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 § 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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication to Hamakubo 2021/0009854US in view of the US Patent Application Publication to Iwaguchi 2018/0156996US.
In regards to Claim 1, Hamakubo teaches an optical fiber comprising: a glass fiber (Figure 1: 10, 13 [0056]) including a core (Figure 1: 11; [0056]) and a cladding (Figure 1: 12 [0056]); a primary resin layer (Figure 1: 14) being in contact with the glass fiber and coating the glass fiber (Figure 1: 14 is in contact with 13 [0056]); a secondary resin layer (Figure 1: 15) coating the primary resin layer (Figure 1: 15 is coating 14); and wherein the resin composition comprises a photopolymerizable compound ([0021]) and a photopolymerization initiator ([0021]),wherein the photopolymerizable compound (made of a monomer and oligomer [0021]) contains epoxy di(meth)acrylate having a bisphenol skeleton ([0027] or [0041]) and alkylene oxide-modified di(meth)acrylate having a bisphenol skeleton (Hamakubo teaches the monomer may be a polyfunctional monomer with alkylene oxide-modified di(meth)acrylate having a bisphenol skeleton [0049]), and a mass ratio of a content of the alkylene oxide-modified di(meth)acrylate with respect to a content of the epoxy di(meth)acrylate is 0.3 or more and 8.0 or less (Paragraph [0075] which teaches the oligomer to be 60 by parts wherein the epoxy is part of the oligomer [0041] that means the rest of the resin which includes the monomer, photopolymerization initiator, and silane coupling material makes up the other 40 parts to form a 100% part of the resin. The monomer will have less than 40 parts of the resin, however even if we give the entire monomer mass to be 40; the ratio of 60: 40 is 1.5 which is within the range of 0.3 or more and 8.0 or less).
Hamakubo does not teach a color coating material for an optical fiber, the color is in the resin material coating.
Igwaguchi does teach a resin coating wherein color is a characteristic of the coating material from using titanium oxide additives and zinc flower along with other color compounds as alternatives ([0034]); wherein the color material is in the outer diameter of the layer wherein the outer diameter is the second coating layer 24 (Figure 1: 20 and 24). The resin of Hamakubo also contains titanium oxide additivities so the combination of the two references teachings will be compatible with each other. 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 of Hamakubo to contain color to easily identify the type of fibers within a fiber network during installation ([0032]).
As for Claim 2, Hamakubo teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the alkylene oxide- modified di(meth)acrylate has at least one selected from the group consisting of an ethylene oxide chain and a propylene oxide chain ([0044]).
As for Claims 3 and 4, Hamakubo teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the titanium oxide is surface-treated titanium oxide ([0029]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/24/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In this instance the applicant has amended the limitations of claim 7 (previously) into claim 1. The applicant argues the prior art does not teach the limitations of “the photopolymerizable compound contains epoxy di(meth)acrylate having a bisphenol skeleton (Remarks Page 4).
The examiner respectfully disagrees, Hamakubo teaches resin compound in Paragraph ([0021]).
Paragraph [0021] cites: The resin composition according to the present embodiment includes a base resin containing a urethane (meth)acrylate oligomer, a monomer, a photopolymerization initiator, and a silane coupling agent, and surface-modified inorganic oxide particles having an ultraviolet curable functional group.
In this resin the oligomer and the monomer are the polymerizable compound, which is polymerized by the photopolymerization initiator when it reacts with UV light. The monomer compound can be made using an epoxy having a bisphenol A skeleton ([0027] teaches the compound resin monomer has a (meth)acryloyl compound and epoxy). Paragraph [0027] further teaches the examples of the compound can include EO-modified bisphenol A di(meth)acrylate in combination with the epoxy. Hamakubo further indicates the monomer may be monofunctional or polyfunctional ([0042]) from the Phenoxy group ([0043]) or non-Phenoxy group ([0047]). Hamakubo indicates monomers may have mixed groups ([0042]). Lastly in [0049] Hamakubo indicate “di(meth)acrylate of alkylene oxide adduct of bisphenol A” maybe used. Hence monomer component of having “di(meth)acrylate of alkylene oxide adduct of bisphenol A” epoxy is taught.
The oligomer is also taught to be an epoxy (meth)acrylate oligomer ([0041]), wherein the combination of an epoxy (meth)acrylate oligomer as an oligomer [0041]. An oligomer obtained by reacting a compound having a (meth)acryloyl group with an epoxy resin having two or more glycidyl groups can be used will produce di(meth)acrylate base epoxy. Di(meth)acrylate is made (meth)acryloyl (Methacryloyl group which is derived from methacrylic acid) reacts with two or more glycidyl groups (epoxy component) to form di(meth)acrylate base epoxy ([0041]).
The applicant further argues the prior art does not teach “wherein the photopolymerizable compound contains epoxy di(meth)acrylate having a bisphenol skeleton and alkylene oxide-modified di(meth)acrylate having a bisphenol skeleton, and a mass ratio of a content of the alkylene oxide-modified di(meth)acrylate with respect to a content of the epoxy di(meth)acrylate is 0.3 or more and 8.0 or less” (Remarks Page 5).
The examiner respectfully disagrees, because Hamakubo teaches the oligomer to be 60 by parts or 60% wherein the epoxy is part of the oligomer [0041] that means the rest of the resin which includes the monomer, photopolymerization initiator, and silane coupling material makes up the left over 40 parts or 40% to form a combine 100 part or 100% of the resin. The monomer will have less than 40 parts or 40% of the resin due to some of the mass being taken up by the photopolymerization initiator and the silane coupling material. However, even if we assigned the entire monomer mass to be 40; the ratio of 60: 40 is 1.5 which is within the range of 0.3 or more and 8.0 or less. Since the monomer mass is less than 40 parts or 40% will produce a ratio slightly higher than 1.5 of which is still within the value as claimed.
This action is therefore made FINAL for the reason(s) detailed above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Patent Application Publication to Homma 2017/0003446US teaches multi-layer resin coating around a fiber and core.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 HOANG Q TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5049. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 am - 5:30pm Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached at 5712722397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HOANG Q TRAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2874
/UYEN CHAU N LE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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