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
Claims 1-28 and 44 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/03/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 29, 34, 42, and 43 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Rus et al. (US 2008/0225534 A1).
Regarding claim 29, Rus meets the claimed method of supporting a plurality of cables, (Rus teaches a cable management system, see Fig. 1, [0001], a connector harness 72 comprised of a plurality of cables and lines extends from a control unit 74 to surgical lights 12 through hub assembly 30, support arms 52, see [0039]) the method comprising: providing a cable carrier (light support arm 52, Fig. 1, [0037]) having first and second ends, (parts 30B and 56 are arranged at each end of arm 52) the cable carrier configured to permit free movement of the first and second ends relative to each other within a plane in which the cable carrier lies (Examiner note that Rus teaches hub 30B is designed to be rotatable about spindle 32, [0041] and an articulating joint 56 that allows articulated movement of laterally-extended arm 54 relative to light support arm 52, [0037], thus Rus meets the claim in teaching the arm 52 to rotate which moves the second end about the plane) and configured to resist movement of the first and second ends relative to each other out of the plane; (Examiner note that hub 30B and an articulating joint 56 do not allow movement in the z-axis for arm 52 and keeps the arm 52 in the X-Y plane) moving the second end relative to the first end in a direction transverse to the plane; (Examiner notes Rus meets the claim in teaching the arm 52 to rotate which moves the second end about the plane, see [0041]) and pivotably supporting the first end and the second end for rotation about parallel axes in response to movement of the second end in the direction transverse to the plane. (Examiner notes Rus meets the claim in teaching the arm 52 to rotate at spindle 32 and joint 56, see [0041]).
Regarding claim 34, Rus meets the claimed method of claim 29, further comprising supporting the plurality of cables in a channel of the cable carrier. (a connector harness 72 comprised of a plurality of cables and lines extends from a control unit 74 to surgical lights 12 through hub assembly 30, support arms 52, see [0039])
Regarding claim 42, Rus meets the claimed method of claim 29, wherein pivotably supporting the first end and the second end includes pivoting a first portion of a first coupling that is attached to the first end (Examiner notes Rus meets the claim in teaching the arm 52 to rotate at spindle 32, see [0041]) relative to a second portion (arm 52) of the first coupling, and pivoting a first portion (arm portion 52b) of a second coupling that is attached to the second end relative to a second portion of the second coupling (articulating joint 56) in response to movement of the second end relative to the first end in the direction transverse to the plane. (Examiner notes Rus meets the claim in teaching the arm 52 to rotate which moves the second end about the plane, see [0041]).
Regarding claim 43, Rus meets the claimed method of claim 29, wherein moving the second end relative to the first end includes pivoting the plane about one of the parallel axes. (Examiner notes Rus meets the claim in teaching the arm 52 to rotate which moves the second end about the plane, see [0041]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 30-33 and 35-41 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 30-33, 35 and 37-41, each claim recites or depends from a claims which recites “an additive manufacturing system.”
Although Rus meets the limitations of claim 29, Rus does not teach or suggest the components to be connected with an additive manufacturing system.
Wu et al. (US 2017/0268130 A1) teaches an additive manufacturing system [0001], where the fiber carrier 33 of the printing platform 30 according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is a rotatable conductive cylinder, [0029]. However, Wu does not teach or suggest the arrangement of claim 29.
Dallarosa (US 2017/0021455 A1) teaches multiple beam additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional structure formed by a plurality of build layers [0009], an array of optical fibers 132 and an optical head 140 that arranges output ends of the optical fibers 132 to direct multiple light beams 131 to a processing surface 106 including the exposed layer of the powder bed 102. [0047]. However, Dallarosa does not teach or suggest the arrangement of claim 29.
Regarding claim 36, Rus does not meet the claimed method of claim 29, wherein moving the second end relative to the first end includes pivoting a link of the cable carrier relative to an adjacent link of the cable carrier.
The prior art of record does not teach or render obvious the limitations of claim 36 in combination with 29.
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Dry et al. (US 2022/0088729 A1). Dry teaches an arm 124, and at least one end effector 128, Fig. 1B, [0042]. first and second PPL robots 120, 140a are configured to position and hold components in desired locations, Fig. 14, [0064].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL M. ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)270-0467. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30AM-6PM.
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, Sam Zhao can be reached at (571)270-5343. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL M. ROBINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744
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