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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/04/2023 and 12/27/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under AIA 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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takushima et al. (US 20220324057 A1) in view of Yamasaki (US 20190025798 A1).
Note: Takushima et al. (US 20220324057 A1) is equivalent to Takushima et al. (JP 6765569 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Takushima discloses
A method (Par.0001 cited: “additive manufacturing method”) for manufacturing an additively-manufactured object (object 4, fig.1), wherein weld beads (molten bead, Pars.0062, 0079) obtained by melting and solidifying a filler material (material 7, fig.1) [Par.0062 cited: “…additive manufacturing apparatus 100 repeats running the machining point to stack beads of the melted and solidified machining material 7…”] is deposited with a torch (machine head 2, fig.1) to build a built object (object 4), the method (Par.0001 cited: “additive manufacturing method”) comprising:
a building processing including: deposit the weld beads (molten bead, Pars.0062, 0079) based on a deposition plan that defines a shape of the weld beads (molten bead, Pars.0062, 0079) obtained from a target shape of the built object (object 4) and a trajectory of the torch (machine head 2) for forming the weld beads (molten bead, Pars.0062, 0079),
a base measurement processing of acquiring a measured height by measuring (measurement illumination unit 8, fig.1), using a shape sensor [Par.0066 cited: “…measurement illumination unit 8 and the light-receiving optical system define the height sensor…”], a height of a base at a position where the torch (machine head 2) is to be moved when depositing the weld beads (molten bead, Par.0062) [Par.0008 cited: “…height measurement unit to measure a height of the object formed at a machining position…”],
a welding condition setting processing of obtaining a planned height of the base at the position where the torch (machine head 2) is to be moved from the deposition plan [Par.0008 cited: “…height measurement unit that measures a height of the object formed at a machining position…”], comparing the measured height acquired in the base measurement processing and the planned height to obtain a differential height [Par.0059 cited: “…position of the machining point before the movement and the position of the machining point after the movement are projected at different positions on the plane orthogonal to the height direction…”], and setting a welding condition in a feedback correction for reducing the differential height [Par.0008 cited: “…control unit to control a machining condition for adding the machining material to the machining position on a basis of a measurement result provided by the height measurement unit.…” and see Par.0122], and
a correction ratio update processing of performing a selection (height) from a plurality of correction ratios set in advance and updating a correction ratio in the welding condition based on a selected correction ratio [Par.0066 cited: “…calculation unit 50 calculates the height of the object 4 at machining position, i.e., the position irradiated with the illumination light 40…”].
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However, Takushima does not disclose the torch is moving.
Yamasaki discloses a method (addition control method, tittle, fig.1) for manufacturing an additively-manufactured object (work, fig.,1) comprises a moving torch (torch 11, fig.1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the invention to replace a torch of Takushima, by using a moving torch, as taught by Yamasaki, in order to improve a welding work process.
Regarding claim 2, Takushima discloses
the plurality of correction ratios is set according to a shape characteristic of a position (height) where the weld beads (molten bead, Pars.0062, 0079) are deposited [Par.0008 cited: “…control unit to control a machining condition for adding the machining material to the machining position on a basis of a measurement result provided by the height measurement unit.…” and Par.0066 cited: “…calculation unit 50 calculates the height of the object 4 at machining position, i.e., the position irradiated with the illumination light 40…”].
Regarding claim 3, Takushima discloses
a correction interval (height) is provided for maintaining a state in which the correction ratio is changed for a predetermined period [Par.0008 cited: “…control unit to control a machining condition for adding the machining material to the machining position on a basis of a measurement result provided by the height measurement unit.…” and Par.0066 cited: “…calculation unit 50 calculates the height of the object 4 at machining position, i.e., the position irradiated with the illumination light 40…”].
Regarding claim 4, Takushima discloses
a correction interval (height) is provided for maintaining a state in which the correction ratio is changed for a predetermined period [Par.0008 cited: “…control unit to control a machining condition for adding the machining material to the machining position on a basis of a measurement result provided by the height measurement unit.…” and Par.0066 cited: “…calculation unit 50 calculates the height of the object 4 at machining position, i.e., the position irradiated with the illumination light 40…”].
Regarding claim 5, Takushima discloses
the plurality of correction ratios is set in advance according to a shape characteristic of a position (height) specified based on the deposition plan [Par.0008 cited: “…control unit to control a machining condition for adding the machining material to the machining position on a basis of a measurement result provided by the height measurement unit.…” and Par.0066 cited: “…calculation unit 50 calculates the height of the object 4 at machining position, i.e., the position irradiated with the illumination light 40…”].
Regarding claim 6, Takushima discloses
the correction ratio update processing, a base profile (measured height) is obtained from a measurement result of the shape sensor [Par.0066 cited: “…measurement illumination unit 8 and the light-receiving optical system define the height sensor…”], a shape characteristic of the position (height) is obtained from the base profile (measured height) and a target profile (predetermined height) obtained from the deposition plan, the selection from the plurality of correction ratios set in advance is performed according to the shape characteristic, and the correction ratio in the welding condition is updated based on the selected correction ratio [Par.0008 cited: “…control unit to control a machining condition for adding the machining material to the machining position on a basis of a measurement result provided by the height measurement unit.…” and Par.0066 cited: “…calculation unit 50 calculates the height of the object 4 at machining position, i.e., the position irradiated with the illumination light 40…”].
Regarding claim 7, Takushima discloses
the plurality of correction ratios is set in advance according to a shape characteristic of a position (height) specified based on the deposition plan [Par.0008 cited: “…control unit to control a machining condition for adding the machining material to the machining position on a basis of a measurement result provided by the height measurement unit.…” and Par.0066 cited: “…calculation unit 50 calculates the height of the object 4 at machining position, i.e., the position irradiated with the illumination light 40…”].
Regarding claim 8, Takushima discloses
the plurality of correction ratios is set in advance according to a shape characteristic of a position (height) specified based on the deposition plan [Par.0008 cited: “…control unit to control a machining condition for adding the machining material to the machining position on a basis of a measurement result provided by the height measurement unit.…” and Par.0066 cited: “…calculation unit 50 calculates the height of the object 4 at machining position, i.e., the position irradiated with the illumination light 40…”].
Regarding claim 9, Takushima discloses
the correction ratio update processing, a base profile (measured height) is obtained from a measurement result of the shape sensor [Par.0066 cited: “…measurement illumination unit 8 and the light-receiving optical system define the height sensor…”], a shape characteristic of the position where the torch (machine head 2, fig.1) is obtained from the base profile (measured height) and a target profile (predetermined height) obtained from the deposition plan, the selection from the plurality of correction ratios set in advance is performed according to the shape characteristic, and the correction ratio in the welding condition is updated based on the selected correction ratio [Par.0008 cited: “…control unit to control a machining condition for adding the machining material to the machining position on a basis of a measurement result provided by the height measurement unit.…” and Par.0066 cited: “…calculation unit 50 calculates the height of the object 4 at machining position, i.e., the position irradiated with the illumination light 40…”].
Regarding claim 10, Takushima discloses
correction ratio update processing, a base profile (measured height) is obtained from a measurement result of the shape sensor [Par.0066 cited: “…measurement illumination unit 8 and the light-receiving optical system define the height sensor…”], a shape characteristic of the position where the torch (machine head 2, fig.1) is obtained from the base profile (measured height) and a target profile (predetermined height) obtained from the deposition plan, the selection from the plurality of correction ratios set in advance is performed according to the shape characteristic, and the correction ratio in the welding condition is updated based on the selected correction ratio [Par.0008 cited: “…control unit to control a machining condition for adding the machining material to the machining position on a basis of a measurement result provided by the height measurement unit.…” and Par.0066 cited: “…calculation unit 50 calculates the height of the object 4 at machining position, i.e., the position irradiated with the illumination light 40…”].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONG T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1834. The examiner can normally be reached 9.00am-5.00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Crabb can be reached on 571-270-5095. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PHUONG T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
02/22/2026