signals through the cable.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eshima et al, US 20130222002 in view of Sugino, US 20180175596 in view of Chiu, US 20040160331
Regarding claim 12, Eshima teaches a disconnection detector, comprising: the multicore cable of claim 1. Eshima is silent in a measurement device configured to input an inspection signal including an AC component to the detection wire conductor, and measure characteristic impedance. Chiu teaches a measurement device configured to input an inspection signal including an AC component to the detection wire conductor, and measure characteristic impedance (Fig. 1-2; detector 16 measures impedance change due to break in wire 14). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Chiu into Eshima for the benefit of detecting irregular conditions in the cable assemble and providing a warning to inform a user.
Conclusion
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/FEBA POTHEN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2858