Appeal No. 1996-3152
Application No. 08/043,743
6 was canceled subsequent to the final rejection. Claims 23
through 5 and 7 through 10, the only other claims in the
application, stand withdrawn from consideration under 37 CFR §
1.142(b).
We REVERSE.
The subject matter on appeal is directed to a method of
uniting a number of optical fibers. The appealed claim reads
as follows:
1. A method of uniting a number of optical fibers
comprising the steps of:
(a) preparing a tubular member of a shape memory alloy
with a reception space, wherein the tubular member has a bent
axis in its memorized shape;
(b) processing the tubular member in such a manner that
the cross-sectional area of said reception space is larger
than the cross-sectional area in the memorized shape of said
tubular member and that said axis of the tubular member
contains a gentler bend compared with the bend of the bent
axis in the memorized shape;
(c) applying an adhesive to portions of a number of
optical fibers over a predetermined length;
(d) inserting said portions of said optical fibers into
said processed tubular member after steps (b) and (c);
(e) subsequently heating said tubular member to return
the tubular member to the bend of the axis in memorized shape
and to reduce the cross-sectional area of said reception
space, thereby uniting said optical fibers received in said
tubular member, a cross-sectional shape of said united optical
fibers being determined by said memorized shape of said
tubular member; and
See Paper No. 10.3
2
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