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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, “a projection of the first end plate”, “a projection of the second end plate”, and “a projection of the first cooling stage” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites “other end”, which is grammatically incorrect, and will be interpreted as - - an other end - -.
Claims 1-2 recites “configured that”, which is grammatically incorrect, and will be interpreted as - - configured to: - -.
Claim 2 recite “and is connected” and “other end”, which are grammatically incorrect, and will be interpreted as - - and connected - - and - - the other end - -.
Claim 4 recites “a annular barrier”, which is grammatically incorrect, and will be interpreted as - - an annular barrier - -.
Claim 12 recites “warning information”, which lacks antecedent basis, and will be interpreted to recite - - a working gas - -.
Claims 12 and 15 recite the terms “working gas” and “remedial information”, which lack antecedent basis, and will be interpreted to recite - - a working gas - - and - - a remedial information - -.
Claim 12 repeatedly recites “for communicating the”, which is grammatically incorrect, and each recitation will be interpreted as - - for communicating with the - -.
Claim 13 recites “communicated with”, which is grammatically incorrect, and be interpreted as - - in communication with - -.
Claim 14 and 17 recite “PID control algorithm”, which lacks antecedent basis, and will be interpreted as - - a PID control algorithm - -.
Claims 3, 5-11, and 16 are objected to based on a dependence from an objected to claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 3-10 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.
Regarding claim 3, the term “smaller” in the recitation of “and a diameter of the second-stage cold storage component is smaller than a diameter of the first through hole” is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “smaller” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Thus, as used to qualify the diameter of the second-stage cold storage component in relation to the diameter of the first through hole, this term renders the same indeterminate and the claim indefinite with regard to the scope of protection sought thereby. In particular, without some combination of diameters and functional restrictions (such as “a diameter of the second-stage cold storage component is small enough to slide snugly into first through hole”), a diameter cannot be ascertained. For examination purposes, this limitation will not be considered. Clarity is advised.
Regarding claims 5 and 10, the claims recite “in an axial direction of the first tube body, a projection of the first end plate is greater than or equal to a projection of the first cooling stage”. In view of the drawing objection to the projections, as described above, examiner interprets projection of the respective end planes in the axial direction of the first tube body to mean extrusion of the respective end planes in the axial direction of the tube body, with result of creating the respective flanges. However, the comparison terms “greater than or equal” require a form of measure for the projection. The form of measure is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite form of measure, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Thus, as used to qualify a comparison of the projection of the first end plate and a projection of the first cooling stage, these terms render the same indeterminate and the claim indefinite with regard to the scope of protection sought thereby. In particular, the form of measure could be interpreted as the area, the volume, or the length of a projection, each yielding different comparative results depending on the facial areas of each projection. For examination purposes, the limitation "a projection of the first end plate” and “a projection of the first cooling stage" will each be interpreted to have a length such that the length of “a projection of the first end plate is greater than or equal to” the length of “a projection of the first cooling stage". Clarity is advised.
Claims 4 and 6-9 are rejected based on a dependence from a rejected claim.
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tanaka (JP 2009281363 A).
Regarding claim 1, Tanaka teaches:
A cryopump ("cryopump 10"), including:
a pump housing ("body portion 32");
a radiation shield ("radiation shield 40"),
arranged in the pump housing (Figure 3-4), and
configured that
a holding space (cavity inside “radiation shield 40”, Tanaka Annotated Figure 3) is formed inside the radiation shield (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3),
a first through hole ("refrigerator insertion hole 43")
is arranged on the radiation shield ("A refrigerator insertion hole 43 is provided on the side surface of the radiation shield 40", best mode, paragraph 32), and
the first through hole is connected with the holding space (because the holding space is the area inside the radiation shield, and the first through hole is in the side of the radiation shield, the first through hole must be connected with the holding space, Tanaka Annotated Figure 3);
a first-stage cold storage component ("first cooling stage 13", "first cylinder 11"),
arranged in the pump housing (Figure 3-4);
a second-stage cold storage component ("second cooling stage 14", "a second cylinder 12"),
arranged in the holding space (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3), and
configured to: one end of the second-stage cold storage component extends from the first through hole (Figure 3-4) and
connects the first-stage cold storage component ("a cylinder member 12 extending from the first cooling stage 13", abstract);
a connector ("first sleeve 80"),
configured to: one end of the connector is connected with the first-stage cold storage component, and an other end is connected with the radiation shield ("the radiation shield 40 is connected to the first cooling stage 13 via the first sleeve 80", best mode, paragraph 30); and
a cryopanel assembly ("cryopanel 60"),
set in the holding space (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3) and
connected to the second-stage cold storage component ("Each panel 64 is attached to a panel attachment member 66 attached to the second cooling stage 14", best mode, paragraph 14).
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Tanaka Annotated Figure 3
Regarding claim 2, Tanaka teaches the teachings, as described in claim 1 above, and further teaches:
the connector includes:
a first tube body ("first sleeve 80"),
configured to: the second-stage cold storage component penetrates the first tube body (figure 3-4);
a first end plate (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3),
arranged at one end of the first tube body (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3) and
connected with the first-stage cold storage component ("the radiation shield 40 is connected to the first cooling stage 13 via the first sleeve 80", best mode, paragraph 30); and
a second end plate (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3),
arranged at an other end of the first tube body (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3) and
connected to the radiation shield ("the radiation shield 40 is connected to the first cooling stage 13 via the first sleeve 80", best mode, paragraph 30).
Regarding claim 3, Tanaka teaches the teachings, as described in claim 2 above, and further teaches:
the second-stage cold storage component ("second cooling stage 14", "a second cylinder 12")
is coaxially arranged with the first through hole (figures 3-4)
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 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka (JP 2009281363 A), as applied to claim 2 above.
Regarding claim 10, in view of indefiniteness, Tanaka teaches the teachings, as described in claim 2 above, and further teaches:
the first-stage cold storage component ("first cooling stage 13", "first cylinder 11") has
a first cooling stage ("first cooling stage 13")
connecting to ("the radiation shield 40 is connected to the first cooling stage 13 via the first sleeve 80", best mode, paragraph 30)
the first end plate (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3), and
in an axial direction (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3) of
the first tube body ("first sleeve 80"),
a projection of the first end plate (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3)
a projection of the first cooling stage (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3),
the projection of the first end plate coincides with (Examiner interprets “coincides with” to mean “extends to the same diameter”. From Tanaka Annotated Figure 3, it can be seen that the axial projections of the first and second plates (flanges of "first sleeve 80"), are depicted to be equal in outer diameter)
a projection of the second end plate (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3).
Tanaka does not teach:
a projection of the first end plate is greater than or equal to a projection of the first cooling stage
However, Tanaka demonstrates a projection of the first end plate (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3) and a projection of the first cooling stage (Tanaka Annotated Figure 3), each having a length in the axial direction of the first tube body (“first sleeve 80”). Thus, aside from the statement of size/proportion, Tanaka discloses the recitation of "in an axial direction of the first tube body, a projection of the first end plate is greater than or equal to a projection of the first cooling stage”. Applicant has not properly demonstrated in their disclosure that the device would perform differently from that of the prior art whether or not “in an axial direction of the first tube body, a projection of the first end plate is greater than or equal to a projection of the first cooling stage”, thus the recitation thereof is deemed to be not patentably distinct from the teachings of Tanaka, and therefore it is deemed to hold no patentable weight. In Gardner v. TEC Syst., Inc., 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 830, 225 USPQ 232 (1984), the Federal Circuit held that, where the only difference between the prior art and the claims was a recitation of relative dimensions of the claimed device and a device having the claimed relative dimensions would not perform differently than the prior art device, the claimed device was not patentably distinct from the prior art device.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka (JP 2009281363 A), as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Takahashi (US 20220106949 A1) and Luo et al. (KR 20200093055 A).
Regarding claim 11, Tanaka teaches the teachings, as described in claim 2 above, and further teaches:
the cryopump ("cryopump 10")
the pump housing ("body portion 32")
Tanaka fails to teach:
the cryopump also includes: a first pressure detector, arranged on the pump housing to detect a pressure in the pump housing; and a pressure relief valve, arranged on the pump housing, the pressure relief valve has a valve spool, and the valve spool is configured to open actively; when the first pressure detector detects that the pressure in the pump housing reaches a first set value, the valve spool is opened and maintains a set opening.
Takahashi teaches:
the cryopump ("cryopump 10") also includes:
a first pressure detector ("pressure sensor 28"),
arranged on ("The pressure sensor 28 is attached to the cryopump container 16" (paragraph 0022))
the pump housing (“cryopump container 16”)
to detect a pressure in the pump housing ("pressure sensor 28 that measures the internal pressure of the cryopump container 16", paragraph 0022); and
a pressure relief valve ("rough valve 20"),
arranged on the pump housing ("vent valve 24 is attached to the cryopump container 16", paragraph 0020),
the valve is configured to open actively ("the rough valve 20 is opened through the control of the cryopump controller 100", paragraph 0018);
when the first pressure detector detects that the pressure in the pump housing reaches a first set value ("pressure region (A in S43)"), the valve is opened ("the valve controller 130 compares the measured pressure of the cryopump container 16 with the predetermined pressure region on the basis of the measured pressure signal from the pressure sensor 28 (S43). In a case where the measured pressure exceeds the upper limit value of the predetermined pressure region (A in S43), the valve controller 130 opens the rough valve 20", paragraph 0057) and
maintains a set opening ("in a case where the measured pressure is in the predetermined pressure region (between the upper limit value and the lower limit value) (C in S43), the valve controller 130 keeps the current open and closed state of the rough valve 20", paragraph 0057).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teachings of Tanaka to include “the cryopump also includes: a first pressure detector, arranged on the pump housing to detect a pressure in the pump housing; and a pressure relief valve, arranged on the pump housing, and the valve is configured to open actively; when the first pressure detector detects that the pressure in the pump housing reaches a first set value, the valve is opened and maintains a set opening” in view of the teachings of Takahashi to enable the use of a pressure relief valve such that "the cryopump container 16 is decompressed such that the internal pressure of the cryopump container 16 falls below the upper limit value" (paragraph 0057).
Luo teaches:
the pressure relief valve ("valve 33C")
has ("pressure relief device 30C further includes a valve 33C, and the valve 33C has a passage 331C extending in the longitudinal direction, and is sealed The assembly 31C includes a valve spool 311C", description of embodiments, paragraph 78)
a valve spool ("valve spool 311C")
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the combined teachings to include “the pressure relief valve has a valve spool” in view of the teachings of Luo so that the pressure relief valve can be opened or closed ("By moving along the spool 311C, the pressure relief hole 21 can be opened or closed", description of embodiments, paragraph 78).
Claims 12-13 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka (JP 2009281363 A), as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Koyama (US 20090282842 A1).
Regarding claim 12, Tanaka teaches the invention of claim 1, as described above, and further teaches:
the cryopump ("cryopump 10") also includes
a motor ("motor 16")
for powering ("when the output frequency is increased, the rotation speed of the valve driving motor 16 is increased, and the rotation of the rotary valve is increased. As a result, the intake / exhaust of the working gas in the refrigerator 50 is switched more quickly, the amount of working gas intake / exhaust per unit time increases, and the amount of heat absorbed by the working gas per unit time also increases. Accordingly, the first cooling stage 13 is cooled to the set target temperature. Accordingly, as the first cooling stage 13 is cooled, the temperature of the second cooling stage 14 is further lowered.", best mode, paragraph 21)
the first-stage cold storage component ("first cooling stage 13", "first cylinder 11") and
the second-stage cold storage component ("second cooling stage 14", "a second cylinder 12");
a compressor ("compressor 52"),
which has
a low-pressure pipeline (return line of "refrigerant pipe 18", figures 3-4) and
a high-pressure pipeline (feed line of "refrigerant pipe 18", figures 3-4),
the low-pressure pipeline and the high-pressure pipeline
are used to provide a working gas ("The compressor 52 compresses a refrigerant gas such as helium, that is, a working gas, and supplies the compressed gas to the refrigerator 50 through the refrigerant pipe 18", best mode, paragraph 3)
for the first-stage cold storage component and the second-stage cold storage component ("The refrigerator 50 cools the working gas by allowing it to pass through the regenerator, and further expands and cools it in the expansion chamber inside the first cylinder 11 and then in the expansion chamber inside the second cylinder 12", best mode, paragraph 3);
Tanaka fails to teach:
a second pressure detector, used for communicating with the compressor and detecting a pressure of the low-pressure pipeline; a third pressure detector, used for communicating with the compressor and detecting a pressure of the high-pressure pipeline; and a control device, used for communicating with the motor and the compressor, and issuing a warning information and/or a remedial information according to a pressure value or a pressure difference between the low-pressure pipeline and the high-pressure pipeline.
However, Koyama teaches:
a second pressure detector ("second pressure sensor 45"), used for communicating with the compressor (“compressor 40”) and detecting a pressure of the low-pressure pipeline ("low pressure piping 44"); a third pressure detector ("first pressure sensor 43"), used for communicating with the compressor and detecting a pressure of the high-pressure pipeline ("high pressure piping 42") ("the CP controller 100 determines the compressor differential pressure from the measured values obtained by the first pressure sensor 43 and the second pressure sensor 45. The CP controller 100 determines an operating frequency of the compressor motor 60 (e.g., rotational speed of the motor) such that the compressor differential pressure is to be equal to the target value", paragraph 0058); and
a control device ("CP controller 100"),
used for communicating with
the motor ("the CP controller 100 controls an operating frequency of the refrigerator motor 26", paragraph 0054) and
the compressor ("the CP controller 100 controls both of the cryopump 10 and the compressor 40", paragraph 0085), and
issuing a warning information and/or a remedial information ("The CP controller 100 may outputs a warning that recommends maintenance of the cryopump 10 as well as determining that the cryopump 10 undergoes performance degradation", paragraph 0075)
according to a pressure value or a pressure difference between the low-pressure pipeline and the high-pressure pipeline (The compression frequency is set to maintain a pressure differential, and the flow rate is estimated from that frequency, therefore the flow rate is determined by the pressure differential. Further, a performance degradation state is activated if the flow rate falls below a threshold value, and a warning is generated if the performance degradation state is active, therefore the warning is determined by the pressure differential: "a control unit that determines a command value for a heat cycle frequency such that a temperature of a respective cryopanel follow the target temperature and provides the value to the respective refrigerator, and that controls a frequency of the compression cycle so as to maintain a differential pressure between pressures at an inlet port and an outlet port of the compressor, at a constant value. The control unit may determine whether the command value for the heat cycle frequency issued to the respective refrigerator exceeds a reference value, and estimates a flow rate of the operating gas discharged from the compressor based on the frequency of the compression cycle. When the estimated flow rate is below a threshold value for determination, the control unit may determine that any one of the refrigerators, the command value for the frequency issued to which exceed a reference value, undergoes performance degradation" (paragraph 0015), "The CP controller 100 may outputs a warning that recommends maintenance of the cryopump 10 as well as determining that the cryopump 10 undergoes performance degradation" (paragraph 0075)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the combined teachings to include “a second pressure detector, used for communicating with the compressor and detecting a pressure of the low-pressure pipeline; a third pressure detector, used for communicating with the compressor and detecting a pressure of the high-pressure pipeline; and a control device, used for communicating with the motor and the compressor, and issuing a warning information and/or a remedial information according to a pressure value or a pressure difference between the low-pressure pipeline and the high-pressure pipeline” in view of the teachings of Koyama so as to "allow the pump to be diagnosed in real time and with high accuracy, and which contribute to realizing a planned process schedule by providing a leeway for the maintenance." (paragraph 0010).
Regarding claim 13, the combined teachings teach the invention of claim 12, as described above, and further teach:
a cryopump controller (Tanaka, "control unit 20"; Koyama, "CP controller 100"),
in communication with the motor (Tanaka, "valve drive motor 16"; Koyama, "refrigerator motor 26") and the control device (Tanaka, "control unit 20"; Koyama, "CP controller 100") (Koyama, "the CP controller 100 controls an operating frequency of the refrigerator motor 26", paragraph 0054),
the cryopump controller can obtain operating state parameters of the motor (Koyama, "The CP controller 100 may also take, for example, the command value or the measured value for the operating frequency of the refrigerator motor 26, as the operating parameter for determination.", paragraph 0065), and
the control device evaluates operating conditions of
the cryopump (Koyama, "CP controller 100 further executes diagnostic processing of the cryopump 10", paragraph 0061) and
the compressor (Koyama, "If the operating frequency of the compressor motor 60 does not reach the threshold value for determination (S12/No), the CP controller 100 determines that the cryopump 10 undergoes performance degradation (S14)", paragraph 0072)
according to the operating state parameters of the motor (Koyama, "the CP controller 100 may determine whether the cryopump 10 undergoes performance degradation or failure based on an operating parameter that varies prior to the increase in the temperature of the cryopump 10 due to performance degradation. The CP controller 100 may also take, for example, the command value or the measured value for the operating frequency of the refrigerator motor 26, as the operating parameter for determination.", paragraph 0065) and
gives maintenance suggestions (Koyama, "The CP controller 100 may outputs a warning that recommends maintenance of the cryopump 10 as well as determining that the cryopump 10 undergoes performance degradation", paragraph 0075).
Regarding claim 15, Tanaka teaches the invention of claim 1, as described above, and the combined teachings further teach:
A cryopump control method applied to the cryopump according to claim 1, wherein including the following steps
providing power to the first-stage cold storage component (Tanaka, "first cooling stage 13", "first cylinder 11"; Koyama, "first cooling stage 22") and the second-stage cold storage component (Tanaka, "second cooling stage 14", "a second cylinder 12"; Koyama, "second cooling stage 24"); using a low-pressure pipeline (Tanaka, return line of "refrigerant pipe 18", figures 3-4; Koyama, "low pressure piping 44") and a high-pressure pipeline (Tanaka, feed line of "refrigerant pipe 18", figures 3-4; Koyama, "high pressure piping 42") of a compressor (Tanaka, "compressor 52"; Koyama, "compressor 40") (Koyama, "The first cooling stage 22 and the second cooling stage 24 are cooled by driving the refrigerator 12" (paragraph 0078), "the operating gas with a high pressure is supplied to the refrigerator 12 from the compressor 40 through the high pressure piping 42. At the time, the refrigerator motor 26 drives the movable valve inside the motor housing 27 such that the high pressure piping 42 and the inside space of the refrigerator 12 are connected to each other. When the inside space of the refrigerator 12 is filled with the operating gas with a high pressure, the inside space of the refrigerator 12 is connected to the low pressure piping 44 with the refrigerator motor 26 switching the movable valve. Thereby, the operating gas is expanded and recovered into the compressor 40", paragraph 0038)
to provide a working gas (Koyama, "operating gas", abstract)
for the first-stage cold storage component (Koyama, "The refrigerator 12 expands within it an operating gas (e.g., helium) with a high pressure supplied from the compressor 40 so as to generate a cold state at the first cooling stage 22 and the second cooling stage 24", paragraph 0037) and
the second-stage cold storage component (Koyama, "a first pressure sensor 43 used for measuring an operating gas pressure on the discharge side, i.e., on the high pressure side of the compressor 40", paragraph 0051);
obtaining a pressure of the low-pressure pipeline of the compressor (Koyama, "a first pressure sensor 43 used for measuring an operating gas pressure on the discharge side, i.e., on the high pressure side of the compressor 40", paragraph 0051);
obtaining a pressure of the high-pressure pipeline of the compressor (Koyama, "a second pressure sensor 45 used for measuring an operating gas pressure on the inhale side, i.e., on the low pressure side of thereof", paragraph 0051); and
issuing a warning information and/or a remedial information (Koyama, "The CP controller 100 may outputs a warning that recommends maintenance of the cryopump 10 as well as determining that the cryopump 10 undergoes performance degradation", paragraph 0075)
according to a pressure value or a pressure difference between the low-pressure pipeline and the high-pressure pipeline (Koyama: The compression frequency is set to maintain a pressure differential, and the flow rate is estimated from that frequency, therefore the flow rate is determined by the pressure differential. Further, a performance degradation state is activated if the flow rate falls below a threshold value, and a warning is generated if the performance degradation state is active, therefore the warning is determined by the pressure differential: "a control unit that determines a command value for a heat cycle frequency such that a temperature of a respective cryopanel follow the target temperature and provides the value to the respective refrigerator, and that controls a frequency of the compression cycle so as to maintain a differential pressure between pressures at an inlet port and an outlet port of the compressor, at a constant value. The control unit may determine whether the command value for the heat cycle frequency issued to the respective refrigerator exceeds a reference value, and estimates a flow rate of the operating gas discharged from the compressor based on the frequency of the compression cycle. When the estimated flow rate is below a threshold value for determination, the control unit may determine that any one of the refrigerators, the command value for the frequency issued to which exceed a reference value, undergoes performance degradation" (paragraph 0015), "The CP controller 100 may outputs a warning that recommends maintenance of the cryopump 10 as well as determining that the cryopump 10 undergoes performance degradation" (paragraph 0075)).
Regarding claim 16, the combined teachings teach the invention of claim 15, as described above, and further teach:
obtaining operating state parameters (Koyama, "the command value or the measured value for the operating frequency of the refrigerator motor 26, as the operating parameter for determination", paragraph 0065) of
a motor (Tanaka, "valve drive motor 16"; Koyama, "refrigerator motor 26"),
evaluating operating conditions of
the cryopump (Tanaka, Koyama, "cryopump 10") ("the CP controller 100 further executes diagnostic processing of the cryopump 10", paragraph 0061) and
the compressor (Tanaka, "compressor 52"; Koyoma, "compressor 40") ("the CP controller 100 determines whether, for example, the operating frequency of the compressor motor 60 exceeds the threshold value for determination", paragraph 0070)
according to the operating state parameters of the motor (Koyama, "the CP controller 100 may determine whether the cryopump 10 undergoes performance degradation or failure based on an operating parameter that varies prior to the increase in the temperature of the cryopump 10 due to performance degradation. The CP controller 100 may also take, for example, the command value or the measured value for the operating frequency of the refrigerator motor 26, as the operating parameter for determination", paragraph 0065), and
giving maintenance suggestions (Koyama, "The CP controller 100 may outputs a warning that recommends maintenance of the cryopump 10 as well as determining that the cryopump 10 undergoes performance degradation", paragraph 0075).
Claims 14 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka (JP 2009281363 A) and Koyama (US 20090282842 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Takahashi (US 20220106949 A1) and Han et al. (CN 107575401 A).
Regarding claim 14, the combined teachings teach the invention of claim 13, as described above, and further teach:
the motor (Tanaka, "valve drive motor 16"; Koyama, "refrigerator motor 26")
the cryopump controller (Tanaka, "control unit 20"; Koyama, "CP controller 100")
The combined teaching fail to teach:
the operating state parameters of the motor include a current, the cryopump controller obtains the current of the motor, the control device compares the current with a set current, and adjusts a speed of the motor through a PID control algorithm.
However Han teaches:
the operating state parameters of the motor ("motor (2)") include
a current ("actual current", invention content, paragraph 7),
the controller ("upper computer controller (8)")
obtains the current of the motor ("Sense4 (current detection sensors) PA10, PA9", specific execution examples, paragraph 4),
the control device compares the current with a set current, and adjusts a speed of the motor through PID control algorithm ("system starts the motor, gradually increasing the rotating speed of the motor by PID speed controller, PID current controller, calculating the target current of the motor, and according to the three-phase actual current PWM pulse width modulation control and outputs each phase driving signal, the final stable speed and current of the motor at the target speed and the current", invention content, paragraph 7).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the combined teachings to include “the operating state parameters of the motor include a current, the controller obtains the current of the motor, the control device compares the current with a set current, and adjusts a speed of the motor through a PID control algorithm” in view of the teachings of Han so as to "accurately control the rotation speed of the motor and the current value" (invention content, paragraph 10).
Regarding claim 17, the combined teachings teach the invention of claim 16, as described above, and further teach:
the motor (Tanaka, "valve drive motor 16"; Koyama, "refrigerator motor 26")
the cryopump controller (Tanaka, "control unit 20"; Koyama, "CP controller 100")
The combined teaching fail to teach:
the operating state parameters of the motor include a current, the cryopump control method also including: obtaining the current of the motor, comparing the current with a set current, and adjusting a speed of the motor through a PID control algorithm.
However Han teaches:
the operating state parameters of the motor ("motor (2)") include
a current ("actual current", invention content, paragraph 7),
the cryopump control method also including:
obtaining the current of the motor ("Sense4 (current detection sensors) PA10, PA9", specific execution examples, paragraph 4),
comparing the current with a set current, and adjusting a speed of the motor through PID control algorithm ("system starts the motor, gradually increasing the rotating speed of the motor by PID speed controller, PID current controller, calculating the target current of the motor, and according to the three-phase actual current PWM pulse width modulation control and outputs each phase driving signal, the final stable speed and current of the motor at the target speed and the current", invention content, paragraph 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-9 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.
Regarding claim 4, the closest arts of record, Tanaka (JP 2009281363 A), teaches the limitations of claim 3, as described above, but alone or in combination, does not teach, suggest, or make obvious:
the connector also includes a second tube body and a annular barrier, an inner diameter of the first tube body is greater than or equal to the diameter of the first through hole, the second tube body is slidable in the first tube body, the annular barrier is slidable in the second tube body, and a gap is reserved between an inner wall of the annular barrier and an outer wall of the second-stage cold storage component.
Claims 5-9 have allowable subject matter due to a dependence on a claim which has allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
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/JOSHUA M STICKEL/ Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/ELIZABETH J MARTIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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