DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to applicant’s amendment filed on December 12, 2025. Claims 1-2, and 4-20 are under consideration.
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.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chang et al. (US 10,852,490 B2, herein “Chang”).
Claim 16. Chang discloses a ganging clip (680c in Fig. 14) for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors (Fig. 17), each fiber-optic connector having a push-pull boot (12) with a latching mechanism (14a, 14b, 14c), a housing (14), and at least two fibers (Fig. 17) supported within the housing by one or more ferrules, the ganging clip comprising:
a main body (680c) having a front end and a rear end;
a top extending longitudinally between the front end and the rear end;
a pair of side walls extending substantially perpendicular from the top on opposite edges of the top, each of the pair of side walls defining a lateral dimension of the top and having a side wall bump (682a and 682b shown in Fig. 14) on an inside surface; and
at least one partition between the pair of side walls and extending parallel to each of the pair of side walls and extending perpendicularly from the top (10a-b in Fig. 1), a partition bump disposed on each opposite side of the at least one partition, (internal ridges can be seen in Fig. 17 and a more detail view in Fig. 12),
wherein the at least two fiber-optic connectors are retained within the ganging clip (Fig. 14 shows 4 connectors are retained within the clip) at the side wall bumps (682a, 682b) and at the partition bumps (ridges in the partitions of the clip in Fig. 17) and wherein the top has at least two receptacles to partially accommodate the latching mechanism of each of the respective at least two fiber-optic connectors (Col. 3, line 45 to Col. 4, line 7).
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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.
Claims 1-2, 4-12, and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang and in further view of Eckstein et al. (WO-2010/063130-A1, herein “Eckstein”) and Lipke et al. (US 2022/0278480 A1, herein “Lipke”).
Claim 1. Chang discloses a ganging clip (680c in Fig. 14) for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors (see Fig. 7), each fiber-optic connector having a push-pull boot (boot 12) with a latching mechanism (14a, 14b, 14c), a housing (14), and at least two fibers (Fig. 17) supported within the housing by one or more ferrules, the ganging clip comprising:
a main body (680c) having a front end and a rear end;
a top extending longitudinally between the front end and the rear end;
a pair of side walls extending substantially perpendicular from the top on opposite edges of the top, each of the pair of side walls defining a lateral dimension of the top and having a side wall bump (682a and 682b shown in Fig. 14) on an inside surface; and
at least one partition between the pair of side walls and extending parallel to each of the pair of side walls and extending perpendicularly from the top (10a-b in Fig. 1), a partition bump disposed on each opposite side of the at least one partition, (internal ridges can be seen in Fig. 17 and a more detail view in Fig. 12),
wherein the at least two fiber-optic connectors are retained within the ganging clip at the side wall bumps and at the partition bumps.
However, Chang does not teach each of the partition bumps extend outwardly from the at least one partition and along at least a portion of the at least one partition between the rear end and the front end.
Eckstein teaches a clip 13 (Fig. 4, 6, and 7) and frame 5 with the mechanical coding such that only suitable clip and frame can engage. The side walls and partition bumps are shown in the projections in frame 5 is mechanically coded to engage with the recesses of clip 3. “Many further codings are possible. The design of the mechanical coding between frame 5 and clip 13 can also be executed inversely to the previously described type, i.e., with coding projection on the frame and corresponding depression in the clip” (page 4, 6th full paragraph to page 5, 1st paragraph).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to recognize mechanical coding is known in the art of Chang such that only suitable connectors and orientation are engaged to be received by the correct adapter with the suitable polarity. The teachings of Eckstein suggests side walls bumps and partition bumps can be mechanically coded to the clip such that the bumps are extended outwardly from the sidewalls and partitions to be received by the recesses coded into the connectors or engaging main body. One would be motivated to mechanically code the clip with side wall bumps and partition to assure the suitable connectors engagement.
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Neither Chang nor Eckstein teach the top of the ganging clip has at least two receptacles to partially accommodate the latching mechanism of each of the respective at least two fiber-optic connectors.
Lipke teaches a connector clip for an array of optical connectors (Fig. 18). The clip (1802a) top (1804) has at least two receptacles to partially accommodate the latching mechanism of each of the respective at least two fiber-optic connectors. The clip in the embodiment of Fig. 18 shows latching an array of 6 fiber-optic connectors.
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It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to recognize the feature of the receptacles in the top of the clip for receiving the latching mechanism of the respective fiber optic connectors would be modifiable to the ganging clip of Chang. Chang’s latching mechanism is the inverse of Lipke’s latching mechanism; wherein Chang’s clip have protrusions into the receptacles of the respective connector for latching. The modification would have been to mold the clip having receptacles in on the top with respect the latching connector, wherein the protrusion can be molded on the body of the connector to provide the complementary latching means. One motivation to modify Chang clip with the receptacles of Lipke such that the clip can be easily released by depressing the connector protrusion and lift the clip up by the handle (1806).
Claim 2. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 1, further comprising at least two projections (684a-d in Fig. 6C) and extending perpendicular to the top to engage a portion of the push-pull boot (the boot engages in opening 14c1; Col. 4, lines 23-30) such that the projections 684a-d would engage a portion of the push-pull boot.
Claim 4. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 3, wherein the receptacles extend completely through the top (ss front view Fig. 7).
Claim 5. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 3, wherein the receptacles define a thinned portion of the top (680a in Fig. 7).
Claim 6. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of side walls and the at least one partition include a tab extending away from the top, the tab disposed longitudinally between the push-pull boot and the housing (684a-684d).
Claim 7. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 1, further comprising an extension on each of the pair
of side walls, each of the extensions extending down toward a bottom portion of the fiber-optic connectors (see ridges in Fig. 17).
Claim 8. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 1, wherein the at least one partition comprises one partition such that two fiber-optic connectors are engageable with the ganging clip between the pair of side walls, the partition being disposed between the at least two fiber-optic connectors (Fig. 17).
Claim 9. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 1, wherein the at least one partition comprises two partitions such that three fiber-optic connectors are engageable with the ganging clip between the pair of side walls, one of the three fiber-optic connectors having a partition wall on each side thereof in the lateral direction (Fig. 17).
Claim 10. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 1, wherein the at least one partition comprises three partitions such that four fiber-optic connectors are engageable to the ganging clip between the pair of side walls, two of the four fiber-optic connectors having a partition wall on each side thereof in the lateral direction (Fig. 7 and 17).
Claim 11. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 2, wherein the at least two projections at the rear end of the top each include a rear-facing surface to engage the respective push-pull boot of the at least two fiber-optic connectors (684a-684d).
Claim 12. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 1, wherein the side wall bumps and the partition bumps are each configured to engage an undercut in the latching mechanism of the at least two fiber-optic connectors (684a, 682a in Fig. 8).
Claim 14. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 2, wherein the at least two projections are forward of a rearmost edge of the rear end (684a-684d).
Claim 15. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 1, wherein an underside of the top has a geometry to engage the at least two fiber-optic connectors either on a top side or on a bottom side of each of the at least two fiber-optic connectors (684a, 682a in Fig. 8).
Claim 17. Chang discloses the ganging clip (680c in Fig. 14) for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors (Fig. 17), each fiber-optic connector having a push-pull boot (12) with a latching mechanism (14a, 14b, 14c), a housing (14), and at least two fibers (Fig. 17) supported within the housing by one or more ferrules, the ganging clip comprising:
a main body (680c) having a front end and a rear end;
a top extending longitudinally between the front end and the rear end;
a pair of side walls extending substantially perpendicular from the top on opposite edges of the top, each of the pair of side walls defining a lateral dimension of the top and having a side wall bump (682a and 682b shown in Fig. 14) on an inside surface; and
at least one partition between the pair of side walls and extending parallel to each of the pair of side walls and extending perpendicularly from the top (10a-b in Fig. 1), a partition bump disposed on each opposite side of the at least one partition, (internal ridges can be seen in Fig. 17 and a more detail view in Fig. 12),
wherein the ganging clip may be removed from the at least two fiber-optic connectors after they are seated in the adapter (the embodiment shown in Fig. 6a allows for the upper portion and lower portion to latch onto a gang of clips, thus, it would be capable of delatching from the gangs of clips after they are seated in the adapter).
However, Chang does not teach each of the partition bumps extend outwardly from the at least one partition and along at least a portion of the at least one partition between the rear end and the front end.
Eckstein teaches a clip 13 (Fig. 4, 6, and 7) and frame 5 with the mechanical coding such that only suitable clip and frame can engage. The projections in frame 5 is mechanically coded to engage with the recesses of clip 3. “Many further codings are possible. The design of the mechanical coding between frame 5 and clip 13 can also be executed inversely to the previously described type, i.e., with coding projection on the frame and corresponding depression in the clip” (page 4, 6th full paragraph to page 5, 1st paragraph).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to recognize mechanical coding is known in the art of Chang such that only suitable connectors and orientation are engaged to be received by the correct adapter with the suitable polarity. The teachings of Eckstein suggests side walls bumps and partition bumps can be mechanically coded to the clip such that the bumps are extended outwardly from the sidewalls and partitions to be received by the recesses coded into the connectors or engaging main body. One would be motivated to mechanically code the clip with side wall bumps and partition to assure the suitable connectors engagement.
Neither Chang nor Eckstein teach the top of the ganging clip has at least two receptacles to partially accommodate the latching mechanism of each of the respective at least two fiber-optic connectors.
Lipke teaches a connector clip for an array of optical connectors (Fig. 18). The clip (1802a) top (1804) has at least two receptacles to partially accommodate the latching mechanism of each of the respective at least two fiber-optic connectors. The clip in the embodiment of Fig. 18 shows latching an array of 6 fiber-optic connectors.
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It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to recognize the feature of the receptacles in the top of the clip for receiving the latching mechanism of the respective fiber optic connectors would be modifiable to the ganging clip of Chang. Chang’s latching mechanism is the inverse of Lipke’s latching mechanism; wherein Chang’s clip have protrusions into the receptacles of the respective connector for latching. The modification would have been to mold the clip having receptacles in on the top with respect the latching connector, wherein the protrusion can be molded on the body of the connector to provide the complementary latching means. One motivation to modify Chang clip with the receptacles of Lipke such that the clip can be easily released by depressing the connector protrusion and lift the clip up by the handle (1806).
Claim 18. Chang discloses the ganging clip for ganging at least two fiber-optic connectors according to claim 1, further comprising at least two projections (684a-d in Fig. 6C) at the rear end and extending perpendicular to the top to engage a portion of the push-pull boot (the boot engages in opening 14c1; Col. 4, lines 23-30) such that the projections 684a-d would engage a portion of the push-pull boot.
Claim 19. Chang discloses an extension on each of the pair of side walls, each of the extensions extending downward a bottom portion of the fiber optic connectors (684a-d).
Claim 20. Chang discloses the at least one partition comprises on partition such that two fiber-optic connectors are engageable with the ganging clip between the pair of side walls, the partition being disposed between the at least two fiber-optic connectors (Fig. 7).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang in view of Eckstein and Lipke as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sengupta (US 2013/0236193 A1, hereinafter “Sengupta”).
Chang in view of Eckstein and Lipke (herein “Chang / Eckstein / Lipke”) teach the invention of claim 1, however, Chang in view of Eckstein do not teach at least two fiber-optic connectors are very small form factor (VSFF) type fiber-optic connectors.
Sengupta teaches optical communication systems that couple optical signals from a large core fiber to a smaller core fiber wherein multi-push-on connector (MPO) carrying multi-mode optical signals are coupled to single-mode optical fibers require a very small form factor connector to demultiplex the signals in a communication panel (Para [0086]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention recognize very small form factor connectors are well-known in implementing dense optical communication networks. One would be motivated use very small form factor connector to increase network size for supporting large number of subscribers.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on December 12, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues the rejection to claim 16 is deficient in that Chang does not teach “the top has at least two receptacles to partially accommodate the latching mechanism of each of the respective at least two fiber-optic connectors.” The examiner annotated Fig. 12 wherein the receptacles are shown with double arrows. The protrusions necessarily provides a receptacle for engaging the ridges in the respective fiber-optic connectors. Therefore, the examiner considers claim 16 is anticipated by Chang.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-2, 3-15, and 17-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Erin D Chiem whose telephone number is (571)272-3102. The examiner can normally be reached 10 am - 6 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas A. Hollweg can be reached at (571) 270-1739. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERIN D CHIEM/Examiner, Art Unit 2874
/THOMAS A HOLLWEG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2874