DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
In response to the amendment received 10/23/2025, the following rejections have been withdrawn from the previous office action:
35 U.S.C. 102 rejection of claim 9
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-2, 5-8, 10-13, 15-18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Published Application US20120139142A1 (supplied by applicant), hereafter van der Zel.
Regarding claim 1, van der Zel discloses a method for producing molded parts from a sinterable mixing compound using a cold casting mold (20,21) having a cavity that corresponds geometrically to the molded part, and at least one opening opening into the cavity (Fig 4a, 2 openings on either side of mold), the method comprising the following method steps:
(1) producing the cold casting mold (20, 21) by means of an additive material construction method from a starting material ([0096-0097] 3D printing mold surface), wherein the cavity is created on the basis of a digital data set, based on a three-dimensional model of the oral cavity of a patient ([0045-0048] patient tooth impressions taken and scanned; [0104] automated using CAD/CAM system that has data of the dental element to be replaced),
(2) filling the cavity of the cold casting mold (20,21) via the at least one opening with the sinterable mixing compound ([0100] guiding slurry into the block 20, 21 by runner; [0181] filling paste/slurry into mold),
(3) curing or solidifying the sinterable mixing compound in the cavity of the cold casting mold (20,21) ([0182] drying – block is placed in a hot air oven for about 30 minutes at about 100°C),
wherein during steps (2) and (3), gases and liquids contained or enclosed in the sinterable mixing compound are discharged from the cavity via the at least one opening (step 2 – filling - [0181] block is placed on a vibratory table and the paste/slurry is brought into the mold - the examiner notes the vibrations from the table are degassing the paste/slurry, and the gases freed by vibration will necessarily leave the block 20,21 through the openings available, which are the openings in the sides of the mold shown in Fig 4a. Further, since the openings and injection channel are not disclosed to be closed during the process, liquids in the paste/slurry will necessarily flow out of the openings during filling as the paste/slurry level rises; step 3 – curing/solidifying - [0182] block is placed in hot air oven for 30 minutes at 100°C - this will dry and remove the water, and the openings are not disclosed as being closed after the previous step, so liquid may escape from the openings before and after drying), and
wherein during step (3), the sinterable mixing compound cures or solidifies to green body hardness in the cavity of the cold casting mold (20,21) by drying ([0182] block is placed in a hot air oven for about 30 minutes at about 100°C), whereby volume shrinkage occurs depending on the sinterable mixing compound used (inherent, since drying of the paste or slurry material causes shrinkage in the sinterable material due to water evacuation from between particles), before thermal or thermochemical decomposition of the cold casting mold (20,21) is initiated ([0176-0187] hot air drying is step 6, the degradation occurs during step 8, heating at 600°C) in step 4,
(4) by thermally or thermochemically decomposing the cold casting mold (20, 21) at a temperature in a temperature range from 200°C to 2500°C ([0095] block 20, 21 may be made of wax; [0184-0185] presintered at 600°C & breaking away block to remove it), wherein the sinterable mixing compound comprises a metal powder and a binder or a ceramic powder and a binder ([0086] slurry consists of ceramic veneer material mixed with Camphene and a binder), and wherein the melting point or the decomposition temperature of the cold casting mold (20, 21) is below the melting point or the decomposition temperature of the binder ([0095] wax mold material, which has a melting temperature of approximately 50-130°C; [0164], table 2, binder Methocel a4c, which is a methylcellulose, which has melting temperatures from 290-305°C), and
(5) sintering the sinterable mixing compound to final hardness at a temperature in a temperature range from 900°C to 2500°C until a molded part is obtained ([0162] table 1 sinter temperature of 1450°C; [0103] second thermal treatment to fully sinter the dental restoration).
Regarding claim 2, van der Zel further discloses that the sinterable mixing compound is provided as a slurry or pasty mass ([0181] paste or slurry) and comprises a diluent (paste - [0164] Table 2, de-ionized water; slurry – [0171] Table 3, camphene), wherein the sinterable mixing compound cures or solidifies in the cavity of the cold casting mold (20, 21) by drying and a liquid component or moisture content of the sinterable mixing compound is discharged by means of the at least one opening from the cold casting mold (20, 21) ([0182] block is placed in hot air oven for 30 minutes at 100°C - this will dry and remove the water, and the openings are not disclosed as being closed after the previous step, so liquid may still escape with gases from the openings).
Regarding claim 5, van der Zel further discloses that the sinterable mixing compound cures or solidifies in the cavity of the cold casting mold (20, 21) under the action of heat, wherein the cold casting mold filled with the sinterable mixing compound is placed in a drying cabinet, climatic cabinet, or a sintering furnace and a temperature in a temperature range from 30°C to 120°C or humidity in a range from 1% to 50% is set ([0181] step 6, block is placed in a hot air oven for about 30 minutes at about 100°C).
Regarding claim 6, van der Zel further discloses that the digital data set, which is based on a three-dimensional model of the oral cavity of a patient, for the geometric design of the cavity of the cold casting mold (20, 21) comprises a sintering-related or curing-related volume shrinkage of the sinterable mixing compound ([0078] future sintering related shrinkage taken into account).
Regarding claim 7, van der Zel further discloses that an organic material is used as the starting material for additively constructing the cold casting mold (20, 21), so that the cold casting mold can be plasticized or thermally or thermochemically decomposed ([0095] wax).
Regarding claim 8, van der Zel further discloses that the sinterable mixing compound comprises a zirconium oxide powder and a binder or a glass ceramic powder and a binder ([0086] slurry consists of ceramic veneer material mixed with Camphene and a binder, ceramic veneer material is a glass ceramic material).
Regarding claim 10, van der Zel further discloses that the sinterable mixing compound in the cavity of the cold casting mold (20, 21) cures to green body hardness before the decomposition of the cold casting mold is initiated or completely carried out ([0182] step 6, heating the block in hot air oven for 30 minutes at 100°C, [0185] step 8 heating again at 600°C followed by removing the block).
Regarding claim 11, van der Zel further discloses that the decomposition of the cold casting mold (20, 21) is initiated or carried out completely by the action of heat at a temperature in a temperature range from 200°C to 650°C, before the sinterable mixing compound is sintered to final hardness ([0185] step 8 heating again at 600°C followed by removing the block, then firing the final restoration in [0186] step 10).
Regarding claim 12, van der Zel further discloses that the melting point or the decomposition temperature of the cold casting mold (20, 21) is below the sintering temperature of the sinterable mixing compound ([0095] wax mold material, which has a melting temperature of approximately 50-130°C; [0162] table 1 sinter temperature of 1450°C).
Regarding claim 13, van der Zel further discloses that the thermal or thermochemical decomposition of the cold casting mold (20, 21) is carried out in a sintering furnace, wherein the cold casting mold (20, 21) is placed in the sintering furnace together with the sinterable mixing compound located therein ([0181] slurry/paste brought into mold/block; [0184] pre-sintering at 600°C followed by [0185] block is removed by breaking).
Regarding claim 15, van der Zel further discloses that the cold casting mold (20, 21) is coated using a coating agent before the filling with the sinterable mixing compound in order to avoid a frictional or materially-bonded connection between the cold casting mold (20, 21) and the mixing compound ([0179] step 3 mold is covered with thin layer of separation material).
Regarding claim 16, van der Zel further discloses wherein the cold casting mold (20, 21) is produced by a 3D printing method using a 3D printer ([0177] 3D printing mold surface).
Regarding claim 17, van der Zel further discloses wherein the organic material is an organic polymer or a wax or a plastic, having a melting point or a decomposition temperature in a temperature range from 40°C to 300°C ([0095] wax, which has a melting temperature of approximately 50-130°C).
Regarding claim 18, van der Zel further discloses wherein the sinterable mixing compound comprises a CrCo powder or a zirconium oxide powder or a glass ceramic powder or a lithium disilicate powder ([0086] slurry consists of glass ceramic veneer material).
Regarding claim 20, van der Zel further discloses wherein the interior walls (7, 17) of the cold casting mold (20, 21) delimiting the cavity are coated using the coating agent before filling with the sinterable mixing compound ([0179] step 3 inside of mold is covered with thin layer of separation material; [0181] slurry is brought into the mold in step 5).
Claim(s) 14 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Published Application US20120139142A1 (supplied by applicant), hereafter van der Zel, as evidenced by Islam, M. R. Chhetri, A. B., Khan, M. M.. (2010). Greening of Petroleum Operations - The Science of Sustainable Energy Production - 9.2.2 Beeswax. Wiley - Scrivener. (Retrieved from https://app.knovel.com/hotlink/pdf/id:kt00CR81O3/greening-petroleum-operations/beeswax), hereafter Islam.
Regarding claims 14 and 19, Islam discloses the flash points and ignition temperatures of a wax to be 198°C and 245°C, respectively (page 373, table 9.1).
Regarding claim 14, van der Zel further discloses that the decomposition of the cold casting mold is carried out thermally under oxygen-free conditions or thermochemically with a supply of oxygen ([0095] wax mold material, which has flash points and/or ignition temperatures well below 600°C) (see Islam table 9.1)).
Regarding claim 19, van der Zel further discloses wherein the decomposition of the cold casting mold is carried out thermally under oxygen-free conditions pyrolytically or thermochemically with a supply of oxygen by combustion ([0095] wax mold material, which has flash points and/or ignition temperatures well below 600°C (see Islam table 9.1)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 3 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Published Application US20120139142A1 (supplied by applicant), hereafter van der Zel as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Foreign Publication DE202019102345U1 (used attached machine translation), hereafter GreenLife.
Regarding claim 3, van der Zel discloses that the cold casting mold (20, 21) is additively constructed having at least one first opening opening into the cavity and having at least one second opening opening into the cavity or leading out of the cavity (Fig 4a, first opening on left and second opening on right side of mold), and that the cavity of the cold casting mold (20, 21) is filled via the at least one first opening ([0100] guiding slurry into the block 20, 21 by runner; [0181] filling paste/slurry into mold).
van der Zel is silent on wherein gases contained or enclosed in the sinterable mixing compound and liquids are discharged via the at least one second opening from the cavity.
In the analogous art of molding, GreenLife discloses that gases contained or enclosed in the molding material are discharged via openings from the cavity ([0013] through holes 43 in upper mold 41 for air to escape during heating).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to modify the invention of van der Zel to use the secondary holes not used for filling as disclosed by GreenLife in order to allow air and liquid to escape during heating and filling with the ceramic slurry.
Regarding claim 4, GreenLife discloses a plurality of second openings which open into the cavity or lead out of the cavity and penetrate the wall of the mold, for discharging gases and liquids ([0013] through holes 43 in upper mold 41 for air to escape during heating [0018] and water).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/23/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant's argument regarding claim 1 on page 9 of applicant's remarks that as van der Zel discloses the decomposition of block 20, 21 is carried out at 600°C, the decomposition temperature of block 20, 21 must be at 600°C or above, the examiner disagrees, this is not what is disclosed. 600°C is what the block is heated at in step 8 ([0185])), van der Zel does not disclose this to be the decomposition temperature of the mold, but rather the temperature at which the glass ceramic is pre-sintered ([0069]).
In response to applicant's argument regarding claim 1 on page 10 of applicant's remarks that van der Zel does not teach utilizing a binder with a melting point below the decomposition temperature of block 20, 21, the examiner disagrees. Since van der Zel also disclosed the mold may be composed of wax ([0095]), which has a melting point of 50-130°C, the mold of van der Zel has a lower melting point than the melting point of the binder ([0164], table 2, binder Methocel a4c, which is a methylcellulose, which has melting temperatures from 290-305°C), as claimed and as stated above in the rejection.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY HEMINGWAY whose telephone number is (571)272-0235. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 6-4.
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/T.G.H./Examiner, Art Unit 1754
/SUSAN D LEONG/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1754