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 .
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.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitations "the central portion," “the protrusion,” and “the hollow part” in lines 10-12. Since the earlier recitations of these limitations are presented in the alternative, there is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the later section of the claim.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “the joint of the connection adapter” in lines 16 and 18. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 2 is further rejected due to its dependence on claim 1.
Claims 3-6 are rejected due to their dependence on claims 1 and 2.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 2, and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by
US 2017/0035275 (“YAJIMA”).
Regarding claim 1, YAJIMA teaches a fiber-optic cable magnetic coupling adapter (10), comprising: an adapter main body (11); a joint (12, 17) that is provided on one surface of the adapter main body and has a magnetic body (30a, 30b); and an insertion connection part (16a, 16b) that is provided on the other surface of the adapter main body and connected to a connector (20a, 20b), wherein the joint is provided as a recession that is recessed from a central portion of one surface of the adapter main body to an inner side of one surface (FIG. 2), but is provided so as to be engaged with a protrusion (23a, 23b) and has the hollow part formed inside and has opened one surface.
Regarding claim 2, YAJIMA teaches that when the joint is provided as the recession, the joint of a connection adapter (23a, 23b) is provided as the protrusion.
Regarding claim 6, YAJIMA teaches that the adapter and the connection adapter are connected with different types of connectors (FIG. 2).
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.
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.
Claims 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YAJIMA in view of US 2020/0096751 (“KRIOFSKE”).
Regarding claims 3 and 4, YAJIMA teaches the limitations of the base claim 2. YAJIMA does not teach that the adapter main body includes: a convex portion that protrudes from one surface of the adapter main body to an outer side of one surface; and a concave portion that is disposed at a gap from the convex portion and recessed into an inner side of the one surface, and the convex portion is provided to be engaged with the concave portion of the connection adapter, and the concave portion is provided to be engaged with the convex portion of the connection adapter, wherein the convex portion and the concave portion are provided as magnetic bodies, and the convex portion and the concave portion are provided to have different poles.
KRIOFSKE teaches an adapter main body (500) that includes: a convex portion (135) that protrudes from one surface of the adapter main body to an outer side of one surface; and a concave portion (415) that is disposed at a gap from the convex portion and recessed into an inner side of the one surface, and the convex portion is provided to be engaged with the concave portion of the connection adapter, and the concave portion is provided to be engaged with the convex portion of the connection adapter, wherein the convex portion and the concave portion are provided as magnetic bodies, and the convex portion and the concave portion are provided to have different poles (FIG. 5; par. [0038]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effect filing date to modify the adapter of YAJIMA so as to include the convex and concave portions of KRIOFSKE. The motivation would have been to allow for rotational movement while maintaining mechanical connection (par. [0038]).
Regarding claim 5, YAJIMA teaches that the adapter further includes a screw hole for fixing a position of the adapter with respect to a position between the convex portion and the concave portion on the adapter main body (FIG. 5; par. [0060]; when combined with KRIOFSKE, as above).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERRY M BLEVINS whose telephone number is (571)272-8581. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Hollweg can be reached at 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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/JERRY M BLEVINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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