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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Murayama et al. US 20100263926 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Murayama et al. disclose a routing structure (abstract) comprising:
a first fixed portion (33) that is fixed to a vehicle body (31) of a vehicle (Fig. 8; paragraphs 0001 and 0102);
a second fixed portion (32) that is fixed to a sliding body (30) that moves in a vehicle front-rear direction with respect to an opening (see annotated Fig. 8; paragraph 0044-0045) provided in a roof of the vehicle body (paragraph 0023);
an exterior member (40/2) that is formed by connecting a plurality of relatively rotatable tubular members (1; paragraph 0002) and has a first end portion held (24B) by the first fixed portion (paragraph 0094) and a second end portion (24A) held by the second fixed portion (paragraph 0094) (Fig. 8);
an electric wire (20) that is inserted into the exterior member (paragraph 0105); and
a biasing member (43) that is inserted into the exterior member (paragraph 0103) and presses the exterior member toward the sliding body (Fig. 8; paragraph 0110), wherein
the sliding body moves in a vehicle up-down direction in addition to the vehicle front-rear direction (paragraph 0102) between a fully closed position (P3) where the opening is closed and a fully open position (P1) where the opening is opened (Fig. 8; paragraph 0104),
a distance from the first end portion to the second end portion in the vehicle up-down direction at the fully closed position is a first distance (see annotated Fig. 8),
a distance from the first end portion to the second end portion in the vehicle up-down direction at the fully open position is a second distance that is larger than the first distance (see annotated Fig. 8; paragraph 0102),
the exterior member is configured such that an angle (paragraph 0043) at which two of the tubular members adjacent to each other rotate relative to each other (Fig. 10; paragraph 0004) is a predetermined angle or less (paragraph 0039),
the predetermined angle is an angle at which the exterior member forms a curved shape whose diameter is the first distance (see annotated Fig. 8; paragraph 0040), and
the biasing member forms a curved shape in the exterior member when the sliding body is at the fully open position (claim 16), the curved shape having a diameter that is the second distance (Fig. 8; claim 16).
The examiner notes that different embodiments and additional prior art are disclosed in Murayama et al. US 20100263926 A1 therein (paragraphs 0002-0011). Some embodiments include those found in JP 200425999 A, JP 200440862 A, and JP 2006306267 A.
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Regarding claim 2, Murayama et al. disclose the routing structure according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member presses the exterior member toward the sliding body such that an extending portion (41) extending along the sliding body is formed on the exterior member when the sliding body is at the fully open position (Fig. 8; paragraph 0101).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kogure et al. US 20230261449 A1 disclose a routing structure wire harness for a sunroof.
Murayama et al. JP 2007135299 A disclose a chain-like wiring structure for a slide door.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Anayansi Santiago whose telephone number is (571) 272-3138. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 8:30AM - 4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amy Weisberg can be reached at (571) 270-5500. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Anayansi Santiago/Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/A.S./Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/AMY R WEISBERG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3612
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