Appeal No. 2001-2186 Page 2
Application No. 08/674,865
14. An optical fiber drawing furnace comprising:
a muffle tube, into which an optical fiber preform is supplied;
a cylindrical heater surrounding the muffle tube;
a pair of support column portions which rise from the upper end of said heater at
circumferential positions substantially equidistantly spaced from one another;
four electrode connecting terminals and no more than four, two electrode connecting
terminals extending perpendicularly from each of said support column portions and connecting to
one another via a connecting element, the four electrode connecting terminals being arranged so
that the angle between the adjacent terminals substantially equals 90B;
an electric power source connected, via electrodes, to the four electrode connecting
terminals; and
two extension portions protruding upwardly from the heater to balance heat supplied by
the pair of support column portions, and being disposed substantially equidistantly between said
support column portions.
24. An optical drawing furnace as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of the four electrode
connecting terminals are disposed substantially equidistantly between one of the support column
portions and one of the extension portions.
The prior art references of record relied upon by the Examiner in rejecting the appealed
claims are:
Wilsey4,755,658 Jul. 5, 1988
Fujimaki et al. (Fujimaki) 6-227837 Aug. 16, 1994
(pub. Japanese Patent Application)
Claims 14, 16, and 19-23 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable
over Fujimaki in view of Wilsey. Claim 24 stands rejected for lack of compliance with the
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