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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 17 objected to because of the following informalities: On line 17 of claim 17, the word “futher” should be - - further - -. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-4, 6-9, 11-13, 16, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Ito (USP 8974167).
Regarding claim 1, Ito discloses a stocker device (10) provided on a front face of a substrate processing apparatus (12) in which load ports (ports of 14a) are placed horizontally (seen in figures), the stocker device comprising:
a loading unit (10) located in front of the load ports and including shelves (24) configured to store substrate accommodation containers; and
a main frame (10) including a container transfer device (26) configured to transfer the substrate accommodation container between the shelves and the load port (seen in fig.4),
wherein the container transfer device is located above the load ports (seen in fig.4, it is located above the load ports at least in part including the holding parts 36 which hold the containers from above).
Regarding claim 2, Ito discloses the stocker device of claim 1, wherein the loading unit includes: a carrying-in/out loading unit including a carrying-in/out shelf (the top shelf reads on a carry-in/out shelf) where the substrate accommodation container is loaded and unloaded by a ceiling transfer trolley (as described in col.4, lines 34-44 a ceiling trolley or AGV stops above the storage and lowers cassettes onto the shelf); and a main loading unit including storage shelves (shelves between the load port and carry out shelf read on storage shelves) configured to store the substrate accommodation containers transferred between the carrying-in/out loading unit and the load port.
Regarding claim 3, Ito discloses the stocker device of claim 2, wherein the loading unit is configured to slide or open/close and move to the front of the main frame to secure a space for maintenance (as seen in fig.2 and described in col.9, lines 23-25).
Regarding claim 4, Ito discloses the stocker device of claim 2, wherein the carrying-in/out loading unit is located over the main loading unit (seen in figures).
Regarding claim 6, Ito discloses the stocker device of claim 2, wherein the main loading unit is configured such that the shelves are arranged in multiple stages in a vertical direction, and a first-stage shelf located at the lowermost stage among the shelves and a second-stage shelf located directly over the first-stage shelf have a greater floor height than other shelves (the shelves as seen in the figures are positioned one above the other and thus have greater floor height for each level).
Regarding claim 7, Ito discloses the stocker device of claim 1, wherein a shelf located at the topmost portion of the loading unit is configured to allow the substrate accommodation container to be transferred between the shelf and a ceiling traveling trolley (as described in col.4, lines 34-44 a ceiling trolley or AGV stops above the storage and lowers cassettes onto the shelf).
Regarding claim 8, Ito discloses the stocker device of claim 2, wherein the container transfer device includes: a transfer robot (26) including an arm (36) configured to grip the substrate accommodation container; a horizontal driving unit (44) configured to move the transfer robot in a horizontal direction; and a vertical driving unit (50) configured to move the transfer robot in a vertical direction.
Regarding claim 9, Ito discloses the stocker device of claim 8, wherein the horizontal driving unit is located above the load ports (as evident in the figures, the drive would be located above the load ports).
Regarding claim 11, Ito discloses a substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a main body (12) including an index unit in which load ports (ports on 14a), on which substrate accommodation containers are placed, are horizontally arranged on a front face (evident from figures); and
a stocker device (10) located in front of the index unit and configured to load and unload the substrate accommodation container,
wherein the stocker device includes:
a loading unit (10 is at least in part located in front of the load ports) located in front of the load ports and configured to store the substrate accommodation container (can store containers on shelves); and
a main frame including a container transfer device (26) configured to transfer the substrate accommodation container between the loading unit and the load port in a space above the load ports (see fig.4).
Regarding claim 12, Ito discloses the substrate processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the loading unit is configured to slide to the front of the main frame to secure a space for maintenance (as seen in fig.2 and described in col.9, lines 23-25).
Regarding claim 13, Ito discloses the substrate processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the loading unit includes: a carrying-in/out loading unit including a carrying-in/out shelf where the substrate accommodation container is loaded and unloaded by a ceiling transfer trolley; and a main loading unit including storage shelves storing the substrate accommodation container transferred between the carrying-in/out loading unit and the load port (see rejection of claim 2 above).
Regarding claim 16, Ito discloses the substrate processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the main loading unit is configured such that the shelves are arranged in multiple stages in a vertical direction, and a first-stage shelf located at the lowermost stage among the shelves and a second-stage shelf located directly over the first-stage shelf have a greater floor height than other shelves (see rejection of claim 6 above).
Regarding claim 18, Ito discloses a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a main body including a processing unit equipped with processing apparatuses that perform predetermined processing on a substrate, and an index unit which is located in front of the processing unit and in which load ports, on which substrate accommodation containers are placed, are horizontally arranged on a front face; and a stocker device located in front of the index unit and configured to load and unload the substrate accommodation container, wherein the stocker device includes: a loading unit including carrying-in/out shelves that are located in front of the load ports and where the substrate accommodation container is loaded and unloaded bya ceiling transfer trolley, and storage shelves located under the carrying-in/out shelves and configured to store the substrate accommodation container transferred between the carrying-in/out shelf and the load port; and a main frame including a container transfer device configured to transfer the substrate accommodation container between the loading unit and the load port in a space above the load ports, and the loading unit futher includes a moving frame slidably configured to move to the front of the main frame, and the storage shelves are arranged in multiple stages in a vertical direction on the moving frame (all of these limitations have been addressed in the rejections above as this claim is currently just a combination of various dependent claims that have been rejected above. Please review the rejections above for the reference numerals appropriately as all these limitations are readily covered in the figures and disclosure in Ito).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 10, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20 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 and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS C DIAZ whose telephone number is (571)270-5461. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John Olszewski can be reached at 571-272-2706. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/THOMAS C DIAZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
Prosecution Insights