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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 15 August 2024 complies with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the examiner has considered the information disclosure statement; please see attached forms PTO-1449.
Drawings
Figure 1 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the 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.
Claims 9-20 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) 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 9 recites the limitation "the adapter tray" in line 17. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
For examination purposes, “the adapter tray” shall be considered to refer to the adapter management device.
Claims 10-20 depend from Claim 9 and fail to remedy this indefiniteness.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the ledge" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
For examination purposes, any ledge of an adapter management device shall be considered to anticipate the limitation of Claim 17.
Claim 28 recites the limitation "the adapter receiving portion" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
For examination purposes, any adapter receiving portion of an adapter management device shall be considered to anticipate the limitation of Claim 28.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 9, 12-25, and 28-33 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication US 2016/0223770 to Geens et al. (hereinafter “US1”).
Regarding Claim 9, US1 describes an adapter management device (14, see Figs 1-6 and 9-10) configured to provide enhanced access adjacent to the adapter management device, comprising:
an adapter receiving portion (110);
an adapter management device retention portion (126);
wherein the adapter management device retention portion comprises a base portion engagement portion (portion of 126 in contact with 150 at 127, see Figs 9-10 and [0024]) that is configured to engage a base portion;
wherein the adapter management device retention portion comprises an actuating portion (protruding front portion of 126, see Figs 9-10 and [0024]) that is configured to be actuated by a user to disengage the base portion engagement portion from the base portion;
wherein the adapter management device comprises a hinge portion (48) that is configured to permit the adapter management device to pivot between an open position and a closed position;
wherein the adapter management device retention portion is configured to retain the adapter management device in the open position (see [0024]); and
wherein the adapter management device retention portion is structurally configured to engage at least a portion of the base portion in the open position of the adapter tray (see Figs 4-6) so as to allow a user to perform an optical fiber cable operation in an area that would be obstructed by the adapter tray in the closed position without having to manually hold the adapter tray in the open position (see [0024]-[0026]).
Regarding Claim 12, US1 describes the base portion engagement portion configured to be biased into a retaining position (see Figs 9-10 and [0024]).
Regarding Claim 13, US1 describes the adapter receiving portion configured to receive an optical fiber cable adapter (112) that is configured to receive a cable connector (114) attached to a cable (see Fig 5-6 and [0023]).
Regarding Claim 14, US1 describes the base portion engagement portion located at a first end of the adapter management device retention portion (see Figs 9-10).
Regarding Claim 15, US1 describes the actuating portion located at a second end of the adapter management device retention portion, the second end of the adapter management device retention portion being opposite the first end of the adapter management device retention portion (see Figs 9-10).
Regarding Claim 16, US1 describes the hinge portion configured to be pivotally coupled with a receiving portion of the base portion (see Fig 7).
Regarding Claim 17, US1 describes the adapter management device retention portion configured to retain the adapter management device in the open position when the base portion engagement portion engages a ledge (see Figs 9-10 and [0024]).
Regarding Claim 18, US1 describes the hinge portion and the adapter management device retention portion located at a same end of the adapter management device (see Figs 4-6).
Regarding Claim 19, US1 describes the adapter management device further comprising a perimeter portion (94) and an inner cable retention portion (98) that is configured to be positioned between the perimeter portion and the adapter receiving portion (see Figs 4-6).
Regarding Claim 20, US1 describes the adapter management device further comprising a perimeter portion (94); and wherein the adapter receiving portion and the perimeter portion are configured to define an open area inside the perimeter portion that is structurally configured to permit access to a first side of a cable connector that faces a same direction as a first side of the adapter management device and a second side of the cable connector that faces a same direction as a second side of the adapter management device so as to facilitate connecting the cable connector to, and disconnecting the cable connector from, the adapter receiving portion (see Figs 4-6).
Regarding Claim 21, US1 describes an adapter management device (14, see Figs 4-6 and 9-10) for providing enhanced access adjacent to the adapter management device, comprising:
an adapter management device retention portion (126);
wherein the adapter management device is configured to pivot between an open position and a closed position (see Figs 4-6 and [0024]-[0026]); and
wherein the adapter management device retention portion is structurally configured to engage at least a portion of a base portion (40) in the open position of the adapter management device so as to allow a user to perform an optical fiber cable operation in an area that would be obstructed by the adapter management device in the closed position without having to manually hold the adapter management device in the open position (see [0024]-[0026]).
Regarding Claim 22, US1 further describes:
the adapter management device further comprising an adapter receiving portion (110);
wherein the adapter management device retention portion comprises an engagement portion (portion of 126 that engages 150 at 127, see Figs 9-10); and
wherein the adapter management device retention portion comprises an actuating portion (protruding end of 126).
Regarding Claim 23, US1 describes the actuating portion configured to be actuated by a user to disengage the engagement portion from the base portion (see [0024]).
Regarding Claim 24, US1 describes the adapter management device comprising a hinge portion (48) that is configured to permit the adapter management device to pivot between the open position and the closed position (see Figs 4-6 and [0024]-[0026]).
Regarding Claim 25, US1 describes the hinge portion and the adapter management device retention portion located at a same end of the adapter management device (see Figs 4-6).
Regarding Claim 28, US1 describes an adapter receiving portion (110) configured to receive an optical fiber cable adapter (112) that is configured to receive a cable connector (114) attached to a cable (see Figs 4-6 and [0023]).
Regarding Claim 29, US1 describes the engagement portion located at a first end of the adapter management device retention portion (see Figs 9-10).
Regarding Claim 30, US1 describes the actuating portion located at a second end of the adapter management device retention portion, the second end of the adapter management device retention portion being opposite the first end of the adapter management device retention portion (see Figs 9-10).
Regarding Claim 31, US1 describes the adapter management device further comprising a perimeter portion (94) and an inner cable retention portion (98).
Regarding Claim 32, US1 describes the adapter management device further comprising a perimeter portion (94) and an adapter receiving portion (98); and wherein the adapter receiving portion and the perimeter portion are configured to define an open area inside the perimeter portion that is structurally configured to permit access to a first side of a cable connector that faces a same direction as a first side of the adapter management device and a second side of the cable connector that faces a same direction as a second side of the adapter management device so as to facilitate connecting the cable connector to, and disconnecting the cable connector from, the adapter receiving portion (see Figs 4-6).
Regarding Claim 33, US1 describes the adapter management device retention portion configured to retain the adapter management device in the open position (see [0024]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8 are allowed.
Claims 10-11 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 26-27 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.
Claims 1, 10, and 26 each describe the adapter tray retention portion or adapter management device retention portion comprising a fulcrum located between the base portion engagement portion and the actuating portion.
These limitations represent subject matter not described or reasonably suggested, in conjunction with the further limitations of the present claims, by the prior art of record.
Claims 2-8, 11, and 27 depend from Claims 1, 10, and 26, respectively, and therefore include at least the same allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
The prior art cited in the attached form PTO-892 are made of record and considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art describes various adapter trays and/or adapter management devices.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERRY RAHLL whose telephone number is (571)272-2356. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00am-5:00pm.
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, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached at 571-272-2397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JERRY RAHLL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874