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 § 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 7-9 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.
In claim 7, “a respective mounting flange” lacks antecedent basis. Claim 1 recites “at least one mounting flange”. It is unclear what relation “a respective mounting flange” of claim 7 has with “at least one mounting flange” of claim 1.
Claim 7 reads “The optical fiber feedthrough according to claim 1, wherein each compression device comprises at least one of:” and then lists two items separated with “and”. The first item is a compression plate and the second item is a plurality of interposed sleeves. At first glance it would seem that the claim requires only one of the two items, due to the “at least one of” language. However a reading of the clause describing the plurality of interposed sleeves, it would seem that both the pressure plate and the plurality of interposed sleeves is required. This claim language should be revised to specifically indicate that (Alternative 1) that either a compression plate OR a plurality of interposed sleeves is required, or (Alternative 2) that both a compression plate AND a plurality of interposed sleeves is required. Claims 8-9 are also rejected due to their dependency on claim 7.
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, 10-13 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tamura et al., U.S. Patent No. 5861577.
With regard to claim 1, in at least figs. 1-3, 5, 12, 13 and 17, Tamura discloses an optical fiber feedthrough configured to feed through a plurality of optical fibers (see fig. 13) between an interior of an evacuatable vacuum chamber (see fig. 17) and an exterior of the vacuum chamber, comprising: at least one mounting flange (4/21), which is configured for pressure-tight fastening to the vacuum chamber and comprises a plurality of passage openings (5), each of which is configured for pressure-tightly receiving a respective optical fiber (2 may be optical fibers) of the plurality of optical fibers, wherein the passage openings are each provided with a sealing receptacle (5A) and a sealing element (3) which is arranged in the sealing receptacle (5A) for pressure-tightly receiving the respective optical fiber (2), and a compression device (8/9) is connected to each said at least one mounting flange, which compression device is configured to compress respective sealing elements (3) axially along the passage openings (see description cols. 7-12).
With regard to claim 10, in at least figs. 1-3, 5, 12, 13 and 17, Tamura discloses at least one of the features: the respective sealing elements comprise at least one of an elastomer and a metal; and the respective sealing elements each comprise a sealing ring.
With regard to claim 11, in at least figs. 1-3, 5, 12, 13 and 17, Tamura discloses the respective sealing elements each comprise two end portions and a sealing sleeve arranged between the two end portions.
With regard to claim 12, in at least figs. 1-3, 5, 12, 13 and 17, Tamura discloses at least one of the features: the sealing sleeve comprises polytetrafluoroethylene; the sealing sleeve is manufactured using 3D printing technology; the sealing sleeve has an essentially X-shaped cross-section; the end portions each have an annular shape; the end portions each comprise a closed shape; the end portions are each wedge-shaped at least in sections and engage in the sealing sleeve.
With regard to claim 13, in at least figs. 1-3, 5, 12, 13 and 17, Tamura discloses an optical fiber assembly configured for pressure-tight fastening to a vacuum chamber, comprising: the optical fiber feedthrough according to claim 1, and a plurality of optical fibers, each arranged in one of the passage openings.
With regard to claim 16, in at least figs. 1-3, 5, 12, 13 and 17, Tamura discloses a method for feeding through a plurality of optical fibers between an interior of an evacuatable vacuum chamber and an exterior of the vacuum chamber, wherein the optical fiber feedthrough according to claim 1 is used, comprising the steps of positioning optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers in the passage openings of the at least one mounting flange, compressing the sealing elements in the sealing receptacles of the passage openings axially along the respective passage openings, and evacuating the vacuum chamber.
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.
Claims 2-4, 7-9 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tamura in view of Liepold et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0136170 A1.
With regard to claim 2, Tamura discloses all of the limitations of claim 1, however it does not expressly disclose that the mounting flange is a two part mounting flange.
Liepold, in fig. 1, teaches a feedthrough for a vacuum sealed chamber having a two part flange (2 and 3) to provide a more redundant seal portion, where a first mounting flange (2) is configured for pressure-tight fastening to the vacuum chamber, and a second mounting flange (3) is pressure-tightly fastened to the first mounting flange [0090-0093].
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 Tamura optical fiber feedthrough where the mounting flange is a two part flange, as taught by Liepold, comprising a first mounting flange configured for pressure-tight fastening to the vacuum chamber, and a second mounting flange pressure-tightly fastened to the first mounting flange, to provide a more redundant seal portion.
With regard to claim 3, the Tamura/Liepold optical fiber feedthrough described in the rejection of claim 2 above teaches first passage openings (213) of the first mounting flange (2) of the plurality of passage openings and second passage openings (32) of the second mounting flange (3) of the plurality of passage openings are aligned with each other (see Liepold fig. 1, [0094-0095]).
With regard to claim 4, the Tamura/Liepold optical fiber feedthrough described in the rejection of claim 2 above teaches an evacuatable gap provided between the first mounting flange and the second mounting flange (Liepold gap between 2 and 3; “evacuatable” claim language speaks to an intended use).
With regard to claim 7, in at least figs. 1-3, 5, 12, 13 and 17, Tamura discloses sealing elements 3 around each of the optical fibers in the feedthrough. These are compressed by compression means 8 and 9. Liepold discloses a sealing element 4 which is compressed between plates 2 and 3. One skilled in the art would appreciate that these slightly different designs could be combined such that a compression plate design of Liepold is used to compress the sealing elements 3 of Tamura with compression means similar to 8 and 9 of Tamura to achieve the sealing intended by both the Tamura and Liepold sealing designs.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the two designs of Tamura and Liepold resulting in each compression device comprises both a compression plate fastened to a respective mounting flange (as taught by Liepold); and a plurality of interposed sleeves for transmitting compressive force from the compression plate to the respective sealing elements (as taught by Tamura), to achieve excellent sealing as intended by the prior art designs.
With regard to claim 8, the Tamura/Liepold optical fiber feedthrough described in the rejection of claim 7 above teaches a further sealing element and a further interposed sleeve are arranged in each of the passage openings.
With regard to claim 9, the Tamura/Liepold optical fiber feedthrough described in the rejection of claim 7 above teaches at least one of the features: each of the interposed sleeves comprises a chamfer on a side of a respective interposed sleeve facing a respective sealing element; and each of the further interposed sleeves comprises a further chamfer on a further side of the respective further interposed sleeve facing the respective further sealing element.
With regard to claim 15, Tamura discloses all of the limitations of the parent claim, however it does not expressly disclose a subset of passage openings having no optical fibers.
Liepold, in fig. 1, teaches passages in which no cables are arranged, those passages having sealing plugs.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the Tamara optical fiber feedthrough where no optical fibers are arranged in a passage opening subset of the plurality of passage openings, and pressure-tight blind plugs are arranged in the passage opening subset, as taught by Liepold, to maintain the sealing of the chamber in the absence of optical fibers.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tamura in view of Liepold, as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Dittes et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0032656 A1.
With regard to claims 5 and 6, the Tamura/Liepold optical fiber feedthrough described in the rejection of claim 2 above teaches all of the limitations of the parent claim, however they do not expressly teach a support device and a coupling device.
Dittes, in figs. 1 and 2, teach a cable feedthrough 22 and further having a support device (26/28) and a coupling device (50 and structure supporting connectors 50). Both the support device and coupling device provide support and connection means for the conductors passing through the feedthrough.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further include a support device and coupling device to the Tamura/Liepold device described in the rejection of claim 2 above, where a support device is arranged on sides of the vacuum chamber at a distance from the first mounting flange and comprising a plurality of support openings aligned with first passage openings of the first mounting flange and second passage openings of the second mounting flange, and a coupling device is arranged at a distance from the second mounting flange on sides of the exterior of the vacuum chamber and comprising a plurality of optical fiber couplings for connecting external optical fibers, which are aligned with first passage openings of the first mounting flange and second passage openings of the second mounting flange to provide support and connection means for the conductors passing through the feedthrough.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tamura in view of Szegda, U.S. Patent No. 5,444,810.
With regard to claim 14, Tamura discloses all of the limitations of the parent claim, however it does not expressly disclose a metal sheath around the optical fibers.
Szegda teaches that fiber optic cables commonly use metal sheaths for protection.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a metal sheath of Szegda to protect the fiber optic cables of Tamura, where the optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers each comprise a metal sheath in a portion of the optical fiber feedthrough.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thomas A Hollweg whose telephone number is (571)270-1739. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4.
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/THOMAS A HOLLWEG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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