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.
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(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2018/0088288 to Taira et al. in view of US 8,152,385 to de Jong et al.
Taira discloses the optical fiber connector comprising:
A first and second housing with a receiving space (14; figure 5), each with respective mating spaces (55a) and tail cap portions (56); and
A plurality of coupling components (21a, 21b) each with stopping portions (13) with various mating portions (50, 46 and 49; figure 11). Intermediate gear (13) rotates to secure the ferrule (paragraph 145).
As to claim 2, flexible arms with hooks are disclosed (49).
As to claims 3-4, the recesses are rectangular to accept the ferrule shown in figure 9. Recesses are shown as 38a which have corresponding portions in the housing.
As to claim 5, some portions are arced (figure 14).
As to claim 6, the intermediate gear can serve as the pressing member (figures 12-13). Further disclosed are stopping rings (paragraphs 14-15).
As to claims 7-8, portions shown in figure 23 serve as a partition plate that corresponds and pressed into main portion 51.
As to claim 10, one of the housing portions has a portion with a horizontal plane adapted to be higher than the other (unlabeled protrusion portions in figure 14 on the angled rear).
However, while Taira discloses the use of metal for various portions of the connector, Taira fails to disclose the first and second housing portions to be made of metal. Such a material is common in the art.
As to claim 9, a crimp ring is not disclosed.
De Jong discloses a crimp band (18) which is commonly used in the art to secure internal portions of the connector for bend control (see de Jong description for Figure 3). De Jong also discloses interchangeability of plastics with metals (column 6, lines 28-36).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to make a connector housing out of a known material such as metal to provide strength or heat resistance.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
IS 9,645,324 (internal stops 512 in figure 7).
US 7,588,373 (different housing shapes).
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 on 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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