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 .
Drawings
The previous drawing objection is withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The previous rejections under this heading are withdrawn.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 7-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al (CN 111572019; herein Wang, already of record), as evidenced by Brown (US PGPub 2016/0271875; already of record). Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches:
A first region comprising a first surface configured to be in physical contact with a curable composition comprising a plurality of particles (Figures 1-6, one side of the printing liquid tank 2. The curable composition comprising particles is seen as the material worked upon, see MPEP 2112.01 I, 2114, and 2115. Additionally, Wang does disclose such particles, page 4, last paragraph bridging over to the first paragraph of page 5 of the translation)
One or more heating elements operative to heat at least a portion of the curable composition during an additive manufacturing process (Wang does not explicitly teach one or more heating elements, but Wang does use acoustic wave transducers 3 to produce ultrasonic waves (page 4, last paragraph bridging over to the first paragraph of page 5 of the translation), as evidenced by Brown, the use of acoustic energy creates heat (paragraph 0027), thus one of the transducers 3 is seen as the claimed heating element)
One or more curing mechanisms operative to cure the at least a portion of the curable composition into a three-dimensionally printed object during the additive manufacturing process (Figure 1, ultraviolet light projection system 4)
A first agitator located in proximity to the first surface of the additive manufacturing device and configured to emit energy having a first frequency toward the curable composition during the additive manufacturing process so that at least a fraction of the energy having the first frequency is absorbed by the plurality of particles in the curable composition, causing the plurality of particles to be dispersed within the curable composition (Figures 1-6, one of the acoustic wave transducers 3, the transducers disperse the particles as claimed, page 4, last paragraph bridging over to the first paragraph of page 5 of the translation)
Wherein the first agitator is located one an opposite side of the first surface as the curable composition (as seen in Figure 1 the composition is within the tank 2, and the transducers 3 are on the opposite side of the tank walls)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 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. Claims 3-20 depend (directly or indirectly) from claim 2, and are allowable due to their dependency on claim 2.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 6/4/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 J KENNEDY whose telephone number is (571)270-7068. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.
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/TIMOTHY KENNEDY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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