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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on January 21, 2025 has been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 and 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Stemmle et al (US 2014/0038827; cited in the IDS; hereinafter Stemmle).
Regarding claim 1, Stemmle discloses a superconductive cable installation (1) comprising at least one jointing pit (see figure 1; closure) in which arrive superconductive cables (SK and KR; see figure 2), each superconductive cable (SK and KR) comprising a cable core (SK) surrounded by a cryogenic envelope (KR) and at least one connection assembly (9; see figure 4) situated in said jointing pit in such a manner as to connect two of said superconductive cables (see figure 4) to produce a transmission link, said connection assembly (see figure 4) comprising: a jointing device (9) comprising two connection ports (see figure 4), each connection port (paragraph 0032; see figure 4) being configured to receive the cable core (SK) of a respective one of the two superconductive cables (see figure 4), and two compensation devices (10-12; and 13-15) configured to absorb a variation in length of the cable core of a respective one of said superconductive cables caused by a variation in temperature for passage to the superconductive state (see paragraph 0031), each compensation device (10-12 and 13-15) comprising an inlet end configured to receive the cable core and an outlet end connected to a respective one of said connection ports in such a manner as to deliver the cable core to the jointing device (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 2, Stemmle discloses the superconductive cable installation (1) in which the connection ports (paragraph 0032) of the jointing device (9) are situated at opposite ends of the jointing device (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 10, Stemmle discloses the superconductive cable installation (1) in which the curvatures of the compensation devices (10-12 and 13-15) utilize angles of 180° and have an angular offset between them in such a manner as to allow to pass the cables connected to the compensation devices (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 11, Stemmle discloses the superconductive cable installation (1) comprising a plurality of connection assemblies (9; see figure 4) situated in said jointing pit in such a manner as to connect a respective pair of said superconductive cables (SK and KR; see figure 2).
Regarding claim 12, Stemmle discloses the superconductive cable installation (1) in which the jointing devices (9; see figure 4) are aligned in the same longitudinal direction and the curvatures are face-to-face in said longitudinal direction or in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 13, Stemmle discloses the superconductive cable installation (1) comprising at least two jointing pits in which the superconductive cables (see figure 4) arrive, each jointing pit comprising at least one connection assembly (see figure 4) in such a manner as to connect a respective pair of said superconductive cables (SK and KR; see figure 4), one of the cables of the pair crossing the other jointing pit (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 14, Stemmle discloses the superconductive cable installation (1) in which the superconductive cables (SK and KR; see figure 2) connected to the at least one connection assembly (9; see figure 4) comprise a first end connected to said connection assembly (9; see figure 4) and a second end connected to a compensation device (10-13 and 13-15; see figure 4).
Regarding claim 15, Stemmle discloses the superconductive cable installation (1) comprising a plurality of connection assemblies (9, see figure 4) connecting in series a plurality of cables of a transmission link (see figure 4).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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 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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stemmle et al (US 2014/0378827; cited in the IDS; hereinafter Stemmle) in view of Stemmle et al (US 2014/0378311; cited in the IDS; hereinafter Stemmle ‘311).
Regarding claim 3, Stemmle discloses the claimed invention except for the connection ports of the jointing device are situated at the same end of the jointing device. Stemmle ‘311 teaches a superconductive cable installation (1) comprising a jointing device (10) comprising two connection ports; wherein the connection port are situated at the same end of the jointing device (see figure 4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make Stemmle’ s connection ports of the jointing device situated at the same end of the jointing device as taught by Stemmle’311 to provide means for improving the cooling of the superconductive cables. Furthermore, it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950).
Claims 4-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stemmle et al (US 2014/0378827; cited in the IDS; hereinafter Stemmle) in view of Stemmle et al (US 2019/0260194; cited in the IDS; hereinafter Stemmle’194).
Regarding claim 4, Stemmle discloses the claimed invention except for the superconductive cable installation in which each compensation device includes an interior tube and an exterior tube that are coaxial and between which vacuum insulation is provided, the interior tube being configured to receive the core of the respective superconductive cable and a cooling fluid intended to cool said core to a cooling temperature for a superconductive state; said interior and exterior tubes utilizing at least one curvature by an angle greater than or equal to 90o and the dimensions of the interior and exterior tubes being configured so that, in said curvature: at ambient temperature the cable core is in the proximity of a portion of the internal wall of the interior tube having the highest radius of curvature, and- at cooling temperature the cable core is in the proximity of a portion of the internal wall of the interior tube having a lowest radius of curvature. Stemmle’194 teaches a superconductive cable installation in which each compensation device (RK; see figures 5 and 6) includes an interior tube (8; see figure 3) and an exterior tube (7) that are coaxial and between which vacuum insulation (9) is provided, the interior tube (8) being configured to receive the core (SK) of the respective superconductive cable (see figure 3) and a cooling fluid (paragraph 0030) intended to cool said core to a cooling temperature for a superconductive state; said interior (8) and exterior tubes (7) utilizing at least one curvature by an angle greater than or equal to 900 and the dimensions of the interior and exterior tubes (8,7) being configured so that, in said curvature: at ambient temperature the cable core is in the proximity of a portion of the internal wall of the interior tube having the highest radius of curvature, and at cooling temperature the cable core is in the proximity of a portion of the internal wall of the interior tube having a lowest radius of curvature (paragraph 0030; see figure 3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make Stemmle’s installation with each compensation device including an interior tube and an exterior tube that are coaxial and between which vacuum insulation is provided, the interior tube being configured to receive the core of the respective superconductive cable and a cooling fluid intended to cool said core to a cooling temperature for a superconductive state as taught by Stemmle’194 to improve the cooling of the superconductive cables.
Regarding claim 5, Stemmle disclose the superconductive cable installation (1) in which the curvatures of the compensation devices (10-12; and 13-15) are accommodated in a space delimited by a side of the jointing device and/or arranged so that their axes are parallel to one another (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 6, Stemmle disclose the superconductive cable installation (1) in which the curvatures are situated substantially face-to-face in a longitudinal direction of the jointing device (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 7, Stemmle disclose the superconductive cable installation (1) in which the axes of the curvatures are perpendicular or parallel to a central transverse plane common to the connection ports of the jointing device (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 8, Stemmle disclose the superconductive cable installation (1) in which the curvatures of the compensation devices (10-12; and 13-15) are on respective opposite sides of a median plane of the jointing device, and the axes of the curvatures are parallel to a transverse plane common to the connection ports of the jointing device (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 9, the modified Stemmle disclose the superconductive cable installation in which one of said compensation devices (10-12 and 13-15) utilizes a curvature of 360o (as taught by Stemmle’194; see figure 5; paragraph 0033), this compensation device (10-12 and 13-15) having an outlet end oriented toward the same side as the corresponding connection port of the jointing device (9), said outlet end of said compensation device (10-12 and 13-15) being connected to the respective port via a compensation element of U-shape.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Marzahn et al (US 9,685,260 and US 9,123,459), Ashibe (US 8,007,186), Ashibe et al (US 7,265,297 and US 7,094,973), Jones (US 4,631,808 and Wu (US 5,590,536) disclose a super conductive cable installation.
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Angel R. Estrada at telephone number (571) 272-1973. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:30am -5:00pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N. 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.
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September 29, 2026
/ANGEL R ESTRADA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
