Appeal No. 2000-2163 Page 5
Application No. 08/922,521
reduced to be not larger than a predetermined value
before the coated electric wire is press-connected with
the pressconnecting terminal, wherein the heated and
softened areas of the coating portion of the coated
electric wire remain on the coated electric wire as it is
forced into the press-connecting terminal.
The appellants argue that the applied prior art does not
suggest the claimed subject matter. Specifically, the
appellants argue that the heating step of claim 1 and the
heating means of claim 3 is not taught or suggested by the
applied prior art. We agree.
Keen teaches the use of an electrical heat coil 56 to
soften a narrow annular section 32JA of a cable jacket 32J, as
shown in Figure 7, to permit desheathing of leading portion
32JLE of the cable jacket to expose cable wires 31 of the
cable 32 for connection of the exposed wires to their
respective terminals 33TG or 33TS in cable connector plug 33.
Keen does not teach or suggest heating and softening the
coating portion of a coated electric wire so that a force
necessary for pressing the coated electric wire into a notched
slot of a press-connecting terminal is reduced to be not
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