DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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) 1-2, 5 and 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hsieh (U.S. Publication No. 20190265275). Hsieh teaches a probe storage jig that stores a probe (1) including an arm having a cantilever structure (13) and a support section (11, 12) connected to a fixed end of the arm, wherein the probe storage jig has a structure in which a first guide plate (3) and a second guide plate (4) are stacked, and both surfaces of the first guide plate and the second guide plate are defined by an upper surface and a lower surface facing each other, and in which a through-hole (31, 41) penetrating from the upper surface to the lower surface is formed in each of the first guide plate and the second guide plate, the probe storage jig holds the probe penetrating through the through-hole formed in each of the first guide plate and the second guide plate, in a state in which an upper part (1112, 1212) of the support section is exposed when viewed from above the probe storage jig (see fig. 10) and a tip end (141) of a free end (14) of the arm is exposed when viewed from below the probe storage jig (see fig. 10), and the probe storage jig is configured in such a way that the first guide plate and the second guide plate are relatively movable in a direction perpendicular to a penetration direction of the through-hole so as to sandwich the probe between the first guide plate and the second guide plate. (see figs. 10 and 11).
Regading claim 2, a projection (1111, 1211) projecting from the support section abuts on the upper surface of the first guide plate. (see fig. 12).
Regarding claim 5, Hsieh teaches a probe storage system including a probe that is used for inspecting an inspection object and a probe storage jig that stores the probe, the system comprising: the probe (1) that includes an arm having a cantilever structure (13) and a support section (11, 12) connected to a fixed end of the arm, and is provided with a projection (111, 121) projecting from the support section; and the probe storage jig having a structure in which a first guide plate (3) and a second guide plate (4) are stacked, and both surfaces of the first guide plate and the second guide plate are defined by an upper surface and a lower surface facing each other, and in which a through-hole (31, 41) penetrating from the upper surface to the lower surface is formed in each of the first guide plate and the second guide plate, wherein the probe storage jig holds the probe penetrating through the through-hole formed in each of the first guide plate and the second guide plate, the projection of the probe abuts on the upper surface of the first guide plate (see fig. 12), an upper part of the support section is exposed when viewed from above the probe storage jig, a tip end (141) of a free end of the arm is exposed when viewed from below the probe storage jig, and the probe storage jig is configured in such a way that the first guide plate and the second guide plate are relatively movable (compare figs 10 and 11) in a direction perpendicular to a penetration direction of the through-hole, and the probe is sandwiched between the first guide plate and the second guide plate.
Regarding claim 9, Hsieh teaches preparing the probe including an arm having a cantilever structure (13) and a support section (11, 12) connected to a fixed end of the arm; preparing the probe storage jig having a structure in which a first guide plate (3) and a second guide plate (4) are stacked, and both surfaces of the first guide plate and the second guide plate are defined by an upper surface and a lower surface facing each other, and in which a through-hole (31, 41) penetrating from the upper surface to the lower surface is formed in each of the first guide plate and the second guide plate; inserting the probe into the through-hole formed in each of the first guide plate and the second guide plate such that an upper part of the support section is exposed when viewed from above the probe storage jig and a tip end (141) of a free end of the arm is exposed when viewed from below the probe storage jig; and moving the first guide plate and the second guide plate relatively in a direction perpendicular to a penetration direction of the through-hole, and holding the probe by means of the probe storage jig in a state in which the probe is sandwiched between the first guide plate and the second guide plate (figs. 11-12).
Regarding claim 10, a projection (1111, 1211) projecting from the support section abut on the upper surface of the first guide plate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3-4, 6-8 and 11 are 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Li (CN111239449) teaches a third guide plate but not that the third guide plate is relatively movable with respect to the first guide plate and the second guide plate in a direction intersecting the penetration direction.
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/CHRISTOPHER E MAHONEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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