The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: page 5, line 2, “simple” should apparently be --single--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 2, “element” should be plural. Appropriate correction is required.
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 4 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.
Line 2, it is not clear if the recitation “including a one-sided boundary” refers to each of the start and end modules individually, the combination of the start and end modules, or just the end module.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ruhm et al (DE 10 2008 015472, cited by applicant) in view of HAP (DE 20 2012 000143, cited by applicant) and Ishikawa (US 8,206,077).
Ruhm shows a shuttle storage 1 for transport boxes 2 for wafer discs, the shuttle storage comprising:
a horizontal drive alley for a storage vehicle (not separately identified but the English translation refers to a monorail system along which a manipulator travels);
a transfer station configured to transfer the transport boxes into or from the shuttle storage (not separately identified but considered inherent in that the English translation refers to use of the storage device for temporary intermediate storage of wafers for a plurality of processing stations; the wafer boxes would inherently be transferred between such stations and the storage locations via a “transfer station”, as broadly recited);
a support structure 3-6 that is suspended from a room ceiling;
storage spaces for the transfer boxes (not separately identified but readily apparent in Fig. 1), wherein the storage spaces are attached at the support structure in a horizontally extending storage plane along the drive alley;
ceiling elements 3.2, 5 attached at the room ceiling; and
support elements 3.1 for the storage spaces, wherein the support elements are attached at the ceiling elements so that the support elements are adjustable with respect to vertical height.
Ruhm does not show a linear motor for the storage vehicle, the linear motor arranged on a floor of the drive alley. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would know that utilizing a linear drive system such as a linear motor is commonplace for moving a shuttle-type vehicle along a monorail.
HAP (which is disclosed as an improvement to Ruhm) shows a generally similar storage system wherein a storage vehicle 1 which moves along a horizontal drive alley 1.3 between two rows of storage spaces 3 for wafer boxes is driven along the X-axis in Fig. 1 by an undisclosed type of linear drive system. Hap also discloses transfer stations 2/2.1/2.2 and/or 4/5 for transferring the transport boxes into or from the storage system.
Ishikawa also discloses a similar ceiling-mounted storage system for wafer boxes 16, wherein a shuttle vehicle 14 can be driven along a horizontal drive alley adjacent a row of storage spaces for the wafer boxes via a linear motor system (includes at least 12, 40) arranged on a floor of the drive alley. See Fig. 2, col. 4:30-46, and col. 5:55-57.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the apparatus of Ruhm by configuring the means for moving the storage vehicle along the drive alley as a linear motor arranged on a floor of the drive alley, as collectively suggested by HAP and Ishikawa, as this would simply be the provision of one of a finite number of well known drive systems for moving a shuttle vehicle along a rail, particularly in a clean room environment, to reduce dust/contamination that would likely be caused by other drive systems that involve frictional contact among the components of the drive mechanism.
Re claim 2, the support elements of at least Ruhm are offset from one another in a longitudinal direction of the drive alley by a grid spacing (e.g., see Fig. 6).
Re claim 3, insofar as the shuttle system of Ruhm is modular, it is considered to further comprise “preassembled storage groups” (as broadly recited) including the storage spaces [and/or floor groups that terminate the shuttle storage at a bottom, wherein the floor groups are offset from one another by the grid spacing in the longitudinal direction or by 2x or 3x the grid spacing]. It is noted that applicant’s use of “and/or” in the claim is understood as meaning only one or the other limitation is required. This does not necessarily mean that Ruhm as modified does not show both limitations, but merely that it shows at least the first one.
Re claim 4, again, being of modular construction, Ruhm as modified above is considered to further comprise a start module and an end module including a one-sided boundary of the drive alley and at least one transfer module including the transfer station, as broadly and indefinitely recited.
Re claim 5, the ceiling elements of Ruhm respectively include two support elements arranged on opposite sides of the drive alley and a horizontal stabilization element arranged between the support elements (not separately identified but readily apparent in Fig. 4).
Re claim 6, when modified as above, Ruhm would have a grid shaped floor of the drive alley (as in Fig. 4 thereof) and outer walls arranged parallel to the drive alley, as can be seen in Figs. 1-2 of HAP.
Re claim 7, the storage spaces of at least HAP are arranged in two rows with one row of the two rows arranged on each side of the drive alley. It is also believed that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that in the Fig. 4 embodiment of Ruhm the drive alley would be arranged between the two rows of storage spaces. Note “several containers on one or two sides next to the … monorail be stored”.
Re claim 8, the apparatus of Ruhm as modified could obviously be used in a method for producing a shuttle storage for transport boxes for wafer discs, the shuttle storage including (refer to claim 1 above):
a horizontal drive alley for a storage vehicle;
a linear motor for the storage vehicle, the linear motor arranged on a floor of the drive alley;
a transfer station configured to transfer the transport boxes into or from the shuttle storage;
a support structure that is suspended from a room ceiling;
storage spaces for the transfer boxes, wherein the storage spaces are attached at the support structure in a horizontally extending storage plane along the drive alley,
the method comprising:
initially attaching ceiling elements 3.2, 5 at the room ceiling;
thereafter attaching support elements 3.1 at the ceiling elements;
thereafter leveling the support elements for the storage spaces with respect to vertical height in the storage plane (Ruhm discloses “ceiling anchoring elements are … designed for height adjustment, so as to set a horizontal orientation of the support elements … for a safe settling of stored containers”); and
thereafter attaching the storage spaces at the support elements (implicit if not inherent).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. KR 20210143566 shows a ceiling-mounted wafer box storage system substantially similar to that of Ruhm wherein a horizontal drive alley for a shuttle vehicle is disposed between two rows of storage spaces (Figs. 4-6). Wada et al is similar to Ishikawa and shows a linear motor for driving a storage vehicle. Teng, Li et al and Tsubaki et al show ceiling-mounted storage systems with pre-assembled modular storage frames. Kim et al and Yoo et al show generally similar ceiling-mounted storage systems.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to James Keenan whose telephone number is (571)272-6925. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Thurs.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at 571-270-5565. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/James Keenan/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3652
3/02/26