Appeal No. 95-2399
Application 08/061,669
DECISION ON APPEAL
This is a decision on appeal from the final rejec-
tion of claims 1 through 3 and 5 through 10. Claim 4 has been
canceled.
The invention relates to optical fiber connecting
devices. In particular, Appellants disclose on page 5 of the
specification that Figures 1 and 2 show a connector arrangement
of the invention. In particular, Figures 1 and 2 show an optical
element 70 which is affixed to the end face 39 of the plug 40.
The independent claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. A method of incorporating an optical element having
two opposed optical end faces into an optical system having a
first connector plug which terminates an optical fiber, a second
connector plug which terminates another optical fiber, and an
alignment adapter having a first port for receiving the first
connector plug and a second port for receiving the second con-
nector plug, the first and second plug end faces being engageable
with another in an aligned, locked position within the alignment
adapter, the method comprising the steps of:
applying an adhesive to at least one of an end face of
the optical element and an end face of one of the connector plugs
the optical element is to be joined with; and, joining the end
face of the optical element with the end face of the connector
plug so that the optical element completely covers an optical
fiber that terminates at the connector plug end face, the
adhesive joining the end face of the connector plug to the end
face of the optical element so that the optical element is
carried by the connector plug.
2
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