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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
This application is a 371 of PCT/EP2022/085005 filed on December 8, 2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on June 17, 2024 and September 24, 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 17-35 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishimura (JP 2017200375) in view of Vansickel (US 2020/0107117).
In regards to claim 17, Nishimura teaches an electrical supply line (figure 7), comprising: a cable duct (Figure 11: protector 2C; para 0032: The protector (2) is a member capable of protecting the outer peripheral portion of the electric wire group) having laterals separating ribs (Figure 11: first wire lead-out Portion (213C) and Second Wire Lead-Out Portion (223C)); and two conductor configurations (fig. 11: (31 , 32); para 0071: The first protector main body (21C) has three grooves capable of holding and leading out three outgoing-side corrugated tubes (4) respectively surrounding the three lead-out lines (30); The second protector main body portion (22C) has two groove portions capable of holding and guiding the two outgoing-side corrugated tubes (4) respectively surrounding the two lead-out lines (30)), electrically isolated from one another (para 0013: wherein the first protector main body part and the second protector main body part are separated from each other and in a first state where they are not connected), wherein said two conductor configurations (31, 32) are disposed in one conductor layer each and one above another (para 0011: the first wire protecting portion and the second wire protecting portion sandwich the first wire lead-out portion and the second wire lead; para 0071 - 0072), wherein each of said two conductor configurations (31, 32) has a plurality of individual conductors ( and said conductor configurations are guided in said cable duct (para 0071 – 0072; para 0028: The corrugated tube (4) has an outer peripheral portion in which mountains (4p) and valleys (4r) are formed continuously in the longitudinal direction. The corrugated tube (4) is formed in a cylindrical shape; para 0031: a slit along the longitudinal direction is formed in the corrugated tube (4), the slit is split open so that the electric wire can be accommodated in the space inside the corrugated tube (4)), said cable duct has for each of said individual conductors an individual channel defined by said lateral separating ribs (Figure 11: First Wire Lead-Out Portion 213C & Second Wire Lead-Out Portion 223C, para 0071 – 0072), and in that said individual conductors (3) are disposed in a stationary manner relative to one another between two of said lateral separating ribs (Figure11).
Nishimura does not explicitly teach the two conductor configurations having different operating potentials.
Vansickel teaches different operating potentials (Figure 2D; para 0052: Cable (204) carries wires (206), (208), (210), (212), and (214) and has an inner electrically conductive metal foil layer (186) that serves as a shield and conductor to audio ground. Wire (212) is the ground wire for the +12 volts DC carried by wire (214)) for the benefit of a wiring harness providing multiple channel outputs from single input, responsive to the connected inputs and outputs.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the claimed invention as taught by Nishimura with Vansickel, for conductor configurations with different operating potentials for the benefit of a wiring harness providing multiple channel outputs from single input, responsive to the connected inputs and outputs.
In regards to claim 18, Nishimura in combination with Vansickel teaches the electrical supply line (figure 7, Nishimura) according to claim 17, wherein the electrical supply line (figure 7, Nishimura) is capable of being a DC line with one of said conductor configurations (see figure 7, Nishimura) as a forward conductor and another of said conductor configurations as a return conductor (Vansickel teaches signal wires (paragraph [0004], which are capable of performing as forward and return conductors).
In regards to claim 19, Nishimura teaches the electrical supply line (figure 7) according to claim 17, wherein said individual conductors (3) are clamped (via Lk0 and Lk0A) in their respective said individual channel (see figure 6, 7).
In regards to claim 20, Nishimura in combination with Vansickel teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 17, wherein each said conductor layer (top and bottom layer once the protector (2A) is in the closed position, see figure 7) is capable of having exactly one of said conductor configurations for exactly one operating potential.
In regards to claim 21, Nishimura in combination with Vansickel teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 17, wherein each of said individual conductors of said conductor layer are electrically connected to each other (via connector 114, see figure 2A of Vansickel).
In regards to claim 22, Nishimura in combination with Vansickel teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 21, further comprising a common contact element (connector 114, see figure 2A of Vansickel), wherein an electrically conductive connection between said individual conductors (conductors in figure 2D of Vansickel) is established via an integrally bonded connection (see figure 2A of Vansickel where the conductors commonly connector to form cable (204)).
In regards to claim 23, Nishimura teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 17, wherein said cable duct (see figure 4) is a one-piece cable duct (figure 4).
In regards to claim 24, Nishimura teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 17, wherein said individual conductors (3) are round conductors (see figure 6).
In regards to claim 25, Nishimura teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 17, wherein said individual conductors (3) are compacted conductors or solid conductors (see figure 3).
In regards to claim 26, Nishimura teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 17, wherein said individual conductors (3) are bare conductors (3) without insulation.
In regards to claim 27, Nishimura in combination with Vansickel teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 17, wherein said individual conductors (3) have different conductor cross sections (Vansickel teaches the different cross sections of the conductors in figure 2D).
In regards to claim 28, Nishimura in combination with Vansickel teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 17.
Nishimura in combination with Vansickel does not explicitly teach wherein said individual conductors of a first of said conductor layers have a smaller conductor cross section than said individual conductors of a second of said conductor layers.
Vansickel does teach conductor of different sizes for different operations (see figure 2D).
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to have made individual conductors of a first of said conductor layers have a smaller conductor cross section than said individual conductors of a second of said conductor layers, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966)
In regards to claim 29, Nishimura in combination with Vansickel teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 17.
Nishimura in combination with Vansickel does not explicitly teach in one of said conductor layers there is formed an empty channel between every two adjacent ones of said individual conductors.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have made in one of said conductor layers there formed an empty channel between every two adjacent ones of said individual conductors, since it has been held that the provision of adjust stability, where needed, involves only routine skill in the art. In re Stevens, 101 USPQ 284 (CCPA 1954).
In regards to claim 30, Nishimura in combination with Vansickel teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 17, wherein said individual conductors of a first of said conductor layers are disposed next to each other (see figure 7), forming a gusset region (a bracket structure/ reinforcement), and said individual conductors (3) of a second of said conductor layers are disposed in regions of said gusset regions (a bracket structure/ reinforcement).
In regards to claim 31, Nishimura in combination with Vansickel teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 17, wherein said cable duct has an intermediate floor (C1) which separates said two conductor configurations from one another (see figure 7), wherein said intermediate floor is corrugated (with tubes (4)).
In regards to claim 32, Nishimura in combination with Vansickel teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 17, further comprising fastening means disposed on said cable duct for fastening to a carrier component (see fastener Lk0 and Lk0A).
In regards to claim 33, Nishimura in combination with Vansickel teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 23, wherein said one- piece cable duct is configured as an extruded profile (see figure 4, capable of being extruded).
In regards to claim 34, Nishimura in combination with Vansickel teaches the electrical supply line according to claim 28.
Nishimura in combination with Vansickel does not explicitly teach in one of said conductor layers there is formed an empty channel between every two adjacent ones of said individual conductors.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have made in one of said conductor layers there is formed an empty channel between every two adjacent ones of said individual conductors, since it has been held that the provision of adjust stability, where needed, involves only routine skill in the art. In re Stevens, 101 USPQ 284 (CCPA 1954).
Nishimura in combination with Vansickel does not explicitly teach wherein said individual conductors of a first of said conductor layers have a smaller conductor cross section than said individual conductors of a second of said conductor layers.
Vansickel does teach conductor of different sizes for different operations (see figure 2D).
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to have made individual conductors of a first of said conductor layers have a smaller conductor cross section than said individual conductors of a second of said conductor layers, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966)
In regards to claim 35, Nishimura teaches a device, comprising: an electrical supply line (figure 7), containing: a cable duct (Figure 11: Protector 2C; para 0032: The protector 2 is a member capable of protecting the outer peripheral portion of the electric wire group) having laterals separating ribs (Figure 11: First Wire Lead-Out Portion 213C & Second Wire Lead-Out Portion 223C); and two conductor configurations (Figure 11: First Protector Main Body 21C, First Wire Group 31 & Second Protector Main Body 22C, Second Wire Group 32; para 0071: The first protector main body 21C has three grooves capable of holding and leading out three outgoing-side corrugated tubes 40 respectively surrounding the three lead-out lines 30…The second protector main body portion 22C has two groove portions capable of holding and guiding the two outgoing-side corrugated tubes 40 respectively surrounding the two lead-out lines 30), electrically isolated from one another (para 0013: wherein the first protector main body part and the second protector main body part are separated from each other and in a first state where they are not connected), wherein said two conductor configurations are disposed in one conductor layer each and one above another (para 0011: the first wire protecting portion and the second wire protecting portion sandwich the first wire lead-out portion and the second wire lead; para 0071 - 0072), wherein each of said two conductor configurations has a plurality of individual conductors and said conductor configurations are guided in said cable duct (para 0071 – 0072; para 0028: The corrugated tube 4 has an outer peripheral portion in which mountains 4p and valleys 4r are formed continuously in the longitudinal direction. The corrugated tube 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape; para 0031: a slit along the longitudinal direction is formed in the corrugated tube 4, the slit is split open so that the electric wire can be accommodated in the space inside the corrugated tube 4), said cable duct has for each of said individual conductors an individual channel defined by said lateral separating ribs (Figure 11: First Wire Lead-Out Portion 213C & Second Wire Lead-Out Portion 223C, para 0071 – 0072), and in that said individual conductors are disposed in a stationary manner relative to one another between two of said lateral separating ribs (Figure11).
Nishimura does not explicitly teach the two conductor configurations having different operating potentials, and the conductor configurations are configured to connected to different electrical reference potentials, and a first of said conductor configurations is configured as a forward conductor and a second of said conductor configurations is configured as a return conductor.
Vansickel teaches different operating potentials, and said conductor configurations are configured to connected to different electrical reference potentials, and a first of said conductor configurations is configured as a forward conductor and a second of said conductor configurations is configured as a return conductor (Figure 2D; para 0052: Cable 204 carries wires 206, 208, 210, 212, and 214 and has an inner electrically conductive metal foil layer 186 that serves as a shield and conductor to audio ground. Wire 212 is the ground wire for the +12 volts DC carried by wire 214) for the benefit of a wiring harness providing multiple channel outputs from single input, responsive to the connected inputs and outputs.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the claimed invention as taught by Nishimura with Vansickel, for conductor configurations with different operating potentials for the benefit of a wiring harness providing multiple channel outputs from single input, responsive to the connected inputs and outputs.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see the attachment of the USPRO-892 form.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRYSTAL ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)272-9258. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-5 M-F.
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/KRYSTAL ROBINSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2848
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