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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “PROJECTIONS (56,58)” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
The following claims are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 4: “board” should be corrected to - -bore - -;
Claim 1, line 8: “board” should be corrected to - -bore - -;
Claim 2, line 4: “board” should be corrected to - -bore - -;
Claim 9, line 4: “board” should be corrected to - -bore - -;
Claim 9, line 9: “board” should be corrected to - -bore - -;
Claim 10, line 4: “board” should be corrected to - -bore - -;
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kaddas (US 2020/0251252).
Regarding claim 1: Kaddas teaches a cover apparatus 104’ for covering power lines (see Para. 0039 and Fig. 1) comprising: a base 110, the base having a length with opposite first and second end surfaces (e.g. left to right; see Fig. 3), an interior bore extending through the base from the first end surface to the second end surface (see Fig. 5), the interior bore being dimensioned and configured to receive and contain a portion of a length of a power line in the interior bore (Para. 0047); a first extension 106 attached to the base adjacent the first end surface of the base (see Fig. 3), the first extension having an interior bore extending through the first extension (see Fig. 5), the interior bore being dimensioned and configured to receive and contain a portion of a length of a power line in the interior bore (see Fig. 5 and Para. 0047); and a first attachment 150 attaching the first extension 106 to the base 110 (see Fig. 3), the first attachment 150 enabling the first extension to move between first and second positions (e.g. up and down and straight; see Para. 0049 and Fig. 3) of the first extension relative to the base where in the first position the first extension is positioned extending at an angle relative to the base in a compact configuration of the first extension and the base (e.g. flexing up and down would cause the cover to be in a compact configuration; see Para. 0049) and in the second position (see Fig. 3) the first extension is positioned extending from the base where the interior bore of the base and the interior bore of the first extension are aligned (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 2: Kaddas teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches further comprising: a second extension 108 attached to the base 110 adjacent to the second end surface of the base (see Fig. 3), the second extension having an interior bore extending through the second extension (see Fig. 5), the interior bore being dimensioned and configured to receive and contain a portion of a length of a power line in the interior bore (see Fig. 5 and Para. 0047); and a second attachment 120 attaching the second extension 108 to the base 110 (see Fig. 3), the second attachment 120 enabling the second extension to move between first and second positions (e.g. up and down and straight; see Para. 0049 and Fig. 3) of the second extension relative to the base where in the first position the second extension is positioned extending at an angle relative to the base in a compact configuration of the second extension and the base (e.g. flexing up and down would cause the cover to be in a compact configuration; see Para. 0049) and in the second position (see Fig. 3) the second extension is positioned extending from the base where the interior bore of the base and the interior bore of the second extension are aligned (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 3: Kaddas teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches further comprising: in the second position of the first extension and in the second position of the second extension the interior bore of the base is axially aligned with the interior bore of the first extension and is axially aligned with the interior bore of the second extension (see Figs. 3 and 5).
Regarding claim 4: Kaddas teaches all the limitations of claim 3 and further teaches further comprising: in the first position of the first extension the first extension extends from the first end of the base along the base; and in the first position of the second extension the second extension extends from the second end of the base along the base (e.g. see Para. 0048 for the cover having the ability to flex an up and down direction and is a first position).
Regarding claim 5: Kaddas teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches further comprising: a slot 168 in the base, the slot extends from an exterior surface of the base to the interior bore of the base, and the slot extends the length of the base between the first end surface and the second end surface (see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 6: Kaddas teaches all the limitations of claim 5 and further teaches further comprising: a slot in the first extension, the slot extends from an exterior surface of the first extension to the interior bore of the first extension (see Fig. 5 for slot extending through the entirety of the cover).
Regarding claim 7: Kaddas teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches further comprising: projections 112 on the first extension, the projections being configured for being engaged by a separate tool and used to manipulate the first extension (see Fig. 3 and Para. 0039).
Regarding claim 8: Kaddas teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches further comprising: the first attachment 150 is a pivot connection on a top surface of the base 110 and on a top surface of the first extension 106 (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9: Kaddas teaches a cover 104’ apparatus for covering power lines (Para. 0039 and Fig. 1) comprising: a base 110, the base having a length with opposite first and second end surfaces (see Fig. 3), an interior bore extending through the base from the first end surface to the second end surface (see Fig. 5), the interior bore being dimensioned and configured to receive and contain a portion of a length of a power line in the interior bore (see Fig. 5 and Para. 0047); a first extension 106 attached to the base adjacent the first end surface of the base (Fig. 3), the first extension having an interior bore extending through the first extension (Fig. 5), the interior bore being dimensioned and configured to receive and contain a portion of a length of a power line in the interior bore (see Fig. 5 and Para. 0047); and a first attachment 150 attaching the first extension 106 to the base 110 (see Fig., 3), the first attachment enabling the first extension to pivot between first and second positions (e.g. up and down and straight; see Para. 0049 and Fig. 3) of the first extension relative to the base where in the first position the first extension is positioned extending over the base in a compact configuration of the first extension and the base (e.g. flexing up and down would cause the cover to be in a compact configuration; see Para. 0049) and in the second position the first extension is positioned extending from the base where the interior bore of the base and the interior bore of the first extension are aligned (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claims 10-15: Rejected for substantially the same reasons as claims 2-3, 5-8, respectively.
Regarding claim 16: Kaddas teaches a method of protecting power lines (see Fig. 1 and Para. 0042) comprising: positioning a base 110 of a cover apparatus 104’ on the power line with a portion of a length of the power line received in an interior bore of the base (see Para. 0042); moving a first extension 106 attached to the base from a first position (e.g. up and down position described in Para. 0048) where the first extension is at an angled orientation relative to the base to a second position (see Fig. 3) where the first extension is aligned with the base and the portion of the length of the power line is received in an interior bore of the first extension (see Figs. 3-5 and Para. 0042).
Regarding claim 17: Kaddas teaches all the limitations of claim 16 and further teaches further comprising: moving a second extension 108 attached to the base from a first position where the second extension is at an angled orientation relative to the base to a second position where the second extension is aligned with the base and the portion of the length of the power line is received in an interior bore of the second extension (e.g. similarly to first extension; see Fig. 3 and Para. 0042).
Regarding claim 18: Kaddas teaches all the limitations of claim 16 and further teaches further comprising: moving the first extension 106 with a tool that is separate from the cover apparatus (see Para. 0045).
Regarding claim 19: Kaddas teaches all the limitations of claim 18 and further teaches further comprising: moving the second extension 108 with a tool that is separate from the cover apparatus (see Para. 0045).
Regarding claim 20: Kaddas teaches all the limitations of claim 19 and further teaches further comprising: the tool is a hot stick (Para. 0045).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892 for pertinent prior art, the following references being of closest relevance:
Puigcerver (US 6,730,852) teaches a cover for distribution lines comprising two extension ends on opposite sides and configured to change positions;
Hiller (US 2016/0172829) teaches a cover for distribution lines comprising two extension ends on opposite sides and configured to change positions and having projections for moving the extension ends;
Lynch (US 2013/0299230) teaches a cover for distribution lines comprising two extension ends on opposite sides and configured to change positions;
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSCAR C JIMENEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-0272. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571) 272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/OSCAR C JIMENEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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