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 elected Group 1, Species A, claims 1 - 7. Claims 8 -10 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 05/03/2026. The restriction is made FINAL.
Prior art of Record
The prior art made of record in this office action shall be referred to as follows;
U.S. 2020/0023484 Kazuma Sekiya (‘Sekiya hereafter), App 16/509781,
U.S. 2019/0333809 Kim et al. (‘Kim hereafter), App 16/605970,
U.S. 5,098,244 William C. Stimson (‘Stimson hereafter), Filed 05/31/1989;
The above references will be referred to hereafter by the names or numbers indicated above.
Claim status:
Claims 1 - 10 are currently being examined.
Claims 8 –10 have been withdrawn.
No Claims have been canceled.
Claims 2 – 7 are objected to for allowable subject matter.
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 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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. 5,098,244 William C. Stimson (‘Stimson hereafter).
Regarding Claim[s] 1, ‘Stimson discloses all the claim limitations including: A tool changing apparatus (‘Stimson, Col. 1, ln 6 – 10, “The present invention relates generally to semiconductor integrated circuit handling equipment, and more specifically to a tool for handling cassettes of semiconductor wafers during processing.” Col. 2, ln 29 – 33, “It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tool for handling semiconductor wafer cassettes in fabrication facilities which provides a desired minimum separation between a human operator and the wafer cassette at all times.” Figs 5, 6 & 8, show handling mechanism/ tool changing apparatus configured to change #10 (typical cassette/ target tool)) comprising:
a target tool (‘Stimson, #10 (typical cassette/ target tool)) detachably mountable (‘Stimson, Col. 5, ln 48 – 57, “The cassette holder 78 includes a gripping portion 90 and a back plate 92. The gripping portion 90 and back plate 92 are connected by machine bolts 94, with the back plate 92 being pressed into contact with the gripping portion 90 by springs 96 wrapped around bolts 94. A pin 98 is also used to ensure correct relative positioning of the gripping portion 90 and back plate 92. The pin is affixed to one side, preferably the back plate, and is received in a hole (not shown) in the gripping portion 90.”) on an equipment (‘Stimson, Figs 5, 6 & 8, #78 (cassette holder/ equipment)) depending on a type or size of semiconductor chips or semiconductor packages (‘Stimson, Col. 3, ln 10 – 19, ” The embodiment of a wafer cassette handling cart described below is easily adaptable for use with cassettes having varying sizes and design characteristics. In most cases, specific dimensions of various parts of the cart will not be described . Determination of dimensions suitable for a particular application will become apparent to those skilled in the art. In cases where dimensions are given, they are approximate dimensions only of a preferred embodiment, and the scope of the invention is not intended to be restricted to such dimensions.”); and
a coupling device (‘Stimson, Figs 5, 6 & 8, system of #90 (gripping portion/ clamping module), #92 (back plate), #96 (spring) / coupling device) mounted between the equipment (‘Stimson, #78 (cassette holder/ equipment)) and the target tool (‘Stimson, #10 (typical cassette/ target tool)) to detachably fix (‘Stimson, Col. 5, ln 48 – 57, “The cassette holder 78 includes a gripping portion 90 and a back plate 92. The gripping portion 90 and back plate 92 are connected by machine bolts 94, with the back plate 92 being pressed into contact with the gripping portion 90 by springs 96 wrapped around bolts 94. A pin 98 is also used to ensure correct relative positioning of the gripping portion 90 and back plate 92. The pin is affixed to one side, preferably the back plate, and is received in a hole (not shown) in the gripping portion 90.”) the target tool to the equipment (‘Stimson, #78 (cassette holder/ equipment)), wherein the coupling device comprises:
a stud mounted on the target tool or the equipment (‘Stimson, #94 (bolts / stud) is mounted on #78 (cassette holder/ equipment)); and
a clamping module mounted in the equipment (‘Stimson, #90 (gripping portion/ clamping module), mounted on #78 (cassette holder/ equipment)), or the target tool to clamp the stud.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim[s] 2 is/are allowed. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art does not anticipate nor render obvious the combination set forth in the independent or dependent claims, specifically does not show: “wherein the equipment is a semiconductor sawing and sorting equipment for sawing and sorting the semiconductor chips or the semiconductor packages.”
The closest prior art is as cited were (‘Sekiya, ‘Kim & ‘Stimson).
‘Sekiya, does not teach: the equipment is a semiconductor sawing and sorting equipment for sawing and sorting the semiconductor chips or the semiconductor packages.
‘Kim & ‘Stimson teach a cutting apparatus. However, do not teach the limitations of claim 1 regarding the equipment.
‘Kim & ‘Stimson do not teach: a target tool detachably mountable on an equipment, a coupling device mounted between the equipment and the target tool to detachably fix the target tool to the equipment, and a clamping module mounted in the equipment.
Neither of these references provides the limitations above. Also, neither of these references anticipates nor renders obvious the combinations of limitations mentioned above. To modify the prior art would require improper hindsight and furthermore would destroy the workability of the references cited.
Claim[s] 3 is/are allowed. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art does not anticipate nor render obvious the combination set forth in the independent or dependent claims, specifically does not show: “wherein the stud comprises: a head provided at a front end of the stud so as to be at least partially inserted into the clamping module, and having a first width; and a neck provided at a rear of the head and having a second width less than the first width.”
The closest prior art is as cited were (‘Sekiya, ‘Kim & ‘Stimson).
‘Sekiya, ‘Kim & ‘Stimson do not teach: stud comprises: a head provided at a front end of the stud so as to be at least partially inserted into the clamping module, and having a first width; and a neck provided at a rear of the head and having a second width less than the first width.
Neither of these references provides the limitations above. Also, neither of these references anticipates nor renders obvious the combinations of limitations mentioned above. To modify the prior art would require improper hindsight and furthermore would destroy the workability of the references cited. Claims 4 - 7, are also allowed because they are dependent on claim 3.
Conclusion
Examiner encourages Applicant to fill out and submit form PTO-SB-439 to allow internet communications in accordance with 37 CFR 1.33 (MPEP 02.03). Should the need arise to perfect applicant-proposed or examiner’s amendments, authorization for e-mail correspondence would have already been authorized and would save time.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAWRENCE AVERICK whose telephone number is (571)270-7565. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00AM - 3:00PM M- F ET.
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/LAWRENCE AVERICK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
07/19/2026
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