Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Specification
The specification is objected to because [0024] line 5 (page 5 line 18) refers to "unlbuckle" instead of "unbuckle".
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.
Claims 1-4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2016/0231512 A1 (cited in a previous action). This rejection is repeated from the 7/30/2025 action.
Claim 1: '512 discloses an optical connector, comprising:
a terminal portion 2b; and
a connector body, connected to the terminal portion, and having a buckle structure 2a and an unbuckle structure 3a, the buckle structure latched with a receptacle (so-called "coupling counterpart member", which can be a receptacle as stated in [0056]-[0057] and [0069]), and the unbuckle structure released the buckle structure from the receptacle, wherein the connector body comprises:
a first assembly element 2, connected to the terminal portion, a first side (interior side) of the first assembly element having a first channel (a hollow part of the "roughly rectangular tube shape" in [0056] which accommodates ferrule 2b), and a second side (exterior side) of the first assembly element having a first coupling element 2e; and
a second assembly element 3, connected to the first assembly element, a first side (interior side) of the second assembly element having a second channel (a hollow part of the "tubular body" in [0056]) connected to the first channel, and a second side (exterior side) of the second assembly element having a second coupling element 3b, which is movably connected to the first coupling element (see e.g. [0066]-[0067]). Assembly operations are described generally in [0066]-[0068] in conjunction with figs. 9A-10F. Latching / unlatching operations are described generally in [0069]-[0076] in conjunction with figs. 11A-11D.
Claim 2: The unbuckle structure is disposed on the first assembly element, and the buckle structure is disposed on the second assembly element; or the unbuckle structure 3a is disposed on the second assembly element 3, and the buckle structure 2a is disposed on the first assembly element 2.
Claim 3: The unbuckle structure 3a has a supporting base 3c and a first cantilever (not labeled but shown extending to the left in fig. 6A and to the right in fig. 6B; rail 3f is under the first cantilever in fig. 7B), the supporting base is connected to a top surface of the first assembly element 3, and the first cantilever is connected to the supporting base.
Claim 4: The buckle structure 2a has a second cantilever, one end of the second cantilever is connected to a top surface of the second assembly element 2, and another end of the second cantilever has a buckle element 2c, which is engaged with the receptacle, and the first cantilever is leaned against the second cantilever by a force, causing the second cantilever to be bent (particularly by interaction of the rear end of 3b with sloping face 2n, see [0072]-[0073] and compare fig. 11B to fig. 11A; see figs. 3A and 5 for more detail of 2n), thereby releasing the buckle element from the receptacle.
Claim 6: The first cantilever has a first inclined surface (rear end of 3b), and the second cantilever has a second inclined surface 2n corresponding to the first inclined surface; when the force acts on the first cantilever, the first cantilever is bent and causes the first inclined surface to push against the second inclined surface, thereby making the second cantilever to be bent (see above with regard to claim 4 for relevant text / drawing citations).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/28/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to applicant's argument that the applied reference fails to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the feature upon which applicant relies (i.e., "the first and second channel are empty", p. 2 of remarks) is not recited in the rejected claims. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
In the examiner's opinion, the alleged advantage could be recited by adding to claim 1: "wherein the first channel and the second channel are configured to facilitate installation of a communication wire in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the communication wire".
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 7 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 claim 1 and all applicable intervening claims.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
This action is a final rejection and closes the prosecution of this application. Applicant’s reply under 37 CFR 1.113 to this action is limited to an appeal to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, an amendment complying with the requirements set forth below, or a request for continued examination (RCE) to reopen prosecution where permitted. Please note that the Office also offers initiatives that are available to applicants after the close of prosecution. See https://www.uspto.gov/patents/initiatives/uspto-patent-applications-iniatives-timeline for more information.
General information on the Patent Trial and Appeal Board is available at: www.uspto.gov/patents/ptab. The information at this page includes guidance on time limited options that may assist the applicant contemplating appealing an examiner’s rejection. It also includes information on pro bono (free) legal services and advice available for those who are under-resourced and considering an appeal at: https://www.uspto.gov/patents/ptab/free-legal-assistance. The page is best reviewed promptly after applicant has received a final rejection or the claims have been twice rejected because some of the noted assistance must be requested within one month from the date of the latest rejection. See MPEP § 1204 for more information on filing a notice of appeal.
If applicant should desire to appeal any rejection made by the examiner, a Notice of Appeal must be filed within the period for reply. The Notice of Appeal must be accompanied by the fee required by 37 CFR 41.20(b)(1). The current fee amount is available at: www.uspto.gov/Fees.
If applicant should desire to file an after-final amendment, entry of the proposed amendment cannot be made as a matter of right unless it merely cancels claims or complies with a formal requirement made in a previous Office action. Amendments touching the merits of the application which otherwise might not be proper may be admitted upon a showing of good and sufficient reasons why they are necessary and why they were not presented earlier.
A reply under 37 CFR 1.113 to a final rejection must include cancellation of or appeal from the rejection of, each rejected claim. The filing of an amendment after final rejection, whether or not it is entered, does not stop the running of the statutory period for reply to the final rejection unless the examiner holds all of the claims to be in condition for allowance.
If applicant should desire to continue prosecution in a utility or plant application filed on or after May 29, 2000 and have the finality of this Office action withdrawn, an RCE under 37 CFR 1.114 may be filed within the period for reply. See MPEP § 706.07(h) for more information on the requirements for filing an RCE.
The application will become abandoned unless a Notice of Appeal, an after final reply that places the application in condition for allowance, or an RCE has been filed properly within the period for reply, or any extension of this period obtained under either 37 CFR 1.136(a) or (b).
Contact Information
Examiner: 571-272-2360
Examiner's direct supervisor: 571-272-2397
Official correspondence by fax: 571-273-8300
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center. Should you have questions about Patent Center, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
/Michael Stahl/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874