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 .
Priority
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 19, 20 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Sarhan (MY190044) in view of Tomalin (US 2020/0061729). An English machine translation of Sarhan (MY190044) is included with the Notice of Reference Cited (PTO-892).
With respect to the limitations of claims 1 and 19, Sarhan teaches an electrode (Fig 1, electrode wire 100, Pg 7, Lines 20-25) comprising: a metallic electrode body (core 102, first layer 104, Pg 8, Lines 1-12) having an exterior surface region that is enriched in at least one of aluminum or chromium (second layer 106, Zn-Al alloy, 5-10% Al content, Pg 8, Lines 14-19), the metallic electrode body formed of a copper-based alloy (Pg 8, Lines 6-12, copper) and having a body configuration. Sarhan discloses the claimed invention except for the body configuration is selected from the group consisting of a hollow cylindrical body that defines an inner surface that borders a flow passage, a solid cylinder body and a combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers.
However, Tomalin discloses the body configuration is selected from the group consisting of a hollow cylindrical body that defines an inner surface (Fig 5B, core inner shell 74, copper, copper zinc alloy, 0032) that borders a flow passage (passage 52, 0028), a solid cylinder body and a combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the electrode of Sarhan having a metallic electrode body formed of a copper-based alloy silent to the recited body configuration with the body configuration is selected from the group consisting of a hollow cylindrical body that defines an inner surface that borders a flow passage, a solid cylinder body and a combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers of Tomalin for the purpose of forming a known hollow electrode configuration that helps flush removed particles from the workpiece (0028).
With respect to the limitations of claims 2, 5 and 20, Sarhan teaches the metallic electrode body includes an interior region (102, 104) underlying the surface region (106), and the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 5% by weight (Pg 8, Lines 14-19, 5-10% Al by weight and is present in an amount of 5 wt% of total weight of the electrode wire);
the exterior surface region is enriched in aluminum (Pg 8, Lines 14-19, 5-10% Al);
the body configuration is the solid cylinder body (solid cylinder body 102, first layer 104 combination).
With respect to the limitations of claim 21, Sarhan in view of Tomalin discloses the claimed invention except for the body configuration is the combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers. However, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to have the body configuration is the combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers, since it has been held that a mere change in shape of an element is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art and that discovering the optimum or workable shape configuration involves only routine skill in the art (see MPEP 2144.04).
Claim 3, 4, 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Sarhan (MY190044) as applied to claim 1, further in view of Ochiai (US 2007/0104585).
With respect to the limitations of claims 3, 4, 6 and 7, Sarhan discloses the metallic electrode body includes an interior region (core 102, first layer 104) underlying the surface region (second layer 106). Sarhan discloses the claimed invention except for the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 10% by weight; the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 25% by weight; the exterior surface region is enriched in chromium; the exterior surface region is enriched in aluminum and chromium.
However, Ochiai discloses the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 10% by weight (0006, 0049 electrodes 31, 33, 35 made from aluminum or chromium powder are considered mostly aluminum or chromium and have a material content to greater than 10% by weight); the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 25% by weight (0006, 0049 electrodes 31, 33, 35 made from aluminum or chromium powder are considered mostly aluminum or chromium and have a material content to greater than 25% by weight); the exterior surface region is enriched in chromium (Fig 3, electrodes 31, 33, 35, 0006, 0049, employing a molded body molded from mixed powders of one or more of an aluminum powder, an aluminum alloy powder, a chromium powder and a chromium alloy powder); the exterior surface region is enriched in aluminum and chromium (0006, 0049, one or more of an aluminum powder, an aluminum alloy powder, a chromium powder and a chromium alloy powder) is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the electrode of Sarhan having an aluminum surface region silent to the recited weight percentage, chromium and aluminum and chromium layer with the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 10% by weight; the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 25% by weight; the exterior surface region is enriched in chromium; the exterior surface region is enriched in aluminum and chromium of Ochiai for the purpose of providing a known electrode that is suitable for forming a protective coating having oxidation resistance formed on a metal turbine component (0006) by electric discharge processing (0007), thereby improving the overall versality of the electrode.
It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to have the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 10% by weight; the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 25% by weight, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable weight % ranges involves only routine skill in the art (see MPEP 2144.04).
Claims 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Ochiai (US 2007/0104585) in view of Sarhan (MY190044) and Tomalin (US 2020/0061729) as evidenced by Malmborg (US 2019/0284675).
With respect to the limitations of claim 13, Ochiai teaches a method of machining comprising: providing a metallic workpiece that is formed of an alloy (0001, 0002, 0021, turbine airfoil 1) that has a composition that includes at least one of aluminum (as evidenced by Malmborg, 0002, gas turbine engine airfoils (e.g., fan blades, vanes, etc.) have been made from a solid metal (e.g., nickel, aluminum, titanium, or alloys thereof)) or chromium; providing an electrode that includes a metallic electrode body that has a surface region that is enriched in at least one of aluminum or chromium (Fig 3, electrodes 31, 33, 35, 0006, 0049, employing a molded body molded from mixed powders of one or more of an aluminum powder, an aluminum alloy powder, a chromium powder and a chromium alloy powder); bringing the electrode into proximity (processing head 29, 0026) of the metallic workpiece (airfoil main body 5); and providing a voltage differential across (support member 37 is electrically connected to the electric power source 27, 0026, 0030) the metallic workpiece (5) and the electrode (31, 33, 35), the voltage differential causing an electric arc that removes material from the metallic workpiece and vaporizes at least a portion of the surface region of the electrode (0030, 0033), the at least one of aluminum or chromium that is vaporized from the surface region suppresses vaporization loss of aluminum or chromium from the metallic workpiece (0030, 0033). Ochiai discloses the claimed invention except for the metallic electrode body formed of a copper-based alloy and has a body configuration selected from the group consisting of a hollow cylindrical body that defines an inner surface that borders a flow passage, a solid cylinder body and a combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers.
However, Sarhan discloses the metallic electrode body (core 102, first layer 104, Pg 8, Lines 1-12) is formed of a copper-based alloy (Pg 8, Lines 6-12, copper) is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the machining method of Ochiai having a metallic electrode body silent to the recited copper with the metallic electrode body is formed of a copper-based alloy of Sarhan for the purpose of using a known alternative electrode material that is highly electrically conductive (Pg 8, Lines 6-12) and is suitable for electrical discharge machining.
Additionally, Tomalin discloses the body configuration is selected from the group consisting of a hollow cylindrical body that defines an inner surface (Fig 5B, core inner shell 74, copper, copper zinc alloy, 0032) that borders a flow passage (passage 52, 0028), a solid cylinder body and a combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the machining method of Ochiai in view of Sarhan having a metallic electrode body formed of a copper-based alloy silent to the recited body configuration with the body configuration is selected from the group consisting of a hollow cylindrical body that defines an inner surface that borders a flow passage, a solid cylinder body and a combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers of Tomalin for the purpose of forming a known hollow electrode configuration that helps flush removed particles from the workpiece (0028).
With respect to the limitations of claim 16, Ochiai teaches a machine comprising: an electrode including a metallic electrode body having a surface region that is enriched in at least one of aluminum or chromium (Fig 3, electrodes 31, 33, 35, 0006, 0049, employing a molded body molded from mixed powders of one or more of an aluminum powder, an aluminum alloy powder, a chromium powder and a chromium alloy powder); a fixture (jig 25, 0025) for holding a metallic workpiece (turbine airfoil 12, 0021); an actuator operable to move (processing head 29, 0026) the electrode relative to the fixture; and a power source (electric power source 27, 0025) operably connected with the electrode and the fixture to provide a voltage differential across the electrode and the metallic workpiece (0030, 0033).
Ochiai discloses the claimed invention except for the metallic electrode body formed of a copper-based alloy and has a body configuration selected from the group consisting of a hollow cylindrical body that defines an inner surface that borders a flow passage, a solid cylinder body and a combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers.
However, Sarhan discloses the metallic electrode body (core 102, first layer 104, Pg 8, Lines 1-12) is formed of a copper-based alloy (Pg 8, Lines 6-12, copper) is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the machine of Ochiai having a metallic electrode body silent to the recited copper with the metallic electrode body is formed of a copper-based alloy of Sarhan for the purpose of using a known alternative electrode material that is highly electrically conductive (Pg 8, Lines 6-12) and is suitable for electrical discharge machining.
Additionally, Tomalin discloses the body configuration is selected from the group consisting of a hollow cylindrical body that defines an inner surface (Fig 5B, core inner shell 74, copper, copper zinc alloy, 0032) that borders a flow passage (passage 52, 0028), a solid cylinder body and a combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the machine of Ochiai in view of Sarhan having a metallic electrode body formed of a copper-based alloy silent to the recited body configuration with the body configuration is selected from the group consisting of a hollow cylindrical body that defines an inner surface that borders a flow passage, a solid cylinder body and a combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers of Tomalin for the purpose of forming a known hollow electrode configuration that helps flush removed particles from the workpiece (0028).
With respect to the limitations of claims 14, 15, 17 and 18, Ochiai teaches the metallic electrode body includes an interior region underlying the surface region (inner region and outer surface of electrodes 31, 33, 35), and the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 25% by weight (0006, 0049 electrodes 31, 33, 35 made from aluminum or chromium powder are considered mostly aluminum or chromium and have a material content to greater than 25% by weight); the surface region is enriched in aluminum and chromium (0006, 0049).
Ochiai in view of Sarhan and Tomalin discloses the claimed invention except for the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 25%. However, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to have the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 25% by weight, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable weight % ranges involves only routine skill in the art (see MPEP 2144.04).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Sarhan (MY190044) in view of Ochiai (US 2007/0104585) and Tomalin (US 2020/0061729).
With respect to the limitations of claim 16, Sarhan teaches a machine (Pg 3, Line 26 thru Pg 4, Line 5, electrode wire for use in wire electrical discharge machining requires an EDM machine) comprising: an electrode including a metallic electrode body (core 102, first layer 104, Pg 8, Lines 1-12) having a surface region that is enriched in at least one of aluminum or chromium (second layer 106, Zn-Al alloy, 5-10% Al content, Pg 8, Lines 14-19) and having a body configuration. Sarhan discloses the claimed invention except for the body configuration is selected from the group consisting of a hollow cylindrical body that defines an inner surface that borders a flow passage, a solid cylinder body and a combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers; a fixture for holding a metallic workpiece; an actuator operable to move the electrode relative to the fixture; and a power source operably connected to the electrode and the fixture to provide a voltage differential across the electrode and the metallic workpiece.
However, Tomalin discloses the body configuration is selected from the group consisting of a hollow cylindrical body that defines an inner surface (Fig 5B, core inner shell 74, copper, copper zinc alloy, 0032) that borders a flow passage (passage 52, 0028), a solid cylinder body and a combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the electrode of Sarhan having a metallic electrode body formed of a copper-based alloy silent to the recited body configuration with the body configuration is selected from the group consisting of a hollow cylindrical body that defines an inner surface that borders a flow passage, a solid cylinder body and a combed body that has parallel spaced-apart fingers of Tomalin for the purpose of forming a known hollow electrode configuration that helps flush removed particles from the workpiece (0028).
Additionally, Ochiai discloses a fixture (Fig 3, jig 25, 0025) for holding a metallic workpiece (turbine airfoil 12, 0021); an actuator operable to move (processing head 29, 0026) the electrode (electrodes 31, 33, 35, 0006, 0049) relative to the fixture; and a power source (electric power source 27, 0025) operably connected with the electrode and the fixture to provide a voltage differential across the electrode and the metallic workpiece (0030, 0033) is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the electrode of Sarhan silent to the specifics of the machine with a fixture for holding a metallic workpiece; an actuator operable to move the electrode relative to the fixture; and a power source operably connected to the electrode and the fixture to provide a voltage differential across the electrode and the metallic workpiece of Ochiai for the purpose of providing a known EDM machining configuration that moves an electrode relative to a workpiece (0029, 0030)..
With respect to the limitations of claims 17 and 18, Ochiai discloses the metallic electrode body includes an interior region underlying the surface region (inner region and outer surface of electrodes 31, 33, 35), and the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 25% by weight (0006, 0049 electrodes 31, 33, 35 made from aluminum or chromium powder are considered mostly aluminum or chromium and have a material content to greater than 25% by weight); the surface region is enriched in aluminum and chromium (0006, 0049).
Sarhan in view of Tomalin and Ochiai discloses the claimed invention except for the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 25%. However, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to have the surface region has a greater amount of combined aluminum and chromium than the interior region by at least 25% by weight, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable weight % ranges involves only routine skill in the art (see MPEP 2144.04).
Response to Amendments
Claims 1, 13, 15, 16 and 18 have been amended.
Claims 8-12 are cancelled.
Claims 19-21 are new.
Claims 1-7 and 13-21 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-7 and 13-18 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 THIEN S TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7745. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday [8:00-4:00].
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/THIEN S TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761 3/9/2026