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 .
Restriction
In response to the Restriction Requirement of April 8, 2026, Applicant elects Invention I, corresponding to claims 1-18, without traverse.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1, 4, and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JPH0667482U (hereinafter ‘482) in view of Andrew (US-1,745,970).
Regarding claim 1, ‘482 discloses a substrate treating apparatus comprising:
a roller (wheel 5) configured to be disposed on a rail (rail 3) extending in a first direction (Fig. 1), and attached to a side surface of a carrier unit (carriage 4) to move along the rail (rail 3) (Figs. 1-3); and
a foreign substance collecting unit (magnetic members 7a, 7b) installed on the side surface of the carrier unit (carriage 4) (Figs. 1-3), moving together with the roller (wheel 5) (Figs. 1-3), and configured to be spaced apart from the rail (by gap ‘g’) when the roller (wheel 5) is disposed on the rail (rail 3) (Figs. 1-3),
wherein the foreign substance collecting unit (magnetic members 7a, 7b) includes a magnetic structure for adsorbing magnetic foreign substances using a magnetic force (“the adsorption members 7a and 7b pass through by sweeping the upper surface at a gap g, so that the abrasion dust is surely adsorbed to the lower surfaces of the adsorption members 7a and 7b”) [‘482 Translation; page 3, second paragraph], but fails to disclose a case surrounding the magnetic structure.
However, Andrew (US-1,745,970) teaches a case (plate 22, beam 19) surrounding a magnetic structure (magnet core 20) (Figs. 1 and 2). Andrew teaches the case not only for retaining the magnet [Andrew; page 1, lines 75-79] and securing the magnet via the case (with chains and eyebolts 15, 16), Andrew also expresses a desire to protect the magnet from being hit by debris [Andrew; page 1, lines 84-87]. As such, it therefore would’ve been obvious to modify the magnetic structure (7a and 7b, respectively modified) of ‘482 with a casing for each magnetic structure 7a, 7b, as taught by Andrew, for easy attachment of the magnet of ‘482, as well as surrounding the magnet in order to protect it from debris [Andrew; page 1, lines 84-87].
Regarding claim 4, ‘482, as modified by Andrew, discloses the substrate treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the case (plate 22 and beam 19 of Andrew) includes side walls (side walls provided by beam 19, as shown by Andrew) and a bottom piece (plate 22 of Andrew), and
a thickness of the bottom piece (plate 22 of Andrew) of the case is smaller than a thickness of the side walls of the case (the sides provided by beam 19 of Andrew).
Regarding claim 5, ‘482, as modified by Andrew, discloses the substrate treating apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the case (plate 22 and beam 19 of Andrew) includes a frame (beam 19 of Andrew) disposed on a bottom piece (plate 22 of Andrew), and
a thickness of the frame (beam 19 of Andrew) is greater than a thickness of the bottom piece (plate 22 of Andrew).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2, and those claims depending therefrom including claim 3, 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious, in combination with all other claim limitations, “a cartridge installed on the side surface of the carrier unit and providing lubricant.”
Claim 6 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious, in combination with all other claim limitations, “wherein a thickness of each side wall is smaller than the thickness of the frame.”
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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious, in combination with all other claim limitations, “wherein the magnetic structure includes a protrusion, the protrusion is formed at a lower surface of the bottom piece of the case, and the frame of the case surrounds the protrusion.”
Claim 8 would be allowed, 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious, in combination with all other claim limitations, “wherein a lower surface of the case surrounds an upper portion of the rail.”
Claims 9, and those depending therefrom including claims 10-18, are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious, in combination with all other claim limitations, “a cartridge installed on the side surface of the carrier unit and configured to provide lubricant to the roller.”
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. JPH01180489U, US-9,598,117, US-5,481,983, US-5,413,225, US-3,956,111, US-3,401,365, US-2,818,176, and US-2023/0368155 are pertinent to claim 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOEL DILLON CRANDALL whose telephone number is (571)270-5947. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:30 - 5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Carter can be reached at 571-270-5947. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOEL D CRANDALL/Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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