DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on July 23, 2026 has been entered.
Claim Interpretation
Claim 1 recites a raw material tank in which raw material is stored and the remaining space is filled with inert gas. Since claim 1 is an apparatus claim and apparatus claims are limited by the structure claimed or structural limitations inferred by functional limitations, this limitation is interpreted as to not requiring the actual storage of organic siloxane raw material or inert gas. Instead, it will be interpreted as a tank that can store any liquid raw material and any gas, including air.
Similarly, claim 4 recites the raw material is octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane. This functional language does not provide further structural limitation to the apparatus and thus is not given patentable weight.
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.
Claims 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogino et al. (JP 2001072431 machine translation provided) in view of Moriya (2022/0024801) and Miyasaka et al. (2014/0205853). Ogino discloses a porous glass base material manufacturing system comprising a raw material supply apparatus (“gas supply system from a gas generation facility” in 4th passage on page 2) and a porous glass base material manufacturing apparatus comprising a burner (4th passage on page 2). Ogino teaches the raw material supply apparatus supplies a siloxane raw material to the burner for combustion to produce silica fine particles (3rd passage on page 2, [[0017] on page 5). Ogino further teaches the porous glass base material manufacturing apparatus is installed indoors in a building ([0012] “manufacturing factory where the optical fiber preform manufacturing equipment is provided” on page 4). Ogino also teaches the raw material is supplied to the burner from a gas generating equipment via an outdoor pipe, suggesting the raw material supply apparatus is installed either outdoors or in a separate building separate from the building in which the porous glass base material manufacturing apparatus is installed ([0012]). Ogino teaches the sensitivity of the manufacturing process to gas flow fluctuations to the burner, and such fluctuations results in defective optical fiber preforms (top three passages on page 3). Ogino recognizes mass flow controllers supplying vapor/gas to the burners have limited control (3rd passage on page 3). As mentioned, Ogino teaches the raw material supply apparatus comprises a gas generating equipment ([0012]), but fails to offer specifics on the gas generating equipment, such as a tank, piping, pump, or a vaporizer.
Moriya also teaches a porous glass base material manufacturing system comprising a raw material supply apparatus ([0007]-[0015]) and a porous glass base material manufacturing apparatus ([0016]), wherein the porous glass base material manufacturing apparatus is equipped with a burner for receiving and combusting vaporized organic siloxane raw material supplied from the raw material supply apparatus to produce silica fine particles ([0028], [0055], [0065]-[0067]). Moriya also teaches the raw material supply apparatus comprises a raw material tank 10 that can store a liquid glass raw material and have a remaining space of the tank filled with a gas ([0057]-[0058]), a liquid feed pump 30 configured to pump the liquid raw material ([0060]), a circulating piping (42/43) and a branching piping 21 through which the raw material pumped by the pump is passed ([0061]-[0062]), a liquid mass flow controller 50 provided in the branch piping for controlling the flow rate of the liquid raw material passed through the branching piping ([0060]), and a vaporizer 70 provided downstream of the mass flow controller to vaporize the liquid raw material ([0063], [0056], figure). Like Ogino, Moriya also teaches the control provided for by mass flow controllers after vaporization is limited and thus suggests the raw material supply apparatus discussed above to afford better controlled flowrate by supplying the raw glass material in liquid form to a liquid MFC using a pump ([0023], [0037]). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have provided for a similar raw material supply apparatus comprising a tank, circulating and branch piping, liquid pump, liquid mass flow controller, and vaporizer, to the apparatus of Ogino, so as to provide better control for the raw material flowrate, thereby reducing defects in the glass particle deposits, as taught by Moriya.
As mentioned, Ogino suggests the raw material supply apparatus is installed elsewhere separate from the building in which the porous glass base material manufacturing apparatus is installed. However, Ogino doesn’t specify storing the raw material in a building with a room temperature of 30°C. Miyasaka similarly teaches a porous glass base material manufacturing system comprising a raw material supply apparatus and a porous glass base material manufacturing apparatus comprising a burner ([0035], [0053]). Miyasaka further teaches using a silicon compound for the glass raw material, preferably one that can be supplied in liquid form stably with only a simple temperature controlling system. Miyasaka teaches it is preferred the silicon compound is in the form of a liquid in the a temperature range of 20°C to 30°C ([0041]), such as octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane ([0043]). In view of Ogino’s suggestion to install the raw material supply apparatus outside of the building in which the porous glass base material manufacturing apparatus is installed, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have installed the raw material supply apparatus in a controlled environment, such as a separate building at a room temperature of 30°C, as such a temperature ensures the raw material remains a liquid that can be stably supplied to the manufacturing process, as taught by Miyasaka. Naturally, in installing the raw material supply apparatus in a building separate from the building housing the manufacturing apparatus, the supply apparatus is maintained so as to not be affected by temperature changes of the manufacturing apparatus.
Regarding claim 4, Moriya and Miyasaka teach octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane is (OMCTS) a known siloxane raw material for producing silica fine particles ([0023], [0043], respectively), and Ogino teaches storing raw material for producing silica fine particles ([0017]). Thus, the tank of Ogino and Moriya is capable of storing OMCTS.
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogino et al. (JP 2001072431 machine translation provided) in view of Moriya (2022/0024801) and Miyasaka et al. (2013/0205832) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Galante et al. (2006/0010922) and Xie et al. (CN 116477835 machine translation provided). Regarding claim 2, Ogino doesn’t specify installing a raw material liquid supply section equipped with the raw material tank and the liquid feed pump in a separate building from a raw material vaporization section equipped with the mass flow controller and the vaporizer. Galante teaches a porous glass base material manufacturing system comprising a raw material supply apparatus comprising a raw material tank, a vaporizer and a mass flow meter, and a porous glass base material manufacturing apparatus comprising a burner ([0019], [0027]-[0028], [0041]-[0042]). Galante further teaches locating a raw material liquid supply section comprising the raw material tank in a separate place from a raw material vaporization section equipped with the vaporizer and the mass flow meter so as to protect technicians from the raw material ([0013], [0045]). Galante also notes the vaporizer requires a heated environment ([0045]). As Ogino already suggests storing the raw material supply apparatus in a separate building, and Galante teaches further storing the raw material tank in a completely different location from the vaporizer, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have installed a raw material liquid supply section equipped with the raw material tank and the liquid feed pump in a separate building from a building installed with a raw material vaporization section equipped with the mass flow controller and the vaporizer, in order to protect technicians working inside the room with the vaporizer, while also providing the different environmental need of the vaporizer, as taught by Galante.
As mentioned, Galante recognizes the vaporizer needs to be heated and teaches two compartments for the vaporizer section, one for heating the vaporizer and one at room temperature for pipes and control valves connected to the vaporizer ([0044], fig. 2). Xie also teaches a vaporizer for supplying a glass raw material to a porous glass base material manufacturing apparatus (abstract). Xie also teaches the vaporizer is stored in an enclosed environment (“1” cabinet) that is maintained at a constant temperature (last passage on page 2, 2nd passage on page 3, figure 1). Xie teaches maintaining a temperature within the enclosure in the range of 30-50°C (bottom two passages on page 3) using a cabinet heater (2), and providing a heating blanket (6/7) directly on the raw material bottle within the enclosure (bottom passage on page 2, passage bridging pages 405, figure 1). Xie teaches this arrangement provides for stabilization of raw material pressure, thereby reducing fluctuations in downstream gas flow meters, while preventing condensation in the conveyance of the vapor (3rd passage on page 4). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have alternatively employed the vaporizer enclosure of Xie, wherein the enclosure is maintained at a temperature of 30°C-50°C, which includes 30°C, as it would provide for the direct heating of the vaporizing containers and provide for stable gas flow of the vaporized raw material and prevent gas flow meter fluctuations, as taught by Xie.
Regarding claim 3, Moriya and Galante teach one set of raw material vaporization section equipped with the raw material tank and liquid feed pump is installed for one porous glass base material manufacturing apparatus equipped with the burner, and as discussed in claim 2, the raw material vaporization section is installed in a separate building and held at a temperature that includes 30°C.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed July 23, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim 1 under Ogino and Moriya have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Miyasaka.
Conclusion
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/QUEENIE S DEHGHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741
