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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of group II, claims 14-18 in the reply filed on 3/13/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 17 is 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 17 is indefinite because it is unclear what is meant by “releasing the pressing member to press the target member”. What is meant by “releasing”? What is it being released from? Releasing means to set free from restraint or confinement or to let go. Is this pressing member confined or restrained prior to being used? The Examiner does not understand how a pressing member is being released and requests that the Applicant please clarify this limitation.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Khanna et al. (2013/0260534A1).
Regarding claim 14, Khanna discloses a bonding material application method, comprising: preparing a bonding material 300 and a target member 100; setting an elastic member 440 on a stage region disposed at a front side of a base 420, 430, the base having a plurality of suction holes 620 (extending vertically upwards through the base and the elastic member, figure 2) in the stage region, the elastic member having a plurality of through holes (where 620 extends through, figure 2), each of which is disposed at a position immediately above a corresponding one of the plurality of suction holes when viewed from a suction direction from the front side of the base to a rear side of the base; setting the target member 100 on the elastic member; applying suction to suction the target member placed on the elastic member in the suction direction through suction holes among the plurality of suction holes, which are respectively disposed at positions immediately below respective ones of the plurality of through holes, thereby to fix the target member to the stage region by the suction via the elastic member; and applying the bonding material 300 to a predetermined application region of the target member while fixing the target member by the suction (figure 2, paragraphs 0040-0052).
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) 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khanna et al. (2013/0260534A1) as applied to claim 14 above.
Regarding claim 15, Khanna does not specifically disclose pressing the target member by a pressing member in the suction direction toward the rear side of the base before applying the bonding material, and before or after applying the suction to the target member in figure 2. However, Khanna does disclose an embodiment wherein a sealing member/pressing member (top part of 680 that contacts top of the target member) creates a downward force on the top surface of the target member (figure 6C, paragraph 0072). To one skilled in the art at the time of the invention it would have been obvious to use a vacuum seal to create a downward force on the target member before applying the bonding material, and before or after applying suction to the target member in order to hold the target member in the desired location on the base to prevent misalignment or movement that would prevent the bonding material from being placed at the correct location on the target member.
Regarding claim 16, Khanna the base further includes a support region (bottom/vertical part of 680, figure 6C) outside the stage region at the front side thereof, and the stage region is recessed such that a surface of the stage region is closer to the rear side than is a surface of the support region. The stage region is lower than the vertical part 680, so it is recessed and is closer to the rear side that the surface of the support region. Therefore, the claim limitation is met.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 17 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. Prior art was not found that taught or suggested after fixing the target member by the suction and pressing the target member, releasing the pressing member to press the target member; and disposing a mask on the front surface of the base such that the mask covers the target member and the support region supports the mask, the mask including a transfer opening disposed at a position corresponding to an application region of the target member where the bonding material is to be applied, wherein the applying of the bonding material includes transferring the bonding material to the target member via the transfer opening of the mask.
Claim 18 is 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. Prior art was not found that taught or suggested after setting the target member and before fixing the target member by the suction, disposing a mask on the front surface of the base to cover the target member, the mask including a transfer opening disposed at a position corresponding to an application region of the target member where the bonding material is to be applied, wherein the applying of the bonding material includes transferring the bonding material to the target member via the transfer opening of the mask.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIN B SAAD whose telephone number is (571)270-3634. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30a-6p.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Keith Walker can be reached at 571-272-3458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ERIN B SAAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735
Prosecution Insights