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 .
The specification, abstract, drawings and claims of July 31, 2024 are under examination.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) was/were submitted on July 31, 2024. The submission(s) is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
The listing of references in the specification is not a proper information disclosure statement. 37 CFR 1.98(b) requires a list of all patents, publications, or other information submitted for consideration by the Office, and MPEP § 609.04(a) states, "the list may not be incorporated into the specification but must be submitted in a separate paper." Therefore, unless the references have been cited by the examiner on form PTO-892, they have not been considered.
Claim Objections
Claim 27 should be dependent upon claim 26, as claim 27 lacks antecedent basis for “the first arrangement pattern”.
Claim 29 should be dependent upon claim 28, as claim 29 lacks antecedent basis for “the edge channels”.
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) 18-22, 26, 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Inamasu et al. (USPN 8307778).
Regarding Claim(s) 18, Inamasu et al. (USPN 8307778) teaches a floating unit for carrying and transporting a substantially flat body, the floating unit comprising: a carrier plate (stage 76), the carrier plate comprising: a first plurality of pressure nozzles (openings 88), and a first plurality of vacuum nozzles (openings 90) on a first surface, wherein a first plurality of channels (slots 88m, 90m) which extend both from the pressure nozzles of the first plurality of pressure nozzles and from the vacuum nozzles of the first plurality of vacuum nozzles is provided in the first surface (see Figure 6, 7A,7B).
Regarding Claim(s) 19, the channels are parallel (see Figure 6).
Regarding Claim(s) 20, the channels associated with pressure nozzles and the channels associated with vacuum nozzles are provided alternately perpendicular to their extension (see Figure 6).
Regarding Claim(s) 21, the channels extend from each pressure nozzle of the first plurality of pressure nozzles and from each vacuum nozzle of the first plurality of vacuum nozzles in opposite directions starting from the pressure nozzles and the vacuum nozzles (see Figure 6).
Regarding Claim(s) 22, the pressure nozzles of the first plurality of pressure nozzles and the vacuum nozzles of the first plurality of vacuum nozzles are each arranged in the center of the channels (see Figure 6).
Regarding Claim(s) 26, the first plurality of pressure nozzles, the first plurality of vacuum nozzles and the associated channels have a regular first arrangement pattern (see Figure 6).
Regarding Claim(s) 27, a second plurality of pressure nozzles is provided in a transport direction provided for the flat body, following the first arrangement pattern, which have a second arrangement pattern which differs from the first arrangement pattern (see Figure 6, section M4, M5, which shows a different pattern of openings 88).
Regarding Claim(s) 32, Inamasu et al. teaches
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inamasu et al. as applied to claim 18 above, and further in view of Grundmuller et al. (USPN 8785812).
Regarding Claim(s) 24, Inamasu et al. teaches the limitations described above, yet fails to teach the pressure nozzles of the first plurality of pressure nozzles have a smaller cross-section than the vacuum nozzles of the first plurality of vacuum nozzles. Grundmuller et al. (USPN 8785812) teaches pressure nozzles (outflow orifices 15) having a smaller cross-section than vacuum nozzles (orifices 14) [Col. 3:61-65]. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Inamasu et al. such that the pressure nozzles of the first plurality of pressure nozzles have a smaller cross-section than the vacuum nozzles of the first plurality of vacuum nozzles in order to prevent air buildup under the body.
Claim(s) 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inamasu et al. as applied to claim 18 above, and further in view of Yassour et al. (USPN 7530778).
Regarding Claim(s) 32, Inamasu et al. teaches the limitations described above and teaches a gas supply (89), yet fails to teach a distributor for supplying and discharging air is arranged on a second surface of the carrier plate opposite the first surface. Yassour et al. (USPN 7530778) teaches a distributor (pressure reservoir 86) for supplying and discharging air is arranged on a second surface of the carrier plate (platform 80a) opposite the first surface. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide a distributor for supplying and discharging air is arranged on a second surface of the carrier plate opposite the first surface in order to supply air as taught by Yassour et al. since the elements were known in the art and one of ordinary skill, using known methods, could have combined the elements and achieved predictable results.
Claim(s) 33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inamasu et al. as applied to claim 18 above, and further in view of Adin et al. (US Pub 20050015170 A1).
Regarding Claim(s) 33, Inamasu et al. teaches the limitations described above, yet fails to teach a laser device is provided for detecting a position of the flat body. Adin et al. teaches a laser scanner (318) to detect a position of the flat body (substrate 304). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide a laser device to detect a position of the flat body as taught by Adin et al. since the elements were known in the art and one of ordinary skill, using known methods, could have combined the elements and achieved predictable results.
Claim(s) 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inamasu et al.
Regarding Claim(s) 34, Inamasu et al. teaches a system for carrying and transporting at least one substantially flat body, the system comprising: a floating unit, each floating unit for carrying and transporting the at least one substantially flat body, each floating unit comprising: a carrier plate (stage 76), the carrier plate comprising: a first plurality of pressure nozzles (openings 88), and a first plurality of vacuum nozzles (openings 90) on a first surface, wherein a first plurality of channels (slots 88m, 90m) which extend both from the pressure nozzles of the first plurality of pressure nozzles and from the vacuum nozzles of the first plurality of vacuum nozzles is provided in the first surface. Inamasu et al. fails to teach at least two floating units and wherein the first surfaces of the floating units lie in one plane. However, duplicating the components of a prior art device is a design consideration within the skill of the art. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). Providing more than one floating unit would permit larger bodies to be handled. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide at least two floating units in order to handle larger bodies. Further, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person of ordinary skill in the art to arrange the first surface in a single plane in order to support the body equally by both floating units.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 23, 25, 28-31 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. USPN 5078775 discloses a floating unit having channels extending from pressure nozzles and vacuum nozzles and would read on at least claim 18.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM RAY HARP whose telephone number is (571)270-5386. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.
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/WILLIAM R HARP/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653