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, 3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication to Namekawa 20220026641US.
In regards to claims 1 and 3, Namekawa teaches a cylindrical multi-fiber ferrule (Figure 16a and 17a-b) comprising through holes (Figure 16a: 4a-c’ [0055]) each having a cylindrical shape (Figure 3a: 2) and configured to hold a plurality of optical fibers (Figure 16a: 4a-c; [0055]) on a same circle centered on a central axis of the cylindrical shape (Figure 3a: circle is the end face of 2),wherein a region where the through holes are arranged at one end of the cylindrical shape in a longitudinal direction has a spherical shape curved (Figure 16a: 2 has spherical curve face at 2b) with a predetermined curvature radius (2b is curve thus having a radius of curvature defining the curve of 2b), and a central region (Figure 16a: 2b has 5 curve arc shape prongs wherein the middle prong is shown to be flat [see “central region” below]) where the through holes are not arranged at one end of the cylindrical shape in a longitudinal direction is a flat surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical shape (the flat central region does not has have holes, the holes are located on top and bottom adjacent to central region); wherein an optical fiber (fiber within 4b) is fixed to at least one of the through holes (4b), and an angle of a tangent at a core position of the optical fiber with respect to the flat surface is equal to or greater than five degrees (the angle tangent to core within 4b to the flat central appears to be 90 degree because central is substantially perpendicular to the lines 5b which represent the location of the core orientation within 4b wherein 90 degrees is greater than 5 degrees).
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In terms of Claim 5, Namekawa teaches a polishing method of a cylindrical multi fiber ferrule (Figure 3a, 16a, and 17b, [0059]), comprising: fixing an optical fiber to at least any of through holes of a ferrule formed with the through holes each having a cylindrical shape and configured to hold a plurality of optical fibers on a same circle centered on a central axis of the cylindrical shape (Figure 3a: ferrule is cylindrical, Figure 16a: through holes are shown in 4a-c wherein the end surface of 2b is formed through polishing [0059] to be round) polishing an end face of one end of the ferrule into a spherical shape curved with a predetermined curvature radius (Figure 16a: 2b; [0059]), and then, polishing a central region where the through holes are not arranged at the one end (See “central region” above), perpendicularly to a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical shape to form a flat surface (See “Central region” above has a flat surface).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 2, 4, and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication to Namekawa 20220026641US.
In regards to Claims 2, 4 and 6, Namekawa teaches the device of claim 1 and method of claim 6; wherein an amount of recess of the through holes (within 4a-c has a recess gap between it reaches end surface 2b), wherein the surface of 2b is formed to be rounded on the sides define by the arch 2b, and wherein a central portion is flat thus the polishing must occur perpendicularly to the hole to form flat vertical surface [0059]. Namekawa further indicates some degree rounds is desired to optimize loss ([0033]).
Namekawa does not teach wherein the curvature radius is equal to or less than 19.5 mm; wherein the central region is polished such that a distance from the flat surface to the optical fibers fixed to the through holes is equal to or less than 10 pm when the polishing is performed perpendicularly.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device and method of Namekawa to have a curvature radius that is equal to or less than 19.5 mm to optimize the connection loss, and to have the modification of a distance from the flat surface to the optical fibers fixed to the through holes is equal to or less than 10 um would also put the fiber core tip an optimal location to prevent insertion and coupling loss that may occur by the blockage of the side holes as light transmitted from the tip of the core. It has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art, In re Antonie, 195 USPQ 6 (C.C.P.A. 1977).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Patent Application Publication to Aoki 2015/0205053US teaches align of two ferrules holding a plurality of optical fiber cores within holes of the fiber.
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/HOANG Q TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2874
/UYEN CHAU N LE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2874