DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/12/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-9 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 has multiple recitations of “a through hole” and it is unclear, especially in Applicant’s Remarks of 01/12/2026 (e.g., page 6, third paragraph, stating the prior art “does not teach a plurality of through holes are formed only on one edge of the mat 12”), what structure is required of the claim, e.g. how many through-holes and how they are related. Examiner recommends amending to differentiate, such as “a first through hole, a second through hole,” or some other language.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1-9 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Diemer (US 6,451,405).
Regarding the claims, the prior art discloses the following:
Claim 1. (Currently Amended) A covering member affixation structure, comprising: a covering member (12) for covering an exposed part of an umbilical member laid in a machine (intended use), and a plurality of affixation members (i.e., disclosed as rope or elastic cord) for affixing the covering member to the machine in one side region and another side region of a virtual plane which is parallel to a first axis line of the machine where the umbilical member bends and which includes a second axis line of the machine along which the umbilical member is laid (intended use), wherein the coverinq member (12) is a flexible tubing, which unfolds into a rectangular shape (fig. 1 shows the claimed configuration), wherein at least one affixation member of the plurality of affixation members passes through a through hole (24) formed only on one edge (fig. 1 shows a single hole 24 which is formed only on one edge) of the covering member (12) and a through hole (34) formed on the machine (54) in the one side region (fig. 4), and wherein at least one other affixation member of the plurality of affixation members passes through a through hole formed only on the same one edge of the covering member (fig. 1 shows another single hole 24 which is formed only on the one edge) and a through hole formed on the machine in the another side region (figs. 3-4).
Claim 2. (Original) The covering member affixation structure according to claim 1, wherein the machine (54) comprises a hollow housing (i.e., 54 is hollow) into which the umbilical member is inserted (product by process), and the second axis line is a center axis line of a hollow hole of the hollow housing.
Claim 3. (Previously Presented) The covering member affixation structure according to claim 1, wherein the machine (54) comprises a hollow housing (54) into which the umbilical member is inserted (product by process), and the affixation member (i.e., rope) affixes the covering member (12) to the machine (50) on the radially outer side of a hollow hole of the hollow housing (fig. 4).
Claim 4. (Previously Presented) The covering member affixation structure according to claim 1, wherein the umbilical member (52) has an exposed part which is exposed to the outside of the machine (54), and the covering member (12) covers only the exposed part of the umbilical member (fig. 4).
Claim 5. (Previously Presented) The covering member affixation structure according to claim 1, wherein the covering member (12) comprises an insertion hole (24) in an end substantially perpendicular to a direction of extension of the umbilical member, and the affixation member (i.e., rope) is inserted into the insertion hole (24) in at least one region of one side region and another side region of the virtual plane to affix the covering member to the machine (fig. 4).
Claim 6. (Previously Presented) The covering member affixation structure according to claim 1, wherein the covering member (12) comprises an insertion hole (24) formed in an end substantially perpendicular to a direction of extension of the umbilical member, and a reinforcement part (28) for reinforcing the insertion hole (i.e., eyelet 28 is disclosed as reinforcing the connection between the first/second slit edges 18, 20).
Claim 7. (Previously Presented) The covering member affixation structure according to claim 1, wherein the covering member (12) comprises a cylindrical part formed into a cylindrical shape by folding back an end substantially perpendicular to a direction of extension of the umbilical member (product by process), and an insertion hole (any of 24, 28, or 14) having a predetermined width formed between two notches after cutting two pieces from the cylindrical part (product by process).
Claim 8. (Previously Presented) The covering member affixation structure according to claim 1, wherein the covering member (12) comprises an insertion hole (24) formed in an end substantially perpendicular to a direction of extension of the umbilical member, and a sub-covering part (i.e., either of 18, 20) which covers the insertion hole (i.e., flexible mat 12 is capable of performing the functional limitation) and which extends outward from the end where the insertion hole is formed.
Claim 9. (Original) The covering member affixation structure according to claim 8, wherein the sub-covering part (18, 20) comprises a sub-insertion hole (i28) more outside from the end where the insertion hole is formed (fig. 1), and the affixation member (i.e., rope) is inserted into the insertion hole (24) and the sub-insertion hole (28) in at least one region of one side region and another side region of the virtual plane to affix the covering member (fig. 4).
Claim 10. (Previously Presented) The covering member affixation structure according to claim 1, comprising a relay member (i.e., rope) for receiving and passing on between the covering member and the affixation member.
Claim 11. (Previously Presented) The covering member affixation structure according to claim 1, wherein the affixation member (i.e., rope) affixes the covering member (12) on another virtual plane which is substantially perpendicular to the virtual plane or on another virtual plane that is substantially parallel to the virtual plane.
Claim 12. (Previously Presented) A machine comprising the covering member affixation structure according to claim 1.
Claim 13. (Previously Presented) A robot comprising the covering member affixation structure according to claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/12/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant has argued that Diemer fails to disclose “a flexible tubing” as recited in the claims (Remarks, page 6, top paragraph and third paragraph). This is not persuasive. Diemer’s figure 3 shows the mat 12 rolled from a rectangle, e.g., fig. 1, into the configuration of flexible tubing.
Applicant has argued that Diemer fails to disclose “a plurality of through holes [formed] only on one edge of the mat 12” (Remarks, page 6, third paragraph). This is not persuasive. In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., “a plurality of through holes formed only on one edge”) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to T. S. FIX whose telephone number is (571)272-8535. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 10a-3p.
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/T. SCOTT FIX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618