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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 06/17/2026 has been entered. Claims 1, 8 and 9 have been amended. Claims 1-10 are pending. Applicant’s amendment to the claims have overcome 112(f) claim interpretation previously set forth in the Non-Final Rejection mailed 03/10/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Figures: The examiner provides illustrations from the prior art with additional annotations as needed to facilitate discussion of the claim elements. Moreover, it is held that guidance as provided by the figures is sufficient to enable public possession of an inventive concept. That is, an enabling picture may be used to reject claims directed to an article to include: anticipating claims if they clearly show the structure which is claimed. In re Mraz, 455 F.2d 1069, 173 USPQ 25 (CCPA 1972). And when the reference is a utility patent, it does not matter that the feature shown is unintended or unexplained in the specification. The drawings must be evaluated for what they reasonably disclose and suggest to one of ordinary skill in the art. In re Aslanian, 590 F.2d 911, 200 USPQ 500 (CCPA 1979), see MPEP 2125. The examiner provides marked-up reproductions of applicable drawings (as needed) to facilitate discussion of the prior art.
Claims 1-3, 5, 8, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goto et al. (JP 2018183931 A1 – of record), in view of at least one of Guo (CN 114434798 A – of record), in view of Day (GB 1,505,068).
Regarding claim 1, Goto discloses a resin molding apparatus. The apparatus to include a dispenser 18 and moving mechanism 19 – (construed as a resin supply mechanism) suitable for supplying a powdery resin material onto a film disposed on a lower mold, see [0020] – (construed as configured to supply powder resin onto at least one object to be supplied). A mold die 11 including: an upper die 9; and a lower die 10 facing the upper die, the mold die being configured to receive the powder resin between the upper die and the lower die, see figure 2 (b); and a mold clamp mechanism 6 configured to clamp the mold die for compression molding. The resin supply mechanism including: a dispenser 18, see figure 2 (b) – (construed as a resin supply section configured to store the powder resin and having an opening for letting the powder resin drop freely).
Goto does not explicitly disclose the use of a rotor in a shape of a circular column with an outer surface having a plurality of depressions, the rotor being configured to rotate about an axis; or a spatula-shaped member having a first end in contact with the outer surface of the rotor.
Guo discloses a powder laying system. The system is configured to use a circular column shaped powder distribution roller 104 – (construed as a rotor) having disposed thereon grooves – (construed as a depressions), see figure 5 – (construed as a rotor in a shape of a circular column with an outer surface having a plurality of depressions, the rotor being configured to rotate about an axis). Guo discloses such a configuration allows for powder delivery and reduction of instance of powder jamming, see page 23 paragraphs 1 and 5.
Day discloses an apparatus for producing a uniform supply of powdered material. The apparatus is configured to have a roller 4 – (construed as a rotor) that is a circular column and rotates on an axis – (construed as a rotor in a shape a circular column with an outer surface, the rotor being configured to rotate about an axis). And a chamber 18 – (construed as a resin supply section) configured to store the powder material and having an outlet slot 17 – (construed as an opening) for letting the powder material drop freely onto the roller/rotor; and a scraper blade 22 – (construed as a spatula-shaped member) having a first end in contact with the outer surface of the rotor, see Fig. 1. Day discloses such a configuration allows for producing, from a bulk supply of a powdered material, a uniform supply of said powdered material, see page 1 lines 81-84.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Goto’s resin supply mechanism to have a rotor and spatula as taught by Day and for the rotor to include depressions as taught by Guo to provide the resin supply mechanism with a means for supplying a uniform amount of powder with a reduced chance of powder jamming as reasonably suggested by the prior art.
Regarding claims 2-3, modified Goto does not explicitly disclose the claimed resin supply section shape. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust modified Goto’s resin supply section as claimed since: it has been held that a mere change in shape of an element is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in art when the change in shape is not significant to the function of the combination. Further, one would have been motivated to select the offset shape of resin supply section for the purpose of channeling the powder to the opening of the container, see MPEP 2144.04.
Regarding claim 5, modified Goto discloses the trailing edge of the blade 22 may be formed with a series of comb-like teeth, see Day page 2 lines 105-107 – (construed as the spatula-shaped member has a slit extending from the first end toward a second end of the spatula-shaped member).
Regarding claim 8, modified Goto discloses a moving mechanism 19 configured to move the resin supply mechanism in the x and y directions, see at least Goto Fig. 14.
Regarding claim 10, modified Goto discloses a method for producing a resin molded product with use of a resin molding apparatus, see Goto [0002]. This includes a supplying step of supplying an object to be formed by a supply mechanism, see [0008], the object being a semiconductor chip disposed on a substrate and sealed with the resin, see [0011] – (construed as an object), and the resin being a powder, see [0020] - (construed as supplying the powder resin onto the at least one object to be supplied with use of the resin supply mechanism); and a supplying step of supplying a pre-forming substrate, which is an object of resin molding, to the mold surface of the mold or the lower mold by the supply mechanism, see [0065] – (construed as supplying a substrate to be molded and the at least one object to be supplied onto the mold die); and a resin molding step mold by clamping a resin mold, see [0065] – (construed as clamping the mold die with use of the mold clamp mechanism for the compression molding).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goto et al. (JP 2018183931 A1 – of record), in view of at least one of Guo (CN 114434798 A – of record), in view of Day (GB 1,505,068), as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Muramatsu (WO2018109967A1 – of record).
Regarding claim 9, modified Goto does not explicitly disclose the claimed measurer.
Muramatsu discloses a resin supply jig and its measuring method. The arrangement is configured to have a stage 17 – (construed as a table) that the resin supply jig – (construed as an object to be supplied); and an electronic balance as a weighing device 21 – (construed as a measurer) disposed directly below the resin supply jig and configured to weigh the resin on the resin supply jig, see at least FIGS 3H – 4N and corresponding written description).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust modified Goto to have a table and measuring arrangement as taught by Muramatsu to provide a means for accurately measuring the weight of resin as reasonably suggested by the prior art.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goto et al. (JP 2018183931 A1 – of record), in view of at least one of Guo (CN 114434798 A – of record), or Day (GB 1,505,068), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Goto et al. (JP 2017193095 A – of record, hereinafter ‘095).
Regarding claim 4, modified Goto does not explicitly disclose a release film and frame.
‘095 discloses a resin molding apparatus. The apparatus to include a resin removing mechanism 35 comprising a rotating body 36 – (construed as a rotor in a shape of a circular column, the rotor being configured to rotate about an axis) and spatula member 39 disposed as to touch the rotating body, see FIG. 5 (c) - FIG. 6 (b) – (construed as a spatula-shaped member having a first end in contact with the outer surface of the rotor). ‘095 discloses such a configuration prevents the residual resin taken up by the rotating body from continuing to rotate while attached to the rotating body. And further includes the use of a release film 27; and a frame 16.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust modified Goto’s resin molding apparatus to include a frame and a release film as taught by ‘095 to provide the device with a means for processing resin.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-7 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, claim 6 and claim 7 and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The closest prior art of record Goto does not teach or reasonably suggest forming the resin supply mechanism to have a plate parallel to the axis and facing a side of the rotor relative to the axis on which side the outer surface moves downward as the rotor rotates; wherein the plate is movable upward and downward.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-5 and 8-10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CEDRICK S WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571) 272-9776. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Thursday 8:00am-5:00pm.
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/CEDRICK S WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1749
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