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 .
Drawings
New corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in this application because the drawings are low resolution, dithered, and in grayscale/halftones, rendering them visually unclear. In accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 1.84(a)(1), black and white drawings are normally required; India ink, or its equivalent that secures solid black lines, must be used for drawings. Every line, number, and letter must be durable, clean, black, sufficiently dense and dark, and uniformly thick and well-defined, and the weight of all lines and letters must be heavy enough to permit adequate reproduction. 37 C.F.R. § 1.84(l). Moreover, the clarity of the drawings must be sufficient for clear reproduction to two-thirds size. 37 C.F.R. § 1.84(k).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 C.F.R. § 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” in compliance with 37 C.F.R. § 1.121(d). No new matter should be entered. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, Applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claim(s) 16-20 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 16 recites not directing the fluid to the bottom slit and directing the fluid to the bottom slit it is unclear how this is accomplished. Furthermore, the limitations of “the bottom slit” lacks antecedent basis. Though “an apparatus” is claimed in the method the structure of the apparatus is not claimed thus all the structure referring to the apparatus as recited is not provided with antecedent basis.
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(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishida EP 3666740.
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Ishida discloses an apparatus (104A) to levitate an optical fiber (11), the apparatus (104A) comprising: a tubular block (1041a) defined by a central cavity (1043) and a plurality of slit walls (1043a, 1043b, 5041b), wherein the tubular block (1041a) comprises a reservoir (1044a, 1044b) that is adapted to store a fluid (arrows) at a positive pressure; and wherein each slit wall of the plurality of slit walls (1043a, 1043b, 5041b) comprises one or more side slits (1043b) and the plurality of slit walls (1043a, 1043b, 5041b) defines a bottom slit (1043a) such that the one or more side slits (1043b) and the bottom slit (1043a) provide one or more paths between the reservoir (1044) and the central cavity (1043).
As for claim 2, Ishida discloses wherein the one or more side slits (1043b) comprising first and second side slits (1043b, Fig. 11).
As for claim 3, Ishida discloses wherein the first and second side slits (1043b) defines first and second side entry areas (entry formed through slits 1043b, see Fig. 11).
As for claim 4, Ishida discloses wherein the bottom slit (1043a) defines a bottom entry area (entry formed on slit 1043a).
As for claim 5, Ishida discloses wherein the bottom slit entry area is less than the first and second side slit entry area (entry is tapered to a small entry versus the side slit entry, L vs W, see Fig. 11).
As for claim 6, Ishida discloses wherein at least one slit of the first and second side slits (1043b) and the bottom slit (1043a) has a variable dimension such that an entry area of the at least one slit is greater than a path area of the at least one slit (see Fig. 11, entry area defined in cavity 1043 is larger than path area defined by passage 1044).
As for claim 7, Ishida discloses in Fig. 10, wherein the tubular block (104a) has a radius of curvature along a length of the tubular block (104a).
As for claim 8, Ishida discloses wherein the radius of curvature is greater than or equal to 25 mm (bend diameter = 125mm; radius of curvature = 62.5mm; Ishida, ¶0118).
As for claim 9, Ishida discloses a containment zone (area where optical fiber levitates, part of cavity 1043), wherein the optical fiber (11) in the containment zone (defined space in cavity 1043) is substantially parallel to an axis of the tubular block (104a, see Fig. 11).
As for claim 10, Ishida discloses wherein a width of the bottom slit (122) is between 60 micrometers (µm) to 150 µm (Ishida, 50µm=.05mm; ¶0118).
As for claim 11, Ishida discloses wherein the mass flow rate (Q1), the mass flow rate (Q2), and a mass flow rate (Qa) of the fluid (120) from a surrounding atmosphere is related as Q2 > Q1> Qa (see Ishida, ¶0123-124, air supplied at different rates for the side and bottom supply holes).
As for claim 12, Ishida discloses in Figure 11 wherein the bottom slit (1043a) has a predefined bottom slit angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tubular block (104a).
As for claim 13, Ishida discloses wherein the predefined bottom slit angle is in a range of 30 degrees to 120 degrees (see Ishida, Fig. 11).
As for claim 14, Ishida discloses wherein the one or more side slits (1043b) has a predefined side slit angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tubular block (104a).
As for claim 15, Ishida discloses wherein the predefined side slit angle is in a range of 5 degrees to 90 degrees (see Ishida, Fig. 11).
As for claim 16, Ishida discloses a method to levitate an optical fiber (11), the method comprising: creating a containment zone (defined space within 1043) for the optical fiber (11) in an apparatus (104a) to levitate the optical fiber (11) to facilitate cooling of the optical fiber (11), wherein, for creating the containment zone, the method comprising: directing, a fluid (arrows) at a controlled mass flow rate to at least one slit of the one or more side slits (1043b) and the bottom slit (1043a) directly at the optical fiber (11) and at least one slit of the one or more side slits (1043b) and the bottom slit (1043a) not directing the fluid at a controlled mass flow rate directly on the optical fiber (11); and directing, the fluid at the controlled mass flow rate to a first side of the optical fiber (11) through at least one slit of the one or more side slits (1043b) and the bottom slit (1043a) and directing the fluid at the controlled mass flow rate to a second side of the optical fiber (11) through at least one remaining slit of the one or more side slits (1043b) and the bottom slit (1043a); and pulling the optical fiber (11) through the containment zone in a non-contact manner (Ishida, ¶0122-127).
As for claim 17, Ishida discloses wherein the fluid is selected from one of, air, combination of gases, and oxygen (Ishida, ¶0115).
As for claim 18, Ishida discloses wherein the method further comprises pulling the optical fiber (11) through the containment zone such that a residence time of the optical fiber (11) in the apparatus (104a) is a function of speed of pulling the optical fiber (11) and a length of the apparatus (104a, Ishida, ¶0030).
As for claim 19, Ishida discloses wherein the one or more side slits (1043b) has a predefined side slit angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tubular block (104a, see Fig. 11).
As for claim 20, Ishida discloses wherein a width of the bottom slit (1043b) is between 60 micrometers (µm) to 150 m (Ishida, 50µm=.05mm; ¶0118).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYRONE V HALL JR whose telephone number is (571)270-5948. The examiner can normally be reached Mon.-Fri. 7:30am-3:30pm.
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/TYRONE V HALL JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723