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 .
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The phrase “the tape-shaped buried member” (cl 2:2) lacks antecedent basis in the claim.
The phrase “the tape-shaped buried member” (cl 2:2) is indefinite because the scope and breadth of the phrase “tape-shaped” is unascertainable. It is unclear what is meant by tape-shaped.
The phrase “the tape-shaped buried member” (cl 3:2) lacks antecedent basis in the claim.
The phrase “the tape-shaped buried member” (cl 3:2) is indefinite because the scope and breadth of the phrase “tape-shaped” is unascertainable. It is unclear what is meant by tape-shaped.
The phrase “the folded portion side” (cl 3:3) lacks antecedent basis in the claim.
Corrections are required.
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 and 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP63-106082 (English machine translation provided).
The phrase found in the preamble “for applying a voltage to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer” has been treated as an intended use of the claimed invention. Since the phrase does not result in a manipulative difference in the claimed process, it has not been given patentable weight during the examination of the claimed invention. See MPEP 2111.02(II).
1. A method for processing a coaxial cable (JP63-106082: short specification; figs 1A-1D; coaxial cable 11) for applying a voltage to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, the method comprising:
a folding processing step of forming a folded portion by folding a tip end portion of a shield wire (JP63-106082: short specification; figs 1A-1D; shielded wire 13) to an outer sheath side with respect to the coaxial cable including a central conductor (JP63-106082: short specification; figs 1A-1D; core wire 15), an insulator (JP63-106082: short specification; figs 1A-1D; internal insulator 14) provided around the central conductor, the shield wire provided around the insulator, and the outer sheath provided around the shield wire (JP63-106082: short specification; figs 1A-1D; shielded wire 13 is folded outwardly toward the side of the exterior cover 12/outer sheath); and
a burying processing step of disposing a buried member (JP63-106082: short specification; figs 1A-1D; 1st insulator 24) having insulating property or semiconductivity in a gap formed between the folded portion and the insulator (JP63-106082: short specification; figs 1A-1D; 1st insulator 24 is disposed in a space/gap between the folded portion of the shielded wire 13 and insulator 14).
5. The method for processing a coaxial cable according to claim 1, further comprising: a cover processing step of disposing a cover member around the buried member (JP63-106082: short specification; figs 1A-1D and 1F; external conductor 34 constitutes the cover member).
6. The method for processing a coaxial cable according to claim 5, wherein in the cover processing step, the cover member is disposed such that a part of the cover member is positioned around the folded portion (JP63-106082: short specification; figs 1A-1D and 1F; external conductor 34 covers a portion of the folded back shielded wire 13).
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(s) 2-4 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP63-106082 as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of JP4142795 (English machine translation provided). The above teachings of JP63-106082 are incorporated hereinafter.
Regarding claim 2, JP63-106082 does not teach winding a tape-shaped buried member. However, JP4142795 teaches applying an insulating tape by wrapping in order to reduce costs and simplify an insulating step (JP4142795: para. 0017 and 0026-0027; figs 1-2). Since JP63-106082 and JP4142795 are analogous with respect to processing an end of a coaxial cable, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to applying the 1st insulator 24 of JP63-106082 as wrapped insulator as taught by JP4142795 in order to reduce costs and simplify an insulating step.
Regarding claim 3, such is taught by the combination of JP63-106082 and JP4142795 since the 1st insulator 24 of JP4142795 is applied by pushing the insulator 24 into the space/gap, wherein the space/gap is on the folded portion side.
Regarding claim 4, such is taught by the combination of JP63-106082 and JP4142795 since the wrapped insulator of JP4142795 is an adhesive tape that can be wrapped to form an insulating coating (JP4142795: para. 0017 and 0026-0027; figs 1-2).
Regarding claim 7, JP63-106082 does not teach the cover member having a thermal shrinkage; and applying heat to the cover member disposed around the buried member. However, JP4142795 teaches using a heat-shrinkable insulating tube to form a cover layer in order to reduce costs and simplify an insulating or covering step (JP4142795: para. 0017 and 0026-0027; figs 1-2). Since JP63-106082 and JP4142795 are analogous with respect to processing an end of a coaxial cable, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to applying the external conductor 34 of JP63-106082 as a heat-shrinkable tube as taught by JP4142795 in order to reduce costs and simplify an insulating step.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following teaches methods for processing an end of coaxial cable: JP5-60123; JP5-79892; and JP3-5112.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDMUND H LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1204. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 9AM-4PM.
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EHL
/EDMUND H LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744
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