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 .
Response to Amendment
In view of the amendment filed 06/26/2026:
Claims 1-3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11-14, 16, 17, and 20 are pending.
Claims 4, 7, 10, 15, 18, and 19 are cancelled.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11-14, 16, 17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hudelson et al. (US20220355381), and further in view of Nimmo et al. (US6454077).
Regarding claim 1, Hudelson teaches a system for additive manufacturing of a three-
dimensional object (Figure 10), the system comprising:
a powder compaction apparatus comprising at least one compaction roller (roller 1001;
Figure 10) configured to spread and compact a powder material across a powder bed ([0005]
and [0062] FIG. 10 depicts a roller 1001 traversing a large section of the bed);
a printing apparatus configured to selectively bind or fuse the powder material ([0004],
[0027] FIG. 3 is a plot of experimentally observed sintered density as a function of green density
of printed parts. For parts below a threshold green density, the sintering process will produce
parts with a lower final density, since a sintering process is occurring then a printing apparatus
is required such that sintering can occur);
wherein at least a portion of the at least one compaction roller is made from silicon
carbide ([0024] a roller may be made from a ceramic, carbide, or nitride such as alumina, silicon
carbide),
wherein the at least one compaction roller comprises a work zone having a first end and
a second end (see annotated Figure 7 on pg. 7 of the Office Action mailed 05/23/2025).
While Hudelson teaches the roller rotates, Hudelson fails to explicitly teach the
components that cause the roller to rotate, prompting one of ordinary skill to look to related
art of rollers for components that cause a roller to rotate.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to rollers for conveying material, Nimmo
teaches a roller comprises a work zone having a first end and a second end (see ends of cylindrical roller tube 16 in Figure 3 and surrounding end portion 28 of the tube in Figure 2),
a first bearing zone (bushing 24; Figure 3) joined to the first end of the cylindrical work zone and extending axially from the first end of the work zone (see bushing 24 extending from end portion 28 in top image of Figure 2; col 2 line 63 to col 3 line 1), and
a second bearing zone joined to the second end of the cylindrical work zone and extending axially from the second end of the cylindrical work zone (see bushing 24 extending from end portion 28 in bottom image of Figure 2; col 2 line 63 to col 3 line 1),
the first and second bearing zones being joined to the cylindrical work zone such that the first and second bearing zones and the cylindrical work zone rotate in unison (col 4 line 13-15; the bearings 22 support the tube 16 for free rotation such that the bushing 24 providing a connection between the bearings 22 and tube 16 also rotate with the tube 16 while stub axles 60, shaft members 35 and dust covers 45 are prevented from rotation. The bearing zones allow for easy assembly, disassembly, and replacement of bearings within the roller (see Figure 3 and col 1 line 35-38). Further, the bearing zones are made electrically conductive to dissipate any electrostatic charge from the work zone into the bearing (col 3 line 1-4).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first end and second end of Hudelson
comprise a first bearing zone extending axially from the first end of the work zone and a second
bearing zone extending axially from the second end of the work zone, and for the first and
second bearing zone to be connected to the first and second end of the work zone,
respectively, such that the first and second bearing zones and the work zone rotate in unison, as taught by Nimmo, to achieve the predictable result of imparting rotational movement to the compaction roller. Further, Nimmo teaches the bearing zones have a known benefit of allowing for easy assembly, disassembly, and replacement of bearings within the roller, and are made electrically conductive to dissipate any electrostatic charge from the work zone into the bearing.
Regarding claim 3, Hudelson modified with Nimmo teaches the system according to
claim 1. Further, Hudelson teaches wherein at least a portion of the at least one compaction
roller has a surface finish of less than 50 microinches Ra ([0026] Typical roughness levels that
may provide a desirable effect during powder spreading may be in the range of 0.1-0.5 μm Ra,
more preferably 0.2-0.4 μm; 0.2 μm converts to 8 microinches and converts to 16 microinches).
Regarding claim 5, Hudelson modified with Nimmo teaches the system according to
claim 1. Further, Hudelson teaches wherein the work zone has a surface finish of less than 50
microinches Ra ([0026] Typical roughness levels that may provide a desirable effect during
powder spreading may be in the range of 0.1-0.5 μm Ra, more preferably 0.2-0.4 μm; 0.2 μm
converts to 8 microinches and converts to 16 microinches).
Regarding claim 6, Hudelson modified with Nimmo teaches the system according to
claim 1. Further, Hudelson teaches wherein the work zone is cylindrical with a circular cross-
section (see annotated Figure 7 in the rejection of claim 4 on pg. 7 of the Office Action mailed
05/23/2025).
Regarding claim 8, Hudelson modified with Nimmo teaches the system according to
claim 1. Further, Hudelson teaches the roller may consist of multiple materials to utilize varying
functionalities for each component, and for other reasons such as cost, toughness, ductility,
and efficiency of manufacture ([0024]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed
invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the at least one of the first bearing
zone and the second bearing zone of Hudelson modified with Nimmo be made from a material
different than the work zone, as suggested by Hudelson, since one of ordinary skill would be
motivated to choose a material for the work zone and the bearing zones based on functional
needs such as toughness or ductility, cost, or efficiency of manufacture. For example, the work
zone may be desired to have a high hardness to prevent abrasion or smoothing while in use
([0024]), while the bearings may have higher ductility requirements when imparting rotation to
the roller.
Regarding claim 9, Hudelson modified with Nimmo teaches the system according to
claim 1. Further, Hudelson teaches wherein the work zone is made from silicon carbide ([0024]
a roller may be made from a ceramic, carbide, or nitride such as alumina, silicon carbide,
aluminum nitride, or other suitable ceramic, carbide, or nitride material), and that the roller
may consist of multiple materials to utilize varying functionalities for each component, and for other reasons such as cost, toughness, ductility, and efficiency of manufacture ([0024]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed
invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first bearing zone and the
second bearing zone of Hudelson modified Nimmo be made from metal, since one of
ordinary skill would be motivated to choose a material for the work zone and the bearing zones
based on functional needs such as toughness or ductility, cost, or efficiency of manufacture. For
example, the work zone may be desired to have a high hardness to prevent abrasion or
smoothing while in use ([0024]), while the bearings may have higher ductility requirements
when imparting rotation to the roller.
Regarding claim 11, Hudelson modified with Nimmo teaches the system according to
claim 1.
Further, Nimmo teaches wherein at least one of the first bearing zone and the second bearing zone is joined to the work zone via a tongue (end portion 28; Figure 2) -and-groove (slight recess within the bushing around the periphery of the bushing 24) joint (col 2 line 63-col 3 line 1).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first bearing zone and the second bearing zone be joined to the work zone via a tongue-and-groove joint, as taught by Nimmo, for the benefit of easy assembly, disassembly, and replacement of bearings within the roller.
Regarding claim 12, Hudelson modified with Nimmo teaches the system according to
claim 1. Further, Hudelson teaches wherein the compaction roller is configured to spin around a longitudinal axis and traverse in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (see
annotated Figure on pg. 3 of Office Action mailed 05/23/2025).
Regarding claim 13, Hudelson modified with Nimmo teaches the system according to
claim 1. Hudelson teaches the system further comprising a powder dispensing apparatus
(powder dispenser system 1002 in Figure 10) configured to dispense a predetermined amount
of the powder material on a top surface of the powder bed ([0062] a roller 1001 traversing a
large section of the bed 1002 with variations in the amount of material metered across the bed
by powder dispenser system 1003).
Regarding claim 14, Hudelson teaches a system (Figure 10) for additive manufacturing
of a three-dimensional object, the system comprising:
a powder compaction apparatus comprising at least one compaction roller (roller 1001;
Figure 10) configured to spread and compact a powder material across a powder bed ([0005]
and [0062] FIG. 10 depicts a roller 1001 traversing a large section of the bed); and
a printing apparatus configured to selectively bind or fuse the powder material ([0004],
[0027] FIG. 3 is a plot of experimentally observed sintered density as a function of green density
of printed parts. For parts below a threshold green density, the sintering process will produce
parts with a lower final density, since a sintering process is occurring then a printing apparatus
is required such that sintering can occur); and
wherein the at least one compaction roller comprises a cylindrical work zone having a
first end and a second end (see annotated Figure 7 in the rejection of claim 4 above), and
wherein the cylindrical work zone is made from silicon carbide ([0024] a roller may be
made from a ceramic, carbide, or nitride such as alumina, silicon carbide) and has a surface finish of less than 50 microinches Ra ([0026] Typical roughness levels that may provide a
desirable effect during powder spreading may be in the range of 0.1-0.5 μm Ra, more
preferably 0.2-0.4 μm; 0.2 μm converts to 8 microinches and converts to 16 microinches).
While Hudelson teaches the roller rotates, Hudelson fails to explicitly teach the
components that cause the roller to rotate, prompting one of ordinary skill to look to related
art for components that cause a roller to rotate.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to rollers for conveying material, Nimmo
teaches a roller comprises a work zone having a first end and a second end (see ends of cylindrical roller tube 16 in Figure 3 and surrounding end portion 28 of the tube in Figure 2),
a first bearing zone (bushing 24; Figure 3) joined to the first end of the cylindrical work zone and extending axially from the first end of the work zone (see bushing 24 extending from end portion 28 in top image of Figure 2; col 2 line 63 to col 3 line 1), and
a second bearing zone joined to the second end of the cylindrical work zone and extending axially from the second end of the cylindrical work zone (see bushing 24 extending from end portion 28 in bottom image of Figure 2; col 2 line 63 to col 3 line 1),
the first and second bearing zones being joined to the cylindrical work zone such that the first and second bearing zones and the cylindrical work zone rotate in unison (col 4 line 13-15; the bearings 22 support the tube 16 for free rotation such that the bushing 24 providing a connection between the bearings 22 and tube 16 also rotate with the tube 16 while stub axles 60, shaft members 35 and dust covers 45 are prevented from rotation. The bearing zones allow for easy assembly, disassembly, and replacement of bearings within the roller (see Figure 3 and col 1 line 35-38). Further, the bearing zones are made electrically conductive to dissipate any electrostatic charge from the work zone into the bearing (col 3 line 1-4).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first end and second end of Hudelson
comprise a first bearing zone extending axially from the first end of the work zone and a second
bearing zone extending axially from the second end of the work zone, and for the first and
second bearing zone to be connected to the first and second end of the work zone,
respectively, such that the first and second bearing zones and the work zone rotate in unison, as taught by Nimmo, to achieve the predictable result of imparting rotational movement to the compaction roller. Further, Nimmo teaches the bearing zones have a known benefit of allowing for easy assembly, disassembly, and replacement of bearings within the roller, and are made electrically conductive to dissipate any electrostatic charge from the work zone into the bearing.
Regarding claim 16, Hudelson modified with Nimmo teaches the system according to
claim 14.
Further, Nimmo teaches wherein at least one of the first bearing zone and the second bearing zone is joined to the work zone via a tongue (end portion 28; Figure 2) -and-groove (slight recess within the bushing around the periphery of the bushing 24) joint (col 2 line 63-col 3 line 1).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first bearing zone and the second bearing zone be joined to the work zone via a tongue-and-groove joint, as taught by Nimmo, for the benefit of easy assembly, disassembly, and replacement of bearings within the roller.
Regarding claim 17, Hudelson teaches a compaction roller configured for use in a
system for additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object, the compaction roller (roller
1001; Figure 10) comprising:
a cylindrical work zone having a first end and a second (see annotated Figure 7 in the
rejection of claim 4 on pg. 7 of the Office Action mailed 05/23/2025), wherein at least the
cylindrical work zone is made from silicon carbide ([0024] a roller may be made from a ceramic,
carbide, or nitride such as alumina, silicon carbide), and wherein the cylindrical work zone has a surface finish of less than 50 microinches Ra.
While Hudelson teaches the roller rotates, Hudelson fails to explicitly teach the
components that cause the roller to rotate, prompting one of ordinary skill to look to related
art for components that cause a roller to rotate.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to rollers for conveying material, Nimmo
teaches a roller comprises a work zone having a first end and a second end (see ends of cylindrical roller tube 16 in Figure 3 and surrounding end portion 28 of the tube in Figure 2),
a first bearing zone (bushing 24; Figure 3) joined to the first end of the cylindrical work zone and extending axially from the first end of the work zone (see bushing 24 extending from end portion 28 in top image of Figure 2; col 2 line 63 to col 3 line 1), and
a second bearing zone joined to the second end of the cylindrical work zone and extending axially from the second end of the cylindrical work zone (see bushing 24 extending from end portion 28 in bottom image of Figure 2; col 2 line 63 to col 3 line 1),
the first and second bearing zones being joined to the cylindrical work zone such that the first and second bearing zones and the cylindrical work zone rotate in unison (col 4 line 13-15; the bearings 22 support the tube 16 for free rotation such that the bushing 24 providing a connection between the bearings 22 and tube 16 also rotate with the tube 16 while stub axles 60, shaft members 35 and dust covers 45 are prevented from rotation. The bearing zones allow for easy assembly, disassembly, and replacement of bearings within the roller (see Figure 3 and col 1 line 35-38). Further, the bearing zones are made electrically conductive to dissipate any electrostatic charge from the work zone into the bearing (col 3 line 1-4).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first end and second end of Hudelson
comprise a first bearing zone extending axially from the first end of the work zone and a second
bearing zone extending axially from the second end of the work zone, and for the first and
second bearing zone to be connected to the first and second end of the work zone,
respectively, such that the first and second bearing zones and the work zone rotate in unison, as taught by Nimmo, to achieve the predictable result of imparting rotational movement to the compaction roller. Further, Nimmo teaches the bearing zones have a known benefit of allowing for easy assembly, disassembly, and replacement of bearings within the roller, and are made electrically conductive to dissipate any electrostatic charge from the work zone into the bearing.
Regarding claim 20, Hudelson modified with Nimmo teaches the system according to
claim 17.
Further, Nimmo teaches wherein at least one of the first bearing zone and the second bearing zone is joined to the work zone via a tongue (end portion 28; Figure 2) -and-groove (slight recess within the bushing around the periphery of the bushing 24) joint (col 2 line 63-col 3 line 1).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first bearing zone and the second bearing zone be joined to the work zone via a tongue-and-groove joint, as taught by Nimmo, for the benefit of easy assembly, disassembly, and replacement of bearings within the roller.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11-14, 16, 17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hudelson et al. (US20220355381), and further in view of Kim et al. (KR101431038 B1- Machine translation provided herein).
Regarding claim 1, Hudelson teaches a system for additive manufacturing of a three-
dimensional object (Figure 10), the system comprising:
a powder compaction apparatus comprising at least one compaction roller (roller 1001;
Figure 10) configured to spread and compact a powder material across a powder bed ([0005]
and [0062] FIG. 10 depicts a roller 1001 traversing a large section of the bed);
a printing apparatus configured to selectively bind or fuse the powder material ([0004],
[0027] FIG. 3 is a plot of experimentally observed sintered density as a function of green density
of printed parts. For parts below a threshold green density, the sintering process will produce
parts with a lower final density, since a sintering process is occurring then a printing apparatus
is required such that sintering can occur);
wherein at least a portion of the at least one compaction roller is made from silicon
carbide ([0024] a roller may be made from a ceramic, carbide, or nitride such as alumina, silicon
carbide),
wherein the at least one compaction roller comprises a work zone having a first end and
a second end (see annotated Figure 7 on pg. 7 of the Office Action mailed 05/23/2025).
While Hudelson teaches the roller rotates, Hudelson fails to explicitly teach the
components that cause the roller to rotate, prompting one of ordinary skill to look to related
art of rollers for components that cause a roller to rotate.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to rollers for conveying material, Kim
teaches a roller comprises a work zone (guide roller 100 with a plurality of partial rollers 110 as shown in Figure 2) having a first end and a second end,
a first bearing zone (outermost roller 140; Figure 4a) joined to the first end of the cylindrical work zone and extending axially from the first end of the work zone, and
a second bearing zone (outermost roller 142; Figure 4b) joined to the second end of the cylindrical work zone and extending axially from the second end of the cylindrical work zone (“4 is a view showing the outermost rollers 140 and 142 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4, one of the outermost rollers 140 and 142 is constituted by a protruding part roller 140 having an outermost protruding part 141 having a shape corresponding to the inserting part 114, and the other one Is composed of an insertion part roller (142) having an outermost depression (143) having a shape corresponding to the protrusion (112)”- see pg. 3),
the first and second bearing zones being joined to the cylindrical work zone such that the first and second bearing zones and the cylindrical work zone rotate in unison (“The guide rollers are rotatably mounted on the opposite surfaces of the outermost surfaces of the outermost rollers 140 and 142 on which the outermost protruding portion 141 and the outermost surface inserting portion 143 are formed. The fixing portion is formed with a circular bearing groove 150 in contact with the bearing 210 to be described below”- see pg. 3). The roller of Kim allows for partial replacement of the roller and prevents the entire guide roller from needing to be replaced or discarded (“a guide roller unit which is separable so that the guide roller can be divided and partially replaced”- see pg. 1).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first end and second end of Hudelson
comprise a first bearing zone extending axially from the first end of the work zone and a second
bearing zone extending axially from the second end of the work zone, and for the first and
second bearing zone to be connected to the first and second end of the work zone,
respectively, such that the first and second bearing zones and the work zone rotate in unison, as taught by Kim, to achieve the predictable result of imparting rotational movement to the compaction roller. Further, Kim teaches the bearing zones have a known benefit of partially replacing components of the roller such that the entire guide roller does not need to be replaced or discarded.
Regarding claim 3, Hudelson modified with Kim teaches the system according to
claim 1. Further, Hudelson teaches wherein at least a portion of the at least one compaction
roller has a surface finish of less than 50 microinches Ra ([0026] Typical roughness levels that
may provide a desirable effect during powder spreading may be in the range of 0.1-0.5 μm Ra,
more preferably 0.2-0.4 μm; 0.2 μm converts to 8 microinches and converts to 16 microinches).
Regarding claim 5, Hudelson modified with Kim teaches the system according to
claim 1. Further, Hudelson teaches wherein the work zone has a surface finish of less than 50
microinches Ra ([0026] Typical roughness levels that may provide a desirable effect during
powder spreading may be in the range of 0.1-0.5 μm Ra, more preferably 0.2-0.4 μm; 0.2 μm
converts to 8 microinches and converts to 16 microinches).
Regarding claim 6, Hudelson modified with Kim teaches the system according to
claim 1. Further, Hudelson teaches wherein the work zone is cylindrical with a circular cross-
section (see annotated Figure 7 in the rejection of claim 4 on pg. 7 of the Office Action mailed
05/23/2025).
Regarding claim 8, Hudelson modified with Kim teaches the system according to
claim 1. Further, Hudelson teaches the roller may consist of multiple materials to utilize varying
functionalities for each component, and for other reasons such as cost, toughness, ductility,
and efficiency of manufacture ([0024]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed
invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the at least one of the first bearing
zone and the second bearing zone of Hudelson modified with Kim be made from a material
different than the work zone, as suggested by Hudelson, since one of ordinary skill would be
motivated to choose a material for the work zone and the bearing zones based on functional
needs such as toughness or ductility, cost, or efficiency of manufacture. For example, the work
zone may be desired to have a high hardness to prevent abrasion or smoothing while in use
([0024]), while the bearings may have higher ductility requirements when imparting rotation to
the roller.
Regarding claim 9, Hudelson modified with Kim teaches the system according to
claim 1. Further, Hudelson teaches wherein the work zone is made from silicon carbide ([0024]
a roller may be made from a ceramic, carbide, or nitride such as alumina, silicon carbide,
aluminum nitride, or other suitable ceramic, carbide, or nitride material), and that the roller
may consist of multiple materials to utilize varying functionalities for each component, and for other reasons such as cost, toughness, ductility, and efficiency of manufacture ([0024]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed
invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first bearing zone and the
second bearing zone of Hudelson modified Kim be made from metal, since one of
ordinary skill would be motivated to choose a material for the work zone and the bearing zones
based on functional needs such as toughness or ductility, cost, or efficiency of manufacture. For
example, the work zone may be desired to have a high hardness to prevent abrasion or
smoothing while in use ([0024]), while the bearings may have higher ductility requirements
when imparting rotation to the roller.
Regarding claim 11, Hudelson modified with Kim teaches the system according to
claim 1.
Further, Kim teaches wherein at least one of the first bearing zone and the second bearing zone is joined to the work zone via a tongue (protruding portion 141 and protrusion 112 in Figure 3 and Figure 4a) -and-groove (insertion portion 114 and circular bearing groove 150 in Figure 3 and Figure 4b) joint (“4 is a view showing the outermost rollers 140 and 142 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4, one of the outermost rollers 140 and 142 is constituted by a protruding part roller 140 having an outermost protruding part 141 having a shape corresponding to the inserting part 114, and the other one Is composed of an insertion part roller (142) having an outermost depression (143) having a shape corresponding to the protrusion (112). The guide rollers are rotatably mounted on the opposite surfaces of the outermost surfaces of the outermost rollers 140 and 142 on which the outermost protruding portion 141 and the outermost surface inserting portion 143 are formed. The fixing portion is formed with a circular bearing groove 150 in contact with the bearing 210 to be described below”- see pg. 3).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first bearing zone and the second bearing zone be joined to the work zone via a tongue-and-groove joint, as taught by Kim, for the benefit of partially replacing components of the roller such that the entire guide roller does not need to be replaced or discarded.
Regarding claim 12, Hudelson modified with Kim teaches the system according to
claim 1. Further, Hudelson teaches wherein the compaction roller is configured to spin around a longitudinal axis and traverse in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (see
annotated Figure on pg. 3 of Office Action mailed 05/23/2025).
Regarding claim 13, Hudelson modified with Kim teaches the system according to
claim 1. Hudelson teaches the system further comprising a powder dispensing apparatus
(powder dispenser system 1002 in Figure 10) configured to dispense a predetermined amount
of the powder material on a top surface of the powder bed ([0062] a roller 1001 traversing a
large section of the bed 1002 with variations in the amount of material metered across the bed
by powder dispenser system 1003).
Regarding claim 14, Hudelson teaches a system (Figure 10) for additive manufacturing
of a three-dimensional object, the system comprising:
a powder compaction apparatus comprising at least one compaction roller (roller 1001;
Figure 10) configured to spread and compact a powder material across a powder bed ([0005]
and [0062] FIG. 10 depicts a roller 1001 traversing a large section of the bed); and
a printing apparatus configured to selectively bind or fuse the powder material ([0004],
[0027] FIG. 3 is a plot of experimentally observed sintered density as a function of green density
of printed parts. For parts below a threshold green density, the sintering process will produce
parts with a lower final density, since a sintering process is occurring then a printing apparatus
is required such that sintering can occur); and
wherein the at least one compaction roller comprises a cylindrical work zone having a
first end and a second end (see annotated Figure 7 in the rejection of claim 4 above), and
wherein the cylindrical work zone is made from silicon carbide ([0024] a roller may be
made from a ceramic, carbide, or nitride such as alumina, silicon carbide) and has a surface finish of less than 50 microinches Ra ([0026] Typical roughness levels that may provide a
desirable effect during powder spreading may be in the range of 0.1-0.5 μm Ra, more
preferably 0.2-0.4 μm; 0.2 μm converts to 8 microinches and converts to 16 microinches).
While Hudelson teaches the roller rotates, Hudelson fails to explicitly teach the
components that cause the roller to rotate, prompting one of ordinary skill to look to related
art for components that cause a roller to rotate.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to rollers for conveying material, Kim
teaches a roller comprises a work zone (guide roller 100 with a plurality of partial rollers 110 as shown in Figure 2) having a first end and a second end,
a first bearing zone (outermost roller 140; Figure 4a) joined to the first end of the cylindrical work zone and extending axially from the first end of the work zone (), and
a second bearing zone (outermost roller 142; Figure 4b) joined to the second end of the cylindrical work zone and extending axially from the second end of the cylindrical work zone (“4 is a view showing the outermost rollers 140 and 142 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4, one of the outermost rollers 140 and 142 is constituted by a protruding part roller 140 having an outermost protruding part 141 having a shape corresponding to the inserting part 114, and the other one Is composed of an insertion part roller (142) having an outermost depression (143) having a shape corresponding to the protrusion (112)”- see pg. 3),
the first and second bearing zones being joined to the cylindrical work zone such that the first and second bearing zones and the cylindrical work zone rotate in unison (“The guide rollers are rotatably mounted on the opposite surfaces of the outermost surfaces of the outermost rollers 140 and 142 on which the outermost protruding portion 141 and the outermost surface inserting portion 143 are formed. The fixing portion is formed with a circular bearing groove 150 in contact with the bearing 210 to be described below”- see pg. 3). The roller of Kim allows for partial replacement of the roller and prevents the entire guide roller from needing to be replaced or discarded (“a guide roller unit which is separable so that the guide roller can be divided and partially replaced”- see pg. 1).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first end and second end of Hudelson
comprise a first bearing zone extending axially from the first end of the work zone and a second
bearing zone extending axially from the second end of the work zone, and for the first and
second bearing zone to be connected to the first and second end of the work zone,
respectively, such that the first and second bearing zones and the work zone rotate in unison, as taught by Kim, to achieve the predictable result of imparting rotational movement to the compaction roller. Further, Kim teaches the bearing zones have a known benefit of partially replacing components of the roller such that the entire guide roller does not need to be replaced or discarded.
Regarding claim 16, Hudelson modified with Kim teaches the system according to
claim 14.
Further, Kim teaches wherein at least one of the first bearing zone and the second bearing zone is joined to the work zone via a tongue (protruding portion 141 and protrusion 112 in Figure 3 and Figure 4a) -and-groove (insertion portion 114 and circular bearing groove 150 in Figure 3 and Figure 4b) joint (“4 is a view showing the outermost rollers 140 and 142 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4, one of the outermost rollers 140 and 142 is constituted by a protruding part roller 140 having an outermost protruding part 141 having a shape corresponding to the inserting part 114, and the other one Is composed of an insertion part roller (142) having an outermost depression (143) having a shape corresponding to the protrusion (112). The guide rollers are rotatably mounted on the opposite surfaces of the outermost surfaces of the outermost rollers 140 and 142 on which the outermost protruding portion 141 and the outermost surface inserting portion 143 are formed. The fixing portion is formed with a circular bearing groove 150 in contact with the bearing 210 to be described below”- see pg. 3).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first bearing zone and the second bearing zone be joined to the work zone via a tongue-and-groove joint, as taught by Kim, for the benefit of partially replacing components of the roller such that the entire guide roller does not need to be replaced or discarded.
Regarding claim 17, Hudelson teaches a compaction roller configured for use in a
system for additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object, the compaction roller (roller
1001; Figure 10) comprising:
a cylindrical work zone having a first end and a second (see annotated Figure 7 in the
rejection of claim 4 on pg. 7 of the Office Action mailed 05/23/2025), wherein at least the
cylindrical work zone is made from silicon carbide ([0024] a roller may be made from a ceramic,
carbide, or nitride such as alumina, silicon carbide), and wherein the cylindrical work zone has a surface finish of less than 50 microinches Ra.
While Hudelson teaches the roller rotates, Hudelson fails to explicitly teach the
components that cause the roller to rotate, prompting one of ordinary skill to look to related
art for components that cause a roller to rotate.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to rollers for conveying material, Kim
teaches a roller comprises a work zone (guide roller 100 with a plurality of partial rollers 110 as shown in Figure 2) having a first end and a second end,
a first bearing zone (outermost roller 140; Figure 4a) joined to the first end of the cylindrical work zone and extending axially from the first end of the work zone (), and
a second bearing zone (outermost roller 142; Figure 4b) joined to the second end of the cylindrical work zone and extending axially from the second end of the cylindrical work zone (“4 is a view showing the outermost rollers 140 and 142 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4, one of the outermost rollers 140 and 142 is constituted by a protruding part roller 140 having an outermost protruding part 141 having a shape corresponding to the inserting part 114, and the other one Is composed of an insertion part roller (142) having an outermost depression (143) having a shape corresponding to the protrusion (112)”- see pg. 3),
the first and second bearing zones being joined to the cylindrical work zone such that the first and second bearing zones and the cylindrical work zone rotate in unison (“The guide rollers are rotatably mounted on the opposite surfaces of the outermost surfaces of the outermost rollers 140 and 142 on which the outermost protruding portion 141 and the outermost surface inserting portion 143 are formed. The fixing portion is formed with a circular bearing groove 150 in contact with the bearing 210 to be described below”- see pg. 3). The roller of Kim allows for partial replacement of the roller and prevents the entire guide roller from needing to be replaced or discarded (“a guide roller unit which is separable so that the guide roller can be divided and partially replaced”- see pg. 1).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first end and second end of Hudelson
comprise a first bearing zone extending axially from the first end of the work zone and a second
bearing zone extending axially from the second end of the work zone, and for the first and
second bearing zone to be connected to the first and second end of the work zone,
respectively, such that the first and second bearing zones and the work zone rotate in unison, as taught by Kim, to achieve the predictable result of imparting rotational movement to the compaction roller. Further, Kim teaches the bearing zones have a known benefit of partially replacing components of the roller such that the entire guide roller does not need to be replaced or discarded.
Regarding claim 20, Hudelson modified with Kim teaches the system according to
claim 17.
Further, Kim teaches wherein at least one of the first bearing zone and the second bearing zone is joined to the work zone via a tongue (protruding portion 141 and protrusion 112 in Figure 3 and Figure 4a) -and-groove (insertion portion 114 and circular bearing groove 150 in Figure 3 and Figure 4b) joint (“4 is a view showing the outermost rollers 140 and 142 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4, one of the outermost rollers 140 and 142 is constituted by a protruding part roller 140 having an outermost protruding part 141 having a shape corresponding to the inserting part 114, and the other one Is composed of an insertion part roller (142) having an outermost depression (143) having a shape corresponding to the protrusion (112). The guide rollers are rotatably mounted on the opposite surfaces of the outermost surfaces of the outermost rollers 140 and 142 on which the outermost protruding portion 141 and the outermost surface inserting portion 143 are formed. The fixing portion is formed with a circular bearing groove 150 in contact with the bearing 210 to be described below”- see pg. 3).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first bearing zone and the second bearing zone be joined to the work zone via a tongue-and-groove joint, as taught by Kim, for the benefit of partially replacing components of the roller such that the entire guide roller does not need to be replaced or discarded.
Claim(s) 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hudelson et al.
(US20220355381) and Nimmo et al. (US6454077) or Kim et al. (KR101431038 B1- Machine translation provided herein), and further in view of Zhang et al. (CN110509405- Machine translation used herein).
Regarding claim 2, Hudelson modified with Nimmo or Kim teaches the system according to claim 1. However, Hudelson fails to teach wherein the silicon carbide is a reaction-bonded
silicon carbide.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to silicon carbide rollers, Zhang teaches
wherein the silicon carbide is a reaction-bonded silicon carbide (“A reaction sintered silicon carbide anti roll bar, comprising a roller main body”- see pg. 2 paragraph 7).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a
person having ordinary skill in the art to have the silicon carbide roller of Hudelson modified
with Nimmo or Kim be a reaction-bonded silicon carbide, as taught by Zhang, to achieve the
predictable result of forming a silicon carbide roller. There would have been a reasonable
expectation of success for the silicon carbide of Hudelson to be a reaction-bonded silicon
carbide, since both Hudelson and Zhang are directed to forming silicon carbide rollers, and
since Hudelson is silent as to how the silicon carbide roller is formed, one of ordinary skill would
look to Zhang on how to form the silicon carbide roller.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 06/26/2026, with respect to the 35 USC 103 rejection of Hudelson (‘381) in view of Nimmo (‘077) have been fully considered and are persuasive.
However, in view of the amendment filed 06/26/2026, the Examiner’s interpretation of Nimmo (‘077) has changed and the rejection of claim 1 under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over Hudelson (‘381) in view of Nimmo (‘077) is maintained (see rejection of claim 1 above).
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 ARIELLA MACHNESS whose telephone number is (408)918-7587. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 6:30-2:30 PT.
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/ARIELLA MACHNESS/Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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