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
The Election/Restriction requirement has been withdrawn and subsequently there are no withdrawn claims. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on November 21, 2025; however, the arguments are moot.
Claim Objections
Claims 8, 18, and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities: Regarding claim 8 (line 1), the phrase should recite “The method of Claim 2, wherein
Regarding claim 18 (line 2) should recite “opposite a second surface,
Regarding claim 20 (line 1) should recite “wherein
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-7 and 9-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR20220090297 to Yeom et al.
In re claim 1, Yeom teaches a method for manufacturing a part using water jet cutting, comprising:
providing a water jet cutting system (as shown in at least Figure 1) having a water cutter (120) configured to define a cutting stream and having a working surface (110), the water jet cutting system including at least one actuator (Pg. 3, lines 33-35) responsive to one or more control signals from a controller (Pg. 3, lines 28-30) to move the water cutter relative to the working surface;
positioning a sacrificial material system (12a,12b) on the working surface (110) of the water jet cutting system;
positioning a stock material (12c) adjacent to the sacrificial material system, the part configured to be composed of the stock material (12c); and
cutting the part from the stock material using the water jet cutting system.
Note, the part is cut from the stock material when the water jet cutter cuts during cutting of the sacrificial material system and the stock material.
In re claim 2, further comprising: positioning the stock material (12c) between a first sheet (12a) of the sacrificial material system and a second sheet (12b) of the sacrificial material system.
In re claim 3, wherein the first sheet is composed of a first material and the second sheet is composed of a second material (Pg. 4, lines 16-19).
In re claim 4, wherein the first material and the second material are the same (Pg. 4, lines 16-19).
In re claim 5, wherein the stock material is composed of a third material, and the third material is different from the first material (Pg. 4, lines 20-30).
In re claim 6, comprising: securing the first sheet, the stock material and the second sheet to the working surface (via 150).
In re claim 7, wherein the first sheet has a first hardness, the second sheet has a second hardness, and the stock material has a third hardness, and the third hardness is greater than the first hardness and the second hardness (Pg. 4, lines 16-30; 12c, may include a composite material of a metal oxide or a semimetal oxide. The metalloid oxide may be silica which has a greater hardness than the first and second layer (which may be Aluminum)).
In re claim 9, Yeom teaches a system for manufacturing a part using water jet cutting, comprising:
a sacrificial material system (12a,12b) configured to be coupled to a working surface of a water jet cutting system;
a stock material (12c) coupled to the sacrificial material system, the part configured to be composed of the stock material; and
the water jet cutting system (as shown in at least Figure 1) having a water cutter (120) configured to cut the part from the sacrificial material system and the stock material.
Note, the preamble is directed to an apparatus, which is a system. The phrase “for manufacturing a part using water jet cutting” is intended use. The workpiece has not been positively recited or claimed in combination with the system.
In re claim 10, wherein the sacrificial material system includes a first sheet (12a) and a second sheet (12b), the stock material (12c) has a first surface opposite a second surface, and the second sheet is coupled to the first surface of the stock material such that the stock material is positioned between the first sheet and the second sheet.
The preamble is directed to an apparatus and the workpiece has not been positively recited or claimed in combination with the system.
In re claim 11, wherein the first sheet and the second sheet are coupled to the stock material so as to be removable upon completion of the part.
The preamble is directed to an apparatus and the workpiece has not been positively recited or claimed in combination with the system; therefore, the first and second merely has to be capable of being coupled to the stock and removable upon completion of the part.
In re claim 12, wherein the first sheet is composed of a first material and the second sheet is composed of a second material (Pg. 4, lines 16-19)
The preamble is directed to an apparatus and the workpiece has not been positively recited or claimed in combination with the system.
In re claim 13, wherein the first material and the second material are the same (Pg. 4, lines 16-19).
The preamble is directed to an apparatus and the workpiece has not been positively recited or claimed in combination with the system.
In re claim 14, wherein the stock material is composed of a third material, and the third material is different from the first material (Pg. 4, lines 20-30).
The preamble is directed to an apparatus and the workpiece has not been positively recited or claimed in combination with the system.
In re claim 15, wherein the first sheet has a first hardness, the second sheet has a second hardness, and the stock material has a third hardness, and the third hardness is greater than the first hardness and the second hardness (Pg. 4, lines 16-30; 12c may include a composite material of a metal oxide or a semimetal oxide, in which the metalloid oxide may be silica. Silica has a greater hardness than the first and second layer, which may be Aluminum).
The preamble is directed to an apparatus and the workpiece has not been positively recited or claimed in combination with the system.
In re claim 16, wherein the first sheet is composed of a first material, the second sheet is composed of a second material, the stock material is composed of a third material, and the first material, the second material and the third material are the same (Pg. 4, lines 16-30).
Note, the first, second, and third materials merely have to be capable of being the same. The preamble is directed to an apparatus and the workpiece has not been positively recited or claimed in combination with the system.
In re claim 17, a method of a part using water jet cutting, comprising:
providing a water jet cutting system (as shown in at least Figure 1) having a water cutter (120) configured to define a cutting stream and having a working surface (110), the water jet cutting system including at least one actuator (Pg. 3, lines 33-35) responsive to one or more control signals from a controller (Pg. 3, lines 28-30) to move the water cutter relative to the working surface;
positioning a first sheet of a sacrificial material system on the working surface of the water jet cutting system, the first sheet composed of a first material having a first hardness (Pg. 4, lines 16-19);
positioning a stock material adjacent to the first sheet of the sacrificial material system, the part configured to be composed of the stock material (12c), and the stock material having a stock hardness (Pg. 4, lines 20-30);
positioning a second sheet (12b) of the sacrificial material system on the stock material, the second sheet composed of a second material having a second hardness (Pg. 4, lines 16-19), the first hardness and the second hardness less than the stock hardness (Pg. 4, lines 16-30; 2c may include a composite material of a metal oxide or a semimetal oxide, in which the metalloid oxide may be silica. Silica has a greater hardness than the first and second layer, which may be Aluminum) and cutting the part from the first sheet, the stock material and the second sheet using the water jet cutting system.
In re claim 18, wherein the stock material (12c) has a first surface opposite a second surface, the positioning the second sheet (12b) on the stock material comprises positioning the second sheet on the first surface and the positioning the stock material adjacent to the first sheet (12a) comprises positioning the second surface of the stock material on the first sheet such that the stock material is sandwiched between the first sheet and the second sheet (as shown in at least Figure 3).
In re claim 19, wherein the first material and the second material are the same (Pg. 4, lines 16-19), and the method further comprises: securing the first sheet, the stock material and the second sheet to the working surface (via 150).
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.
Claims 8 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yeom et al. in view of evidentiary reference to US Patent Application Publication No. 20170341220 to Murray, Sr and US Patent Application Publication No. 20050253276 to Yamanaka et al.
In re claims 8 and 17, Yeom teaches a method of cutting a part from the stock material using the water jet cutting system, but does not teach positioning the stock material between a first sheet removing the first sheet and the second sheet from the part at completion of the cutting.
Murray provides evidence that it is known in the art of cutting tools to cut a part from a stock material and remove a first sheet (26) and a second sheet (26) from the part (28) at the completion of cutting. The protective film (26) aids in preventing dirt from adhering to the adhesive sides prior to use.
Yamanaka provides evidence of a pressure-sensitive adhesive protecting film attached to the glass for transportation and removing the protective film prior to use (Abstract, Claim 25).
The evidence provided by Murray and Yamanaka would be applicable to Yeom. Yeom provides a teaching of a printed photo on a metal substrate and then forming a glass layer thereon. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize there are various adhesive films as evidenced by Murray and Yamanaka to provide adhesion and protection.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide Yeom with a first and second sheet to prevent dirt from adhering the surface of the stock material and to provide protection during transportation as evidenced by Murray and Yamanaka.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. DE202011104056 teaches a layered material cut by a water jet cutter. US 20120037712 teaches providing a protective layer on each side of a stock material.
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/JENNIFER S MATTHEWS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724