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
Claims 15 and 18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 15, on line 2, the phrase “of in” contains a grammatical error; and
Regarding claim 18, on line 3, the word “potion” should be “portion.”
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 Miyakoshi et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0145494).
Regarding claim 1, in Figure 2, Miyakoshi discloses a strain relief grommet comprising: a bulkhead grommet (120) including an inner wall abutting portion (121), an outer wall abutting portion (124), a groove portion (125, recessed portion 125 between the mounting plate 121 and the rib 124; Figure 4, paragraph [0059]) having an axial portion extending between the inner wall abutting portion and the outer wall abutting portion, and a grommet inner aperture (aperture through body 122) extending through the axial portion of the groove portion; and a strain relief feature (110, helical portion 110) connected to the bulkhead grommet.
Regarding claim 2, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the inner wall abutting portion, the outer wall abutting portion, and the groove portion include a gap portion, wherein the gap portion is configured to allow a connectorized cable to be pressed through the gap portion from outside the bulkhead grommet into the grommet inner aperture (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 3, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the bulkhead grommet is made of rubber (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 4, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the strain relief feature is configured to have the connectorized cable inserted therethrough without disassembling the connectorized cable (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 5, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the strain relief feature is spiral in shape (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 6, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the bulkhead grommet is disposed at a first end of the strain relief feature, and wherein the strain relief grommet further includes a cable centering portion disposed at a second end of the strain relief feature (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 7, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the cable centering portion includes a cable centering portion inner aperture extending through an axial portion of the cable centering portion, and a gap portion configured to allow a connectorized cable to also be pressed through the gap portion from outside the cable centering portion into the cable centering portion inner aperture (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 8, in Figure 2, Miyakoshi discloses an electrical enclosure comprising: an enclosure housing (200, Figure 1) including a bulkhead (right wall of housing 200 having notch 220, Figures 1 and 4); a bulkhead grommet (120, Figure 4) installed in the bulkhead, the bulkhead grommet including an inner wall abutting portion (121), an outer wall abutting portion (124), a groove portion (125, recessed portion 125 between the mounting plate 121 and the rib 124; Figure 4, paragraph [0059]) having an axial portion extending between the inner wall abutting portion and the outer wall abutting portion, and a grommet inner aperture (aperture through body 122) extending through the axial portion of the groove portion; a strain relief feature (110, helical portion 110) connected to the bulkhead grommet.
Regarding claim 9, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the inner wall abutting portion, the outer wall abutting portion, and the groove portion include a gap portion, wherein the gap portion is configured to allow a connectorized cable to be pressed through the gap portion from outside the bulkhead grommet and into the grommet inner aperture (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 10, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the bulkhead grommet is made of rubber (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 11, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the strain relief feature is configured to have the connectorized cable inserted therethrough without disassembling the connectorized cable (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 12, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the strain relief feature is spiral in shape (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 13, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the bulkhead grommet is disposed at a first end of the strain relief feature, and wherein the strain relief feature further includes a cable centering portion disposed at a second end of the strain relief feature (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 14, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the inner wall abutting portion, the outer wall abutting portion, and the groove portion include a gap portion, wherein the gap portion is configured to allow a connectorized cable to be pressed through the gap portion from outside the bulkhead grommet into the grommet inner aperture (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 15, in Figure 2, Miyakoshi discloses a method of installing a strain relief grommet comprising: pressing a cable (300, Figures 1 and 6A) through a gap portion (123, Figure 6A) of in a bulkhead grommet (120, Figures 2 and 6A) of a strain relief grommet (100) and into an inner aperture of the bulkhead grommet (aperture through body 122); and guiding the cable through a strain relief feature (110, helical portion 110; Figures 2, 6A – 6C) of the strain relief grommet.
Regarding claim 16, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the cable is a connectorized cable, wherein pressing the cable through the gap portion in the bulkhead grommet includes pressing a non-connectorized portion of a connectorized cable through the gap portion in the bulkhead grommet and into an inner aperture of the bulkhead grommet; and wherein guiding the cable through the strain relief feature of the strain relief grommet includes guiding the non-connectorized portion through the strain relief feature of the strain relief grommet (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 17, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the bulkhead grommet includes an inner wall abutting portion, an outer wall abutting portion, a groove portion having an axial portion extending between the inner wall abutting portion and the outer wall abutting portion, and a grommet inner aperture extending through the axial portion of the groove portion (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 18, Miyakoshi discloses inserting the bulkhead grommet into a bulkhead, thereby causing the inner wall abutting portion to flex, until the inner wall abutting potion returns to an unflexed shape and abuts an inner wall surface of the bulkhead (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 19, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the groove portion forms a fluid-tight seal against an inner rim of the bulkhead (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 20, Miyakoshi discloses wherein the bulkhead grommet is made of plastic (Figure 2).
Conclusion
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TREMESHA W. BURNS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/TREMESHA W BURNS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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