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 .
This Office Action acknowledges the applicant’s amendment filed on 3/2/2026. Claims 1-17 are pending in the application. Claims 6 and 9-17 are withdrawn from consideration.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office Action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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Claim(s) 1-5 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beall et al. US 10,444,805 B1 in view of Doerfler et al. US 6,779,681 B2.
With regards to claim 1, Beall discloses a container 100, comprising: an outer housing 152/154, having at least one bore 168B formed on a side wall of the outer housing; a lock pin, comprising: a head portion 126B, located an interior space of the outer housing and having a lower surface; a neck portion (shown above), connected at an upper end thereof to a lower surface of the head portion, wherein a width of the neck portion is smaller than a width of the lower surface of the head portion; an engaging member 165B, surrounding the neck portion and being sandwiched between the lower surface of the head portion and an inner surface of the side wall; and an accessory 108 (shown above), connected to the base portion so that the accessory is fixed to the outer housing via the lock pin and the engaging member.
Beall discloses a lock pin but it does not specifically disclose a base portion, located in the bore and connected to a lower end of the neck portion that is opposite to the upper end.
However, Doerfler teaches that it was known in the art to have a container and a lock pin having a base portion 54, located in the bore 50 and connected to a lower end of the neck portion 58 that is opposite to the upper end of the lock pin. (Col 4:38-59 and Figs. 9-10 and 14)
Beall discloses an engaging member surrounding the neck portion and being sandwiched between the lower surface of the head portion and an inner surface of the side wall but it does not specifically disclose the engaging member is deformable and compressed to provide a holding force to the lock pin.
However, Doerfler also teaches an engaging member 68 surrounding the neck portion 70 and being sandwiched between the lower surface of the head portion (of 42) and an inner surface of a side wall 24 be deformable and compressed to provide a holding force to the lock pin. (Fig. 14 and Col 5:9-25)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the lock pin in Beall by providing a base portion as taught by Doerfler for the purposes of engaging and locking the pin within the bore; and to have modified the engaging member in Beall by having it be deformable and compressed as taught by Doerfler for the purposes of allowing the lock pin to be engaged/locked in position and to provide a friction force to resist disengagement.
With regards to claim 2, Beall discloses a slot (shown above) is formed in the head portion and at least a portion of the neck portion, and the slot extends across in a direction that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the lock pin.
With regards to claim 3, Beall discloses at least one notch (shown above) is formed at a lateral surface of the lock pin.
With regards to claim 4, Beall discloses the notch (shown above) extends, in a direction that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the lock pin, all the way from an upper surface of the head portion that is opposite to the lower surface to the neck portion.
With regards to claim 5, Beall discloses an engaging member but it does not specifically disclose it has a tubular shape, and an outer diameter of the engaging member is greater than a diameter of the bore of the outer housing.
However, Doerfler teaches that it was known in the art to have an engagement member have a tubular shape, and an outer diameter of the engaging member greater than a diameter of the bore of the outer housing. (Col 5:9-25)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the engagement member in Beall by having it be a tubular shape, and an outer diameter of the engaging member greater than a diameter of the bore of the outer housing as taught by Doerfler for the purposes of providing a frictional force to resist disengaging or unlocking of the pin.
With regards to claim 8, Beall discloses the accessory 108 (shown above) comprises a RFID holder (for 138/140; Col 9:3-25).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beall et al. US 10,444,805 B1 in view of Doerfler et al. US 6,779,681 B2 and further in view of Mimura US 2010/0072107 A1.
With regards to claim 7, Beall discloses holding media storage and magnetic cassettes but it does not specifically disclose an inner cassette positioned in the interior space of the outer housing for receiving at least one semiconductor wafer.
However, Mimura teaches that it was known in the art to have a container 10/20 have an inner cassette 1 positioned in the interior space of the outer housing for receiving at least one semiconductor wafer.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the container in Beall by providing an inner cassette as taught by Mimura for the purposes of organizing media storage inside the container.
Claim(s) 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beall et al. US 10,444,805 B1 in view of Mimura US 2010/0072107 A1 and further in view of Doerfler et al. US 6,779,681 B2.
With regards to claim 18, Beall discloses a container 100, comprising: an outer housing 152/154; at least one bore 168B formed on a side wall of the outer housing; at least one accessory 108 fixed to the outer housing; and one or more lock members 108 locking the accessories to the outer housing, comprising: a lock pin, comprising: a head portion 126B/130B, located an interior space of the outer housing and having a lower surface; a neck portion (shown above), connected at an upper end thereof to a lower surface of the head portion, wherein a width of the neck portion is smaller than a width of the lower surface of the head portion; and an engaging member 165B, surrounding the neck portion and being sandwiched between the lower surface of the head portion and an inner surface of the side wall.
Beall discloses holding media storage and magnetic cassettes but it does not specifically disclose an inner cassette removably received within an interior space of the outer housing.
See claim 7, for Mimura teaching of an inner cassette.
Beall discloses a lock pin but it does not specifically disclose and a base portion, located in the bore and connected to a lower end of the neck portion that is opposite to the upper end wherein the base portion connects to the accessory to fix the accessory to the outer housing.
See claim 1, for Doerfler teaching of a base portion.
See claim 1, for Doerfler teaching of a deformable and compressible engaging member.
With regards to claim 19, Mimura further teaches the inner cassette 1 comprises a plurality of semiconductor wafer slots 6/7 capable of removably receiving at least one wafer.
With regards to claim 20, treated as in claim 8 above.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-5, 7-8 and 18-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. However, with regards to the Applicants argument that Beall or Doerfler do not disclose a deformable and compressible engaging member that is sandwiched and compressed between the lock pin's head and the housing's inner wall to provide a holding force to the lock pin. Further providing remarks that “While Doerfler discloses an optional compressible member, there is no teaching or suggestion that this optional component is sandwiched and compressed between the lower surface of the head portion and an inner surface of the side wall to provide a holding force to the lock pin, as the securing force of Doerfler's system is already provided by the pin geometry.”. The Examiner respectfully disagrees, with this assessment. As recited above, Doerfler teaches an engaging member 68 surrounding the neck portion 70 (of structure 42) and being sandwiched between the lower surface of the head portion and an inner surface of a side wall 24 to be deformable and compressed to provide a holding force to the lock pin. (Fig. 14 and Col 5:9-25) It would have been obvious to have modified the engaging member in Beall by having it be deformable and compressed as taught by Doerfler for the purposes of allowing the lock pin to be engaged/locked in position and to provide a friction force to resist disengagement.
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 JENINE SPICER whose telephone number is (313)446-4924. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00pm, Monday-Thursday.
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/JENINE SPICER/ Examiner, Art Unit 3736
/CHUN HOI CHEUNG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3736
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