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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/21/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 1-5, filed 01/21/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 11 under U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of RO132984, listed in IDS , hereinafter RO’984, in view of Mark (US 20160311165) further in view of Tanaka (US 20030042364).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
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, 5,12-14, 25-27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over RO132984, listed in IDS , hereinafter RO’984, translation attached in view of Mark (US 20160311165) further in view of Tanaka (US 20030042364).
Regarding claim 1 RO’ 984 discloses method for producing a supporting structure in the form of a shell-like or plate-like
It would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to modify RO’984 teaching with that of Tanaka’s teaching of hollow cavity with open ended ribs for the purpose of having a design strategy to reduce weight and provide strength.
RO’ 984 discloses additive layer manufacturing but didn’t particularly disclose that it’s done by using FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) technology, wherein each panelnd para translated)
It would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art prior to the time of applicant’s invention to combine the teaching of RO’984 with that FDM’ teaching by Mark for the purpose of printing plastic materials which are beneficial for panels used in mechanical assemblies.
Regarding Claim 5, RO’984 discloses that the ribs are made hollow (page 15,
2nd last para).
Regarding Claim 12, RO’984 discloses panels are rigidly connected together, preferably using a technique chosen from among welding, riveting, and threaded joints (page 14, 4th para, translated).
Regarding Claim 13 RO’984 discloses panels are made of materials chosen from among polymeric material, composite material (page 4, translated).
Regarding Claim 14 RO’984 discloses one or more of said panels , either singly or in the assembled condition, are used as cores of multilayer structures obtained by coating at least one of the faces of the panels with a covering layer, for example made of plastic material (Figure 1b, IG is the coating the faces of the panels with a covering layer,page 7, page 14 1st para; page 14 4th para discloses coating mag=de of plastic material).
Regarding Claim 25 RO’984 discloses method for producing a supporting structure in the form of a shell or plate, comprising the steps of: providing one or more panels that are to constitute the supporting structure (Figure 5 showing panels-CeX and CiN are panels constituting shell lime structure, page 14 para 4, translated), wherein each panel of the one or more panels is formed using an additive-manufacturing technology (page 5 , translated), with a lattice of stiffening ribs on at least one face of each panel, wherein the stiffening ribs of each panel are made in a single piece with each panel, simultaneously with forming of each panel (Figures 4c, 5, stiffening ribs-nVs on the face of the panel, page-14 translated), wherein at least some of the stiffening ribs are made in the form of hollow tubular ribs (Figures 4c 5, showing that some of the ribs nVs are hollow page-14 translated). Further, RO'984 didn't disclose that some of the stiffening ribs are made in the form of hollow tubular ribs and a first tubular ribs of the ribs having an inner closed cavity which opens at opposite ends of the first rib. In the related field of endeavor pertaining to the first tubular rib of the ribs having an inner closed cavity which opens at opposite ends of the first rib, Tanaka discloses that ribs-40 having an inner closed cavity which opens at opposite ends (Figure 4a, ribs-40).
It would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art to modify RO'984 teaching with that of Tanaka's teaching of hollow cavity with open ended ribs for the purpose of having a design strategy to reduce weight and provide strength.
RO' 984 discloses additive layer manufacturing but didn't particularly disclose that it's done by using FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) technology, wherein each panel-is formed layer by layer, each layer being formed by moving a dispensing head-so as to lay a continuous thread of material. In the related field of endeavor pertaining to the art, Mark discloses wherein the dispensing head-is moved continuously to obtain each layer of the panel (Figure 4, [0089]-[0090])-Combining the prior art - of RO'984 and Mark the limitation can be met i.e. that a closed-loop path, which includes a forward stretch-defining a smooth outer face of the panel and a return stretch adjacent to the forward stretch (Figure 3,5 showing fused parts of two complimentary shells, RO'984 page 13, 2ⁿᵈ para translated)-and including undulations-that define hollow ribs-on the inner face of the panel (Figure 3,5 showing undulated/sinusoidal hollow robs. RO'984),
It would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art prior to the time of applicant's invention to combine the teaching of RO'984 with that FDM' teaching by Mark for the purpose of printing plastic materials which are beneficial for panels used in mechanical assemblies. Mark further discloses that each panel is formed layer by layer, each layer being formed by moving a dispensing head so as to lay a continuous thread of material, such that each layer has a thickness of the thread (Figure 2B-2C, [0113]-[0114]); and wherein the dispensing head is moved continuously to obtain each layer of each panel by laying the continuous thread according to a path between two opposite ends (Figure 2B-2C, [0113]-[0114]), which is followed back and forth in two directions between the opposite ends to create different layers of the panel by laying the continuous thread by the head, each layer of the different layers having a thickness of the continuous thread, said path including loop-shaped stretches (Figure 2B-2C), which are defined with or without overlaying of the portions of thread corresponding to the start and end of each loop and give rise to said hollow tubular ribs following upon superposition of the layers thus formed (Combining the prior art – of RO’984 and Mark the limitation can be met i.e. that a closed-loop path, which includes a forward stretch defining a smooth outer face of the panel by laying the thread and a return stretch wherein the head lays the thread adjacent to the forward stretch (Figure 3,5 showing fused parts of two complimentary shells, RO’984 page 13, 2nd para translated).
It would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art prior to the time of applicant's invention to combine the teaching of RO'984 with that FDM' teaching by Mark for the purpose of printing plastic materials which are beneficial for panels used in mechanical assemblies
Regarding Claim 26 RO’984 discloses, wherein the hollow ribs extend in a longitudinal direction along the longitudinal dimension of the panel (Figure 3,5, RO’984).
Regarding Claim 27 RO’984 discloses, wherein the hollow ribs extend in a longitudinal direction along the longitudinal dimension of the panel (Figure 3,5, RO’984).
Claim(s) 4,11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over RO132984, listed in IDS , hereinafter RO’984, translation attached in view of Mark (US 20160311165) and Tanaka (US 20030042364).as applied in Claim 1 further in view of Badger (US 20180355842) .
Regarding Claim 4 RO’984 discloses with a lattice of stiffening ribs
It would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art prior to the time of applicant’s invention to combine RO’984 with that of Badger’s teaching of the ribs as shown to prevent collapse of the tubular structure of the section of the panel ([0043]).
Regarding Claim 11, RO’984 discloses with a lattice of stiffening ribsengagement made of a single piece with the panels forming the connection portion between the panel and the rib(Figure 5, [[0050], elements of connection-50).
It would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art prior to the time of applicant’s invention to combine RO’984 with that of Badger’s teaching of the connection portion engaging elements to strengthen the panel structure ([0050]).
Claim(s) 9-10, 15, 18, 21-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over RO132984, listed in IDS, hereinafter RO’984, translation attached in view of Mark (US 20160311165) and Tanaka (US 20030042364) as applied in Claim 1 further in view of Badger (US 20180355842)
Regarding Claim 9 RO’984 discloses with a lattice of stiffening ribs
It would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art prior to the time of applicant’s invention to combine RO’984 with that of Badger’s teaching of the engaging elements to strengthen the panel structure ([0050])
Regarding Claim 10, RO’984 discloses with a lattice of stiffening ribs
It would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art prior to applicant’s invention to combine RO’984 with that of Badger’s teaching of the engaging elements to strengthen the panel structure ([0050]).
Regarding Claim 15, RO’984 discloses in order to favour adhesion of the covering layer on the face of the panel provided with the ribs, the ribs are designed in such a way as to present a curved surface connecting each rib to the corresponding face of the panel (Figure 1a showing the covering layer/coating-IG on the face of the panel and the ribs; Figure 5 showing ribs-nVs are designed in such a way as to present a curved surface connecting each rib to the corresponding face of the panel ).
Regarding Claim 18, RO’984 discloses with a lattice of stiffening ribspertaining to the art, Tanaka disclose hollow stiffening ribs are filled with additional material comprises resin with reinforcement fibres (Figure 2, [0040], ribs/stringers-24).
It would be obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art prior to the time of applicant’s invention to combine RO’984 with that of Tanaka’s ribs made with impregnated resin for the purpose of providing additional mechanical strength to the panel.
Regarding Claim 21, Badger discloses the inner closed cavity is configured for a passage of cables/fibers therethrough (Figure 4-5, abstract, [0040], [0050], strengthening element-50 are fiber rods /cables inserted through the conduit along the length of the blade).
Regarding Claims 22-23, Badger discloses the inner closed cavity is configured for a passage of fibers therethrough which can be used for ducts (Figure 4-5, abstract, [0040], [0050], strengthening element-50 are fiber rods inserted through the conduit along the length of the blade).
Regarding Claim 24 Badger discloses wherein the inner closed cavity receives elements of connection to engage within the inner closed cavity the elements of connection between the panels (Figures 4-5, [[0040], elements of connection-50 inserted adjacent the ribs-56 to engage them with the panels).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEBJANI ROY whose telephone number is (571)272-8019. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30-5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alison Hindenlang can be reached on 571-270-7001. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DEBJANI ROY/Examiner, Art Unit 1741
/ALISON L HINDENLANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1741
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