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 .
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Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed February 24, 2025 has been considered.
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References Used
Reference 1 (Primary) - CA 2,659,136 A1.
Reference 2 - WO 2018/150149 A1.
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Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. 103
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.
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 at the time any inventions covered therein were effectively filed 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 at the time a later invention was effectively filed 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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) An arrangement for equipotential bonding of a support cable of a cableway, comprising: (L2) a guide part, which is arranged on a stationary device of the cableway, comprising a plastics material insert extending in a cable direction with a surface to receive and guide the support cable; (L3) an electrically conductive contact element, wherein the plastics material insert includes an insert recess through which the electrically conductive contact element is insertable and movably arranged; and (L4) a spring element arranged to press the electrically conductive contact element against the support cable, whereby a contact face of the electrically conductive contact element contacts the support cable guided on the plastics material insert, (L5) wherein the electrically conductive contact element is electrically connected to an equipotential bonding point of the cableway.
Analysis
(L1) Reference 1 discloses a support device for carrying rope 10 of a teleferic installation, and Reference 2 discloses a device that electrically grounds cable 10 of a cable-transport system (Reference 1, pages 5-8 and Figures 1-3; Reference 2, pages 22-26 and Figure 1). (L2) Reference 1 discloses support part 11 on stationary shoe 12, subdivided into elemental sections 13i, with high-density-polyethylene lagging 22 extending along carrying rope 10. Lagging 22 is retained in complementary groove 23 and has positioning groove 26 that receives, supports, and laterally guides rope 10 (pages 5-8; Figures 1-3). (L3) Reference 2 discloses electrically conductive, movably supported contact element 2 with conductive pad 3. In the combined device, the contact is positioned beneath Reference 1's cable seat and passes through aligned openings in section 13i and lagging 22 to reach rope 10. Providing those aligned openings is the predictable structural accommodation necessary for Reference 2's movable contact to reach the cable while retaining Reference 1's insulating liner (Reference 2, pages 22-26; Figures 1-3). (L4) Reference 2 discloses spring 13 acting between fixed base 8 and movable arm 9 to press conductive pad 3 against cable 10 and maintain sliding electrical contact as the cable moves or vibrates (pages 23-26; Figure 1). (L5) Reference 2 discloses conductive support 5 and braid 6 electrically connecting the contact assembly to grounded mass 25 (pages 22-24; Figures 1-3).
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to equip Reference 1's stationary, lined carrying-rope support with the spring-loaded grounding contact and conductive connection of Reference 2, positioned through aligned openings in the support section and liner, because Reference 1 places a steel carrying rope in a polymer liner on a stationary cableway support while Reference 2 expressly teaches maintaining a reliable ground path from a cable of the same field despite cable movement and vibration. The modification uses Reference 2's contact, spring, and ground connection for their established electrical function while preserving Reference 1's support and guiding function, with the predictable result of a supported cable having continuous equipotential bonding.
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Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) The arrangement according to claim 1, (L2) wherein the guide part further comprises a guide housing in which the plastics material insert is arranged, (L3) the guide housing having a housing recess arranged for the electrically conductive contact element to be pushed through the housing recess and through the insert recess.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 1 arrangement is taught by the combination for the reasons stated in the claim 1 analysis. (L2) Reference 1 discloses elemental section 13i as the structural support body that receives high-density-polyethylene lagging 22 in complementary groove 23, and thus teaches a housing that holds the plastic insert (pages 7-8; Figures 2-3). (L3) Reference 2 discloses movable conductive contact element 2 positioned to engage cable 10. In the combination, an opening through Reference 1's section 13i is aligned with the opening through lagging 22 so the contact can be pushed through both openings and reach the cable. The aligned housing and liner openings are the predictable accommodation of the contact in the lined support (Reference 2, pages 22-26; Figures 1-3).
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide aligned openings through Reference 1's elemental support section and retained liner when installing Reference 2's movable contact beneath the cable, because an aligned passage is necessary for the known contact to reach the cable without eliminating the liner. This arrangement preserves the respective support, wear-protection, and grounding functions of the known components and yields their predictable combined operation.
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Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) The arrangement according to claim 2, (L2) wherein a spring holder is arranged on the guide housing, and (L3) wherein the spring element is arranged between the spring holder and the contact element.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 2 arrangement is taught by the combination for the reasons stated in the analyses of claims 1 and 2. (L2) Reference 2 discloses fixed base 8 supporting the contact mechanism, including the spring mounting point, and places the base below cable 10. In the combined device, that fixed base and spring mount are secured to Reference 1's elemental section 13i, which houses liner 22 (Reference 2, pages 23-26; Figures 1 and 3). (L3) Reference 2 discloses spring 13 extending between fixed base 8 and movable arm 9 that carries conductive contact pad 3, so the spring acts between the fixed holder and the contact assembly to press the contact against cable 10 (pages 25-26; Figures 1 and 3).
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to mount Reference 2's fixed spring-support base on Reference 1's support housing and place the spring between that fixed mount and the movable contact assembly, because Reference 2 teaches that arrangement to maintain unilateral contact force against a cable. Mounting the complete mechanism on the housing is a conventional and predictable way to preserve alignment between the housing passage, movable contact, and supported cable.
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Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) The arrangement according to claim 2, (L2) wherein the guide housing is detachably arranged on the stationary device of the cableway.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 2 arrangement is taught by the combination for the reasons stated in the analyses of claims 1 and 2. (L2) Reference 1 discloses elemental section 13i secured directly to stationary shoe 12 by removable fixing screws 15. After the screws and associated shims are removed, the section is selectively lowered and removed to expose the carrying rope for inspection. The liner-holding section therefore is detachably arranged on the stationary cableway shoe (pages 5-7 and 9-10; Figures 2 and 4-8).
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to retain Reference 1's screw-detachable support section when adding Reference 2's grounding contact, because Reference 1 expressly uses detachability to permit inspection and servicing of the supported cable. Keeping that known mounting feature preserves the established maintenance access and predictably permits the combined guide-and-contact assembly to be removed from the stationary shoe.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 6 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The closest located references do not teach or suggest the detachable transport lock required by claims 5 and 6. Reference 2's lever 11 can manually oppose spring 13 to adjust the contact position, but it is not a transport lock detachably connected to the contact element, it is not disclosed as holding the contact retracted while a support cable is placed in a plastic insert, and it is not released after that placement so the spring then presses the contact against the support cable. The focused lock, installation-sequence, family, citation, and similar-document review did not locate a supported combination supplying those features.
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Conclusion
Claims 1-6 are pending. The rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 applies to claims 1-4. Claims 5 and 6 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim but contain allowable subject matter if rewritten in independent form including all inherited limitations.
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Art Considered but Not Applied
WO 2022/090166 A1 discloses equipotential bonding using electrically conductive plastic contact bristles 3 carried by brush body 2. It is not applied because it does not disclose the claimed contact element movably arranged through a recess in the cable-supporting plastics material insert, or the detachable transport lock and subsequent release required by claims 5–6.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON C SMITH whose telephone number is (703)756-4641. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/Jason C Smith/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615
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