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 § 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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Haller, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0338590 A1.
With regard to claim 1, in figs. 1-6, Haller discloses a multi-fiber optical connector comprising: a ferrule (ferrule assembly 5/6) that includes a connection end provided with a connection end surface, a base end (26) located on a side opposite to the connection end, and a plurality of fiber holes through which a plurality of optical fibers are insertable toward the connection end surface; a first member (13/24) that is disposed to face the base end of the ferrule (5/6) in a longitudinal direction in which the fiber holes extend; a biasing member (28) that is disposed between the first member (13/24) and the ferrule (5/6 in the longitudinal direction, and biases the ferrule (5/6) toward the connection end; and a spring push (4/41) that presses the first member (13/24) toward the connection end via rotational movement (when locking means 41 is engaged to lock housing 4 to connector 3, locking means presses housing 4 and thus first member 13 forward toward connector interface 35) [0044-0056].
With regard to claim 2, in figs. 1-6, Haller discloses that the multi-fiber optical connector further comprising: a second member (3) that holds the first member in a state in which the first member presses the biasing member [0044-0056].
With regard to claim 3, in figs. 1-6, Haller discloses a stop pin is formed in the first member or the spring push, a stop hole is formed in the first member or the spring push which the stop pin is not formed, and the stop pin is inserted into the stop hole, so that the spring push is held by the first member [0044-0056].
With regard to claim 4, in figs. 1-6, Haller discloses that the spring push includes a pressing protrusion (where 13 engages housing 4) that is in contact with the first member and presses the first member, a fitting recessed portion into which the pressing protrusion is fitted is formed in the first member, and a recess amount of the fitting recessed portion is larger than a difference between an inner diameter of the stop hole and an outer diameter of the stop pin [0044-0056].
With regard to claim 5, in figs. 1-6, Haller discloses a multi-fiber optical connector that is inserted into an adapter (3), comprising: a ferrule (ferrule assembly 5/6) that includes a connection end provided with a connection end surface, a base end (26) located on a side opposite to the connection end, and a plurality of fiber holes through which a plurality of optical fibers are insertable toward the connection end surface; a first member (13/24) that is disposed to face the base end of the ferrule (5/6) in a longitudinal direction in which the fiber holes extend; a biasing member (28) that is disposed between the first member (13/24) and the ferrule (5/6 in the longitudinal direction, and biases the ferrule (5/6) toward the connection end; and a spring push (4/41) that presses the first member (13/24) toward the connection end via rotational movement (when locking means 41 is engaged to lock housing 4 to connector 3, locking means presses housing 4 and thus first member 13 forward toward connector interface 35) [0044-0056].
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 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haller.
With regard to claims 6 and 7, in figs. 1-6, Haller discloses that the multi-fiber optical connector has a locking means (42 and engaging portion to 42 on 41) which locks the connector to the adapter, but it does not expressly disclose that the locking means is a protrusion and a hole.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use any conventional locking means, including the boss/hook arrangement disclosed, or alternatively a protrusion and hole arrangement, to engage/lock the connector to the adapter.
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haller in view of Otomitsu, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0314015 A1.
With regard to claim 8, in figs. 1-6, Haller does not disclose at least four multi-fiber optical connectors.
Otomitsu, in fig. 1, discloses an adapter with at least four insertion points (12 are shown on each side), in which at least four insertion ports, into each of which each of the multi-fiber optical connectors is inserted, are formed, wherein the four insertion ports include a first insertion port, a second insertion port, a third insertion port, and a fourth insertion port, the first insertion port and the second insertion port are disposed side by side in a first direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, positions of the third insertion port and the fourth insertion port are different from positions of the first insertion port and the second insertion port in a second direction orthogonal to both the longitudinal direction and the first direction, and the third insertion port and the fourth insertion port are disposed while being shifted to an outside in the first direction with respect to the first insertion port and the second insertion port as viewed in the longitudinal direction (the claim does not limit the adapter to specifically four insertion points, so any of the Otomitsu insertion points can be considered the first through fourth insertion points to meet the claim language).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the Otomitsu multi-port adapter with the Haller connector to increase connection density.
With regard to claim 9, the Haller/Otomitsu combination of claim 8 teaches the first member provided in each of the four multi-fiber optical connectors, does not overlap with each other in the second direction in a state in which the four multi-fiber optical connectors are inserted into the four insertion ports (because connectors can be inserted into any of the 12 connection points to meet the claim limitations).
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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