Appeal No. 2005-0560
Application No. 09/873,127
Appellants have argued all the claims on appeal as a
single group. Appellants argue that the Kobayashi switch depends
on the mating of the input and output fiber ends and has no need
for the collimating lenses of Mock. Appellants argue that there
is no motivation within the applied prior art to make the
modification proposed by the examiner [brief, pages 5-6].
The examiner responds that Mock teaches that even in a
fiber optic coupling arrangement that depends on a close
proximity of input and output fibers, collimating lenses may
advantageously be used to ensure minimal coupling loss between
the fibers. He reiterates his position that it would have been
obvious to the artisan to provide this advantage to the Kobayashi
device [answer, pages 4-6].
Appellants respond that the switching arrangement
disclosed by Mock is very different from the claimed arrangement.
Appellants also respond that the examiner’s proposed modification
defeats the fundamental design of Kobayashi which depends upon
pulley mechanisms to insert and withdraw the ferrules relative to
the sleeves. Appellants assert that the examiner’s proposed
modification would degrade the optical coupling obtained in
Kobayashi [reply brief, pages 1-2].
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