Appeal No. 2005-0560
Application No. 09/873,127
We will sustain the examiner’s rejection of the claims on
appeal. Appellants’ argument that the switching arrangement of
Mock is different from the claimed switching arrangement is not
persuasive because Kobayashi is relied on to teach the claimed
switching arrangement. Although Kobayashi teaches that the
ferrules at the end of the optical fibers are inserted into
sleeves, this type of alignment does not guarantee that the ends
of the fibers will mate exactly. Regardless of whether or not
the ends of the fibers in Kobayashi are intended to contact each
other, we agree with the examiner that the advantages of colli-
mating lenses placed at the ends of the fibers would be obtained
in the Kobayashi device as well. Appellants’ argument that
collimating lenses in Kobayashi would degrade the performance of
the device is not convincing. We can see no reason why colli-
mating lenses would degrade properly aligned fibers, put we can
see at least one reason why collimating lenses would enhance the
operation of Kobayashi if the fibers in the sleeve are still not
properly aligned. Mock clearly teaches what the advantages of
collimating lenses are. We also find that the artisan would have
been motivated to add collimating lenses in Kobayashi because
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