Appeal No. 96-3092
Application 08/307,498
from the examiner’s rejection of claims 14-30, which
constitute all the claims remaining in the application.
The disclosed invention pertains to an assembly for
operatively coupling a computer to peripheral equipment using
optical fibers. Specifically, optical fiber is wound on a
rotatable spool within a computer and connects the I/O means
of the computer with peripheral equipment. One end of the
optical fiber becomes aligned with an associated
optoelectronic structure of the I/O means when the rotatable
spool is rotated to a predetermined position. The other end
of the optical fiber is connectable to the peripheral
equipment.
Representative claim 14 is reproduced as follows:
14. A computer comprising microprocessor means, memory
means and I/O means operatively coupled together, said I/O
means including associated optoelectronic structure including
a substrate and an optical subassembly including at least one
plastic optical fiber, said I/O means further including a
retractable optical fiber connector assembly having a
rotatable spool rotatably positioned on said substrate of said
I/O means, at least one plastic optical fiber adapted for
being wound about said spool and including a terminal end,
said plastic optical fiber wound about said spool adapted for
optically coupling said computer to a peripheral component,
said rotatable spool including means for retaining said
terminal end of said plastic optical fiber wound about said
2
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