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 .
This office action is in response to amendments filed March 17, 2025.
Claims 1-8 have been canceled.
Claims 9-16 have been added.
Claims 9-16 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
As required by M.P.E.P. 609(C), the applicant’s submissions of the Information Disclosure Statements dated December 17, 2024, April 8, 2025, and April 14, 2025 are acknowledged by the examiner and the cited references have been considered in the examination of the claims now pending. As required by M.P.E.P 609, a copy of the PTOL-1449 initialed and dated by the examiner is attached to the office action.
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 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 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sonoda et al. (JP2016066784A).
Regarding claim 9, Sonoda teaches a treatment solution supply apparatus for supplying a treatment solution to a substrate treatment apparatus which treats a substrate using the treatment solution, the treatment solution supply apparatus comprising:
an installation stand in which a storage container storing the treatment solution is installed (The container storage device 1 includes ... a plurality of mounting tables 13 ... In FIG. 1 ... four mounting bases 13 are provided along the horizontal direction … The containers 10 for storing the treatment liquid are respectively mounted on the mounting tables 13)([0023] and [0024]; Figure 1 – installation stands (i.e., mounts) for storing liquid treatment containers are shown),
a fixation member fixed to the installation stand (For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the mounting table 13 is provided ... for example, a substantially cylindrical mounting plate 30 having ... a cylindrical guide 35)([0025]; Figure 2 - a fixation member (i.e., guide) fixed to a mount is shown),
a container holder holding the storage container (For example, as shown in FIG. 2 … a support plate 32 provided ... for supporting the lower surface of the container 10)([0025]; Figure 2 – container holder (i.e., support plate) holding a container is shown),
a moving member to which the container holder is fixed at its tip end side, where the moving member is supported on the fixation member at its base end side and configured to be foldable, wherein when the moving member is folded, a position of the container holder becomes a supply position, and when the moving member is extended, the position of the container holder becomes a replacement position (When moving the container 10 itself, for example, as shown in FIG. 19 ... The hinge 142 side in FIG. 19 is the access surface. In such a case, when the treatment liquid in the container 10 decreases, the end of the support plate 32 on the opposite side to the hinge 142 is gradually pushed up ... for example, as shown in FIG)([0054]; Figures 19 and 20 - a movement member (i.e., hinge) fixed to a support plate and to a guide is shown, the hinge folds when a container is supplying fluid (i.e., full) and extends when the container is to be replaced (i.e., empty)).
Regarding claim 10, Sonoda teaches the treatment solution supply apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:
a shelf having a plurality of the installation stands for installing a plurality of the storage container, wherein a direction in which the installation stands are arranged on the shelf and a direction in which the moving member moves by folding are perpendicular to each other (In FIG. 1, two shelves 12 are provided in the vertical direction, and the upper surface of each shelf 12 illustrates a state in which four mounting bases 13 are provided along the horizontal direction)([0023]; Figure 1 – a shelf having mounts is shown, a hinge moves perpendicular (i.e., up and down) to direction of the shelf).
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.
Claims 12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sonoda in further view of Nakatsuji et al. (US20090008398A1).
Regarding claim 12, Sonoda teaches the apparatus as applied above, Sonoda differs from the claim in that Sonoda fails to teach a lock mechanism for maintaining position of the container holder at the supply or the replacement position and a lock release mechanism for releasing a lock.
However, a lock mechanism for maintaining position of a container holder at a supply or a replacement position and a lock release mechanism for releasing a lock is taught by Nakatsuji (The container holder 15 is pivotally supported by a hinge portion 19 provided at a lower part of the base bracket 14, and a holder fixing mechanism 20 for fixing the container holder 15 ... In a state in which the pin 20 a is fitted in the pin hole of the locking plate 16 e ... the holder fixing mechanism 20 ... in a vertical attitude. The container holder 15 is rotated about the hinge portion 19 into a tilted attitude as shown in FIG. 5 by pulling out the ... to remove the lock of the locking plate 16 e with the pin 20 a ... FIG. 10 on an operation of moving the container holder 15 to replace the container 30 ... the holder fixing mechanism 20 is disengaged to allow the container holder 15 to rotate about the hinge portion 19, and the container 15 is thereby put in a tilted attitude)([0050], [0055], [0080], and [0081]; a container is held in vertical supply position by a fixing mechanism, a pin causes the fixing mechanism to disengage).
The examiner notes Sonoda and Nakatsuji teach a holding a container. As such, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sonoda to include the mechanism of Nakatsuji such that a lock mechanism maintains position of a container holder at a supply or a replacement position and a lock release mechanism releases a lock. One would be motivated to make such a combination to provide the advantage of preventing mispositioning of containers.
Regarding claim 15, Sonoda teaches the apparatus as applied above, Sonoda differs from the claim in that Sonoda fails to teach a lock mechanism for maintaining position of the container holder at the supply or the replacement position and a lock release mechanism for releasing a lock.
However, a lock mechanism for maintaining position of a container holder at a supply or a replacement position and a lock release mechanism for releasing a lock is taught by Nakatsuji (The container holder 15 is pivotally supported by a hinge portion 19 provided at a lower part of the base bracket 14, and a holder fixing mechanism 20 for fixing the container holder 15 ... In a state in which the pin 20 a is fitted in the pin hole of the locking plate 16 e ... the holder fixing mechanism 20 ... in a vertical attitude. The container holder 15 is rotated about the hinge portion 19 into a tilted attitude as shown in FIG. 5 by pulling out the ... to remove the lock of the locking plate 16 e with the pin 20 a ... FIG. 10 on an operation of moving the container holder 15 to replace the container 30 ... the holder fixing mechanism 20 is disengaged to allow the container holder 15 to rotate about the hinge portion 19, and the container 15 is thereby put in a tilted attitude)([0050], [0055], [0080], and [0081]; a container is held in vertical supply position by a fixing mechanism, a pin causes the fixing mechanism to disengage).
The examiner notes Sonoda and Nakatsuji teach container management. As such, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sonoda to include the mechanism of Nakatsuji such that a lock mechanism maintains position of a container holder at a supply or a replacement position and a lock release mechanism releases a lock. One would be motivated to make such a combination to provide the advantage of preventing mispositioning of containers.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sonoda in further view of Nakajima (JP6123629B2).
Regarding claim 13, Sonoda teaches the apparatus as applied above, Sonoda differs from the claim in that Sonoda fails to teach the container holder has a handle.
However, a container holder having a handle is taught by Nakajima (as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the liquid medicine container 3 is fixed ... on the side surface of the tray 31, a grip portion (not shown) for gripping the tray 31 is provided)([0023]).
The examiner notes Sonoda and Nakajima teach container management. As such, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sonoda to include the handle of Nakajima such that a container holder has a handle. One would be motivated to make such a combination to provide the advantage of allowing gripping of a container holder.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11, 14, and 16 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 on form PTO-892 and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicant is required under 37 C.F.R. § 1.111(c) to consider the reference fully when responding to this action. The document cited therein and enumerated below teaches a method and apparatus for managing containers.
US8461959B2
US10000331B2
US20210086368A1
JP2013247276A
KR20080045466A
TWI584351B
TW201530334A
CN119252755A
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Yongjia Pan whose telephone number is (571)270-1177. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST.
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/YONGJIA PAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2118
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