DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the new claims 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.
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) 28-31, 34-39, 42, 43 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. PGPub 2015/0257295 by Lu et al.
Regarding claim 28, Lu teaches a fiber management portion retaining portion for a fiber management portion structurally configured to facilitate insertion and removal of a fiber and/or cable, comprising: a first portion (a cassette holding assembly 30); a second portion (a housing 20) structurally configured to be movingly attached to the first portion such that the second portion is structurally configured to selectively slide relative to the first portion (Figs. 2A & 2C illustrate the retracted and slid out positions of a cassette holding assembly 30 within the housing 20, on first and second tracks 41, 42, Fig. 4B); wherein the first portion is structurally configured to have a first portion fiber management portion attachment portion (a bracket 310 and a tray 320 of the cassette holding assembly 300) that is structurally configured to engage a fiber management portion (cassette 10); and wherein the second portion (20) is structurally configured to move relative to the first portion while being attached to the first portion (the first and second tracks 41, 42 engage rails 433, 437 on a pallet 43) to provide a varying amount of space for insertion of a fiber and/or cable in the second portion so as to facilitate insertion and removal of the fiber and/or cable into/from the fiber management portion retaining portion (i.e., by moving the cassette holding assembly 300 and the housing 200 relative to each other, as shown in Figs. 2A-2D, in order to insert or remove the cassette 10 and the cable 50 extending therefrom from the cassette storage system 100, or add fibers within the cable 50 to the cassette by splicing them within a splice tray/enclosure 11), wherein the first portion fiber management portion attachment portion is structurally configured to attach the fiber management portion to the first portion such that the fiber management portion is structurally configured to pivot relative to the first portion (via pivot pins 13).
Regarding claim 29, Lu further teaches the second portion is configured to comprise a second portion expansion portion (the tracks 41, 42), and the first portion is configured to comprise a plurality of second portion expansion portion receiving portions (the rails 433, 437 on a pallet 43) that are configured to engage the second portion expansion portion at a different location on the first portion (due to various different positions of the assembly 30, e.g., as illustrated in Fig. 2B, 2C).
Regarding claim 30, Lu further teaches the first portion (30) is structured and arranged to have a first end and a second end (front and rear ends, e.g., as illustrated in Fig. 2C).
Regarding claim 31, Lu further teaches the first portion (30) is structured and arranged to be attached to a second one of the fiber management device (multiple devices 100/housings 20 are stacked as illustrated in Fig. 2E).
Regarding claim 34, Lu further teaches the fiber management portion (10) is structured and arranged to be a fiber splice tray (¶[0026]).
Regarding claim 35, Lu further teaches the second portion is structured and arranged to be slidingly attached to the first portion (via the tracks 41, 42).
Regarding claim 36, Lu teaches a fiber management device configured to facilitate insertion and removal of a cable (50), comprising: a fiber management portion retaining portion (cassette storage system 100) comprising a second portion (a housing 20) structured and arranged to selectively slide (Figs. 2A & 2C illustrate the retracted and slid out positions of a cassette holding assembly 30 within the housing 20, on first and second tracks 41, 42, Fig. 4B) relative to a first portion (the cassette holding assembly 30); wherein the first portion includes a fiber management portion attachment portion (a bracket 310 and a tray 320 of the cassette holding assembly 300) that is structured and arranged to couple with a fiber management portion (cassette 10) such that the fiber management portion is permitted to pivot (via pivot pins 13) relative to the first portion (300); and wherein the second portion (the housing 20) is structured and arranged to facilitate insertion and removal of the cable (the cassette 10 and the cable 50 extending therefrom) into/from the fiber management portion (100) retaining portion by moving relative to the first portion while being coupled with the first portion to provide a varying amount of space for insertion of the fiber and/or cable in the second portion (i.e., by moving the cassette holding assembly 300 and the housing 200 relative to each other, as shown in Figs. 2A-2D, in order to insert or remove the cassette 10 and the cable 50 extending therefrom from the cassette storage system 100, or add fibers within the cable 50 to the cassette by splicing them within a splice tray/enclosure 11).
Regarding claim 37, Lu further teaches the second portion (20) is structured and arranged to comprise a second portion expansion portion (the first and second tracks 41, 42), and the first portion is structured and arranged to comprise a plurality of second portion expansion portion receiving portions (rails 433, 437 on a pallet 43) that are structured and arranged to engage the second portion expansion portion at a different location on the first portion (due to various different positions of the assembly 30, e.g., as illustrated in Fig. 2B, 2C).
Regarding claim 38, Lu further teaches the first portion (30) is structured and arranged to have a first end and a second end (front and rear ends, e.g., as illustrated in Fig. 2C).
Regarding claim 39, Lu further teaches the first portion (30) is structured and arranged to be attached to a second one of the fiber management device (multiple devices 100/housings 20 are stacked as illustrated in Fig. 2E).
Regarding claim 42, Lu further teaches the fiber management portion (10) is structured and arranged to be a fiber splice tray (¶[0026]).
Regarding claim 43, Lu further teaches the second portion is structured and arranged to be slidingly attached to the first portion (via the tracks 41, 42).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 are allowed. Claessens is the closest relevant prior art of record that can meet the structural and functional limitations recited but fails to teach or suggest the first portion fiber management portion attachment portion is structurally configured to attach the fiber management portion to the first portion such that the fiber management portion is structurally configured to pivot relative to the first portion, when considered in view of the rest of the limitations of the claimed invention. As Claessens’ fiber management device (Figs. 8, 9) features slidable loops size adapters (70) on upper and lower sides, and spool bodies (54, 55) with extended retention lips (56) on lateral sides, it is the examiner’s position that adding further features such as a hinge, or the like, to the fiber management device in order to create a pivotable connection to an external fiber management portion (i.e., trays, cassettes, etc.), would not have been reasonable or obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 32, 33, 40, 41 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. Prior art of record fails to further teach that the first portion is a main body, and the second portion is an end portion structured and arranged to be attached to an end of the main body, when considered in view of the rest of the limitations of the claimed invention. Lu cited above is the closest, identified prior art, but it is the examiner’s position that the outer housing (20) for the device (matched as the second portion in the claims) cannot be reasonably interpreted as an end portion for a main body enclosed therein.
Claims 44-48 are allowed. Prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest a mounting plate portion having a main body portion; a splice tray mounting bracket portion having a mounting plate end portion that is physically structured and arranged to be attached to the main body portion of the mounting plate portion such that the mounting plate end portion selectively slides relative to the main body portion during operation; when considered in view of the rest of the limitations of the claimed invention. Lu cited above is the closest, identified prior art, but it is the examiner’s position that the outer housing (20) for the device (matched as the second portion in the claims) cannot be reasonably interpreted as a mounting plate end portion of a splice tray mounting bracket portion for a main body (assembly 30) enclosed therein.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US20130089297 discloses a slidable fiber optic connection module with cable management.
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 CHARLIE PENG whose telephone number is (571)272-2177. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM - 6PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas 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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/CHARLIE Y PENG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874