Detailed Office Action
The communication dated 2/10/2025 has been entered and fully considered. Claims 1-10 are pending.
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 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 1-4 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by OKUNO (JP-2022026637-A and its English translation), hereinafter OKUNO. Note that the italicized text below are the instant claims.
Regarding claim 1, OKUNO discloses A vacuum lamination method {[0001], [0010] note laminating, [0054] note applying vacuum}, comprising:
step (a) providing a vacuum lamination device, which comprises an upper lamination unit and a lower lamination unit, wherein the upper lamination unit and the lower lamination unit are movable relative to each other {[0017] note upper/lower housing that are the lamination units, [FIG. 4] note upper unit 15B and lower unit 15A are moveable relative to each other by moving mechanism 16};
step (b) providing a sealing film and a substrate, wherein the substrate and the sealing film are provided between the upper lamination unit and the lower lamination unit, a predetermined distance is provided between the sealing film and the substrate, and the sealing film and the substrate are not in contact with each other {[0017] note workpiece is the substrate and film material is the sealing film, [FIG. 12a] note the sealing film DF and substrate W are at a predetermined distance and are not in contact with each other};
step (c) moving at least one of the upper lamination unit and the lower lamination unit to bring the upper lamination unit and the lower lamination unit close to each other and to join to each other, and the upper lamination unit and the lower lamination unit jointly surround and form a chamber, wherein the sealing film and the substrate are accommodated in the chamber {[0052], [0086], [FIG. 11] note the lamination units 15B and 15A are moved and joined with each other and thus a chamber inside is formed that houses sealing film DF and substrate W};
in step (c), the sealing film and the substrate are not in contact with each other; step (d) evacuating the chamber {[0018] note that the vacuum is applied and then the sealing film is contacted with the workpiece, thus, they were not in contact with each other prior to evacuating the chamber};
step (e) moving at least one of the sealing film and the substrate to bring the sealing film and the substrate close to each other, so that the sealing film is laminated onto the substrate {[0089] note lowering the sealing film DF to be laminated onto the substrate W};
step (f) heating the sealing film and the substrate {[0093] note activating heater to heat substrate and sealing film, [0096]};
step (g) releasing the vacuum in the chamber; and step (h) moving at least one of the upper lamination unit and the lower lamination unit to separate the upper lamination unit and the lower lamination unit from each other {[0099] note raising the unit 15b or separating the units after vacuum is released}.
Regarding claim 2, OKUNO discloses further comprising providing a carrier film roll, wherein the substrate is provided on the lower lamination unit, the sealing film is provided between the upper lamination unit and the substrate, the carrier film roll outputs a carrier film through a carrier transport device, the sealing film is attached to the carrier film output from the carrier film roll, and the carrier transport device transports the sealing film attached to the carrier film roll to a position between the upper lamination unit and the substrate, and positioning the sealing film above the substrate {[FIG. 3] 21/B1 are the carrier film roll, 23 is the carrier transport device that eventually sends the DF or sealing film to the lamination unit, [FIG. 3] S2 is the carrier film onto which Re that is the actual sealing film is attached, [FIG. 12] note substrate W is on the lower lamination unit 15A and sealing film DF is between the upper unit 15A (not shown) and the substrate, note that 38 is also interpreted as being part of the carrier transport device}.
Regarding claim 3, OKUNO discloses wherein step (e) further comprises moving at least one of the upper lamination unit and the lower lamination unit, so that the upper lamination unit and the lower lamination unit are closer to each other, and the sealing film and the substrate are clamped between the upper lamination unit and the lower lamination unit {[FIG. 11] note the movement that has brought 15B and 15A together and DF and W are clamped between15B and 15A}.
Regarding claim 4, OKUNO discloses wherein the sealing film is attached to a first surface of the carrier film output from the carrier film roll, and the upper lamination unit abuts against a second surface of the carrier film output from the carrier film roll; the first surface is opposite to the second surface {[FIG. 2] note S2 is the carrier fil that the sealing film Re is attached to it first surface, [Fig. 12a] note 38 that is part of the upper lamination unit 15B contacts the second surface of S2 that is the non-shaded part of DF}.
Regarding claim 10, OKUNO discloses further comprising providing a sealing film roll and a cutting device, wherein the sealing film roll outputs the sealing film through a sealing film transport device, and the cutting device cuts the sealing film output from the sealing film roll to form the sealing film {[FIG. 3] 21/B1 is the sealing film role that is transported by the transport device 23, [FIG. 4] 37 is the cutting device that cuts the sealing film}.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 5-6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over OKUNO or alternatively over OKUNO in view of OGAWA (JP-H11320682-A and its English translation), hereinafter OGAWA. Note that the italicized text below are the instant claims.
Regarding claim 5, OKUNO discloses wherein the upper lamination unit comprises a upper heating plate and a soft material pad; wherein step (c) comprises moving the upper lamination unit so that the other side of the soft material pad opposites to the upper heating plate abuts against the second surface of the carrier film output from the carrier film roll {[0019] note heating mechanism, [0142] note heater 44 can be provided both for lower and upper lamination units, [0010] note elastic member is the soft pad, [0060] note elastic member 47 and protective sheet 49 are the soft pad, [0066] note the soft pad 49 comes into contact with or abuts the carrier film and since it deforms it is considered to be soft}.
OKUNO, however, is silent on the heater plate and soft pad to be stacked on each other such that the other side of the soft pad comes into contact with the heating plate or the limitation “heating plate and a soft material pad stacked on each other, and a side of the soft material pad is in contact with the upper heating plate”. OKUNO discloses that the heating plate is imbedded in the pressing plate and not stacked {[0142]}.
At the effective filing date of the instant invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have separated the integrated or embedded heating plate of OKUNO and have created a separate heating plate stacked with the soft pad, since it has been held that constructing formerly integral structure in various separate elements involves only routine skill in the art {see MPEP 2144.04 (V)(C)}.
One would have been motivated to have made the heating plate separate and in stacked formation, since in this configuration, the heating plate can be accessed easily in those cases where repair and maintenance are required.
In the alternative and in the same field of endeavor that is related to vacuum lamination, OGAWA discloses stacked formation of pressing plate and heater as separate items {[0016]}.
At the effective filing date of the instant invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have incorporated the teachings of OGAWA in the apparatus of OKUNO and have placed the heater separately, stacked, and in contact with its soft pad. One would have been motivated to have made the heating plate separate and in stack formation, since in this configuration, the heating plate can be accessed easily in those cases where repair and maintenance are required.
Regarding claim 6, modified OKUNO discloses wherein the upper lamination unit comprises an upper cover with a downward opening, and the lower lamination unit comprises a lower cover with an upward opening; wherein step (c) comprises moving the upper cover closer to the lower cover and joining the upper cover and the lower cover to form the chamber; wherein the upper heating plate and the soft material pad are provided in the upper cover {[FIG. 4] 15B is the upper cover with a downward opening, and 15A is the lower cover with an upward opening, note soft pad 47/49 and heating plate in modified OKUNO are associated with upper cover 15B, [FIG. 11] note closing of the two covers indicating the movement}.
Regarding claim 8, modified OKUNO discloses wherein the lower lamination unit comprises a lower heating plate and a suction device provided in the lower cover, the suction device is embedded in the lower heating plate, the suction device has a support portion for supporting the substrate, and the suction device is capable of being controlled to move up and down relative to the lower heating plate; wherein step (b) comprises placing the substrate on the support portion, controlling the suction device to grip the substrate, and controlling the suction device to move downward so that the substrate contacts the lower heating plate {[0059] note support pins support the substrate and are movable up and down, note modified OKUNO has a separate heating plate, [0056] note substrate W is supported by a suction device}.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over OKUNO or combination of OKUNO and OGAWA as applied to claims 1-6 above, and further in view of ITO (US-2005/0089597), hereinafter ITO. Note that the italicized text below are the instant claim.
Regarding claim 7, OKUNO or combination of OKUNO and OGAWA discloses all the limitations of claims 1-6 as discussed above. OKUNO or combination of OKUNO and OGAWA, however, is silent regarding the lower cover comprising of an inner cover and a moveable outer cover. OKUNO only discloses the inner cover 15A as discussed above {[FIG. 4]}.
In the same field of endeavor that is related to heated vacuum press, ITO discloses wherein the lower cover comprises an outer cover and an inner cover, and the outer cover is positioned around an outer periphery of the inner cover and capable of being controlled to move up and down relative to the inner cover; wherein step (c) comprises moving the upper cover toward the outer cover to bring the upper cover to join to the outer cover, thereby the upper cover and the outer cover jointly surround and form the chamber; wherein step (e) comprises moving the upper lamination unit and the outer cover downward so that the sealing film and the substrate are clamped between the upper lamination unit and the lower lamination unit {[0057]-[0058], [FIG. 3] 15 is the outer cover that slides up and down via mechanism 16, and 15 is in the periphery of the inner cover 13, [FIG. 8b] note the upper cover 14 is joined with the outer cover 15 and has moved down to close the lamination unit}.
At the effective filing date of the instant invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have incorporated the teachings of ITO in OKUNO or combination of OKUNO and OGAWA and have modified the lower cover 15B of OKUNO into two parts of an inner cover that is surrounded by a moving outer cover. As disclosed by ITO, the advantage of this configuration is ensuring the gas tightness {[0058]}.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 is 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.
It is not obvious and there is no motivation to modify OKUNO or combination of OKUNO and OGAWA to bring into contact the carrier film roll and the top edge of the outer cover such that a synchronous downward movement of the carrier roll in conjunction with the upper lamination unit and the outer cover can be implemented.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to S. BEHROOZ GHORISHI whose telephone number is (571)272-1373. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-(alt Fri) 7:30-5:00.
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/S. BEHROOZ GHORISHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1748
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