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 .
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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication to Lu 2009/0148104US.
In terms of Claim 1, Lu teaches a fiber optic connection device (Figures 1-50) for receiving a fiber optic connector (Figure 25: 39), the fiber optic connection device (Figure 25) comprising: a port-defining body (Figure 25: body of 34) defining a connector port (Figure 25: opening of 34) for receiving the fiber optic connector (Figure 25: 39 and 34);a resilient latch (Figure 25: 250) positioned at least partially within the connector port (Figure 25: 250 within 34), the latch being resiliently movable relative to the port-defining body (Figure 25: 250 flex within 34) between a connector receiving position ([0124]-0126]), a connector retaining position ([0124]-0126]), and a connector release position ([0124]-0126]), wherein the latch is configured to flex from the connector retaining position to the connector receiving position to accommodate linear insertion of the fiber optic connector into the connector port (Figure 25: 250/39/34; [0124]-0126]), and wherein the latch (Figure 25: 250) is configured to flex from the connector retaining position to the connector release position to accommodate linear removal of the connector from the connector port ([0124]-0126]); a release sleeve (Figure 25: tubular sleeve at body of 39 contain elongated body having protrusion 132) moveable relative to the port-defining body (Figure 25: 132 is movable relative to 34) and the resilient latch (250) between a latch retaining position and a latch release position ([0124]-0126]), wherein when the release sleeve (Figure 25: tubular sleeve at body of 39 contain elongated body having protrusion 132) is in the latch retaining position (Figure 24: see latch 251 lodged between protrusion of 132/134) the release sleeve (tubular body of 39 at the location of 132) prevents the latch from being moved from the connector retaining position to the connector release position and thereby prevents the fiber optic connector from being linearly removed from the connector port (Figure 25: 250 at 132 within 134), wherein when the release sleeve (body of 39 at protrusion of 132) is in the latch retaining position (Figure 25: 251 between 132/134) the release sleeve allows the latch to be moved from the connector retaining position to the connector receiving position (receiving position is shown in Figure 23: wherein 132 is just inserted but latch 251 is not lodged between 132/134) and thereby allows the fiber optic connector to be linearly inserted into the connector port (Figure 25: 250 at 132), and wherein when the release sleeve (132) is in the latch release position (Figure 21: wherein the tubular body 39/32 while inserted is not in contact with 251) the release sleeve does not prevent the latch from being moved from the connector retaining position to the connector release position and thereby allows the fiber optic connector to be linearly removed from the connector port (Figure 25: 132/250/34).
As for Claim 2, Lu teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the fiber optic connector (39) includes a retention surface (Figure 25: at 75 or trenches at 132 or both 75/132) that is unitarily formed with a connector body (body 39) of the fiber optic connector (39), wherein the latch (250) opposes and engages the retention surface to retain the fiber optic connector within the connector port (Figure 25: 132/250 within 34).
As for Claim 3, Lu teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the fiber optic connector (39) does not include an active retention structure for retaining the fiber optic connector within the connector port (Figure 25: 39 has no activation retention structures).
As for Claim 4, Lu teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the release sleeve (at 132) and the resilient latch (250) are secured to the port-defining body (34) to form an integrated assembly (Figure 25: 132/250/34).
As for Claim 5, Lu teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the release sleeve (at 132) and the resilient latch (250) are coupled with the port-defining body (34) to form an integrated fiber optic adapter assembly (Figure 25: 132/250/34).
As for Claim 6, Lu teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the resilient latch (250) includes a resilient cantilever (Figure 25: arm 244) unitarily formed with a latch collar (Figure 25: on 74 or Figure 29: 50 and arms 51 or 390) mounted over an exterior of the port-defining body and under the release sleeve (See Figure 25: wherein 244 is over bottom portion 74 and under top portion of 132; Figure 29: 51 is s over bottom portion 34 and under top portion of 132).
As for Claim 7, Lu teaches the device of Claim 6, wherein the latch collar (74 or 51) is secured to the port-defining body (34) by a snap-fit connection (Figure 33: see 51 and 26 or Figure 25: see 74 and 34), and wherein a plurality of the resilient latches are unitarily formed with and project axially outwardly from the latch collar (Figure 31: see 51 and edge latches 390 or Figure 25: see 250 and Figure 39: where multiple latches 57 may be employed within the adapter 26).
As for Claim 8, Lu teaches the device of Claim 6, wherein the resilient cantilever (244) projects axially along an exterior of the port-defining body (34) from the latching collar (250/74, or 51/50 or Figure 36: 57/55/56) and includes latching head (Figure 25: tip of 251 or Figure 31: tip of 51 or Figure 36: tip 55/56) including a latching portion (tip of 55/56, 51, 251) that projects radially inwardly through an opening in the port-defining body into the connector port (Figure 25: tip of 251 or Figure 31: tip of 51 or Figure 36: tip 55/56).
As for Claim 9, Lu teaches the device of Claim 8, wherein the latching head (Figure 25: tip of 251 or Figure 31: tip of 51 or Figure 36: tip 55/56) includes a ramped connector lead-in surface (along arm segments of 251, 51, 55/56), a connector retention surface (vertical side edges of 251/51 or 55/56) and a release sleeve engagement (on 132) surface positioned about a central location of the latching head (Figure 25: 132 and 250), wherein the resilient latch (250) is biased toward the connector retaining position via an inherent resilience of the cantilever (Figure 25: 250 and 244; [0124-0126]), wherein when the connector is inserted into the connector port while the resilient latch is in the connector retaining position and the release sleeve is in the latch retaining position, the fiber optic connector engages the ramped connector lead-in surface causing the latching head to move to the connector receiving position in which a retention surface of the fiber optic connector can move axially inwardly past the connector retention surface of the latching head (Figure 25: 250 and 244 and 132; [0124-0126]), and where when the retention surface of the connector moves past the connector retentions surface of the latching head the latching head resiliently returns to the connector retaining position in which the connector retention surface opposes the retention surface of the fiber optic connector to latch the fiber optic connector within the connector port (Figure 25: at 132 and [0124-0126]).
As for Claim 10, Lu teaches the device of Claim 8, wherein the resilient latch (250) moves from the connector retaining position to the connector receiving position by pivotal movement of latching head about a contact location between the release sleeve engagement surface and the release sleeve which causes the connector retention surface to move outwardly away from the central axis of the connector port thereby allowing movement of the retention surface of the fiber optic connector axially inwardly past the connector retention surface of the latching head (Figure 25: 132 and 250; [0124-0126]), and wherein the pivotal movement of the latching head is driven by contact between the fiber optic connector and the ramped lead- in surface of the latching head and is permitted by outward flexing of the cantilever member (Figure 25: 132 and 250; [0124-0126]).
As for Claim 11, Lu teaches the device of Claim 10, wherein the retention sleeve engagement surface (at 132) and the connector retention surface (on 250) of the latching head (251) are on diametrically opposite sides of the central portion of the latching head (Figure 25: 250, 132 and 251).
As for Claim 12, Lu teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the release sleeve (132) is retained on the port-defining body by a snap-fit connection and is axially moveable relative to the port-defining body (34) along an axis of the connector port to move between the latch retaining position and the latch release position (Figure 25: 132 and 250; [0124-0126]), and wherein the release sleeve is spring biased (102) toward the latch retaining position (Figure 25: 102 and [0130]).
As for Claim 13, Lu teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the release collar is axially moveable with respect to both the fiber optic connector and the port defining body (Figure 23: see collar 40, which is movable relative connector housing 39 located on opposite side in channel 202 and the port defining body of 34).
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments filed 07/07/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In this instant the applicant argues the prior art does not teach “latch retaining position in which the release sleeve prevents the latch from being moved from the connector retaining position to the connector release position and thereby prevents the fiber optic connector from being linearly removed from the connector port” (Remarks Page 6 and 7).
The examiner respectfully disagrees, as shown in Figure 23, the release sleeve portion of 39 at elongated area of 132 is in a “release position” wherein the latch is not lodged between gap between 132/134. Figure 25, illustrate a “retaining position” wherein the latch 251 is lodged between 132/134 which prevents movement of the latch.
The applicant further argues the prior structure can’t qualify as a “release sleeve” because its unitary with the connector body and wherein the release sleeve 132 of Lu does not independently move relative to the port defining body because the movement of the release sleeve only moves due to the insertion or movement of the connector housing 39 (Remarks Page 7).
The examiner respectfully disagrees because claim 1 does not contain any structural limitation to indicate the release sleeve can’t be a portion of connector or even separable or different from the connector body. Further, claim 1 does not recited anything in regard to the release sleeve being “independent movable” relative to the port and wherein the movement can be due to insertion force of the connector housing. Claim 1 only recite movements of the release sleeve are relative to the port defining body which is shown in Figure 23 and Figure 25 based on the latching location of 251. The examiner suggests that if the applicant intended claim recitation was to describe the release movement being independent, then applicant should positively claim this feature, and described how the movement of the release sleeve is “independently moveable” to the connector body to overcome the prior art of record.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., “release sleeve being independently movable relative to the port defining body and the connector body”) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). 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).
Newly added claims have also been rejected as detailed above.
This action is therefore made FINAL for the reason(s) detailed above.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOANG Q TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5049. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 am - 5:30pm Monday - Friday.
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 5712722397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HOANG Q TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2874
/SUNG H PAK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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