DETAILED ACTION
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.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed Mar. 14, 2025 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
FOR Cite Nos. 1 and 2 were not provided.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 100, 102, 104, 106. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Interpretation
In the preamble of the claim, Applicant recites the method of manufacturing an optical fiber in a microgravity environment. It is noted, the microgravity environment is not recited in the active steps of the claim, and therefore, it is interpreted, the microgravity environment as “intended use” of the method and therefore, microgravity is not required in the active steps.
Additionally, the term microgravity is broadly interpreted as referencing a reduced gravity environment.
Regarding claim 2, in line 5, Applicant references “drawing said molten glass into a syringe-like device” and in line 6 “injecting said molten glass”. Applicant recites a molten glass in lines 4-5 of claim 1 and in lines 3-4 of claim 2. Since the molten glass in lines 4-5 in claim 1, goes through a drawing step in line 6 of claim 1, injecting step in lines 7-8 of claim 1, a spinning step in lines 9-10 to form a glass cylinder, and an annealing step to form a fiber clad, the Examiner interprets “said molten glass” in lines 5 and line 6 of claim 2, as referencing “a molten glass” in lines 3-4 of claim 2 from melted core materials.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: grammatical error in line 11,“annealing said cylinder for form a fiber clad” should be “annealing said cylinder to form a fiber clad”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-3 is/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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the rotational casting machine" in lines 7-8 and “said rotational casting machine” in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. The Examiner interprets “the rotational casting machine” in lines 7-8 should be “a rotational casting machine” to fix antecedent basis issues and provide antecedent basis for “said rotational casting machine” in line 9.
Claims 2-3 depend from claim 1 and are also indefinite.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (“Fluoride Glass Optical Fibers”, In: Mid-Infrared Fluoride and Chalcogenide Glasses and Fibers. Progress in Optical Science and Photonics, vol 18. Springer, Singapore, Jan. 8, 2022) in view of Qin et al. (US2023/0275388A1 – hereinafter Qin), Ashida et al. (WO2015/137457A1 – hereinafter Ashida), Lineman et al. (US2013/0025379A1 – hereinafter Lineman), and Tran (US 5,160,521).
Regarding claim 1, Wang (pgs. 38-41 and Fig. 3.3) discloses a method for forming an optical fiber preform for fluoride glass fiber, such as rotational casting to obtain a preform with higher radial and longitudinal uniformity, in turn to improve uniformity of a drawn fiber. The rotational casting method disclosed includes providing a cladding glass melt (corresponding to molten cladding glass from melted clad materials) and pouring the molten cladding glass into a mold that is spun (corresponding to a rotational casting machine) at a speed of 3000 rpm to form a highly concentric fluoride glass tube (corresponding to a cylinder). These disclosures by Wang provide for injecting by pouring molten cladding glass in a rotational casting machine and spinning the molten cladding glass in the rotational casting machine to form the molten cladding glass into a cylinder.
Wang fails to disclose details of providing the molten cladding glass, such as combining clad materials in a crucible, applying heat to said crucible until clad materials are melted and a molten glass is formed, and drawing said molten glass into a syringe-like device, and injecting said molten cladding glass from said syringe-like device into the rotational casting machine. However, Qin ([0093]) discloses details of forming a cladding tube with a rotational mold. Qin teaches a ground mixture (corresponding to clad materials) put into a crucible and melted in an electric furnace and the melting liquid (i.e. molten glass) and then injecting molten glass into the cladding mold for rotation operating to form a hollowed-out cladding tube (corresponding to a cylinder) followed by cooling to room temperature. Accordingly, based on the additional teachings by Qin, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, in the method of Wang, the providing of molten cladding glass and injecting by pouring of molten cladding glass into the rotational casting machine, as disclosed by Wang, could be substituted by the steps of combining clad materials in a crucible, applying heat to the crucible until the clad materials are melted, and injecting molten cladding glass into the rotational casting machine, since it is known in the art, as taught by Qin to provide molten glass by combining clad materials in a crucible, applying heat to the crucible and injecting molten glass into a rotational casting machine. Wang in view of Qin fail to include the steps of drawing the molten glass into a syringe-like device or the step of injecting is from the syringe-like device. However, Ashida (Figs. 2A-2D and [0026]) teaches a method of injecting molten glass from a syringe (31) (corresponding to a syringe-like device) into a mold and Lineman (Figs. 4A-4G and [0026]-[0027]) teaches a sampling apparatus (200) (corresponding to a syringe-like device) comprising a plunger 212a and syringe 212b for drawing molten glass from a melting vessel comprising molten glass. Based on the additional teachings by Ashida and Lineman, it would be obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art, in the method of Wang in view of Qin, the injecting of the molten glass into the rotational casting machine, as taught by Wang in view of Qin, further comprising injecting the molten glass from a syringe-like device into the rotational casting machine, since Ashida teaches a syringe can supply a mold with molten material, and it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, supplying the syringe-like device by drawing the molten glass into the syringe-like device to supply the syringe, since Lineman teaches a syringe-like device drawing molten glass from a vessel comprising molten glass.
The combination of Wang in view of Qin, Ashida, and Lineman are merely combining known prior art elements to provide a molten cladding glass to a rotational mold comprising the claimed steps of combining clad materials in a crucible, applying heat to the crucible until the clad materials are melted and a molten cladding glass is formed, drawing the molten glass into a syringe-like device, injecting the molten glass from the syringe-like device into the rotational casting machine, spinning the molten glass in the rotational casting machine to form the glass into a cylinder that is fiber cladding material.
The modified method of Wang fails to disclose the step of annealing the cylinder to form a fiber clad. However, Tran (abstract) teaches annealing of preform glass to remove thermal stress. Accordingly, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, the cylinder in the modified method of Wang could be improved by annealing the cylinder to remove thermal stress from the fiber cladding material, which provides for the claimed step of annealing the cylinder to form a fiber clad.
Regarding claim 2, in addition to the rejection of claim 1 above, Wang (pg. 41 and Fig. 3.3) discloses in the method of preform fabrication after obtaining a cladding tube, the method further includes pouring core melt into the cladding tube and the preform is completed after annealing and cooling. Accordingly, Wang further teaches providing molten core glass and injecting molten core glass by pouring into the fiber clad to form a preform and annealing the preform. While Wang fails to disclose molten core glass from a step of combining core materials in a crucible and applying heat to said crucible until core materials are melted. However, Qin ([0093]) also discloses a ground mixture for preparing core (corresponding to core materials) placed into a crucible and melted in an electric furnace and injecting the melting liquid into a mold. Accordingly, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, in the modified method of Wang from claim 1, the method further comprising combining core materials in a crucible, applying heat to the crucible until the core materials are melted and a molten core glass is formed and injecting the molten core glass into the fiber clad to form a preform and annealing the preform.
In the modified method further comprising combining the core materials, molten core glass, and injecting of molten core glass into said fiber clad, Wang in view of Qin fails to include the steps of drawing the molten core glass into a syringe-like device or the step of injecting the molten core glass is from the syringe-like device. However, as discussed in the rejection of claim 1 above, Ashida (Figs. 2A-2D and [0026]) teaches a method of injecting molten glass from a syringe (31) (corresponding to a syringe-like device) into a mold and Lineman (Figs. 4A-4G and [0026]-[0027]) teaches a sampling apparatus (200) (corresponding to a syringe-like device) comprising a plunger 212a and syringe 212b for drawing molten glass from a melting vessel comprising molten glass. Based on the additional teachings by Ashida and Lineman, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, in the modified method of Wang, the injecting of the core molten glass into the fiber clad, further comprising injecting the molten core glass from a syringe-like device into the fiber clad, since Ashida teaches a syringe can be supply molten material, and it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, supplying the syringe-like device by drawing the molten core glass into the syringe-like device to supply the syringe, since Lineman teaches a syringe-like device drawing molten glass from a vessel comprising molten glass.
The combination of Wang in view of Qin, Ashida, Lineman, and Tran are merely combining known prior art elements to provide for the method further comprising providing a molten core glass to an annealed tube (corresponding to a fiber clad) comprising the claimed steps of combining core materials in a crucible, applying heat to the crucible until the core materials are melted and a molten core glass is formed, drawing the molten core glass into a syringe-like device, injecting the molten core glass from the syringe-like device into the fiber clad, and annealing the preform.
Regarding claim 3, as discussed in the rejection of claim 1 above, Wang discloses forming an optical fiber preform from a rotational casting method. The preform having a higher radial and longitudinal uniformity, in turn to improve the uniformity of the drawn fiber. Wang fails to explicitly state drawing the preform. However, Qin ([0098]) teaches a preform comprising a fiber core and cladding is drawn into an optical fiber by using an optical fiber drawing tower. Accordingly, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, the method of claim 2 further comprising drawing the preform comprising the fiber core and cladding into an optical fiber by an optical fiber drawing tower.
Alternate rejection : If it is interpreted the microgravity environment in the preamble is given patentable weight.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (“Fluoride Glass Optical Fibers”, In: Mid-Infrared Fluoride and Chalcogenide Glasses and Fibers. Progress in Optical Science and Photonics, vol 18. Springer, Singapore, Jan. 8, 2022) in view of Qin et al. (US2023/0275388A1 – hereinafter Qin), Ashida et al. (WO2015137457A1 – hereinafter Ashida), Lineman et al. (US2013/0025379A1 – hereinafter Lineman), Tran (US 5,160,521), and Ray et al. (“Progress and Perspective of Processing Glass Forming Melts in Low Gravity”, J. of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, Vol. 17, No. 2, April-June 2003, pgs. 174-181).
Regarding claim 1, Wang (pgs. 38-41 and Fig. 3.3) discloses a method for forming an optical fiber preform for fluoride glass fiber, such as rotational casting to obtain a preform with higher radial and longitudinal uniformity, in turn to improve uniformity of a drawn fiber. The rotational casting method disclosed includes providing a cladding glass melt (corresponding to molten cladding glass from melted clad materials) and pouring the molten cladding glass into a mold that is spun (corresponding to a rotational casting machine) at a speed of 3000 rpm to form a highly concentric fluoride glass tube (corresponding to a cylinder). These disclosures by Wang provide for injecting by pouring molten cladding glass in a rotational casting machine and spinning the molten cladding glass in the rotational casting machine to form the molten cladding glass into a cylinder.
Wang fails to disclose details of providing the molten cladding glass, such as combining clad materials in a crucible, applying heat to said crucible until clad materials are melted and a molten glass is formed, and drawing said molten glass into a syringe-like device, and injecting said molten cladding glass from said syringe-like device into the rotational casting machine. However, Qin ([0093]) discloses details of forming a cladding tube with a rotational mold. Qin teaches a ground mixture (corresponding to clad materials) put into a crucible and melted in an electric furnace and the melting liquid (i.e. molten glass) and then injecting molten glass into the cladding mold for rotation operating to form a hollowed-out cladding tube (corresponding to a cylinder) followed by cooling to room temperature. Accordingly, based on the additional teachings by Qin, Ashida, and Lineman, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, in the method of Wang, the providing of molten cladding glass and injecting by pouring of molten cladding glass into the rotational casting machine, as disclosed by Wang, could be substituted by the steps of combining clad materials in a crucible, applying heat to the crucible until the clad materials are melted, and injecting molten cladding glass into the rotational casting machine, since it is known in the art, as taught by Qin to provide molten glass by combining clad materials in a crucible, applying heat to the crucible and injecting molten glass into a rotational casting machine. Wang in view of Qin fail to include the steps of drawing the molten glass into a syringe-like device or the step of injecting is from the syringe-like device. However, Ashida (Figs. 2A-2D and [0026]) teaches a method of injecting molten glass from a syringe (31) (corresponding to a syringe-like device) into a mold and Lineman (Figs. 4A-4G and [0026]-[0027]) teaches a sampling apparatus (200) (corresponding to a syringe-like device) comprising a plunger 212a and syringe 212b for drawing molten glass from a melting vessel comprising molten glass. Based on the additional teachings by Ashida and Lineman, it would be obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art, in the method of Wang in view of Qin, the injecting of the molten glass into the rotational casting machine, as taught by Wang in view of Qin, further comprising injecting the molten glass from a syringe-like device into the rotational casting machine, since Ashida teaches a syringe can supply a mold with molten material, and it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, supplying the syringe-like device by drawing the molten glass into the syringe-like device to supply the syringe, since Lineman teaches a syringe-like device drawing molten glass from a vessel comprising molten glass.
The combination of Wang in view of Qin, Ashida, and Lineman are merely combining known prior art elements to provide a molten cladding glass to a rotational mold comprising the claimed steps of combining clad materials in a crucible, applying heat to the crucible until the clad materials are melted and a molten cladding glass is formed, drawing the molten glass into a syringe-like device, injecting the molten glass from the syringe-like device into the rotational casting machine, spinning the molten glass in the rotational casting machine to form the glass into a cylinder that is fiber cladding material.
The modified method of Wang fails to disclose the step of annealing the cylinder to form a fiber clad. However, Tran (abstract) teaches annealing of preform glass to remove thermal stress. Accordingly, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, the cylinder in the modified method of Wang could be improved by annealing the cylinder to remove thermal stress from the fiber cladding material, which provides for the claimed step of annealing the cylinder to form a fiber clad.
Regarding the microgravity environment, the modified method of Wang in view of Qin, Ashida, Lineman, and Tran fail to state the method of manufacturing in a microgravity environment. However, Ray (abstract and pgs. 175-177) teaches improvements in chemical homogeneity for space melted glasses compared to that for the same glasses melted on Earth, even when glasses were melted in containers and that glasses prepared in low gravity are more resistant to crystallization than identical glasses prepared on Earth, and discusses high metal fluoride glasses have increasing crystallization tendency with increasing gravity level. Accordingly, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, in the method of forming an optical preform for fluoride glass fiber in the modified method of Wang, that the crystallization tendency can be decreased by reducing the gravity (i.e. in a microgravity environment) during the melting of the clad materials.
Regarding claim 2, in addition to the rejection of claim 1 above, Wang (pg. 41 and Fig. 3.3) discloses in the method of preform fabrication after obtaining a cladding tube, the method further includes pouring core melt into the cladding tube and the preform is completed after annealing and cooling. Accordingly, Wang further teaches providing molten core glass and injecting molten core glass by pouring into the fiber clad to form a preform and annealing the preform. While Wang fails to disclose molten core glass from a step of combining core materials in a crucible and applying heat to said crucible until core materials are melted. However, Qin ([0093]) also discloses a ground mixture for preparing core (corresponding to core materials) placed into a crucible and melted in an electric furnace and injecting the melting liquid into a mold. Accordingly, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, in the modified method of Wang from claim 1, the method further comprising combining core materials in a crucible, applying heat to the crucible until the core materials are melted and a molten core glass is formed and injecting the molten core glass into the fiber clad to form a preform and annealing the preform.
In the modified method further comprising combining the core materials, molten core glass, and injecting of molten core glass into said fiber clad, Wang in view of Qin fails to include the steps of drawing the molten core glass into a syringe-like device or the step of injecting the molten core glass is from the syringe-like device. However, as discussed in the rejection of claim 1 above, Ashida (Figs. 2A-2D and [0026]) teaches a method of injecting molten glass from a syringe (31) (corresponding to a syringe-like device) into a mold and Lineman (Figs. 4A-4G and [0026]-[0027]) teaches a sampling apparatus (200) (corresponding to a syringe-like device) comprising a plunger 212a and syringe 212b for drawing molten glass from a melting vessel comprising molten glass. Based on the additional teachings by Ashida and Lineman, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, in the modified method of Wang, the injecting of the core molten glass into the fiber clad, further comprising injecting the molten core glass from a syringe-like device into the fiber clad, since Ashida teaches a syringe can be supply molten material, and it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, supplying the syringe-like device by drawing the molten core glass into the syringe-like device to supply the syringe, since Lineman teaches a syringe-like device drawing molten glass from a vessel comprising molten glass.
The combination of Wang in view of Qin, Ashida, Lineman, and Tran are merely combining known prior art elements to provide for the method further comprising providing a molten core glass to an annealed tube (corresponding to a fiber clad) comprising the claimed steps of combining core materials in a crucible, applying heat to the crucible until the core materials are melted and a molten core glass is formed, drawing the molten core glass into a syringe-like device, injecting the molten core glass from the syringe-like device into the fiber clad, and annealing the preform. Additionally, for the microgravity environment, as discussed above, Ray (abstract and pgs. 175-177) teaches improvements in chemical homogeneity for space melted glasses compared to that for the same glasses melted on Earth, even when glasses were melted in containers and that glasses prepared in low gravity are more resistant to crystallization than identical glasses prepared on Earth, and discusses high metal fluoride glasses have increasing crystallization tendency with increasing gravity level. Accordingly, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, in the method of forming an optical preform for fluoride glass fiber in the modified method of Wang, that the crystallization tendency can be decreased by reducing the gravity (i.e. in a microgravity environment) during the melting of the core and the clad materials.
Regarding claim 3, as discussed in the rejection of claim 1 above, Wang discloses forming an optical fiber preform from a rotational casting method. The preform having a higher radial and longitudinal uniformity, in turn to improve the uniformity of the drawn fiber. Wang fails to explicitly state drawing the preform. However, Qin ([0098]) teaches a preform comprising a fiber core and cladding is drawn into an optical fiber by using an optical fiber drawing tower. Accordingly, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, the method of claim 2 further comprising drawing the preform comprising the fiber core and cladding into an optical fiber by an optical fiber drawing tower. Additionally for the microgravity environment, Ray (abstract and pgs. 175-177) teaches improvements in chemical homogeneity for space melted glasses compared to that for the same glasses melted on Earth, even when glasses were melted in containers and that glasses prepared in low gravity are more resistant to crystallization than identical glasses prepared on Earth, and discusses high metal fluoride glasses have increasing crystallization tendency with increasing gravity level. Ray (pg. 177) discusses smooth glassy fibers drawn during the low-gravity portion of the flight for ZBLAN (i.e. fluoride fibers). Accordingly, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, in the method of forming an optical preform for fluoride glass fiber in the modified method of Wang, that the crystallization tendency can be decreased by reducing the gravity (i.e. in a microgravity environment) during the melting while drawing of the glass fibers.
Conclusion
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/LISA L HERRING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741