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 § 112
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.
Claims 5-12 are 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.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the inlet of the upper suction channel" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the outlet of the lower exhaust channel" in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the first direction upper side walls, the second direction upper side walls” in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim states first direction side walls and second direction side walls, not first direction upper side walls and second direction upper side walls.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the upper top walls" in lines 5-6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim states “an upper top wall” and then states “the upper top walls”.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the transverse partitions" in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim only previously mentions “a transverse partition”.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Chanasyk et al. (5,345,061 from IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Chanasyk discloses a reflow oven comprising: a furnace chamber 10; several heating units 32, 34 disposed side-by-side in the furnace chamber along a first direction, the several heating units comprising at least one negative pressure heating unit, each negative pressure heating unit comprising a negative pressure heating unit upper portion 52 and a negative pressure heating unit lower portion 53; and a delivery channel 12 extending through the plurality of heating units along the first direction and comprising a plurality of delivery channel sub-regions (regions created by each upper and lower portions, figures 1, 2)respectively located between the negative pressure heating unit upper portion and the negative pressure heating unit lower portion of each negative pressure heating unit, the delivery channel sub-regions comprises in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction a middle region for passing a processing element through and side regions located on opposite sides of the middle region (figure 1); wherein the negative pressure heating unit upper portion comprises an upper fan 36, an upper suction channel 54, and an upper exhaust channel 42 (small openings 22), the upper fan having an upper fan suction port 46 and an upper fan exhaust port (arrows extending away between the opening 46 and fan 36); the negative pressure heating unit lower portion comprises a lower fan 37, a lower suction channel 55, and a lower exhaust channel 43 (small openings 24), the lower fan having a lower fan suction port 47 and a lower fan exhaust port (the arrows that extend away from 41); wherein the upper suction channel 54, the upper exhaust channel 42 (small openings 22), the lower suction channel 55, and the lower exhaust channel 43 (small openings 24) are configured such that gas discharged from the lower fan exhaust port flows through the lower exhaust channel and blows to the middle region of the delivery channel sub-region, then is sucked by the upper suction channel 54 and delivered to the upper fan suction port, and the gas discharged from the upper fan exhaust port sequentially flows through the upper exhaust channel, the side regions of the delivery channel sub-region and the lower suction channel, and is then received by the lower fan suction port (figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 2, Chanasyk disclose that the negative pressure heating unit upper portion 52 and the negative pressure heating unit lower portion 53 of each negative pressure heating unit and the delivery channel sub-region located between the negative pressure heating unit upper portion and the negative pressure heating unit lower portion collectively form a heated gas internal circulation passage; wherein the heated gas internal circulation passage comprises a backward passage for heated gas to flow from bottom to top and a forward passage for the heated gas to flow from top to bottom, wherein the backward passage comprises the lower exhaust channel 43 (small openings 24), the middle region of the delivery channel-region and the upper suction channel 54 and the forward passage comprises the upper exhaust channel 42 (small openings 22), the side regions of the delivery channel sub-region and the lower suction channel (figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 3, Chanasyk discloses that the furnace chamber comprises a preheating zone 80 and a peak zone 86, and the several heating units are disposed in the preheating zone and the peak zone, wherein the at least one negative pressure heating unit is disposed in the peak zone (figures 1, 6).
Regarding claim 4, the limitation “the pressure within the negative pressure heating unit upper portion is -0.001 to -0.01 atmospheric pressure” is functional and does not further limit the apparatus. It is the Examiner’s position that since Chanasyk discloses the claimed structure, it is capable of performing the claimed function.
Regarding claim 5, Chanasyk discloses that the negative pressure heating unit upper portion 52 comprises an upper housing and an upper divider 44 disposed within the upper housing, the upper fan suction port 46 and the upper fan exhaust port (arrows between 46 and 36 extending away) are disposed within the upper housing, the upper suction channel 54 and the upper exhaust channel 42 (small openings 22) are formed by the upper divider 44 and the upper housing (figure 2), the inlet of the upper suction channel 54 is located directly above the middle region of the delivery channel sub-region (where 12 is located); and the negative pressure heating unit lower portion 53 comprises a lower housing and a lower divider 45 disposed within the lower housing, and the lower fan suction port 47 and the lower fan exhaust port (arrows extending away between 47 and fan 41) are disposed within the lower housing, the lower suction channel 55 and the lower exhaust channel 43 (small openings 24) are formed by the lower divider 45 and the lower housing (figure 2), the outlet of the lower exhaust channel (openings 24) is located directly below the middle region of the delivery channel sub-region (where 12 is located) (figures 1-2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-12 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Prior art was not found that taught or suggested the structure of claims 1, 2, and 5 and also include that the upper fan suction port is located directly above the middle region of the delivery channel sub-region, and there is no upper divider between the upper fan suction port and the middle region of the delivery channel sub-region, or wherein: the upper housing of the negative pressure heating unit upper portion comprises a pair of first direction side walls extending in the first direction, a pair of second direction side walls extending in the second direction, and an upper top wall, the first direction upper side walls, the second direction upper side walls and the upper top walls being connected to each other such that the upper housing forms a box body shape with a bottom opening, the upper top wall having a fan receiving port; and the upper divider comprises a transverse partition and a pair of vertical partitions located below the transverse partitions and connected to both ends of the transverse partition in the second direction, the transverse partition having an upper fan opening; wherein the transverse partition and the pair of vertical partitions are all connected to the pair of second direction upper side walls to collectively form the upper suction channel through the transverse partition, the pair of vertical partitions and the pair of second direction upper side walls, the upper fan opening forming an outlet of the upper suction channel; wherein the transverse partition is spaced from the upper top wall by a certain distance to form a part of the upper exhaust channel, and the pair of vertical partitions are spaced from the pair of first direction upper side walls by a certain distance, respectively, to form another part of the upper exhaust channel, or wherein: the lower housing of the negative pressure heating unit lower portion comprises a pair of first direction lower side walls extending in the first direction, a pair of second direction lower side walls extending in a second direction, and a lower bottom wall, the first direction lower side walls, the second direction lower side walls and the lower bottom wall being connected to each other such that the lower housing forms a box body shape with a top opening, the lower bottom wall having a fan receiving port; the lower divider comprises a partition box body and a pair of partition flanges, the partition box body having a pair of box body openings at both ends in the second direction, the pair of partition flanges disposed around and extending outwardly from the pair of box body openings respectively, the bottom of the partition box body having a lower fan opening; the pair of partition flanges are connected to the pair of second direction lower side walls and the lower bottom wall, respectively, and are spaced from the pair of first direction lower side walls by a certain distance to form a part of the lower suction channel, another part of the lower suction channel being formed inside the partition box body, and the lower fan opening forming an outlet of the lower suction channel; and the partition box body is spaced apart from the lower bottom wall and the pair of second direction lower side walls to form the lower exhaust channel between the pair of partition flanges, the partition box body and the lower housing.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIN B SAAD whose telephone number is (571)270-3634. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30a-6p.
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/ERIN B SAAD/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735
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