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 .
Summary of the Claims
The present application (18/590,040) was filed on February 28, 2024, and is continuation of PCT/JP22/32873 filed on August 31, 2022 and claims priority to JP 2021-142725 filed on September 1, 2021. Claims 1-24 are pending. Claims 1, 21, and 22 are the independent claims.
References and Documents Cited in this Action
Oguri (US 2019/0020178 A1)
Kashiwagi (US 2016/0291252 A1)
Summary of Rejections and Objections in this Action
Claims 1-9 and 21-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oguri.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oguri in view of Kashiwagi.
Claims 10-20 contain allowable subject matter.
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 and 21-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oguri.
Regarding independent claim 1, Oguri discloses an optical device (Figures 1, 10, and 12) comprising:
a base (i.e., mounting table 2; paragraph [0039]);
a light emitting device (i.e., laser element 4 in Figure 1 or similar corresponding laser element 711 in Figure 10) arranged on the base and configured to output a laser beam (paragraphs [0041] and [0095]);
a plurality of optical parts arranged on the base and configured to transmit the laser beam output from the light emitting device to an optical fiber (i.e., output fiber 740 in Figure 10) to couple with the optical fiber, the plurality of optical parts including a first optical part and a second optical part (e.g., condensing lens 716 and partial mirror 735); and
a shielding portion (i.e., optical fiber dispensing portion 732 including light shielding film on inclined front surface 732bb; Figure 12) arranged on the base and configured to shield stray light reflected on the second optical part 735 so as to avoid the stray light from being irradiated to the first optical part (e.g., condensing lens 716 or various other optical parts as shown in Figure 10); paragraphs [0118]-[0123]).
Regarding claim 2, Oguri discloses that the second optical part 735 is positioned in a frontward direction with respect to the first optical part 716 on an optical path of the laser beam from the light emitting device 711 to the optical fiber 740 (Figure 10; paragraphs [0094]-[0106]).
Regarding claim 3, Oguri discloses that the shielding portion 732 is positioned with an offset toward a traveling direction of the laser beam through the first optical part, with respect to the first optical part (i.e., the front surface 732bb of optical fiber dispensing portion 732 is inclined/offset toward a traveling direction of the laser beam; Figure 12; paragraphs [0118]-[0123]).
Regarding claim 4, Oguri discloses that a gap exists between the shielding portion 732 and the first optical part 716 (Figure 10).
Regarding claim 5, Oguri discloses that the shielding portion 732 includes an absorbing portion configured to absorb the stray light (i.e., “a light-absorbing film”; paragraph [0123]).
Regarding claim 6, Oguri discloses a reflecting portion 732bb positioned with an offset in an opposite direction to a traveling direction of the laser beam through the first optical part, with respect to the first optical part, the reflecting portion being configured to reflect the stray light in a predetermined direction (i.e., the front surface 732bb of optical fiber dispensing portion 732 reflects light due to its inclined shape and is offset “opposite” a traveling direction of the laser beam; Figure 12; paragraphs [0120]-[0122]).
Regarding claim 7, Oguri discloses that a gap exists between the reflecting portion 732bb and the first optical part 716 (Figure 10).
Regarding claim 8, Oguri discloses that the reflecting portion 732bb includes an absorbing portion configured to absorb the stray light (i.e., “a light-absorbing film”; paragraph [0123]).
Regarding claim 9, Oguri discloses that the first optical part includes two first optical units aligned with a gap therebetween on an optical path of the laser beam (e.g., condensing lens 716 and condensing lens 733; Figure 10); and a wall portion (i.e., inclined surface 732bb) including, in an integrated manner, the reflecting portion corresponding to one of the two first optical units that is positioned ahead in the optical path, and the shielding portion corresponding to another one of the two first optical units that is positioned behind in the optical path (paragraphs [0122]-[0123]). More specifically, Oguri discloses the claim limitations at least in the sense that Oguri discloses various optical parts with gaps between on an optical path of the laser beam, such as condensing lens 716 and condensing lens 733, wherein condensing lens 33 is ahead of optical fiber dispensing portion 732 and condensing lens 716 is behind optical fiber dispensing portion 732. Oguri also discloses that optical fiber dispensing portion 732 comprises a wall portion (inclined surface 732bb) that includes the reflection portion (surface 732bb of optical fiber dispensing portion 732 reflects light due to its inclined shape; paragraph [0122]) and the shielding portion (i.e., “a light-absorbing film”; paragraph [0123]). Both the reflecting and shielding portions of optical fiber dispensing portion 732 direct stray light from the optical path and therefore “correspond” to various optical parts in the system including condensing lens 716 and condensing lens 733 (i.e., both portions remove stray light from both optical units). The claim does not further recite details as to what constitutes a reflection portion or a shielding portion “corresponding” to one optical unit over another optical unit.
Regarding independent claim 21, Oguri discloses an optical device (Figures 1, 10, and 12) comprising:
a base (i.e., mounting table 2; paragraph [0039]);
a light emitting device (i.e., laser element 4 in Figure 1 or similar corresponding laser element 711 in Figure 10) arranged on the base and configured to output a laser beam (paragraphs [0041] and [0095]);
a plurality of optical parts (e.g., condensing lens 716 and partial mirror 735) arranged on the base and configured to transmit a laser beam output from the light emitting device to an optical fiber (i.e., output fiber 740 in Figure 10) to couple with the optical fiber; and
a reflecting portion (i.e., optical fiber dispensing portion 732 including inclined front surface 732bb; Figure 12) positioned with an offset in an opposite direction to a traveling direction of the laser beam through a first optical part (i.e., condensing lens 716) with respect to the first optical part included in the optical parts, the reflecting portion being configured to reflect stray light reflected on a second optical device (i.e., partial mirror 735) included in the optical parts to a direction deviating from the first optical part (paragraphs [0118]-[0123]).
Regarding independent claim 22, Oguri discloses an optical device (Figures 1, 10, and 12) comprising:
a plurality of optical parts (e.g., condensing lens 716 and partial mirror 735; Figure 10) configured to transmit a laser beam (i.e., from laser element 711) to an optical fiber (i.e., output fiber 740) to couple with the optical fiber; and
a shielding portion (i.e., optical fiber dispensing portion 732 including inclined front surface 732bb; Figure 12) configured to shield stray light reflected on a second optical part (i.e., particular mirror 735) included in the optical parts so as to avoid the stray light from being irradiated on a first optical part (i.e., condensing lens 716) included in the optical parts (paragraphs [0118]-[0123]).
Regarding claim 23, Oguri discloses a light source device comprising the optical device according to claim 1 (Figure 10).
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.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oguri in view of Kashiwagi.
Regarding claim 24, Oguri discloses a light source device as discussed above with regard to claims 1 and 23 above, and further discloses an optical fiber laser comprising: the light source device according to claim 23; and an optical gain medium 833 configured to amplify the laser beam output from the light source device (Figure 11; paragraphs [0107]-[0116]). Oguri does not specifically disclose an optical amplification fiber, but various elements for optical amplification including optical amplification fibers are well known in the art. For example, Kashiwagi teaches a device that is related to the one disclosed by Ogura, including a laser element 21-1 and an output fiber 90 (Figure 4) and further teaches an optical amplification fiber 60 configured to amplify the laser beam output from the device (paragraphs [0041]-[0042]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use an optical amplification fiber as taught by Kashiwagi instead of the gain medium in the device disclosed by Oguri as a substitution of known elements for increasing optical power that would yield predictable results.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art does not specifically disclose or fairly suggest an optical device including the combination of all of the elements, steps, and limitations recited in claims 10-20 (including all of the limitations of any respective parent claims), particularly including:
a first surface arranged in any one of the base and an intermediate member fixed to the base; and a bonding material that is present between the first surface and the first optical part, the bonding material being configured to bond the first surface and the first optical part, wherein the shielding portion is configured to shield the stray light toward the bonding material.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christina Leung at telephone number (571) 272-3023. If attempts to reach the examiner are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Patricia Engle can be reached at (571) 272-6660.
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/CHRISTINA Y. LEUNG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3991
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