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 (IDS) submitted on 9/19/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: “Tensioning device for a safety” should be rewritten as “A tensioning device for a safety”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 2-10 are objected to because of the following informalities: “Tensioning device according” should be rewritten as “The tensioning device according”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: “Method for producing” should be rewritten as “A method for producing”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities: “Method according” should be rewritten as “The method according”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “wherein the cable guide consists of at least two, preferably exactly two, parts”. This renders the claim unclear and indefinite, as it is unclear whether the cable guide consists of at least two, or exactly two components. For examination purposes, the claim will be interpreted such that “the cable guide consists of at least two parts”.
Claim 5 recites the limitation “the second part”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is recommended to rewrite this limitation as “a second part of the at least two parts of the cable guide”.
Claim 8 recites the limitation “the first part”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is recommended to rewrite this limitation as “a first part of the at least two parts of the cable guide”.
Claims 2-10 are rejected by virtue of depending from claim 1.
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.
(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.
Claims 1-5 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zorgel (DE102020103913A1), henceforth referred to as Zorgel.
Regarding claim 1, Zorgel discloses tensioning device for a safety belt component having a gas generator for generating a pressurized gas (Figure 1: gas generator 2 for generating a pressurized gas), a piston that can be driven by the pressurized gas (Figure 1: piston 4 which can be driven by the pressurized gas), a traction cable which is connected to the piston and which can be connected to a safety belt component that is to be set into a tensioning movement (Figure 1: cable 8 connected to piston 4 and can be connected to a seat belt to be set in a tensioning movement), a tensioner tube for receiving and guiding the piston (Figure 1: tensioner tube 1 for receiving and guiding piston 4), wherein the tensioner tube has a cutout in its casing between the gas generator and the piston (Paragraph [0005]: "the tightening tube has a recess in its casing between the gas generator and the piston"), and a cable guide which projects through the cutout into the tensioner tube and with which the traction cable is guided out of the tensioner tube through the cutout (Paragraph [0005]: "a rope deflection is provided with which the pull rope is led out of the tightening tube through the recess"), wherein the cable guide consists of at least two, preferably exactly two, parts (Paragraph [0011]: "The rope deflection is in particular designed in two or more parts and has a guide part inserted into the tensioner tube and a fixing part that engages from outside the tensioner tube through the recess").
Regarding claim 2, Zorgel discloses the at least two parts are designed such that the at least two parts surround the traction cable in its circumferential direction in a mounted state (Figure 1: Guide section 3 and fixing part 9 circumferentially surround cable 8).
Regarding claim 3, Zorgel discloses the traction cable can be brought into contact with the at least two parts (Figure 1: Guide section 3 and fixing part 9 contact cable 8).
Regarding claim 4, Zorgel discloses the at least two parts rest against each other along a plane extending in parallel with a longitudinal axis of the tensioner tube (Figures 1-3: guide section 3 and fixing portion 3 rest against each other along a plane parallel with the longitudinal axis of the tensioner tube).
Regarding claim 5, Zorgel discloses the second part is arranged between two portions of the first part (Figures 1 and 3: fixing part 9 is partially arranged in a slot of guide section 3, between two portions of guide section 3).
Regarding claim 8, Zorgel discloses a portion of the first part extends on only one side along the second part (Figure 1: guide section 3 ends only along the bottom side of fixing part 9)
Regarding claim 9, Zorgel discloses the at least two parts are interlockingly and/or frictionally fixed to one another (Figures 1-3: fixing part 9 interlocks with guide section 3).
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 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.
Claims 6-7 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zorgel in view of Moker (WO2020178413A1) henceforth referred to as Moker.
Regarding claim 6, Zorgel does not teach the at least two parts resting against each other in a transverse plane. Moker discloses the at least two parts rest against each other along a plane which extends transversely, in particular orthogonally, to a longitudinal axis of the tensioner tube (Figures 1 and 2: front housing 31 and base body 35 rest against each other at opening 15 along a plane that is transverse to belt tensioner tube 5). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cable guide of Zorgel with the cable guide of Moker in order to prevent the guide from breaking when the cable is deflected (Paragraph [0040], Figure 5).
Regarding claim 7, Zorgel does not teach the at least two parts resting against each other in a transverse plane. Moker discloses the at least two parts rest against each other along a first plane extending in parallel with a longitudinal axis of the tensioner tube (Figures 1 and 2: front housing 31 and base body 35 rest against each other at the hinge connection 37 along a plane that is parallel to belt tensioner tube 5)., and along a second plane extending orthogonally to a longitudinal axis of the tensioner tube (Figures 1 and 2: front housing 31 and base body 35 rest against each other at opening 15 along a plane that is transverse to belt tensioner tube 5). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cable guide of Zorgel with the cable guide of Moker in order to prevent the guide from breaking when the cable is deflected (Paragraph [0040], Figure 5).
Regarding claim 10, Zorgel does not teach a hinge. Moker discloses two parts of the cable guide are connected to one another via a living hinge (Figure 2: two parts of cable guide 13 are connected via hinge 37). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cable guide of Zorgel with the hinge connection of Moker in order to prevent the guide from breaking when the cable is deflected (Paragraph [0040], Figure 5).
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zorgel.
Regarding claim 11, Zorgel discloses method for producing a tensioning device comprising the following steps in the specified order: a) providing an in particular rectilinear tensioner tube having a cutout in its casing (Figure 2: tensioner tube 1 provided with a cutout), b) introducing a traction cable into the tensioner tube, wherein the traction cable is guided through the cutout (Figures 1 and 2: cable 8 inserted into tensioner tube 1 through the slot) , c) fastening a fastening means to the traction cable (Paragraph [0030]: "the pull rope 8 is inserted into the tensioner tube 1 through the rope deflection 14, whereby the piston 4 can be fixed with the fastening 6 before or after this"), d) attaching a multipart cable guide to the traction cable outside the tensioner tube, on a portion, projecting beyond the cutout, of the traction cable (Figure 1: cable guide formed by guide section 3 and fixing part 9 is attached to cable 8 on a portion that projects outside of the cutout of tensioner tube 1), wherein the traction cable is surrounded in portions by the cable guide (Figure 1: Guide section 3 and fixing part 9 circumferentially surround cable 8), e) inserting the cable guide into the cutout (Paragraph [0030]: "The guide part 3 is then fixed in place by means of the fixing part 9, by inserting the fixing part 9 with its projection 19 into the recess 18 of the guide part 3"). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to re-order the assembly steps of Zorgel, as Zorgel states that the order of assembly may be changed, and is not essential to the functionality of the belt tensioner (Paragraphs [0021-0022]).
Regarding claim 12, Zorgel as modified discloses wherein before step b), a guide part is inserted from one end face into the tensioner tube, wherein a gas generator is preferably pre-assembled in the guide part (Figure 4: guide part 3 comprises deflection 16, and Paragraph [0030]: "For simplified assembly, the gas generator 2 can first be inserted into the receptacle 15 of the guide part 3 and then, together with the guide part 3, inserted into the tensioner tube 1"), wherein in step e) the cable guide is brought into engagement with the guide part (Figures 1 and 4: cable 8 engages with deflection 16).
Cited Prior Art not Relied Upon
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure includes Arnold (US-20070278779-A1), which discloses a seat belt tensioner with cable guide.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW J O'NEILL whose telephone number is (571)272-4752. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri: 7AM-4PM.
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/MATTHEW JAMES O'NEILL/Examiner, Art Unit 3614
/JASON D SHANSKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614
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