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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Any claims not specifically addressed are rejected because they include the indefinite language from claim 1.
Claim 1 recites, “at least two of the connection parts having different positions from each other in the longitudinal direction and the disposition direction are disposed in the first high-density region” and “at least another two of the connection parts having different positions from each other in the longitudinal direction and the disposition direction are disposed in the second high-density region”. Something either didn’t get deleted or some words must be missing here since “are disposed in the first high-density region” doesn’t fit in the statement.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "each of both end edges". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fallahmohammadi et al (US 2020/0064574 A1). Fallahmohammadi teaches:
1. An optical fiber ribbon (25, Fig. 4A – figure reproduced with added markings below) comprising:
five or more optical fibers (51-58, 61-68) disposed in a disposition direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber ribbon (25); and
connection parts (30, 35) disposed intermittently in the longitudinal direction and the disposition direction, wherein each of the connection parts (30, 35) is disposed between and connects adjacent ones of the optical fibers (P0027);
wherein the optical fiber ribbon (25) has a first high-density region (see dashed oval of 50) and a first low-density region (adjacent to the oval to the right) disposed at different positions in the longitudinal direction (Fig. 4A);
and a second high-density region (same region as the oval for 50, just below for 60) and a second low-density region (adjacent the high-density region to the right) disposed at different positions in the longitudinal direction (Fig. 4A);
at least two of the connection parts (30, 35) having different positions from each other in the longitudinal direction and the disposition direction are disposed in the first high-density region (any two connection parts in the high-density portions, see Fig. 4A);
at least another two of the connection parts (30, 35) having different positions from each other in the longitudinal direction and the disposition direction are disposed in the second high-density region (any two connection parts in the high-density portions, see Fig. 4A);
a number density of the connection parts in the first low-density region is lower (none) than a number density of the connection parts (many) in the first high-density region (Fig. 4A),
a number density of the connection parts in the second low-density region is lower (none) than a number density of the connection parts (many) in the second high-density region (Fig. 4A), and
a dimension (L9) in the longitudinal direction of a portion in which the first low-density region and the second low-density region overlap in the disposition direction is smaller than a dimension (L6) of the first low-density region in the longitudinal direction and a dimension (L8) of the second low-density region in the longitudinal direction (Fig. 4A).
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2. The optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, wherein the connection parts (30, 35) include:
first right end connection parts positioned on a rightmost side in each inter-fiber region between adjacent ones of the optical fibers in the first high-density region (Fig. 4A);
first left end connection parts positioned on a leftmost side in each inter-fiber region between adjacent ones of the optical fibers in the first high-density region (Fig. 4A);
second right end connection parts positioned on a rightmost side in each inter-fiber region between adjacent ones of the optical fibers in the second high-density region (Fig. 4A); and
second left end connection parts positioned on a leftmost side in each inter-fiber region between adjacent ones of the optical fibers in the second high-density region (Fig. 4A);
a first right straight line connects right ends of two of the first right end connection parts on a rightmost side in the first high-density region (see reproduced figure),
a first left straight line connects left ends of two of the first left end connection parts on a leftmost side in the first high-density region (see reproduced figure),
a second right straight line connects right ends of two of the second right end connection parts on a rightmost side in the second high-density region (see reproduced figure),
a second left straight line connects left ends of two of the second left end connection parts on a leftmost side in the second high-density region (see reproduced figure),
one of the connection parts that is in the first high-density region and that overlaps the first right straight line does not overlap the second right straight line (see reproduced figure),
one of the connection parts that is in the first high-density region and that overlaps the first left straight line does not overlap the second left straight line (see reproduced figure),
one of the connection parts that is in the second high-density region and that overlaps the second right straight line does not overlap the first right straight line (see reproduced figure), and
one of the connection parts that is in the second high-density region and that overlaps the second left straight line does not overlap the first left straight line (see reproduced figure).
3. The optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, wherein the dimension (L9) in the longitudinal direction of a portion in which the first low-density region and the second low-density region overlap in the disposition direction is smaller than a dimension (L5) of the first high-density region in the longitudinal direction and a dimension (L7) of the second high-density region in the longitudinal direction (see reproduced figure).
4. The optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the connection parts (30) is disposed in each inter-fiber region between adjacent ones of the optical fibers in the first high-density region, and at least one of the connection parts (30) is disposed in each inter-fiber region between adjacent ones of the optical fibers in the second high-density region (Fig. 4A).
5. The optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the connection parts (30) is disposed on each of both end edges of the first high-density region in the longitudinal direction, and at least another one of the connection parts (30) is disposed on each of both end edges of the second high-density region in the longitudinal direction (Fig. 4A).
6. The optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, wherein a first region including the first high-density region and the first low-density region (first pair) is adjacent to a second region including the second high-density region and the second low-density region (second pair to the right) in the disposition direction (Fig. 4A).
7. The optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, wherein, in the disposition direction, a dimension (width of 50) of the first high-density region is equal to a dimension (same width of 50) of the first low-density region and a dimension (width of 60) of the second high-density region is equal to a dimension (same width of 60) of the second low-density region (Fig. 4A, the width of each ribbon is the same).
8. The optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, wherein the first high-density region does not overlap the second high-density region in the disposition direction (Fig. 4A, adjacent high-density regions in 50 do not overlap in the width and high-density regions in 50 and 60 do not overlap, some do, some don’t – see Fig. 4A).
9. The optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1 ,wherein the first low-density region does not overlap the second low-density region in the disposition direction (Fig. 4A, adjacent low-density regions in 50 do not overlap in the width and low-density regions in 50 and 60 do not overlap, some do, some don’t – see Fig. 4A).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following references teach optical fiber ribbons with connection parts similar to applicant’s: US 9389386, US 10101549, US 10514517, US 10688740, US 10718917, US 10882783, US 11300741, US 11947174.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN A LEPISTO whose telephone number is (571)272-1946. The examiner can normally be reached on 8AM-5PM EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Hollweg can be reached on 571-270-1739. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RYAN A LEPISTO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874