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 .
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vincent et al. 2018/0124960.
In Re Claim 9, Vincent et al. teach an EFEM comprising: a housing including a transfer chamber (142) in which a processing object is transferred; and a connection module (105 S1, Fig. 1C) provided between the transfer chamber and a front chamber (105B, Fig. 1C) of a processing apparatus (134) configured to perform a predetermined process on the processing object, and configured to connect the transfer chamber and the front chamber, (Fig. 1C, Fig. 1D) wherein the housing includes a rear member (102) formed with a housing side opening through which the processing object is capable of passing, wherein the connection module includes: a first connection member (walls of 105 S1, Fig. 1C) arranged around the housing side opening when viewed from a depth direction in which the housing and the front chamber are arranged, and attached to an inner wall (surface of 102 facing 105 S1, Fig. 1C) of the rear member; and a second connection member (104) arranged around a front chamber side opening formed in the front chamber so as to allow the processing object to pass therethrough when viewed from the depth direction, and attached to the front chamber, (Fig. 1C) wherein the first connection member includes a first tubular portion (walls of 105 sub 51, Fig. 1C) extending in the depth direction, and wherein the second connection member includes a second tubular portion (104) extending in the depth direction, the second tubular portion being arranged to at least partially overlap with the first tubular portion in the depth direction and configured to be position-adjustable in the depth direction along the first tubular portion. (Fig. 1C, 1D and 2)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3, 5 and 7 are allowed.
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 GLENN F MYERS whose telephone number is (571)270-1160. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4 PM.
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GLENN F. MYERS
Examiner
Art Unit 3652
/GLENN F MYERS/Examiner, Art Unit 3652
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