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 .
Election/Restriction
Applicant's election with traverse of Group II, Claims 12-23, in the reply filed on 05/22/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that The claims are intertwined and symbiotic. This is not found persuasive because the polyelectrolyte resin of Group I, is explicitly distinct since it may be practiced/used in another materially different process such as photocurable inks, and photocured injection moldings. Furthermore, the additive manufacturing process may be practiced with another materially different polyelectrolyte resin. Thus, for the above reasons, Group I and II are materially distinct inventions. See MPEP § 806.05(h).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 1-11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 02/22/2026.
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) 12, 13, 15-23, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2018/0215937 A1 to Kim et al. (hereinafter Kim).
Regarding claims 12, 13, 15-23, Kim teaches an ink composition for 3D printing support comprising an amine-containing monomer, (para 17), a vinyl or acrylate monomer (para 37), a water soluble polymer (para 40), a photo initiator (para 35). Kim further teaches wherein the amine-containing monomer is specifically N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), (See Example 14, Table 1), the photo initiator is specifically TPO (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl-diphenol phosphine oxide), (See Example 2, Table 1), the acrylate monomer is specifically methacrylic acid (MA), (Example 14, Table 1), and the water soluble polymer is polyethyleneimine (Table 1, Examples 17-18). Kim further teaches the above components are mixed together, applied to a substrate and exposed to light for curing. (para 54-64). The above dimethylacrylamide meets the claimed ion dispersion solvent, the above methacrylic acid meets the claimed anionic monomer, PEI meets the claimed polyammonium electrolyte, and the TPO meets the claimed photoinitiator. The above mixture also meets the complexing polyammonium electrolyte with anionic electrolyte since the above is dispersed in dimethylacrylamide which is a reactive diluent that would react with methacrylic acid to form the anionic acrylate that would complex with the polyammonium electrolyte, as cited by the Applicant in their specification. Kim further teaches the 3D printing
Claim(s) 12-23, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Morita et al., “3D structuring of dense alumina ceramics using fiber-based stereolithography with interparticle photo-cross-linkable slurry,” Advanced Powder Technology, vol. 32, page 72–79, (2021). (hereinafter Morita).
Regarding claims 12-23, Morita teaches a slurry dispersion of polyethyleneimine (PEI), oleic acid (OA), 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl-diphenol phosphine oxide (TPO), a light absorber of 2-(5-chloro-2-benzotriazolyl)-6-tert-butl-p-cresol and a methacrylate resin mixture of di-pentaerythritol pentaacrylate and pentaerythritol hexaacrylate, mixed with alumina powders (page 73, 2.1 materials, and Fig. 4, page 75), and the above is used to form 3D alumina green bodies by ceramic stereolithography, irradiated with a laser beam and heated/fired and cured (page 73-74). The above PEI meets the claimed polyammonium electrolyte, the above methacrylate resin mixture meets the claimed acrylate monomer, the TPO meets the claimed photoinitiator, and the above a light absorber meets the claimed photoabsorber, irradiated with a laser, and then further heated/fired to form a cured 3D alumina object meets the claimed process. In regard to claim 13, the above is met by the light absorber because the reactive diluent is an optional chemical modifier.
Claim(s) 12-23, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2019/241731 A1 in which US 2021/0261468 A1 to Stesikova et al. is used as the US English equivalent. (hereinafter Stesikova).
Regarding claims 12-23, Stesikova teaches a ceramic photoresin composition comprising an ethylenically unsaturated UV curable composition, a ceramic composition, a photoinitiator, a formulation additive and a UV absorbing agent that is used for 3D printing applications (See abstract, para 6), wherein the UV curable composition includes a ethylenically unsaturated UV curable monomer is specifically hydroxybutylacrylate and a 1,6-hexanediacrylate ethoxylated trimethylpropan acrylic acid ester (Table 10, Formula 10-3), the photoinitiator is 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl-diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO), (para 62), the dispersant additive is specifically polyethylene imine (Table 12 and Table 13, Formula CB-3, CB-4, and CB-5). The above composition is obtained by mixing the above components and heated (para 84), Stesikova further teaches the above is used in 3D printed articles that include UV cured successive layers (para 75-77), wherein the above is exposed to UV irradiation (para 80-81-83) and thermally sintered to 1150 deg C to be cured (para 91). The above hydroxybutylacrylate meets the claimed ion dispersion reactive diluent, the above 1,6-hexanediacrylate ethoxylated trimethylpropan acrylic acid ester meets the claimed acrylate monomer, the above PEI meets the claimed polyammonium electrolyte and the above TPO meets the claimed photoinitiator.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HA S NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7395. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, Flex schedule 7:30am-4:00pm.
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/HA S NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1766
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