This is a Final office action for serial number 18/924236.
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, and 15 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on March 11, 2026.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 9, 11, 12, 16, 17, 19, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Heacox 6,552,270.
Heacox discloses claims:
1. A cable organizer for at least one cable, the cable organizer comprising: a support structure having a support structure inner periphery and a support structure outer periphery, wherein the support structure is at least partially circle-shaped, and wherein the support structure flexes so that cables may be snapped into (column 3, lines 15-549 lines 34-39) the cable organizer, wherein the support structure has at least one of: at least one first cable accommodation guide disposed at a first distance from the support structure outer periphery, the at least one first cable accommodation guide being open with respect to the support structure outer periphery so as to allow the at least one cable to be disposed in the at least one first cable accommodation guide by the at least one cable being disposed adjacent the at least one first cable accommodation guide, then pushed toward the at least one first cable accommodation guide, resulting in a flexing of the support structure in a vicinity of the at least one first cable accommodation guide that allows the at least one cable to pass into the at least one first cable accommodation guide, the at least one cable being held in the at least one first cable accommodation guide by a tolerance fit, andat least one second cable accommodation guide disposed at a second distance from the support structure outer periphery, the second distance being different than the first distance, the at least one second cable accommodation guide being open with respect to the support structure outer periphery via an exterior cable passage guide so as to allow the at least one cable to pass through the exterior cable passage guide and be disposed in the at least one second cable accommodation guide by the at least one cable being disposed adjacent the exterior cable passage guide of the at least one second cable accommodation guide, then pushed toward the at least one second cable accommodation guide, resulting in a flexing of the support structure in a vicinity of the at least one second cable accommodation guide that allows the at least one cable to pass into the at least one second cable accommodation guide, the at least one cable being held in the at least one second cable accommodation guide by a tolerance fit.
3. The cable organizer of claim 1, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.
9. The cable organizer of claim 1, wherein the support structure is circle- shaped.
11. The cable organizer of claim 1, wherein the support structure inner periphery at least in part defines a structural passage configured to accommodate a support member configured to support a weight of the at least one cable.
12. The cable organizer of claim 1, wherein each first cable accommodation guide of the at least one first cable accommodation guide or each second cable accommodation guide of the at least one second cable accommodation guide is associated with a different marking.
16. A method of holding at least one cable, the method comprising: providing a cable organizer, the cable organizer being at least partially circle-shaped in cross section and comprising a support structure having a support structure inner periphery, a support structure outer periphery, wherein the support structure flexes so that cables maybe snapped into the cable organizer, and at least one of: at least one first cable accommodation guide disposed at a first distance from the support structure outer periphery, the at least one first cable accommodation guide being open with respect to the support structure outer periphery, and at least one second cable accommodation guide disposed at a second distance from the support structure outer periphery, the second distance being different than the first distance, the at least one second cable accommodation guide being open with respect to the support structure outer periphery via an exterior cable passage guide; and disposing the at least one cable in at least one of: the at least one first cable accommodation guide by the at least one cable being disposed adjacent the at least one first cable accommodation guide, then pushed toward the at least one first cable accommodation guide, resulting in a flexing of the support structure in a vicinity of the at least one first cable accommodation guide that allows the at least one cable to pass into the at least one first cable accommodation guide, the at least one cable being held in the at least one first cable accommodation guide by a tolerance fit, and the at least one second cable accommodation guide by passing the at least one cable through the exterior cable passage guide ,the at least one cable being disposed adjacent the exterior cable passage guide of the at least one second cable accommodation guide, then pushed toward the at least one second cable accommodation guide, resulting in a flexing of the support structure in a vicinity of the at least one second cable accommodation guide that allows the at least one cable to pass into the at least one second cable accommodation guide, the at least one cable being held in the at least one second cable accommodation guide by a tolerance fit.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one first cable accommodation guide comprises from twelve to eighteen first cable accommodation guides, and wherein the at least one second cable accommodation guide comprises from twelve to eighteen second cable accommodation guides.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the support structure is circle-shaped or U-shaped.
20. The method of claim 16, comprising: disposing the cable organizer on a support member so as to support a weight of the at least one cable above a ground surface.
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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.
Claim(s) 2 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Heacox 6,552,270.
Heacox discloses all of the limitations of the claimed invention except for wherein the at least one first cable accommodation guide comprises from twelve to eighteen first cable accommodation guides and wherein the at least one second cable accommodation guide comprises from twelve to eighteen second cable accommodation guides.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with reasonable expectation of success to have the at least one first cable accommodation guide comprises from twelve to eighteen first cable accommodation guides and wherein the at least one second cable accommodation guide comprises from twelve to eighteen second cable accommodation guides since Heacox teaches within column 2, lines 50-55 which teaches that the desired number of cable accommodation guides depends on the desired number of supported cables therefore being an engineering desired choice to have twelve to eighteen first and second cable accommodation guides without destroying the invention or producing any unexpected results as the desired number of cable accommodation guides for a user.
Claim(s) 5, 6, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heacox 6552270 in view of Kim KR20190070091.
Heacox discloses all of the limitations of the claimed invention except for a flexible conductive covering.
Kim teaches it is known to have Claims:
5. The cable organizer further comprising: a flexible, conductive covering disposed on the support structure.
6. The cable organizer wherein the flexible, conductive covering envelopes the support structure.
18. The method wherein the cable organizer comprises a flexible, conductive covering disposed on the support structure, the flexible, conductive covering enveloping the support structure.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with reasonable expectation of success to have modified Heacox to have included the cable organizer further comprising: a flexible, conductive covering disposed on the support structure and the method wherein the cable organizer comprises a flexible, conductive covering disposed on the support structure, the flexible, conductive covering enveloping the support structure as taught by Kim for the purpose of providing a coating of rubber for protective purpose or a way to provide a better gripping means for the user and cabling and/or in addition to shielding by electromagnetic waves.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIMBERLY T WOOD whose telephone number is (571)272-6826. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thur 9:00am-5:30pm flexible schedule.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Liu can be reached at (571) 272-8227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIMBERLY T WOOD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
Prosecution Insights