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 as failing to comply with 37 C.F.R. 1.84(q) because reference characters exist which neither have an associated lead line or indicate the surface or cross section on which they are placed. Lead lines are required for each reference character except for those which indicate the surface or cross section on which they are placed. Such a reference character must be underlined to make it clear that a lead line has not been left out by mistake. MPEP 608.02 V. See at least 1 and 10 which are underlined but do not indicate the surface or cross section on which they are placed.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with C.F.R 1.84(u) because the different views must be numbered in consecutive Arabic numerals, starting with 1, independent of the numbering of the sheets and, if possible, in the order in which they appear on the drawing sheet(s). Partial views intended to form one complete view, on one or several sheets, must be identified by the same number followed by a capital letter. View numbers must be preceded by the abbreviation "FIG." Where only a single view is used in an application to illustrate the claimed invention, it must not be numbered and the abbreviation "FIG." must not appear. MPEP 608.02 V. See fig. 7 which includes multiple views.
The drawings are objected to because KH and FH are both indicated as being heights while being in different axes.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “2” has been used to designate different structures between figures 3A and 6.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: H.
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, the operation indication member having different colors to identify the first state or the second state of claim 3 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.
Specification
The specification is objected to because of the following informalities: acronyms exist without being defined at their first instance. Appropriate correction is required. See SEMI.
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 1-11 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.
Claims 1 and 8 are led to be indefinite as it is unclear if the latch apparatus and operation indicating member are part of the invention, door body, or not. The preamble recites a door body, however, the claims further recite “a latch apparatus, disposed on the door body”. It is unclear if the latch apparatus is disposed on the door body, and therefore not part of the invention, or if the latch apparatus is part of the door body. In order to provide art the claim will be interpreted as the latter.
Clams 9 and 11 are led to be indefinite as they recite “the picking portion” while depending on a claim, 8, which recites “at least two picking portions”. It is unclear if claims 9 and 11 require only one of the at least two picking portions to be further limited or if they require each picking portion to be further limited. In light of the original disclosure and in order to apply art the claims will be interpreted as the latter.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 6-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nyseth (US 5915562).
Claim 1: Nyseth discloses a door 224 (door body), applicable to a semiconductor container, wherein the door 224 (door body) comprises: a latching mechanism 300 (latch apparatus), disposed on the door 224 (door body), wherein the latching mechanism 300 (latch apparatus) is configured to lock the door 224 (door body) to or unlock the door 224 (door body) from the semiconductor container; and a indicator aperture 430 (operation indicating member), disposed on the latching mechanism 300 (latch apparatus), wherein the indicator aperture 430 (operation indicating member) is configured to identify an operation status (see C. 6 L. 58-67 and fig. 15, 18a, and 19a).
Claim 2: Nyseth discloses wherein the indicator aperture 430 (operation indicating member) is aligned with aperture 296 (in a first state) according to a locking operation performed by the latching mechanism 300 (latch apparatus), and is in a second state according to an unlocking operation (see C. 6 L. 58-67 and fig. 15, 18a, and 19a).
Claim 6: Nyseth discloses wherein the door 224 (door body) further comprises a door main body and an outwardly facing left panel 285 (sealing plate), the latching mechanism 300 (latch apparatus) is disposed in an accommodating space defined by the door main body and the outwardly facing left panel 285 (sealing plate), and the outwardly facing left panel 285 (sealing plate) has an aperture 296 (hole) for observing the indicator aperture 430 (operation indicating member) (see 15 and annotated fig. 17 below).
PNG
media_image1.png
474
500
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Claim 7: Nyseth discloses wherein the door 224 (door body) further comprises handles 302 (at least two picking portions) respectively configured on two sides adjacent to the door 224 (door body), and the handles 302 (picking portions) are provided for picking the door 224 (door body) (see fig. 16).
Claim 8: See claim 7 above.
Claim 9: Nyseth discloses wherein the handle 302 (picking portion) is a picking groove (see annotated fig. 16 below).
PNG
media_image2.png
403
523
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Claim 10: Nyseth discloses wherein the picking groove comprises a placing groove and a holding flange (see annotated fig. 16 above).
Claim 11: Nyseth discloses wherein the handle 302 (picking portion) is a picking handle (see fig. 6).
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hasegawa (US 7549552) further in view of Hahn (US 20040119592).
Claim 1: Hasegawa discloses a lid 10 (door body), applicable to a semiconductor container, wherein the lid 10 (door body) comprises: a latch mechanism 30 (latch apparatus), disposed on the lid 10 (door body), wherein the latch mechanism 30 (latch apparatus) is configured to lock the lid 10 (door body) to or unlock the lid 10 (door body) from the semiconductor container (see fig. 1 and 6-7).
Hasegawa does not disclose an operation indicating member, disposed on the latch apparatus, wherein the operation indicating member is configured to identify an operation status.
Hahn teaches a locking mechanism 4 which has a signal plate 11 (operation indicating member) and a door 3 having openings 12, wherein the first signal element 13 is fixed to locking element 6 of the locking mechanism 4, and wherein the signal plate 11 (operation indicating member) covers opening 12 in the position in which the locking element 6 engages in a holding element 7 and does not cover the opening 12 when locking the door 3 has not yet been carried out (see P. 0030 and fig. 1-3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified latch arms 34 of the latch mechanism 30 (latch apparatus) to have signal plates 11 (operation indicating members) and the lid 10 (door body) to have openings 12 aligned with the latch mechanism 30 (latch apparatus) when in the latched position, as taught by Hahn, in order to indicate to a user the status of the lid 10 (door body).
Claim 2: The combination discloses wherein the signal plates 11 (operation indicating members) are in a first state according to a locking operation performed by the latch mechanism 30 (latch apparatus), and is in a second state according to an unlocking operation (see P. 0030 and fig. 1-3 ‘592).
Claim 4: The combination discloses wherein the latch mechanism 30 (latch apparatus) comprises an second pin 44A (unlocking limit member) and a first pin 44 (locking limit member), the latch mechanism 30 (latch apparatus) is in the first state when the locking operation is performed on the first pin 44 (locking limit member), and the latch mechanism 30 (latch apparatus) is in the second state when the unlocking operation is performed on the second pin 44A (unlocking limit member) (see fig. 6, 7, 9, 10 and C. 7 L. 54- C, 8 L. 9).
Claim 5: The combination discloses wherein the latch mechanism 30 (latch apparatus) further comprises: a rotating reel 31 (operating member), latch arms 34 (at least one latch member) coupled to the rotating reel 31 (operating member), and a second hook 71 (unlocking portion) and a first hook 70 (locking portion) that are located on the rotating reel 31 (operating member), wherein operation of the rotating reel 31 (operating member) drives the latch mechanism 30 (latch apparatus) to move linearly and synchronously drives the second hook 71 (unlocking portion) and the first hook 70 (locking portion), the second hook 71 (unlocking portion) is paired and moved to the second pin 44A (unlocking limit member) to perform unlocking limiting, and the first hook 70 (locking portion) is paired and moved to the first pin 44 (locking limit member) to perform locking limiting (see fig. 6, 7, 9, 10 and C. 7 L. 54- C, 8 L. 9).
Claim 6: The combination discloses wherein the lid 10 (door body) further comprises a fitting plate 11 (door main body) and a cover plate 22 (sealing plate), the latch apparatus is disposed in an accommodating space defined by the fitting plate 11 (door main body) and the cover plate 22 (sealing plate), and the cover plate 22 (sealing plate) has an opening 12 (hole) for observing the signal plates 11 (operation indicating members) (see fig. 4 ‘552 and fig. 1-3 ‘592).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hasegawa (US 7549552) and Hahn (US 20040119592) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Chang (US 6536592).
Claim 3: The combination discloses wherein the signal plates 11 (operation indicating members) have a color to identify the first state (see P. 0030).
The combination does not disclose wherein the operation indicating member has different colors, to identify the first state or the second state.
Chang teaches a box door latch mechanism 300 and a rack 420 having at least two marker areas with text, symbol, or color formed thereon to express a predetermined state of the latch mechanism 300, where in a preferred embodiment, at least two colors are coated on the terminal of the rack 420, which represent, respectively, the locked (safe) state and un-locked (danger) state (see fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the signal plates 11 (operation indicating members) to be visible in the second state with a different color than that visible in the first state, as taught by Chang, in order to information to the user regarding the status of the lid 10 (door body).
Claim(s) 7-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hasegawa (US 7549552) and Hahn (US 20040119592) further in view of Jong (KR 20030061638).
Claim 7: The combination discloses the claimed invention except wherein the door body further comprises at least two picking portions respectively configured on two sides adjacent to the door body, and the picking portions are provided for picking the door body.
Jong teaches a door body comprises a picking portion on one side adjacent to the door body, and the picking portion is provided for picking the door body (see annotated fig. 2 below).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the lid 10 (door body) to have a picking portion on one side adjacent the lid 10 (door body), as taught by Jong, in order to permit a user to grasp the lid 10 (door body).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have provided the lid 10 (door body) with a second picking portion adjacent to a side of the lid 10 (door body) since it has been held that the mere duplication of the essential working parts for a multiplied effect is obvious unless there is a synergistic effect. See St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis CO., Inc., 193 USPQ 8, 11 (7th Cir. 1977).
PNG
media_image3.png
505
451
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Claim 8: See claim 7 above.
Claim 9: The combination discloses wherein the picking portion is a picking groove (see annotated fig. 2 above).
Claim 10: The combination discloses wherein the picking groove comprises a placing groove and a holding flange (see annotated fig. 2 above).
Claim 11: The combination discloses wherein the picking portion is a picking handle (see annotated fig. 2 above).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 8540289 and US 9064917 are considered pertinent to limit members.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALLAN D STEVENS whose telephone number is (571)270-7798. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 12-8 ET.
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, Orlando E. Aviles can be reached at (571)270-5531. 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.
/ALLAN D STEVENS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3736
