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
Applicant's election with traverse of claims 18-27 in the reply filed on 05/18/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that claim 28 is merely alternate way to describe the position of the collar and a serious burden on the examiner is not required. This is not found persuasive because alternative way to position the collar is considered as different embodiment. Such a different embodiment would require one and/or all of the following:
(a) the inventions have acquired a separate status in the art in view of their different classification;
(b) the inventions have acquired a separate status in the art due to their recognized divergent subject matter;
(c) the inventions require a different field of search (for example, searching different classes/subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search queries);
(d) the prior art applicable to one invention would not likely be applicable to another invention;
(e) the inventions are likely to raise different non-prior art issues under 35 U.S.C. 101 and/or 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
Claim(s) 18, 19 and 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stagi et al. (US Pub. No.: 2007/0049085 A1) (hereinafter Stagi) and further in view of Bertini et al. (US Pat. No.: 7,615,247 B2) (hereinafter Bertini).
Regarding claim 18, Stagi discloses an injection connector for injecting of a treatment fluid for rejuvenating a flow restricted cable having an electrical connector (102) comprising of a plurality of conductor strands (103), the electrical conductor being surrounded by cable insulation (120) for attachment to an electric connector (104), comprising: an injection adapter having a first adapter portion and a second adapter portion (injection adaptor is valve assembly 112 (first adaptor portion) and apparatus seal assembly 114 (second adaptor portion) combined; Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the cable connection assembly 100 includes a main body 106, an attachment mechanism 108, a fastening mechanism 109, a cable seal mechanism 110, a valve assembly 112, and an apparatus seal assembly 114 [¶0017]), the first adapter portion being attachable to the free-end portion of the cable insulation using compression and thereby forming a compression zone where at the cable insulation is moved inward by the first adapter portion toward the electrical conductor (The valve assembly 112 includes a sealing member 132, an injection port 134, an inlet port 136, a valve seal assembly 138, and a locking assembly 140. The sealing member 132 of the illustrated embodiment is in the form of a sleeve which may be linearly moved in the direction of the longitudinal length of the cable connection assembly 100 as indicated by arrow 158 in FIG. 2. The sealing member 132 is adapted to slidingly receive the main body 106 within an inner passageway defined by the sealing member 132 [¶0023]; the first adaptor 112 is attachable to free-end portion of cable insulation using compression (Fig.3 shows part of first adaptor 112 attachable to free end portion using the seal which is compression) and thereby forming a compression zone where at the cable insulation is moved inward by the first adapter portion toward the electrical conductor (The sealing member 132 of the illustrated embodiment is in the form of a sleeve which may be linearly moved in the direction of the longitudinal length of the cable connection assembly 100 as indicated by arrow 158 in FIG. 2. [¶0023]; fig.2 shows arrow 158 of compression zone so the cable insulation is moved inward by first adaptor portion toward electrical conductor)), the compression zone having a longitudinally outward end portion located along the cable insulation toward a longitudinally outward end portion of the first adapter portion (fig.3 shows the first adaptor 112 location is the compression zone having a longitudinally outward end portion (insulation is considered outward end portion) along cable insulation 120 toward a longitudinally outward end portion of the first adapter portion (locking flange 152 is outward end portion of first adaptor portion)) and a longitudinally inward end portion located along the cable insulation toward a longitudinally inward end portion of the first adapter portion (Fig.3 shows a longitudinally inward end portion (108) located along the cable insulation 120 toward a longitudinally inward end portion of the first adapter portion (138)), and the second adapter portion being attachable to the electrical connector (The apparatus seal assembly 114 is adapted to seal the main body 106 to the apparatus 104 [¶0022]; second adapter 114 is attachable to electrical connector 104); and a collar positioned within the injection adapter between the electrical conductor and the cable insulation at the free-end portion of the cable insulation (The main body 106 is suitably a cylindrically shaped structure, such as a collar, defining an inner cavity 116. The inner cavity 116 may be sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of the cable 102 and at least a portion of the apparatus 104. Further, the inner cavity 116 is adapted to receive the fluid mentioned above for treating the cable 102 [0017]; the collar 106 is positioned within the injection adapter 112 and the electrical conductor 102 at the free end of cable insulation 120 (seen in fig.1)), the collar having an interior collar passageway sized to receive the electrical conductor therethrough, with a collar longitudinally outward end portion located toward the longitudinally outward end portion of the first adapter portion (fig.3 shows the collar 106 longitudinally outward end portion (main body has same structure as first adaptor portion so outward end portion is locking flange 152) located toward the longitudinally outward end portion of the first adapter portion (locking flange 152 is outward end portion of first adaptor portion); interior cavity 116 receives cable) and a collar longitudinally inward end portion located toward the longitudinally inward end portion of the first adapter portion such that when the first adapter portion is attached to the free-end portion of the cable insulation using compression (Fig.3 shows a collar 106 longitudinally inward end portion (location of number 106 in figure is considered inward end portion) located toward the longitudinally inward end portion of the first adapter (138) portion such that when the first adapter portion 112 is attached to the free-end portion of the cable insulation 120 using compression (seal member 132 of first adaptor attaches to free end portion of cable insulation using compress (seal is the compression)), the interior collar passageway will provide a flow path for injected treatment fluid through at least a portion of the compression zone (The sealing member 132 includes the injection port 134. The injection port 134 is adapted to interface with a fluid injection source to permit a fluid to pass through the sealing member 132 and into the inner cavity 116 of the main body 106 [0023]; collar 106 provides flow path for fluid through at least a portion of compression zone (location of 112 is compression zone)).
Stagi is silent about interstitial volume therebetween blocked by a PIB-based mastic or another restriction, the electrical conductor being surrounded by a polymeric cable insulation. However, the presence of interstitial volume and the use of polymeric cable insulators which are non-conductive are well known in the art.
Bertini also discloses an injection connector for injection of a treatment fluid. Bertini disclose the presence of interstitial void volume with a dielectric property-enhancing fluid at a pressure below the elastic limit of said polymeric insulation jacket. Bertini discloses filling the interstitial void volume with a dielectric property-enhancing fluid at a pressure below the elastic limit of the polymeric insulation jacket, and subsequently confining the fluid within the interstitial void volume at a sustained residual pressure imposed along the entire length of the segment and, again, below the elastic limit of the insulation jacket.
Given the wealth of knowledge, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to fill interstitial void volume between insulated jacket and electrical power cable segment. The benefit of doing so would have been to enhance the dielectric strength of an electrical power cable.
Claim 19, Bertini further discloses a typical assembly and test procedure, the cable termination was prepared by cutting back the outermost layers of the 1/0 cable to expose insulation jacket 12, per the manufacture's recommendations. Likewise, insulation jacket 12 and associated conductor shield (not shown) were cut back slightly beyond the manufacturer's requirements to expose stranded conductor 14 ( and assure that there was at least a 0.25 inch gap between termination crimp connector 252 and the wall of insulation jacket 12 after termination crimp connector 252 to was crimped to the conductor 14 (Fig. 3). The benefit of doing so would have been to assure the stranded conductor (14) is directly connected to crimp connector. It would have been obvious to remove the conductor shield.
Regarding claim 27, Stagi discloses the injection connector of claim 18, wherein the collar is positioned concentric with and adjacent to the electrical conductor (The main body 106 is suitably a cylindrically shaped structure, such as a collar, defining an inner cavity 116. The inner cavity 116 may be sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of the cable 102 [¶0017]; collar 106 is positioned with concentric with and adjacent to conductor (can be seen in fig.1 where 106 is positioned)).
Claim(s) 20, 24 , 25 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stagi and Bertini as applied to claims 18, 19 and 27 above, and further in view of Gaver, Jr, et al. (US Pat. No.: 5,181,861) (hereinafter Gaver).
Regarding claim 20, 24, 25 and 26 the limitations of claims 18 are taught by the combined teaching of Stagi and Bertini. They are both silent about limitations recited in claims 20, 24 and 25.
Gaver discloses an installation of coaxial cable connector. The connector has an ends which is tapered and chamfered (Fig. 9). This allows to apply frictional engagement with the end and interior of cable strands and allow the collar to increase to accommodate multiple diameter size conductor strands. The chamfered has notches to reduce flow restriction when positioned against the cable insulation or the electrical connector.
Give the wealth of knowledge, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the life to utilize connecter/collar as taught by Gave within the injector connector as taught by the combined teaching of Stagi and Bertini. The benefit of doing so would have been to allow the connected to securely be held to wire and connecting piece.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21-23 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VISHAL I PATEL whose telephone number is (571)270-7660. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9-5.
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/VISHAL I PATEL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1746
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