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 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.
Claim(s) 1, 6, 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Thoman (figures 1-4) (US 3594713 A).
In regard to claim 1, Thoman discloses a method for manufacturing an electrical wire with terminal (fig. 1-4) in which a terminal EC is crimped to a conductor core wire 10 of an electrical wire 11, wherein
the terminal EC includes a connected portion 1 to be connected to a mating terminal and a crimped portion 2 to be crimped to the conductor core wire 10,
the crimped portion 2 has a tubular shape continuous without a slit in a circumferential direction, and has a shape before crimping in which a tubular inner face of the crimped portion 2 includes a projecting portion 9 protruding into a tubular portion at a cross section orthogonal to an axis of the terminal EC, and
the manufacturing method comprises:
inserting the conductor core wire 10 into the tubular portion of the crimped portion 2; and
crimping the crimped portion 2 to the conductor core wire 10 by caulking the crimped portion 2 using a caulking tool, the caulking tool being configured to deform the crimped portion 2 into the tubular portion by pressing a caulking face against the crimped portion 2 (col. 3, lines 23-30).
In regard to claim 6, Thoman discloses a standard crimping tool (col. 3, lines 29, 30). “The caulking tool has a protruding portion on the caulking face to recess the crimped portion into the tubular portion of the crimped portion” is seen to be an inherent teaching of the standard crimping tool disclosed by Thoman.
In regard to claim 7, Thoman discloses a terminal EC to be crimped to a conductor core wire 10 of an electrical wire 11, the terminal EC comprising:
a connected portion 1 to be connected to a mating terminal; and
a crimped portion 2 to be crimped to the conductor core wire 10, wherein the crimped portion 2 has a tubular shape continuous without a slit in a circumferential direction, and has a shape before crimping in which a tubular inner face of the crimped portion 2 includes a projecting portion 9 protruding into the tubular portion at a cross section orthogonal to an axis of the terminal EC.
Claim(s) 1, 6, 7, 12, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(A)(1) as being anticipated by Thoman (figures 5-7) (US 3594713 A).
In regard to claim 1, Thoman discloses a method for manufacturing an electrical wire with terminal (fig. 5-7) in which a terminal 15 is crimped to a conductor core wire 22 of an electrical wire 16, wherein
the terminal 15 includes a connected portion 17 to be connected to a mating terminal and a crimped portion 18 to be crimped to the conductor core wire 16,
the crimped portion 18 has a tubular shape continuous without a slit in a circumferential direction, and has a shape before crimping in which a tubular inner face of the crimped portion 18 includes a projecting portion 21 protruding into a tubular portion at a cross section orthogonal to an axis of the terminal 15, and
the manufacturing method comprises:
inserting the conductor core wire 22 into the tubular portion of the crimped portion 18; and
crimping the crimped portion 18 to the conductor core wire 22 by caulking the crimped portion 18 using a caulking tool, the caulking tool being configured to deform the crimped portion into the tubular portion by pressing a caulking face against the crimped portion (col. 3, lines 23-30).
In regard to claim 6, Thoman discloses a standard crimping tool (col. 3, lines 29, 30). “The caulking tool has a protruding portion on the caulking face to recess the crimped portion into the tubular portion of the crimped portion” is seen to be an inherent teaching of the standard crimping tool disclosed by Thoman.
In regard to claim 7, Thoman discloses a terminal 15 to be crimped to a conductor core wire 22 of an electrical wire 16, the terminal 15 comprising:
a connected portion 17 to be connected to a mating terminal; and
a crimped portion 18 to be crimped to the conductor core wire 22, wherein the crimped portion 18 has a tubular shape continuous without a slit in a circumferential direction, and has a shape before crimping in which a tubular inner face of the crimped portion 18 includes a projecting portion 21 protruding into the tubular portion at a cross section orthogonal to an axis of the terminal 15.
In regard to claim 12, Thoman discloses an electrical wire with terminal (fig. 5-7) comprising:
an electrical wire 16; and
a terminal 15 crimped to a conductor core wire 22 of the electrical wire 16, wherein
the terminal 15 includes:
a connected portion 17 to be connected to a mating terminal; and
a crimped portion 18 crimped to the conductor core wire 22, the crimped portion 18 has a tubular shape continuous without a slit in a circumferential direction, and has a shape in which a tubular inner face of the crimped portion 18 has a plurality of curved faces convex out of a tubular portion at a cross section orthogonal to an axis of the terminal 15, and at the cross section, a location where one of the curved faces and another of the curved faces are coupled defines a projecting portion 21 protruding into the tubular portion of the crimped portion 18.
In regard to claim 15, Thoman discloses the crimped portion 18 includes a recess (opposite side of 21) formed by recessing a tubular outer face of the crimped portion 18 into the tubular portion.
Claim(s) 12, 13, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(A)(1) as being anticipated by Shaffer (US 4890384 A).
In regard to claim 12, Shaffer discloses an electrical wire with terminal (fig. 3) comprising:
an electrical wire 88; and
a terminal 80 crimped to a conductor core wire 86 of the electrical wire 88, wherein
the terminal 80 includes:
a connected portion 84 to be connected to a mating terminal; and
a crimped portion 82 crimped to the conductor core wire 86, the crimped portion 82 has a tubular shape continuous without a slit in a circumferential direction, and has a shape in which a tubular inner face of the crimped portion 82 has a plurality of curved faces (see annotated drawing below) convex out of a tubular portion at a cross section orthogonal to an axis of the terminal 80 and at the cross section, a location where one of the curved faces and another of the curved faces are coupled defines a projecting portion (see annotated drawing below) protruding into the tubular portion of the crimped portion 82.
In regard to claim 13, Shaffer discloses at the cross section, the tubular inner face of the crimped portion 82 has two or more projecting portions on the tubular inner face of the crimped portion.
In regard to claim 15, Shaffer discloses the crimped portion 82 includes a recess 110 formed by recessing a tubular outer face of the crimped portion 82 into the tubular portion.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 8-11, 14 are 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 prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THO D. TA whose telephone number is (571)272-2014. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-4:30PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M Koehler can be reached at (571) 272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Tdt
8/20/2026
/THO D TA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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