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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 9, line 1, before “base” insert --the--. Appropriate correction is required.
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 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tamura et al. (10179556).
Tamura et al. discloses a cable seal (Fig. 5) comprising: a base (21/22); and an elastic material (23) having a generally arched shape when the elastic material is not in a compressed configuration, and including a plurality of bores (23h) extending from a first side of the cable seal to a second side of the cable seal and a plurality of passages (23s) extending from the first side of the cable seal to the second side of the cable seal, the passages respectively corresponding to the bores such that for each bore a cable or plug may be inserted into the bore via the corresponding passage, wherein the base is configured to accommodate the elastic material, and wherein the elastic material is configured to be compressed against the base such that when each of the bores contains a cable or plug and the elastic material is compressed a watertight seal is formed between the elastic material and the base, a watertight seal is formed between the elastic material and each cable and/or plug, a watertight seal is formed between the elastic material and an enclosure in which the cable seal is positioned, and the passages are closed watertight (re-claim 1).
Re-claim 11, Tamura et al. discloses a cable seal (Fig. 5) comprising an clastic material (23) having a plurality of bores (23h) extending from a first side of the cable seal to a second side of the cable seal and a plurality of passages (23s) extending from the first side of the cable seal to the second side of the cable seal, the passages respectively corresponding to the bores such that for each bore a cable or plug may be inserted into the bore via the corresponding passage, wherein each bore is configured to have a cross-sectional area that is larger than a cross-sectional area of the corresponding cable or plug when the elastic material is in an uncompressed state, and wherein the elastic material is configured to be compressed against an enclosure in which the cable seal is positioned such that when each bore contains a cable or plug and the elastic material is compressed a watertight seal is formed between the elastic material and each cable and/or plug, a watertight seal is formed between the clastic material and the enclosure, and the passages are closed watertight (col. 8 lines 40-43).
Re-claim 12, Tamura et al. discloses that each bore (23h) has a circular cross-section, the cable or plug corresponding to the bore has a circular cross-section, and the diameter of the circular cross section for the bore is greater than the diameter of the cross-section for the cable or plug corresponding to the bore.
Re-claim 13, Tamura et al. discloses that the cross-sectional area of at least one of the bores is different from the cross-sectional area of another one of the bores (Fig. 5, hole 23h for cable 18s being smaller than the other holes).
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Graef et al. (9006589).
Graef et al. (Figs 6-9) discloses a cable seal comprising: a base (36b); and an elastic material (36a/36c) having a generally arched shape when the elastic material is not in a compressed configuration, and including a plurality of bores (38) extending from a first side of the cable seal to a second side of the cable seal and a plurality of passages (39) extending from the first side of the cable seal to the second side of the cable seal, the passages respectively corresponding to the bores such that for each bore a cable or plug may be inserted into the bore via the corresponding passage (col. 8 lines 25-28), wherein the base is configured to accommodate the elastic material, and wherein the elastic material is configured to be compressed against the base such that when each of the bores contains a cable or plug and the elastic material is compressed a watertight seal is formed between the elastic material and the base, a watertight seal is formed between the elastic material and each cable and/or plug, a watertight seal is formed between the elastic material and an enclosure in which the cable seal is positioned, and the passages are closed watertight (re-claim 1). Graef et al. also discloses that when the elastic material is compressed, the elastic material has a generally linear shape (Figs 6-7) (re-claim 2); and the base includes one or more grooves (38) for accommodating respective main cables (re-claim 3).
Re-claim 4, Graef et al. discloses a cable seal comprising: a base (36b) having a plurality of base grooves (38) extending from a first side of the cable seal to a second side of the cable seal, each base groove being shaped to accommodate a cable or plug; and a cover (36a/36c) configured to mate with the base such that, when each base groove is accommodating a cable or plug and the cover is mated with the base a watertight seal is formed between the base and the cover, a watertight seal is formed between the base and each cable and/or plug, and a watertight seal is formed between the cover and each cable and/or plug. Graef et al. also discloses that the cover (36a/36c) includes a plurality of cover grooves (38) extending from the first side of the cable seal to the second side of the cable seal, wherein the cover is configured to mate with the base such that the cover grooves align with respective ones of the base grooves (re-claim 5); the base has a first hardness, the cover has a second hardness, wherein the first hardness is equal to the second hardness (i.e., same material) (re-claim 6).
Claims 4, 5, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kato et al. (7344408).
Kato et al. discloses a cable seal comprising: a base (4) having a plurality of base grooves (8) extending from a first side of the cable seal to a second side of the cable seal, each base groove being shaped to accommodate a cable or plug; and a cover (5) configured to mate with the base such that, when each base groove is accommodating a cable or plug and the cover is mated with the base a watertight seal is formed between the base and the cover, a watertight seal is formed between the base and each cable and/or plug, and a watertight seal is formed between the cover and each cable and/or plug (re-claim 4). Kato et al. also discloses that the cover (5) includes a plurality of cover grooves (8) extending from the first side of the cable seal to the second side of the cable seal, wherein the cover is configured to mate with the base such that the cover grooves align with respective ones of the base grooves (re-claim 5); the base (4) has a first hardness and the cover (5) has a second hardness, wherein the first hardness is greater than the second hardness (col. 2, lines 54-55, the core member may not have elasticity and col. 10 line 37) (re-claim 7).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
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 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kato et al. in view of Elkins (3683314).
Kato et al. discloses a cable seal comprising: a base (lower 6) having a plurality of base grooves (8) extending from a first side of the cable seal to a second side of the cable seal, each base groove being shaped to accommodate a cable or plug; and a cover (upper 6) configured to mate with the base such that, when each base groove is accommodating a cable or plug and the cover is mated with the base a watertight seal is formed between the base and the cover, a watertight seal is formed between the base and each cable and/or plug, and a watertight seal is formed between the cover and each cable and/or plug. Kato et al. also discloses the base having a base width dimension extending from the first side of the cable seal to the second side of the cable seal, the cover having a cover width dimension extending from the first side of the cable seal to the second side of the cable seal.
Kato et al. does not disclose the base width dimension being smaller than the cover width dimension.
Elkins discloses a cable seal comprising a base (10) and a cover (12), the base having a base width dimension extending from a first side of the cable seal to a second side of the cable seal, the cover having a cover width dimension extending from the first side of the cable seal to the second side of the cable seal, wherein the base width dimension is smaller than the cover width dimension (Figs 2 and 4).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the cable seal of Kato et al. such that the base width dimension is smaller than the cover width dimension as taught by Elkins such the base can be placed within the cover to further seal the base from the environment.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kato et al. in view of Hedstrom (7446267).
Kato et al. discloses a cable seal comprising: a base (lower 6) having a plurality of base grooves (8) extending from a first side of the cable seal to a second side of the cable seal, each base groove being shaped to accommodate a cable or plug; and a cover (upper 6) configured to mate with the base such that, when each base groove is accommodating a cable or plug and the cover is mated with the base a watertight seal is formed between the base and the cover, a watertight seal is formed between the base and each cable and/or plug, and a watertight seal is formed between the cover and each cable and/or plug.
Kato et al. does not disclose the base (lower 6) comprising a plurality of removable sections which respectively correspond to ones of the base grooves, wherein for each base groove, the removable section may be removed to increase the cross-sectional area of the base groove.
Hedstrom discloses a cable seal comprising a base (1) which is comprised of a removable section (2) which respectively corresponds to the base groove, wherein the removable section may be removed to increase the cross-sectional area of the base groove.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to include the removable section (2) taught by Hedstrom in each base groove (8) of Kato et al. to accommodate different cable sizes.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kato et al. in view of Hedstrom as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Sunaga et al. (8946556).
Claim 10 additionally recites for each base groove removal of the removable section resulting in the base groove having an oval shaped cross-section. Sunaga et al. discloses a cable seal comprising a base groove having an oval shaped cross-section (Figs 2-3). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the base groove as well as the removable section in the modified seal of Kato et al. (and Hedstrom) to have an oval shaped cross-section as taught by Sunaga et al. to meet the specific use of the resulting cable, such as accommodating a twinaxial cable.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tamura et al. in view of Hedstrom.
Tamura et al. discloses the invention substantially as claimed except for a plurality of removable sections in the bores, such that for each bore the removable section may be removed to increase the cross-sectional area of the bore. Hedstrom discloses a cable seal comprising a bore (1) and a removable section (2) corresponding to the bore, wherein the removable section may be removed to increase the cross-sectional area of the base groove.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to include the removable section (2) taught by Hedstrom in each bore (23h) of Tamura et al. to accommodate different cable sizes.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tamura et al. in view of Hedstrom as applied to claim 14 above, and further in view of Sunaga et al.
Claim 15 additionally recites for each bore removal of the removable section resulting in the bore having an oval shaped cross-section. Sunaga et al. discloses a cable seal comprising a base groove having an oval shaped cross-section (Figs 2-3). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the bore as well as the removable section in the modified seal of Tamura et al. (and Hedstrom) to have an oval shaped cross-section as taught by Sunaga et al. to meet the specific use of the resulting cable, such as accommodating a twinaxial cable.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAU N NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1980. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th, 7am to 5:30pm.
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, Imani N Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CHAU N NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841