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/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-10 in the reply filed on 12/15/2025 is acknowledged. Claims 11-23 are withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Dependent claims are rejected due to their dependency.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "wherein each fastener of the plurality of fasteners" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It appears claim 6 should depend from claim 4. Claim 6 will be examined as if it was dependent on claim 4.
Claim 8 recites the limitations "the plurality of fasteners" and “the upper nut” in the last two lines There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 does not state fasteners or nut, these first appear in claim 4. Claim 8 will be examined as if it was dependent on claim 4.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the upper nut" in the last line. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Is claim 8 only referring to one of the plurality of nuts (assuming claim 4 dependency) or to all the nuts used?
Claim 8 is seen as vague and indefinite since it is unclear whether the stress accumulated in a tangential portion of the component is an actual value or a predicted value? Based on the specification the Applicant uses a predicted value, but the claim is written in such a manner as to include a real measured value. Since it is unclear as to which value can be used the claim is vague and indefinite. Claim 8 is seen as vague and indefinite since it is unclear whether the yield stress of the segments, fasteners, and nut are the yield stress of the material that makes up those parts, or is the yield stress of the parts themselves. These values will differ, and is important to know which value is used when determining such calculations.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al (U.S. PGPub 2020/0070418; herein Wang, already of record). Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches:
A base having an upper surface (Figure 1, base 1)
A frame extending from the upper surface of the base, the frame defining an upper wall (Figures 1-5, cylindrical retractable platform seat 18)
A rim formed on the upper wall of the frame (the top surface of seat 18)
A plurality of fixture segments positioned on the rim opposite the upper wall of the frame, the plurality of fixture segments defining an arcuate build surface on which the component is built, the plurality of fixture segments spaced apart from one another (Figures 1-5, the platform 2 is made from plates 22 and 23, which sit on the top surface of seat 18 and form an arcuate build surface)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2-10 are 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. This is based on the interpretation of claim dependency as discussed in the above 112 rejections.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO-892.
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