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
Information disclosure statement filed 8/01/2024 has been considered.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 24-29, 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication No. US 2023/0085572 A1 to Bryon et al. (hereinafter “Bryon”).
Regarding claim 24, Bryon discloses an optical fiber management portion (104 in Fig. 5) comprising: a pivot portion (i.e. one of the “square bars” 130 in Fig. 9) that is structurally configured to rotate relative to a pivot portion receiving portion (i.e. one of the “clip” 132 in Fig. 11) such that the optical fiber management portion is configured to pivot between a raised position (Fig. 4) and a lowered position (Fig. 3); a locking portion (i.e. the other of the “square bars” 130 in Fig. 9) that is structurally configured to be retained by a locking portion receiving portion (i.e. the other of the ”clip” 132 in Fig. 11) to retain the optical fiber management portion in the raised position (paragraph [0084]); wherein the pivot portion receiving portion is structurally configured to be identical to the locking portion receiving portion (i.e. both of the elements 130 in Fig. 9 are identical); and wherein the pivot portion and the locking portion are structurally configured to cooperate to provide a positioning mechanism that is structurally configured to hold the optical fiber management portion in the raised position so as to provide enhanced access to a second optical fiber management portion positioned underneath the optical fiber management portion (paragraph [0084]).
Regarding claim 25, Bryon discloses wherein the pivot portion comprises a pivot bar (130 in Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 26, Bryon discloses wherein the pivot portion receiving portion comprises a first pair of retaining portions (132 in Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 27, Byron discloses wherein the pivot portion is structurally configured to have a rectangular cross-sectional shape (“square bars” 130 in Fig. 9; paragraph [0084]).
Regarding claim 28, Byron discloses wherein the locking portion comprises a locking bar (130 in Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 29, Byron discloses wherein the locking portion receiving portion comprises a second pair of retaining portions (132 in Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 31, Byron discloses wherein a first set of opposing sides of the pivot portion are configured to be parallel to inner surfaces of the pivot portion receiving portion when the optical fiber management portion is in the raised position, and a second set of opposing sides of the pivot portion are configured to be parallel to inner surfaces of the pivot portion receiving portion when the optical fiber management portion is in the lowered position (i.e. this condition is met because the pivot portion is a square bar as discussed in paragraph [0084]. As such, opposing sides of the square bar are parallel to the inner surfaces of the pair of retaining portions of the clip 132 for both raised and lowered positions).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bryon in view of US Patent No. 11,275,226 B2 to Claessens et al. (hereinafter “Claessens”).
Bryon discloses the optical fiber management portion according to claim 24 as already discussed above. However, it does not explicitly disclose the locking portion structurally configured to have a circular cross sectional shape, in the manner claimed in the present application. On the other hand, such a circular cross sectional shape for pivoting and locking portions is known in the art. For example, Claessens discloses a pivot interlock for a fiber management tray, wherein the pivoting and locking portions have circular cross sectional shape (624a or 624b in Fig. 8). One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize such cross sectional shape as advantageous and desirable since it would allow for smooth insertion and withdrawal of locking portion into and out of locking portion receiving portion, and reduce wear and tear of the fiber management portion. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the present application to modify the device of Bryon to have the locking portion having a circular cross sectional shape, in the manner claimed in the present application.
Claim(s) 13-20, 22-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bryon in view of US Patent Application Publication No. US 2021/0055496 A1 to Allen et al. (hereinafter “Allen”).
Regarding claim 13-14, Bryon discloses the optical fiber management portion according to claim 24 as already discussed above. In addition, Bryon discloses a body portion (Fig. 1; Fig. 2), and a connection portion structurally configured to couple an optical fiber management portion (104) with a mounting portion (102) such that the optical fiber management portion is configured to pivot relative to the mounting portion. However, Bryon does not explicitly disclose the body portion is configured to receive an adapter portion, in the manner claimed in the present application.
On the other hand, optical fiber management device comprising a body configured to receive an adapter portion is known in the art. For example, Allen discloses an optical fiber management device (e.g. 100 in Fig. 7) comprising a body (Fig. 7) configured to receive plurality of adapters (Fig. 7; Fig. 13). One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize the advantage of this arrangement since it would allow the fiber management device to be used with preconnectorized fiber cables in the field, without the need for additional splicing and interconnection of existing fiber optic cables. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the present application to modify the device of Bryon to have a body configured to receive plurality of adapters in the manner claimed in the present application.
Regarding claim 15, Allen discloses wherein the adapter portion comprises an optical connector (e.g. 80 in Fig. 13) that is structurally configured to optically connect an internal optical cable to an external optical cable (Fig. 7). As such, the claimed limitations of claim 15 would have been rendered obvious in view of the modification of Bryon in view of Allen as discussed above in reference to claim 13.
Regarding claim 16, Bryon discloses wherein the pivot portion comprises a pivot bar (130 in Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 17, Bryon discloses wherein the pivot portion receiving portion comprises a first pair of retaining portions (132 in Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 18, Bryon discloses wherein the pivot portion is structurally configured to have a rectangular cross-sectional shape (i.e. “square bars” 130 in Fig. 9; paragraph [0084]).
Regarding claim 19, Bryon discloses wherein the locking portion comprises a locking bar (130 in Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 20, Byron discloses wherein the locking portion receiving portion comprises a second pair of retaining portions (132 in Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 22, Byron discloses wherein a first set of opposing sides of the pivot portion are configured to be parallel to inner surfaces of the pivot portion receiving portion when the optical fiber management portion is in the raised position, and a second set of opposing sides of the pivot portion are configured to be parallel to inner surfaces of the pivot portion receiving portion when the optical fiber management portion is in the lowered position (i.e. this condition is met because the pivot portion is a square bar as discussed in paragraph [0084]. As such, opposing sides of the square bar are parallel to the inner surfaces of the pair of retaining portions of the clip 132 for both raised and lowered positions).
Regarding claim 23, Byron discloses wherein the first pair of retaining portions are structurally configured as first resilient mounting tabs, and the second pair of retaining portions are structurally configured as second resilient mounting tabs (132 in Fig. 11).
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bryon in view Allen as applied to claim 13 above, and in further view of Claessens.
Bryon, in view of Allen, renders the claimed limitations obvious as discussed above in reference to claim 13. However, neither Bryon nor Allen explicitly disclose the locking portion structurally configured to have a circular cross sectional shape, in the manner claimed in the present application. On the other hand, such a circular cross sectional shape for pivoting and locking portions is known in the art. For example, Claessens discloses a pivot interlock for a fiber management tray, wherein the pivoting and locking portions have circular cross sectional shape (624a or 624b in Fig. 8). One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize such cross sectional shape as advantageous and desirable since it would allow for smooth insertion and withdrawal of locking portion into and out of locking portion receiving portion, and reduce wear and tear of the fiber management portion. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the present application to modify the device of Bryon to have the locking portion having a circular cross sectional shape, in the manner claimed in the present application.
Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bryon in view Allen, and in further view of Claessens.
Regarding claim 1, Bryon discloses a fiber optic cable cassette (Fig. 2) that is structurally configured to provide enhanced access to a second cassette (paragraph [0084]), comprising: a connection portion (102 in Fig. 2) structurally configured to couple a cassette with a cassette mounting portion such that the cassette is configured to pivot relative to the cassette mounting portion (Fig. 3 Fig. 4); wherein the connection portion comprises a pivot portion (i.e. one of the “clip” 132 in Fig. 11) that is structurally configured to be received in a pivot portion receiving portion (i.e. one of the “clip” 132 in Fig. 11) of the cassette mounting portion; wherein the pivot portion is structurally configured to rotate relative to the pivot portion receiving portion such that the cassette is configured to pivot between a raised position (Fig. 4) and a lowered position (Fig. 3); wherein the pivot portion is structurally configured to have a rectangular cross-sectional shape (“square”- paragraph [0084]) that is structurally configured to be received by a pair of retaining portions (132 in Fig. 11) of the pivot portion receiving portion; wherein the connection portion comprises a locking portion (i.e. the other of the “square bars” 130 in Fig. 9) that is structurally configured to be received in a locking portion receiving portion (i.e. the other of the “clip” 132 in Fig. 11) of the cassette mounting portion; wherein the locking portion is structurally configured to be retained by the locking portion receiving portion to retain the cassette in the raised position (Fig. 4); wherein the pivot portion receiving portion is structurally configured to be identical to the locking portion receiving portion (Fig. 9); and wherein the pivot portion and the locking portion are structurally configured to cooperate to provide a positioning mechanism that is structurally configured to hold the cassette in the raised position so as to provide enhanced access to a second cassette positioned underneath the cassette (paragraph [0084]).
However, Bryon does not explicitly disclose the cassette body portion is configured to receive an adapter portion, in the manner claimed in the present application. On the other hand, optical fiber management device comprising a body configured to receive an adapter portion is known in the art. For example, Allen discloses an optical fiber management device (e.g. 100 in Fig. 7) comprising a body (Fig. 7) configured to receive plurality of adapters (Fig. 7; Fig. 13). One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize the advantage of this arrangement since it would allow the fiber management device to be used with preconnectorized fiber cables in the field, without the need for additional splicing and interconnection of existing fiber optic cables. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the present application to modify the device of Bryon to have a body configured to receive plurality of adapters in the manner claimed in the present application.
In addition, Allen discloses an adapter portion comprising an optical connector that is structurally configured to optically connect a first optical cable to a second optical cable (Fig. 7). As such, the claimed limitations of claim 1 are rendered obvious in view of the modification of Bryon in view of Allen as discussed above.
Further, Bryon does not explicitly disclose wherein the locking portion is structurally configured to have a circular cross-sectional shape as claimed in the present application. On the other hand, such a circular cross-sectional shape for pivoting and locking portions is known in the art. For example, Claessens discloses a pivot interlock for a fiber management tray, wherein the pivoting and locking portions have circular cross-sectional shape (624a or 624b in Fig. 8). One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize such cross-sectional shape as advantageous and desirable since it would allow for smooth insertion and withdrawal of locking portion into and out of locking portion receiving portion, and reduce wear and tear of the fiber management portion. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the present application to modify the device of Bryon to have the locking portion having a circular cross-sectional shape, in the manner claimed in the present application.
Regarding claims 2-3, Allen discloses wherein the adapter portion comprising an adapter plate (450 in Fig. 7) and wherein the adapter portion is one of a plurality of different adapter portions (e.g. see Fig. 12B). As such, the claimed limitations of claims 2-3 would have been rendered obvious in view of the modification of Bryon in view of Allen as discussed above in reference to claim 1.
Regarding claim 4, Bryon discloses wherein the cassette further comprising a splice tray (310 in Fig. 20) mounted to the cassette body portion and movable between an open position and a closed position (Figs. 3-4).
Regarding claim 5, Bryon discloses wherein the pivot portion comprises a pivot bar (130 in Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 6, Bryon discloses wherein the rectangular cross-sectional shape of the pivot portion is structurally configured as a square shape (paragraph [0084]).
Regarding claim 7, Byron discloses wherein a first set of opposing sides of the pivot portion are configured to be parallel to inner surfaces of the pivot portion receiving portion when the optical fiber management portion is in the raised position, and a second set of opposing sides of the pivot portion are configured to be parallel to inner surfaces of the pivot portion receiving portion when the optical fiber management portion is in the lowered position (i.e. this condition is met because the pivot portion is a square bar as discussed in paragraph [0084]. As such, opposing sides of the square bar are parallel to the inner surfaces of the pair of retaining portions of the clip 132 for both raised and lowered positions).
Regarding claim 8, Byron discloses wherein the locking portion comprises a locking bar (130 in Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 9, Byron discloses wherein pivot portion receiving portion comprises a first pair of retaining portions that are structurally configured as first resilient mounting tabs, and a second pair of retaining portions that are structurally configured as second resilient mounting tabs (132 in Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 10, Bryon discloses wherein a downward turned end of an upper portion of the locking portion receiving portion (132 in Fig. 11) is structurally configured to contact the locking portion when the cassette is in the raised position (Fig. 12), and an upward turned end of a lower portion of the locking portion receiving portion (132 in Fig. 11) is structurally configured to contact the locking portion when the cassette is in the raised position (Fig. 12).
Regarding claim 11, Allen discloses wherein the adapter portion is structurally configured to be removably attached to the cassette body portion (Fig. 12B; paragraph [0065]). As such, the claimed limitations of claim 11 would have been also rendered obvious in view of the modification of Bryon in view of Allen as discussed above in reference to claim 1.
Regarding claim 12, Allen discloses wherein the adapter portion is structurally configured to receive an external input connector that is structurally configured to receive an input cable located outside of the cassette (i.e. Fig. 12B- cables are not explicitly drawn in the figures, but external connectors are located on the left side of the adapter 70), an internal input connector that is structurally configured to receive an input cable located inside the cassette (i.e. Fig. 12B- cables are not explicitly drawn, but the internal connectors are located on the right side of the adapter 70), an external output connector that is structurally configured to receive an output cable located outside of the cassette, and an internal output connector that is structurally configured to receive an output cable located inside the cassette (“input” and “output” are necessarily disclosed by the invention of Allen, since splicing enclosures are disclosed by Allen). As such, the claimed limitations of claim 12 would have been also rendered obvious in view of the modification of Bryon in view of Allen as discussed above in reference to claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUNG H PAK whose telephone number is (571)272-2353. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 7AM- 5PM.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SUNG H PAK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874