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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in present Application No. 18/906,256, filed on October 4, 2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed September 23, 2025 and October 4, 2024 have been submitted for consideration by the Office. They have been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered.
Drawings
Figure 9 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words. It is important that the abstract not exceed 150 words in length since the space provided for the abstract on the computer tape used by the printer is limited. The form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as "means" and "said," should be avoided. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, "The disclosure concerns," "The disclosure defined by this invention," "The disclosure describes," etc.
Extensive mechanical and design details of apparatus should not be given.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because in lines 1-9, the abstract contains run on sentences, which is improper language for the abstract. The applicant should all instances of run on sentences, to provide the abstract with proper language. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsuruta et al (Pat Num 2011/0053403, herein referred to as Tsuruta). Tsuruta discloses shield structure (Figs 1-10), that is compact and holds the terminal fitting at a high strength by the double locking construction (Paragraph 14), while also supplying electrical power to equipment mounted on a car, for example a motor or inverter mounted on a hybrid car (Paragraph 25). Specifically, with respect to claim 1, Tsuruta discloses a shield structure (50, Fig 3) configured to be fixed to a target portion (60) of a vehicle body (i.e. hybrid car), wherein the target portion (60) is intended for mounting the shield structure (50) thereto (Paragraph 28), wherein the shield structure (50) comprises a shield shell (Fig 3) including a shell body (located at 50, Fig 3) having a tubular shape (Fig 5), wherein the shell body (located at 50, Fig 3) including at least one wall (located at 50 in Fig 3 is top and bottom walls joined by bended side walls) and defining a shielded space (Fig 5) and a vehicle body fastened portion (51) which has a plate shape (Fig 3) and is continuous with the one wall (located at 50, Fig 3) via a step (i.e. there is a step upward where the portion 51 is attached making the oval portion attached to 51 bigger than the diameter of 50, Fig 3), wherein the vehicle body fastened portion (51) extending in an axial direction (i.e. extends away from 50 toward the target 60) of the shell body (located at 50, Fig 3) and being configured to be fastened to the target portion (60) by means of a bolt (56, Paragraph 29), wherein the target portion (60) includes an overlapped surface (surface located at top face of 65) and a pair of inner surfaces (left and right surfaces of 65, Fig 3), wherein the overlapped surface (surface located at top face of 65) being configured to be placed facing the vehicle body fastened portion (51) and overlapped with the vehicle body fastened portion (51), wherein the pair of inner surfaces (left and right surfaces of 65) extends upright (starting from the bottom of left and right surfaces to top of left and right surfaces) from the overlapped surface (surface located at top face of 65) and opposed to each other (i.e. left and right surfaces), wherein the vehicle body fastened portion (51) includes a fastened portion body (located at 51) having a plate shape (Fig 3), a bolt hole (54) and a pair of contact surfaces (left and right surfaces of 51), wherein the bolt hole (54) being provided in the fastened portion body (located at 51) and configured for inserting the bolt (56) therethrough (Paragraph 29), wherein the pair of contact surfaces (left and right surfaces of 51) is provided on end faces of the fastened portion body (located at 51) in an orthogonal direction (Fig 5) and is able to come into contact with the inner surfaces (left and right surfaces of 65), wherein the orthogonal direction extends orthogonally to an axis of the shell body (located at 50, Fig 3), and wherein the pair of contact surfaces (left and right surfaces of 51) is configured to be in contact with the pair of inner surfaces (left and right surfaces of 65) in an overlapped state of the fastened portion body (located at 50) which is overlapped with the overlapped surface (surface located at top face of 65). With respect to claim 2, Tsuruta discloses that the pair of inner surfaces (left and right surfaces of 65) is opposed to each other in the orthogonal direction (as shown in Fig 6), and wherein each of the pair of contact surfaces (left and right surfaces of 50) are defined by a plane (as shown in Fig 3), wherein the plane (top to bottom direction) including the axial direction of the shell body (top to bottom of 50). With respect to claims 3-4, Tsuruta discloses that the shell body (located at 50, Fig 3) includes four walls (top and bottom, left and right walls) and bent portions (as shown in white oval surrounding 10a) between the four walls (Fig 5), wherein the four walls including the one wall (bottom wall of white oval surrounding 10a), wherein the bent portions (located at corners joining top and bottom walls to left and right walls, Fig 5) are continuous with the four walls (top and bottom, left and right walls of wall oval surrounding 10, Fig 5) and form corners of the shell body (located at 50, Fig 3), and wherein the pair of contact surfaces (left and right walls of 51) are arranged within boundary positions between the one wall (bottom wall of white oval surrounding 10a, Fig 5) and respective bent portions (located at corners joining top and bottom walls to left and right walls, Fig 5).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsuruta (Pat Num 2011/0053403) in view of Yang et al (Pub Num 2022/0140542, herein referred to as Yang). Tsuruta discloses shield structure (Figs 1-10), that is compact and holds the terminal fitting at a high strength by the double locking construction (Paragraph 14), while also supplying electrical power to equipment mounted on a car, for example a motor or inverter mounted on a hybrid car (Paragraph 25). Specifically, with respect to claim 5, Tsuruta discloses a shield shell production method of producing a shield shell (located at 50, Fig 3), wherein the shield shell (located at 50, Fig 3) includes a tubular portion (white oval portion surrounding 10, Fig 5) and a collar shaped portion (grey shaded area surrounding the white oval portion, Fig 5) extending continuously in a collar shape along a periphery of the tubular portion (white oval portion surrounding 10, Fig 5), wherein a step (i.e. there is a step upward where the portion 51 is attached making the oval portion attached to 51 bigger than the diameter of 50, Fig 3), is formed at a location (Fig 3) thereof which is spaced from the tubular portion (white oval portion surrounding 10, Fig 5).
However, Tsuruata doesn’t necessarily disclose the shield structure being made by deep drawing step by forming deep drawn material by applying a cylindrical deep drawing process to metal sheet, wherein the collar shaped portion is produced by applying a punching process to the deep drawn material (claim 5).
Yang teaches a high voltage connector comprising an electromagnetic shielding shell formed by a deep drawing process (abstract), thereby having uniform wall thickness (Paragraph 12), with barrel walls extending continuously along an axial direction and circumferential direction (Paragraph 10), and having improved current passing capacity and EMI shielding performance, while also reducing material and manufacturing cost of the connector (Paragraph 16). Specifically, with respect to claim 5, Yang teaches a method of forming a shield shell (100) being made by deep drawing step by forming deep drawn material by applying a cylindrical deep drawing process to metal sheet (100) forming a cylindrical shape (110), wherein the collar shaped portion 121) may be produced by applying a punching process to the deep drawn material (Paragraphs 40-41).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art of cables at the time the invention was made to modify the shield structure of Tsuruata to be made by the process as taught by Yang because Yang teaches that such a method of making a shield structure configuration provides a high voltage connector having uniform wall thickness (Paragraph 12), with barrel walls extending continuously along an axial direction and circumferential direction (Paragraph 10), and having improved current passing capacity and EMI shielding performance, while also reducing material and manufacturing cost of the connector (Paragraph 16).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please refer to the enclosed PTO-892 form for the citation of pertinent art in the present case, all of which disclose various connectors having shielding structures containing shielding bodies to be fixed to target portions of vehicle bodies.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM H MAYO III whose telephone number is (571)272-1978. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Thurs (5:30a-3:00p) Fri 5:30a-2p (w/alternating Fridays off).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani Hayman can be reached on (571) 270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/William H. Mayo III/
William H. Mayo III
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
WHM III
July 7, 2026
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