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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
Applicants' amendment of the claims, filed on 07/10/2026, in response to the rejection of claims 1-13 and 15-17 from the non-final office action, mailed on 04/13/2026, by amending claims 1, 6, 10-13, 15-16 and canceling claims 2, 7-9, 17, is acknowledged and will be addressed below.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 14 and 18-20 remain withdrawn from consideration as pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
For the purpose of the “rejoinder”, Claims 14 and 18-20 are examined in advance.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
(1) The “inner tube that is installed” and “manifold that is installed” of Claim 1 would have a better form if amended to be:
“inner tube installed” and “manifold installed”.
(2) The “a conductance changer that is installed at the partition wall between the annular space and the exhaust space, configured to pass the purge gas between the annular space and the exhaust space, and change a passage conductance of the purge gas” of Claim 1 should be:
“a conductance changer installed at the partition wall between the annular space and the exhaust space, configured to pass the purge gas between the annular space and the exhaust space, and configured to change a passage conductance of the purge gas”.
(3) The “the conductance changer includes” of Claim 10 would have a better form if amended to be:
“the conductance changer further comprises”.
(4) The “the at least one screw includes” of Claim 12 would have a better form if amended to be:
“the at least one screw further comprises”.
(5) All the “inner tube fitting ring”, “the inner tube support” and “seal flange” of Claim 14 should be:
“the ring-shaped inner tube fitting ring”, “the ring-shaped inner tube support” and “the ring-shaped seal flange”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 14 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
(1) Claim 14 recite the limitation “a ring-shaped inner tube fitting ring installed at the opposite side of the inner tube support”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation “opposite” in the claim.
The limitation will be examined inclusive of:
“a ring-shaped inner tube fitting ring installed at an opposite side of the inner tube support”.
(2) The two “therebetween” of Claim 14 is not clear, because it is not clear which part of the claims 1 and 14 is modified by the term “therebetween”.
An appropriate correction is respectfully requested.
(3) The “internal space” of Claims 18 and 20 is not clear, because it is not clear what structural difference between the “internal space” of Claims 18 and 20 and “process chamber” of Claim 1.
An appropriate correction is respectfully requested.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-6, 10-13 and 15-16 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments filed on 07/10/2026 have been fully considered but they are not convincing in light of the new ground of rejection above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AIDEN Y LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-1440. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 9am-5pm PT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gordon Baldwin can be reached on 571-272-5166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AIDEN LEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718
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