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 .
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- 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shimmura et al. (WO2022185993 A1, the Examiner uses equivalent translation provided by US 2024/0055784 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Shimmura et al. teach a heat shrink tube heating system (see abstract; Figs. 1 – 13; [0010]-[0166]) comprising:
a frame (Fig. 1, item 40 is situated on a frame, see annotated Fig below); a first fixture disposed on the frame for clamping one end of a cable product (Fig. 1 item 80); a second fixture disposed on the frame for clamping the other end of the cable product (Fig 1 item 40); and a heating furnace mounted on the frame in a movable manner and having a heating channel that allows the cable product to pass through (Fig 1 item 50, 60), wherein the heating furnace is movable along an axial direction of the clamped cable product between the first fixture and the second fixture, for heating a heat shrink tube on the cable product (see [0013],[0075],[0077]-[0078] discloses heating device moving up and down and can be configured to move via 70 which would be along the rail between the first and second fixture).
As for claim 2, Shimmura et al. further teach wherein the longitudinal direction of the frame is parallel to the axial direction of the clamped cable product (Fig 1), the first fixture and the second fixture are opposite in the longitudinal direction of the frame (Fig 1 item 80, 40, 20), and at least one of the first fixture and the second fixture is movable along the longitudinal direction of the frame for clamping cable products of different lengths (fig 1 item 40 is movable with 20).
As for claim 3, Shimmura et al. further teach wherein the first fixture is fixedly mounted on the frame (Fig 1 item 80), and the second fixture is moveably mounted on the frame and capable of being moved along the longitudinal direction of the frame (Fig 1 item 40).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimmura et al. (WO2022185993 A1, the Examiner uses equivalent translation provided by US 2024/0055784 A1) in view of Schultz et al. (US 2015/0064779 A1).
Regarding claim 19-20, Shimmura et al. fail to teach further comprising a wheel installed on the bottom of the frame and allowing the heat shrink tube heating system to move on the ground through the wheel.
In the same field of endeavor, pertaining to heating chamber and frame, Schultz teaches a wheel installed on the bottom of the frame and allowing the heat shrink tube heating system to move on the ground through (via) the wheel (see Fig 2), and discloses use of control for regulation of the outer diameter of the tubes (see [0069]). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art at the time of the effective filing of the application to modify Shimmura et al. with further including wheel for the entire heating system, as suggested by Schultz, for the benefit of easily moving the system in desired location, thereby reducing time and number of labors working in the system.
Claim(s) 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimmura et al. (WO2022185993 A1, the Examiner uses equivalent translation provided by US 2024/0055784 A1).
Regarding claim 19, Shimmura et al. teach having a control device (see [0009]) which is used to control the hot air generation, driving device, and the moving device ([0009]), however, fails to explicitly teach including a control cabined fixed to the frame. It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art at the time of the applicant’s invention was made to have known a cabinet installed on the frame for the controller as taught by Shimmura et al. for protecting from external environment, thereby reducing the damage to the controller.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 – 18 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 closest prior art Shimmura et al (WO2022185993 A1, the Examiner uses equivalent translation provided by US 2024/0055784 A1) fail to teach a first vertical bracket, the lower end of which is fixed to the top of the frame; a horizontal bracket, one end of which is fixed to the upper end of the first vertical bracket; a first V-shaped seat disposed on the horizontal bracket and having a first V-shaped groove for positioning the cable product; and a first pressing mechanism disposed on the horizontal bracket and used to press one end of the cable product into the first V-shaped groove;
Regarding claim 11, the closest prior art Shimmura et al. fail teach wherein the heating furnace comprises: a movable bracket, the lower end of which is movably mounted on the frame and capable of being moved along the longitudinal direction of the frame; and a heating furnace body supported on the movable bracket and formed with the heating channel, wherein: the heating furnace body comprises a lower half furnace body and an upper half furnace body combined together; and the lower half furnace body is fixed to the movable bracket, and one side of the upper half furnace body is rotatably connected to one side of the lower half furnace body, so that the upper half furnace body can be rotatably opened and closed relative to the lower half furnace body.
Conclusion
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NAHIDA SULTANA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1743
/NAHIDA SULTANA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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