DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: the claim recites “a first side and a second side” yet it is unclear what the sides are referring to. The claim would be clearer if it were amended to clarify the sides of what component are being claimed. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the intermediate blades" in page 48-49. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 10-12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Somekh et al. (US 5,556,147) (“Somekh”).
Referring to claims 1 and 14: Somekh teaches a substrate conveying robot comprising:
a substrate holding hand; and
an arm 16 to move the substrate holding hand; wherein
the substrate holding hand includes:
a frame (Figs. 1-3);
a plurality of blades 18, 40 each to support a substrate 22; and
a mounting member 84 to support the plurality of blades and mount the plurality of blades to the frame;
wherein the plurality of blades are aligned in a direction perpendicular to main surfaces of the blades (Figs. 8-9); and
among the plurality of blades, an intermediate blade 40 is removable from the mounting member while an end blade 18 located at an end in the direction perpendicular to the main surfaces of the blades is attached to the mounting member (column 6, lines 47-65; column 8, lines 16-35; column 9, lines 50-62).
Referring to claim 10: Somekh teaches among the plurality of blades, the intermediate blade is removable from the mounting member while the end blade is attached to the mounting member on both of a first side and a second side in the direction perpendicular to the main surfaces of the blades (Figs. 10-12).
Referring to claim 11: Somekh teaches the intermediate blade is adjacent to the end blade in the direction perpendicular to the main surfaces of the blades (Fig. 9).
Referring to claim 12: Somekh teaches a substrate holding hand comprising:
a frame (Figs. 1-3);
a plurality of blades 18, 40 each to support a substrate 22; and
a mounting member 84 to support the plurality of blades and mount the plurality of blades to the frame; wherein
the plurality of blades are aligned in a direction perpendicular to main surfaces of the blades (Figs. 8-9);
among the plurality of blades, an end blade 18 located at an end in the direction perpendicular to the main surfaces of the blades and a blade 40 adjacent to the end blade are removable from a same side in the direction perpendicular to the main surfaces of the blades (in the event of disassembly of the system); and
the blade adjacent to the end blade is removable from the mounting member while the end blade is attached to the mounting member (column 6, lines 47-65; column 8, lines 16-35; column 9, lines 50-62).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6, 8, 9 and 13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 7 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Somekh et al. (US 5,697,748) teaches a substrate conveying device comprising a removable blade 40. Carducci (US 6,132,165) also teaches a substrate conveying robot comprising multiple substrate-conveying blades (Fig. 2A).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CATHERINE A LOIKITH whose telephone number is (571)270-7822. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Doug Hutton can be reached at 571-272-4137. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Catherine Loikith/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3674
30 April 2026
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