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 1-12 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 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 (at 132) is in the latch retaining position 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 (Figure 25: 250 at 132 within 34), wherein when the release sleeve (at 132) is in the latch retaining position the release sleeve allows the latch to be moved from the connector retaining position to the connector receiving position 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 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]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Patent Application Publication to Van Baelen 2019/0369336US teaches an optical connector with latching and push / pull function for releasing and retaining positions.
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.
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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
/UYEN CHAU N LE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2874