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 Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: the phrase “on an inner side than on outer edge” is grammatically incorrect. 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 1-4 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sato WO 2014/038242 (hereinafter Sato).
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Re. Cl. 1, Sato discloses: A floor wiring module (Fig. 1), comprising: a silencer (1, Fig. 1); a carpet (2, Fig. 1) stacked on one main surface of the silencer (see Fig. 1); and a wiring member (9, Fig. 1) sandwiched and held between the silencer and the carpet (see Fig. 1), wherein a stacked region where the silencer and the carpet are stacked includes a first region where the silencer and the carpet are thermally pressed and fixed to each other (see Fig. 1, area to the right side of 9) and a second region (see Fig. 1, where 90 are located between 1 and 2), adjacent to the first region on the one main surface (see Fig. 1), where the wiring member is located between the silencer and the carpet (see Fig. 1).
Re. Cl. 2, Sato discloses: the stacked region includes a third region (see Fig. 1, area to the left of 9), adjacent to the second region on the one main surface (see Fig. 1), where the silencer and the carpet are fixed to each other via a mechanical bonding member (see 3s to the left of 9, Fig. 1).
Re. Cl. 3, Sato discloses: an area of the first region is larger than an area of the third region in the one main surface (see Fig. 1).
Re. Cl. 4, Sato discloses: the first region is disposed in a region which a passenger steps on more likely than the second region and the third region in a floor of a vehicle (due to the larger area of the first region, a user is more likely to step on the first region than the third when employed in a vehicle).
Re. Cl. 8, Sato discloses: A floor stacked body (10, Fig. 1), comprising: a silencer (1, Fig. 1); and a carpet (2, Fig. 1) stacked on one main surface of the silencer (see Fig. 1), wherein a stacked region where the silencer and the carpet are stacked includes a fixation region where the silencer and the carpet are thermally pressed and fixed to each other (see Fig. 1, at 3 and 4) and a separation region (where 1 and 2 are stacked on wires 9), adjacent to the fixation region on the one main surface, where the silencer and the carpet are separated from each other (see Fig. 1).
Re. Cl. 9, Sato discloses: A method of manufacturing a floor wiring module (see Fig. 1), comprising: thermally pressing and fixing a part of a stacked region where a silencer and a carpet are stacked (see Fig. 1, via 3, 4); and locating a wiring member between the silencer and the carpet in another part of the stacked region where the silencer and the carpet are not fixed to each other (see Fig. 1, where 9 are located).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato in view of Sonoda JP 2015/220800 (hereinafter Sonoda).
Re. Cls. 5-6, Sato does not disclose a wiring holding part fixing the wiring member to at least one of the silencer and/or the carpet is provided to the second region (Cl. 5) or the wiring holding part is a holding part including a mechanical bonding member or a bonding holding part having smaller fixing force than fixing force between the silencer and the carpet in the first region (Cl. 6). Sonoda discloses a floor wiring module (Fig. 1) which includes a wiring holding part (36, Fig. 1-2) fixing the wiring member to at least one of the silencer and/or the carpet is provided to the second region (see Fig. 2, region where 34 is stacked on 32 but spaced by 22); the wiring holding part is a holding part including a mechanical bonding member (see 36, Fig. 2, it mechanically bonds 22 and 30) or a bonding holding part having smaller fixing force than fixing force between the silencer and the carpet in the first region.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Sato device to include the wiring holding part of Sonoda with reasonable expectation of success since Sonoda states that such a modification fixes the electric wire module to the soundproof member (Paragraph 0029 and 0042 for example). Such a modification would prevent inadvertent shifting of the wiring.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato in view of Naoki JP 2012-107869 (hereinafter Naoki).
Re. Cl. 7, Sato does not disclose the carpet includes a window part located in a region on an inner side than an outer edge of the one main surface of the silencer, and the wiring member includes an end portion extending onto the carpet through the window part. Naoki discloses a vehicle flooring wiring module (Fig. 1) which includes an upper member or carpet (57, Fig. 8) including a window part (85, Fig. 8) located in a region on an inner side than an outer edge of the one main surface of the silencer (see Fig. 8, along an interior of the device not at the outer edges), and the wiring member includes an end portion extending onto the carpet through the window part (see 63, Fig. 8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Sato device to have the window as disclosed by Naoki with reasonable expectation of success to enable the user to route particular cables to particular parts of a vehicle.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Sato US 2015/0321625, Nishimura US 2021/0024019, and Mizuno US 2021/0020331 discloses other known floor wiring modules which are presented to the Applicant for their consideration.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER E GARFT whose telephone number is (571)270-1171. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..
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/CHRISTOPHER GARFT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632