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 § 112
Claim 3 is 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 following claims are vague, indefinite, confusingly, awkwardly worded and/or lacking proper antecedent basis:
“preferably,” in claim 3 , 11, and 19. This limitation is not positively recited. Which renders the claim vague.
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) 1-4, 10-12, 15-17, and 19-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(A1) as being anticipated by Griffioen et al 7992685.
Griffioen et al disclose the claimed invention as recited in the claims as shown below:
1.(Currently Amended)
Device for installing an elongated element (100) 32 into a
Ct 10 (200), comprising a pressure housing Fig. 11 [[(10)]] having:
- an entry port 48 [[(12)]] for receiving the elongated element(100),
- an exit port 18 [[(1)]]] arranged to be connected to the duct (200) for introducing the
elongated element- (100) into the duct-(200) with a driving fluid,
- a driving fluid chamber 28 & 54[[(20)]], arranged to receive the driving fluid supplied
under pressure and to distribute the driving fluid into the duct-(200) with the elongated
element (100),
- a lubricant chamber 248 [[(30)]], arranged to receive a lubricant and to distribute the
lubricant onto an outer surface of the elongated element-(100), the lubricant chamber
[[(30)]] being located upstream of the driving fluid chamber [[(20)]], characterized in that
wherein the pressure housing [[(10)]] comprises an upstream chamber 214 [[(40)]], arranged to receive the pressurized driving fluid and located upstream of the lubricant chamber[[(30)]].
2.(Currently Amended)
The device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure
Housing Fig.11 [[(10)]] comprises a fluid port 232 [[(15)]] to receive said pressurized driving fluid, and
wherein the fluid port [[(15)]] is arranged to feed the pressure housing [[(10)]] with
pressurized driving fluid downstream the lubricant chamber [[(30)]].
3.
(Currently Amended)
The device according to claim [[1 or]] 2, wherein the
fluid port 232 [[(15)]] is arranged to feed the driving fluid chamber 28 & 54 [[(20)]] with pressurized
driving fluid, and preferably, the fluid port [[(15)]] is arranged to feed directly the driving
fluid chamber [[(20)]] with pressurized driving fluid. The configuration meets the functions as claimed.
4.
(Currently Amended)
The device according to claim 1 [[to 3]], wherein the
upstream chamber [[(40)]] is a dead space 220 for [[the]] received pressurized driving fluid.
10.
(Currently Amended)
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 claim
1, comprising a lubricant conduit L AND 120 [[(14)]] arranged between the lubricant chamber [[(30)]]
and the driving fluid chamber [[(20)]]. SEE FIG.11
11.
(Currently Amended)
The device according to claim 10, wherein the lubricant
conduit [[(14)]] is mounted at an upper part of the pressure housing [[(10)]], preferably
higher than the top of the elongated element (100) in a vertical direction. Fig.11 is the function of the device.
12.
(Currently Amended)
The device according to claim 10-or 11, in their
dependency to any one of claims 7 to 8, wherein the lubricant conduit [[(14)]] is arranged
onto the holder 238 [[(53)]].
15.
(Currently Amended)
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 14
claim 1, comprising an external lubricating unit [[(70)]] located upstream of the pressure
housing [[(10)]]. This is inherent because the refill can would be use to refill the the device and could do it at this location since the two do no have to be intergral.
16.
(Currently Amended)
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 15
claim 1, comprising driving means [[(80)]] such as driving caterpillars or driving rollers, 38 & 36
arranged to push the elongated element (100) into the entry port [[(12)]].
17.
(Currently Amended)
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 16
claim 1, wherein the pressure housing [[(10)]] comprises two halves 28 & 200 attached together to
surround the elongated element (100).
19.
(Currently Amended) The device according to any one of claims 1 to 18
claim 1, wherein the driving fluid chamber 214 [[(20)]] is arranged to surround at least partially,
and to surround the elongated element (100) preferably fully in a direction tangential to
the elongated element (100).
20.
(Currently Amended)
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 19
claim 1, wherein the lubricant chamber [[(30)]] is arranged to surround the elongated
element (100) at least partially, and to surround the elongated element(100) preferably
fully in a direction tangential to the elongated element (100). See Fig.11
21.
(Currently Amended)
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 20
claim 1, wherein the upstream chamber [[(40)]] is arranged to surround the elongated
element (100) at least partially, and to surround the elongated element (100) preferably
fully in a direction tangential to the elongated element (100). See Fig.11
22.
(Currently Amended) The device according to any one of claims 1 to 21
claim 1, wherein the upstream chamber [[(40)]] is defining a dead volume to receive the
driving fluid. See Fig.11 and 28
23.
(Currently Amended)
Apparatus for installing an elongated element(100)
into a duct (200), comprising:
- the device for installing an elongated element (100) into a duct (200)
according to any one of claims 1 to 22 claim 1,
- a driving fluid supply unit, connected to the device for installing [[an]]the
elongated element-(100) into [[a]]the duct (200) and arranged to deliver the driving fluid
under pressure to the driving fluid chamber [[(20)]],
- a lubricant supply unit, connected to the device for installing [[an]]the
elongated element (100) into [[a]]the duct (200) and arranged to deliver the lubricant
under pressure to the lubricant chamber [[(30)]]. See Fig.11 with air going into to 66 and a supply can poured into 274.
24.
(Currently Amended)
The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein:
- the driving fluid supply unit is arranged to deliver the driving fluid at a first
pressure,
- the lubricant supply unit is arranged to deliver the lubricant at the first
pressure ± 10%, and preferably at a pressure exceeding the first pressure by 1 bar
maximum, preferably at a pressure exceeding the first pressure by 0,5 bar maximum, and
more preferably or at a pressure exceeding the first pressure by 0.2 bar maximum. This is not part of the invention how you feed the supply lubricant so this inherent to how the supply can be distributed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-9, 13-15, 18, and 25 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The 892 form discloses prior art being made of record.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEE D WILSON whose telephone number is (571)272-4499. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 6;30-4;30.
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LEE D. WILSON
Examiner
Art Unit 3723
LDw
/LEE D WILSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723 August 17, 2026
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