Appeal No. 2005-1942 Page 9
Application No. 10/173,938
closest Keys comes to this is that portions of the bridging
fibers (figures 4-7) extend partially into the housing 340 as
they connect to adapters 410 and 412 and arcuate or disc shaped
member 430. However, being partially within the housing does not
meet the claim recitation that the bridging optical fiber is
within the cavity in the housing, which we consider to require
that the bridging fiber, and not just part of the bridging fiber
is within the cavity of the housing. Although the recitation
that the bridging fiber is configured for connection to optical
fibers of different dispersion characteristics, the claim does
not recite that the optical fibers have different characteristics
from each other. Rather the language is met by optical fibers
that have different dispersion characteristics from the bridging
fiber. However, because Keys only discloses placing part of the
bridge fiber within the housing cavity, Keys alone does not meet
the limitations of claim 1, and Keys in combination with Mukasa
is cumulative to the teachings of Mukasa.
We are not persuaded by the examiner’s assertion (answer,
page 7) that applicants fail to establish any special definition
of a bridge fiber in the original specification. From our review
of the specification, we find, page 9, that:
At a reference wavelength of 1550 nm, optical fiber
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