DETAILED ACTION
for
VACUUM BELLOWS INTEGRITY VALIDATION TOOL
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
NO information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted.
Oath/Declaration
The Oath/Declaration submitted on 10/10/2024 is noted by the Examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, claim line 4: replace “the first support plate and the second plate” with -- the first support plate and the second support plate – to maintain antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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)(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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by HU et al. [herein after HU] (US 6,357,280).
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Regarding claim 1, HU discloses a system comprising: at least one first side gripper plate (22) mounted to a first support plate (11); at least one second side gripper plate (23) mounted to a second support plate (12); and a separator dowel (20) configured to engage the first support plate (11) and the second plate (12).
Regarding claim 2, HU further discloses separator dowel (20) comprises a threaded dowel (see annotated Fig. 3).
Regarding claims 3 and 11, HU further discloses the at least one first gripper plate (22) having two first side gripper plates (13, 30).
Regarding claims 4 and 12, HU further discloses the at least one second gripper plate (23) having two second side gripper plates (14, 40).
Regarding claim 5, HU further discloses each of the first side gripper plate (22) and the second side gripper plate (23) comprise a lip (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, HU further discloses the lip is configured to engage an interior of a bellows (20; Fig. 1).
Regarding claims 7 and 13, HU further discloses at least one connector (15) configured to attach the at least one first side gripper plate (22) to the first support plate (11); and at least one connector (15) configured to attach the at least one second side gripper plate (23) to the second support plate (12).
Regarding claim 8, HU further discloses rotating the separator dowel (20) separates the first support plate (11) and the second support plate (12).
Regarding claim 9, HU further discloses at least one first side gripper plate (22) mounted to a first support plate (11), the first support plate (11) having a female threaded receiving port (Fig. 1); at least one second side gripper plate (23) mounted to a second support plate (12), the second support plate (12) comprising a female threaded receiving port (Fig. 3); and a threaded separator dowel (20) configured to engage the female threaded receiving port of the first support plate (11) and the female threaded receiving port of the second support plate (12).
Regarding claim 10, HU further discloses rotation of the threaded separator dowel (20) moves the first support plate (11) and the second support plate (12) away from one another (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 14, HU further discloses the validation tool is configured to fit inside a bellows (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 15, HU further discloses a method for validating bellows vacuum integrity with a tool comprising: inserting a tool into a bellows, the tool comprising (see abstract): at least one first side gripper plate (22) mounted to a first support plate, the first support plate (11) comprising a female threaded receiving port (Fig. 1); at least one second side gripper plate (23) mounted to a second support plate (12), the second support plate (12) comprising a female threaded receiving port (Fig. 1); and a threaded separator dowel (20) configured to engage the female threaded receiving port of the first support plate (11) and the female threaded receiving port of the second support plate (12); expanding the bellows with the tool (Fig. 3); drawing a vacuum in the bellows; and identifying leaks in the bellows (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 16, HU further discloses expanding the bellows with the tool comprises: rotating the threaded separator dowel (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 17, HU further discloses identifying leaks in the bellows comprises: identifying leaks in the bellows with a mass spectrometer leak detector (Col. 3, lines 34-41).
Regarding claim 18, HU further discloses engaging a lip of the tool onto an interior of the bellows (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 19, HU further discloses releasing the vacuum inside the bellows (see claim 1).
Regarding claim 20, HU further discloses removing the tool from the bellows (Fig. 3-4).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDI N HOPKINS whose telephone number is (571)270-7042. The examiner can normally be reached M & F 9-5 and T-TH, 6-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Deherrera can be reached at (303) 297-4237. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRANDI N HOPKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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