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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The prior art documents submitted by applicant in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on January 15, 2025 have all been considered and made of record (note the attached copy of form PTO-1449).
Drawings
Eight (8) sheets of drawings were filed on July 29, 2024 and have been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraphs [0005, 0014, 0022, 0027] recite “a side wall portion between the bottom wall portion and the side wall portion”. The Examiner suggests changing the second mentioned “side wall portion” to “top wall portion”, so the side wall portion is between the bottom and the top wall portions.
In Paragraph [0050] the second instance of “ONT” is referred to with element number 200 in error and should be element number 300, as it is in every other instance of “ONT”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 19, the word “opening” should be removed before “wherein”.
In claim 1, line 16, the claim recites the limitation “the attachment portion opening”. Perhaps the word “opening” is a typographical error after “portion”? Alternatively, “the attachment portion opening” lacks exact antecedent basis in the claim, but is being understood to be referring to the second receiving portion (element 260; Paragraph [0058]).
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 1-8, 13, 14, 24 and 25 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.
Regarding claims 1, 13, and 24; the claims each recite (for example in claim 1, line 5) the limitation “a side wall portion between the bottom wall portion and the side wall portion”. This limitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear how the side wall portion can be between the bottom wall portion and itself. The Examiner suggests amending the second mentioned “side wall portion” to “top wall portion”, so the side wall portion is between the bottom and the top wall portions, to overcome this rejection. For examination purposes, this limitation will be interpreted as “a side wall portion between the bottom wall portion and the top wall portion”.
Regarding claim(s) 2-8, 14 and 25; dependent claims inherently contain the deficiencies of any base or intervening claims from which they depend.
Inventorship
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 9-17, and 20-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Coenegracht (US 20210141180 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 9, and 20; Coenegracht teaches (see Figures 35A-59) a fiber enclosure (600) having an exterior portion (lid 710; see Figure 43 and Paragraph [0137]) configured to be coupled with an optical network terminal/telecommunications component (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58) and prevent removal therefrom comprising:
a body portion (600) including a fiber cable port portion (802; front opening 613 of the housing 600 is fitted with a cover 802 having four ports adapted to receive connectorizing elements; see Figure 59 and Paragraph [0157]); wherein the body portion (600) includes a bottom wall portion (611; Paragraph [0134]), a top wall portion (710; Paragraph [0137]), and a side wall portion (front 607 is one of the side walls, the other 3 side walls are unlabeled but can be seen in Figure 53; Paragraph [0134]) between the bottom wall portion (611) and the top wall portion (710), and wherein the top wall portion (710), the bottom wall portion (611), and the side wall portion (607) are structurally configured to define an enclosure (600) having an interior portion (605; Figure 53 and Paragraph [0133]);
wherein the top wall portion (710) is structurally configured to be detached (lid 710 has rim 722 which attaches to rim 606 on the housing 600; see Figures 53, 55, and Paragraph [0147]) from the side wall portion (607) to permit access to the interior portion (605) of the enclosure (Paragraph [0137]);
wherein the top wall portion (710; see Figure 42A) includes an exterior surface portion (“The lids 710 and 740 have a top 711, a bottom 713, a front 715, and a back (717, 719)”; Paragraph [0137]) having an attachment portion (top 711 of lid 710) that is structurally configured to couple (Paragraph [0139]) with a mounting portion (stacking element 750; see Figure 54 and Paragraph [0150]) of an optical network terminal (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58);
wherein the attachment portion (top 711) includes a first receiving portion (recess 720; see Figure 55 and Paragraph [0139]) structurally configured to slidingly receive (750 is slid into the recess 720; Paragraph [150]) the mounting portion (750) of the optical network terminal (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58) in a first direction;
wherein the attachment portion (top 711) includes a second receiving portion (shoulders 712 and 714; see Figure 55 and Paragraph [0139]) structurally configured to be accessible from the first receiving portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (see Figure 55 and Paragraph [0152]);
wherein the first receiving portion (recess 720) is structurally configured to bias the mounting portion (750) in a biasing direction that is opposite to the second direction such that the first receiving portion (720) slidingly receives (Paragraph [0150]) the mounting portion (750) of the optical network terminal (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58) in the first direction; and
wherein the second receiving portion (shoulders 712 and 714) is structurally configured to remove the bias (ribs 727a,b and grooves 729a,b; see Figure 55 and Paragraph [0152]) on the mounting portion (750) of the optical network terminal (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58) by the first receiving portion (720) such that the mounting portion (750) of the optical network terminal (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58) is permitted to extend into the second receiving portion (712 and 714; the ribs 781a,b on stacking element 750 nest in the grooves 729a,b on the shoulders 712 and 714 (see Figures 54-55 and Paragraph [0152])), thereby preventing sliding movement of the optical network terminal (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58) relative to the top wall portion (710) in the first direction, so as to retain the exterior surface portion of the top wall portion (710) coupled with the optical network terminal (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58. Additionally see Figure 57 for a stacked example).
Regarding claims 2-4, 10-12, 21-23; Coenegracht teaches the fiber enclosure of claims 1, 9, and 20. Coenegracht further teaches:
comprising an interconnect (cover 802 on front opening 613; see Figure 58 and Paragraph [0156]) configured to optically couple an input fiber with an output fiber.
wherein the interconnect (802) comprises a splice connection, a splitter, or an adapter (see Figure 58 and Paragraph [0156]).
wherein the first receiving portion/first portion of the attachment portion (recess 720; see Figure 55) comprises a recessed portion (recess 720) in the exterior surface portion of the top wall portion (lid 710; the recess is on the top of the lid), and the second receiving portion/second portion of the attachment portion (shoulders 712 and 714) comprises an opening portion (ribs 727a,b and grooves 729a,b) in a side wall portion (the shoulders 712 and 714 form side walls to the recess 720) of the recessed portion (720).
Regarding claims 5, 15, and 26; Coenegracht teaches the fiber enclosure of claims 1, 9, and 20. Coenegracht further teaches (see Figure 57) a coupling arrangement (stack 790) structurally configured to couple an optical network terminal (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58) with a fiber enclosure (600) comprising:
the fiber/cable enclosure of claim 1/9/20 (see rejection to claims 1/9/20 above);
an optical network terminal/telecommunications component (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58) structurally configured to be coupled with the fiber enclosure (600; stacking element 750 is configured to couple with the fiber enclosure see Paragraph [0143]); wherein the optical network terminal (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58) comprises a mounting portion (750) that includes a biasing portion (750 has ribs and grooves 780a,b, 781a,b, 782a,b; see Figure 54 and Paragraph [0152]) structurally configured to be biased in the second direction from an unbiased configured to a biased configuration (nest into the grooves and ribs 727a,b and 729a,b; Paragraph [0152]) so as to permit the optical network terminal (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58) to be slidingly received (750 is slid into the recess 720; Paragraph [150]) in the first receiving portion (recess 720; see Figure 55) of the fiber enclosure (600; the receiving portion is on the lid 710) in the first direction; and
wherein the biasing portion (ribs and grooves 780a,b, 781a,b, 782a,b) is structurally configured to be received in the second receiving portion (shoulders 712 and 714) of the fiber enclosure (600; the receiving portion is on the lid 710) in the second direction, thereby permitting the biasing portion to return toward the unbiased configuration, so as to prevent sliding movement of the optical network terminal (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58) relative to the top wall portion (lid 710) in the first direction (the ONT (combination of housing 600 with stacking element 750) is slidingly received by the fiber enclosure 600 to form the stack 790 in Figure 57 and through the combination of ribs and grooves (727a,b and 729a,b) forming the second receiving portion on the lid (710) and the complimentary ribs and grooves (780a,b, 781a,b, 782a,b) on the biasing portion of the stacking element (750) sliding movement is prevented).
Regarding claims 6, 17, and 28; Coenegracht teaches the coupling arrangement of claims 5, 15, and 26. Coenegracht further teaches (see Figures 54 and 55) wherein the first receiving portion (recess 720; see Figure 55) of the fiber enclosure (600; the receiving portion is on the lid 710) comprises a recessed portion (recess 720) in the exterior surface portion of the top wall portion (lid 710; the recess is on the top of the lid), and the second receiving portion (shoulders 712 and 714) comprises an opening portion (ribs 727a,b and grooves 729a,b) in a side wall portion (the shoulders 712 and 714 form side walls to the recess 720) of the recessed portion (720); and
wherein the second receiving portion (shoulders 712 and 714) is structurally configured to permit the mounting portion (750) to move toward the interior portion (605) of the fiber enclosure (600) to latch to the top wall portion (lid 710) so as to prevent sliding movement of the optical network terminal (housing 600 with a stacking element 750; see Figure 58) relative to the top wall portion (710) in the first direction (the combination of ribs and grooves (727a,b and 729a,b) forming the second receiving portion on the lid (710) and the complimentary ribs and grooves (780a,b, 781a,b, 782a,b) on the biasing portion of the stacking element (750) prevent sliding movement).
Regarding claims 13 and 24; Coenegracht teaches the fiber/cable enclosure of claims 9 and 20. Coenegracht further teaches (see Figures 53 and 55) wherein the body portion (600) includes a bottom wall portion (611; Paragraph [0134]), a top wall portion (710; Paragraph [0137]), and a side wall portion (front 607 is one of the side walls, the other 3 side walls are unlabeled but can be seen in Figure 53; Paragraph [0134]) between the bottom wall portion (611) and the top wall portion (710), and wherein the top wall portion (710), the bottom wall portion (611), and the side wall portion (607) are structurally configured to define an enclosure (600) having an interior portion (605; Figure 53 and Paragraph [0133])
Regarding claims 14 and 25; Coenegracht teaches the fiber/cable enclosure of claims 13 and 24. Coenegracht further teaches (see Figures 53 and 55) wherein the top wall portion (710) is structurally configured to be detached (lid 710 has rim 722 which attaches to rim 606 on the housing 600; see Figures 53, 55, and Paragraph [0147]) from the side wall portion (607) to permit access to the interior portion (605) of the enclosure (Paragraph [0137]);
Regarding claims 16 and 27; Coenegracht teaches the coupling arrangement of claims 15 and 26. Coenegracht further teaches wherein the cable enclosure comprises a fiber optic cable enclosure, and the telecommunications component comprises an optical network terminal (The teachings of Coenegracht include a housing module that can accept fiber optic cables therefore it is both a cable enclosure and a fiber optic cable enclosure. Further, the teachings of Coenegracht include both a telecommunications component and an optical network terminal; see Paragraphs [0003-0015]).
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(s) 7, 18, and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Coenegracht in view of Barrantes et al. (US 20170097486 A1), hereafter Barrantes.
Regarding claims 7, 18, and 29; Coenegracht teaches the coupling arrangement of claims 5, 15, and 26. Coenegracht further teaches (see Figure 53) wherein the fiber port portion (see the side wall of 600 with port 601) is disposed in the side wall portion of the fiber enclosure (600), and the fiber port portion includes a first port (601; Paragraph [0133]).
Coenegracht does not teach where the first port and the second port are disposed perpendicular to one another; wherein the fiber enclosure comprises a first connector receiving portion, a second connector receiving portion, and a third connector receiving portion each extending from an interior surface portion of the bottom wall portion; wherein the first connector receiving portion is disposed between the first port and the second port, the second connector receiving portion is disposed on an opposite side of the first port relative to the first connector receiving portion, and the third connector receiving portion is disposed on an opposite side of the second port relative to the first connector receiving portion; and wherein the fiber enclosure includes a connector portion having a first fastener receiving portion configured to be coupled with the first connector receiving portion and a second fastener receiving portion configured to be coupled with the second connector receiving portion to clamp a fiber passing through first port.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Barrantes teaches (see annotated Figure 5 below) a fiber port portion (side of the terminal containing ports 132 and 134) that includes a first port (132) and a second port (134; Paragraph [0026]); wherein the fiber enclosure (terminal 100) comprises a first connector receiving portion (A; right side of clamp 143 see annotated Figure 5 below), a second connector receiving portion (B; left side of clamp 143), and a third connector receiving portion (C; the right side of clamp 133 is obstructed in annotated Figure 5, see also Figure 4) each extending from an interior surface portion of the bottom wall portion (back wall 122); wherein the first connector receiving portion (A) is disposed between the first port (132) and the second port (134), the second connector receiving portion (B) is disposed on an opposite side of the first port (132) relative to the first connector receiving portion (A), and the third connector receiving portion (C) is disposed on an opposite side of the second port (134) relative to the first connector receiving portion (A); and wherein the fiber enclosure (terminal 100) includes a connector portion (clamp 143) having a first fastener receiving portion (right screw; see Paragraph [0028]) configured to be coupled with the first connector receiving portion (A) and a second fastener receiving portion (left screw; see Paragraph [0028]) configured to be coupled with the second connector receiving portion (B) to clamp a fiber passing through first port (132; Paragraph [0028]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the fiber enclosure taught by Coenegracht to instead include the first and second ports and first, second, and third connector receiving portions taught by Barrantes. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make these modifications to better secure the fibers connected through the port.
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Coenegracht/Barrantes do not teach that the first port (132) and second port (134) are disposed perpendicular to one another. However, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the locations of the second port and third connector receiving portion taught by Coenegracht/Barrantes to be perpendicular to the first port (on the side wall that shares a corner, adjacent to the first port). One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification so that the first and second ports would be in closer proximity to each other. Further, it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art (See MPEP 2144.04(VI)(C)).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 19 and 30 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.
Regarding claims 8, 19, and 30; The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record, which is the most relevant prior art known, does not disclose or reasonably suggest:
The coupling arrangements of claims 8, 19, and 30, including all the limitations of the base and intervening claims they depend on, and wherein the second fastener receiving portion is configured to be detached from the second connector receiving portion such that the connector portion is configured to be pivoted about the first connector receiving portion to couple the second fastener receiving portion with the third connector receiving portion to clamp a fiber passing through second port.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER L KAULFUSS whose telephone number is (571)270-7260. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
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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 (571)272-2397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/P.L.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2874
/MICHELLE R CONNELLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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