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 .
Note: Claims 1-11, 22-23, 40-43 were previously cancelled in the claim set filed 12/09/2024 and the Examiner believes that Applicant referred back to an earlier claim set filed 09/27/2024. The Examiner will use the claim status indicated in the claim set filed 12/09/2024 in this office action and are reflected below. Clarification is respectfully requested.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 24-39 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 02/17/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 5 (Figure 5) in the reply filed on 02/17/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim 17 is further withdrawn as being directed to species 9, which has a magnetic actuation interface.
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) 16 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (Lee US 10,658,215).
16: Lee teaches a substrate container (container generally shown in Figures 5A-5B and 10A-10B), comprising: an inner pod configured to contain a large format reticle (inner pod 200 comprising 204 and 212, Figure 2, capable of containing an unclaimed large format reticle), the inner pod including a cover (cover 204) and a baseplate (baseplate 212, Figure 2); an outer pod (outer pod 500) configured to contain the inner pod, the outer pod including a shell (shell generally indicated as 502) having an opening on a front side of the outer pod (opening along 512 on the front side of the pod) and a door (door 504), wherein the door includes an actuation feature (actuation interface inner face of 504 Figure 10B), and wherein the shell contains a clamping mechanism (clamping mechanism 580, 532, Figure 10B) configured to interface with the actuation feature such that when the door is attached to the shell, the clamping mechanism is driven (clamping mechanism 580, 532, Figure 10B is driven by the closure of the door 504 to actuate 534) to clamp the inner pod within the outer pod (to clamp pod 200).
18: Lee teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 16 and Lee further teaches that the actuation feature includes an actuation surface (interior surface of 504) configured to contact a part of the clamping mechanism such that the clamping mechanism is driven (clamping mechanism 580, 532, Figure 10B is driven by the closure of the door 504 to actuate 534) to clamp the inner pod (to clamp pod 200).
19: Lee teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 16 and Lee further teaches that the clamping mechanism includes a biasing spring (spring 580) configured to release the clamping mechanism when the door is removed from the shell (configure to release 532 from contacting the top of the reticle pod, see Figure 10B).
20: Lee teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 16 and Lee further teaches that the clamping mechanism includes an arm (arm generally indicated as 580) secured by a pivot (580 can pivot with respect to the middle plate 582, Figure 10A), wherein a clamping surface is provided at an end of the arm (bottom surface of 532, Figure 10B).
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) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (Lee US 10,658,215) in view of Phark et al. (Phark US 9,514,971).
12: Lee teaches a substrate container (container generally shown in Figures 5A-5B and 10A-10B), comprising: an inner pod configured to contain a large format reticle (inner pod 200 comprising 204 and 212, Figure 2, capable of containing an unclaimed large format reticle), the inner pod including a cover (cover 204) and a baseplate (baseplate 212, Figure 2); and an outer pod (outer pod 500) configured to contain the inner pod, the outer pod including a shell (shell generally indicated as 502) having an opening on a front side of the outer pod (opening along 512 on the front side of the pod 103 latch) and a door (door 504), and an actuation interface on an inward-facing side of the door (actuation interface inner face of 504, Figure 10B), and wherein the shell contains a clamping mechanism (clamping mechanism 580, 532, Figure 10B) configured to interface with the actuation interface (via 534) such that when the door is attached to the shell (to contact the interior surface of 504), the clamping mechanism is driven (clamping mechanism 580, 532, Figure 10B is driven by the closure of the door 504 ) to clamp the inner pod within the outer pod (to clamp pod 200) except wherein the door includes a latch, a latch interface on an outward-facing side of the door, and the latch is operated to secure the door to the shell.
Phark teaches a door 1, having a latch mechanism shown in Figure 3, wherein the latch interface is located on the exterior facing side of the door, in Figures 2-3, wherein the latch is capable of being operated to secure the door 1 to the shell 3, at 7 in Figure 6a.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lee such that the teaching of wherein the door includes a latch, a latch interface on an outward-facing side of the door, and the latch is operated to secure the door to the shell is applied such that the door can be locked and unlocked using a simple structure and simple components, the sealing force of the door is improved, and product assemblability and productivity can be improved, col. 6, ll. 6-10.
Claim(s) 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (Lee US 10,658,215) in view of Phark et al. (Phark US 9,514,971) and further in view of Yang et al. (Yang US 2015/0090630).
13: Lee-Phark teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 12 except the actuation interface is a socket configured to receive a corresponding projection included in the clamping mechanism.
Yang teaches a socket (formed by a pair of elements 13) located on the interior of the lid capable of interacting with a corresponding protrusion element (222, Figure 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lee-Phark such that the teaching of the actuation interface is a socket configured to receive a corresponding projection included in the clamping mechanism were applied in order to further provide a protrusion element within the lid so that the interior elements can be further secured during transport.
14: Lee-Phark teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 12 except the actuation interface is a projection configured to be received in a socket included in the clamping mechanism.
Yang teaches a protrusion (13) located on the interior of the lid capable of interacting with a corresponding groove element located to the right and left of element (221, Figure 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lee-Phark such that the teaching of the actuation interface is a projection configured to be received in a socket included in the clamping mechanism were applied in order to further provide a protrusion element within the lid so that the interior elements can be further secured during transport.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15 and 21 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KING M CHU whose telephone number is (571)270-7428. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10AM - 6PM EST.
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/King M Chu/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3735