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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/14/2026 have been fully considered but they are not fully persuasive. Examiner agrees with the arguments related to independent method claim 1. However, independent apparatus claim 10 recites steps or methods of producing the connector which is not a positive limitation in an apparatus claim. The production method of molding and bonding the stripped ends cannot be interpreted in this claim. Therefore, the structure required is a connector with a stripped fiber that has two separate lengths where a portion is bonded with a connector housing. It is further noted that the claims do not require this stripped portion to be stripped to the core. Multiple connector arts with ferrules typically strip away portions of a jacket to a different length of the core and such would meet this current claim limitation.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 10-12 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2020/0271861 to Blackwell Jr. et al. in view of Kretschmer et al. (cited in prior office action).
Blackwell discloses in figures 2-7, an optical fiber connector through which light enters comprising:
At least one connector element (14), and
At least one optical fiber (12) with a stripped end (20 and paragraph 59), the stripped end having a first length (smallest portion in figure 2), and materially bonded (it is noted that the injection molding process itself is not a positive limitation in an apparatus claim. Further, the term “materially bonded” is broadly interpreted to be a physical connection between two materials that holds them together in a single, unified structure. This bond need not be chemical and no such requirement is claimed, therefore the crimp band or other fastener disclosed in paragraph 34 meets the portion of the claim limitation),
Wherein the at least one connector element has a stripped end of fiber with two different lengths (the strength members are stripped at a different length than the core; paragraph 56).
As to claim 11, an illumination device is disclosed (a source).
As to claim 16, thermoplastic material is disclosed (paragraph 33).
However, Blackwell fails to explicitly disclose specific lengths or materials or the illuminated source and connector in a housing.
As to claim 12, an RGB source is not disclosed.
Kretschemer discloses the source and connector in a housing (figure 11) with an RGB source (paragraph 37).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to use preferred materials and lengths coupled with the housing features taught by Kretschemer in Blackwell to optimize the production of a connector.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-9 and 13-15 are allowed. These are method claims with specific steps of producing a fiber connector using a provided mold, setting two lengths and controlling different temperatures within a cavity.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 Eric K Wong whose telephone number is (571)272-2363. The examiner can normally be reached M-Tu, Th-F 8A-6P.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Hollweg can be reached at 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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ERIC K. WONG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2874
/Eric Wong/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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