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
Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1-9 and 11-20 have been amended. Claims 16-20. The rejections are maintained, with revisions in view of the amendment.
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.
Claim 15 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.
Claim 15 recites, “comprising a multi jet fusion three-dimensional printer.” It is unclear if the multi jet fusion three-dimensional printer is an additional printer or of it is made up of the elements recited in parent claim 1.
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.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fornos (US 2020/0324489).
Regarding claim 1, Fornos discloses a system for additive manufacturing ([0010] [0015]), comprising: a component that has a first geometry and a second geometry that is different than the first geometry, the first geometry and the second geometry of the component configured to create a thermal gradient along the component during the additive manufacturing as the component is formed by a layer by layer progression (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115); a printer head configured for forming the component during the layer by layer progression (head for depositing fusing agent to the powder bed, [0010] [0012] [0027], claim 6); a build space configured for the additive manufacturing of the component during a build using the printer head and the layer by layer progression (space filled by powder bed, [0010] [0012] [0027], claim 6); and a thermal management structure, the thermal management structure having a first structure geometry that is different than a second structure geometry, the first structure geometry defined proximate the first geometry of the component and the second structure geometry defined proximate the second geometry of the component, wherein in a first layer of the layer by layer progression corresponding to the first geometry of the component, the component has a first thickness and in a second layer of the layer by layer progression the component has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness, wherein in the first layer of the layer by layer progression, the thermal management structure has a third thickness and in the second layer of the layer by layer progression the thermal management structure has a fourth thickness that is greater than the third thickness, wherein the first structure geometry of the thermal management structure is configured to supply a first amount of heat to the first geometry of the component and the second structure geometry of the thermal management structure is configured to supply a second amount of heat to the second geometry of the component, wherein the first amount of heat is different than the second amount of heat, wherein the thermal management structure is defined during the additive manufacturing proximate the component, wherein the thermal management structure is configured, by the first structure geometry and the second structure geometry, to reduce the thermal gradient during the build of the component during the layer by layer progression by supplying heat from the thermal management structure to the component in varying amounts per each layer of the layer by layer progression, wherein the thermal management structure is configured to be additively manufactured with the component substantially simultaneously to reduce the thermal gradient along the component (capable of generating an object and an ancillary object which constitutes a thermal management structure, [0020] [0027]; System claims that recite being “configured to” are interpreted as reciting a system capable of so operating. By virtue of performing powder bed fusion, the system of Fornos is capable of so operating.; an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115).
Regarding claim 2, Fornos discloses wherein the thermal management structure has a surface facing the component that substantially mirrors a contour at an outside of the component with a gap between the contour and the surface, wherein the gap is wider at the first layer than at the second layer (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; capable of generating such an ancillary object, [0020] [0027] [0041]).
Regarding claim 3, Fornos discloses wherein the thermal management structure comprises a lattice of a plurality of cells that are interconnected,the cells are comprised of elements that have a cell wall thickness, andthe cell wall thickness is greater for cells disposed adjacent the first geometry as compared to cells disposed adjacent the second geometry (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; capable of generating such an ancillary object, [0020] [0027] [0041]).
Regarding claim 4, Fornos discloses wherein the thermal management structure comprises a lattice of a plurality of cells that are interconnected,the cells are formed with a density, andthe density is greater for cells disposed adjacent the first geometry as compared to cells disposed adjacent the second geometry (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; capable of generating such an ancillary object, [0020] [0027] [0041])).
Regarding claim 5, Fornos discloses wherein the component defines a central bore, and the thermal management structure includes a first structure positioned within the central bore and a second structure positioned about an outer surface of the component, wherein the component has a bottom, a top and a length from the bottom to the top, wherein the first structure is annular in shape and has an inner wall thickness that varies in a direction of the length, and wherein the second structure has an outer wall thickness that varies in the direction of the length (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; system is capable of producing more complicated objects in three dimensions, with ancillary objects in relative positions both horizontally and vertically with various shapes and thicknesses, and therefore is capable of producing a component and thermal management structures as claimed, [0041]).
Regarding claim 6, Fornos discloses wherein the thermal management structure completely surrounds an outer surface of the component enclosing the component in the thermal management structure (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; system is capable of producing more complicated objects in three dimensions, with ancillary objects in relative positions both horizontally and vertically with various shapes and thicknesses, and therefore is capable of producing a component and thermal management structures as claimed, [0041]).
Regarding claim 7, Fornos discloses wherein the component has a bottom a top and a length between the bottom and the top, the build is configured to result in a change in temperature of the component over a length of the component between the top and the bottom, and the thermal management structure includes thicker walls corresponding to thinner cross sections of the component and thinner walls corresponding to thicker cross sections of the component configured to offset the change in temperature of the component (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; system is capable of producing more complicated objects in three dimensions, with ancillary objects in various shapes, and therefore is capable of producing a component and thermal management structures as claimed, [0041]).
Regarding claim 8, Fornos discloses wherein: the component has a bottom a top and a length between the bottom and the top, an air gap is defined between the component and the thermal management structure, and the air gap increases in size toward the top and the bottom and is configured to maintain a consistent temperature along the length of the component (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; system is capable of producing more complicated objects in three dimensions, with ancillary objects in various shapes, and therefore is capable of producing a component and thermal management structures as claimed, [0041]).
Regarding claim 9, Fornos discloses wherein the first geometry is a first wall thickness, the second geometry is a second wall thickness, the first structure geometry is a first density of a plurality of cells and the second structure geometry is a second density of the plurality of cells (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; system is capable of producing more complicated objects in three dimensions, with ancillary objects in various shapes, and therefore is capable of producing a component and thermal management structures as claimed, [0041]).
Regarding claim 10, Fornos discloses wherein the first wall thickness is greater than the second wall thickness, and the first density of the plurality of cells is less than the second density of the plurality of cells (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; system is capable of producing more complicated objects in three dimensions, with ancillary objects in relative positions both horizontally and vertically with various shapes and thicknesses, and therefore is capable of producing a component and thermal management structures as claimed, [0041]).
Regarding claim 11, Fornos discloses wherein:the component has a bottom, a top and amid-section with anon-uniform cross-section between the bottom and the top with the mid-section being different in the cross-section as compared to at least one of the top and the bottom, the thermal management structure extends proximate the component from the bottom to the top, the thermal management structure has a cell width that varies when extending from the bottom to the top, and the cell width is configured to generate, during the layer by layer progression, varying amounts of heat that are greater where the non-uniform cross-section of the component generates less heat and that are lesser where the non-uniform cross-section of the component generates more heat (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; system is capable of producing more complicated objects in three dimensions, with ancillary objects in relative positions both horizontally and vertically with various shapes and thicknesses, and therefore is capable of producing a component and thermal management structures as claimed, [0041]).
Regarding claim 12, Fornos discloses wherein the thermal management structure comprises a lattice which encloses the component and includes a plurality of interconnected cells to cooperate to enclose the component during the additive manufacture, wherein the cells of the lattice are open and are configured to require less material to form the thermal management structure as compared to a solid thermal management structure, wherein the lattice is defined to reduce the thermal gradient along the component (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; system is capable of producing more complicated objects in three dimensions, with ancillary objects in relative positions both horizontally and vertically with various shapes and thicknesses, and therefore is capable of producing a component and thermal management structures as claimed, [0041]).
Regarding claim 13, Fornos discloses wherein the first geometry is a first wall thickness, the second geometry is a second wall thickness, the first structure geometry is a first cell wall thickness of at least one of the plurality of cells and the second structure geometry is a second cell wall thickness of at least a second one of the plurality of cells (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; system is capable of producing more complicated objects in three dimensions, with ancillary objects in relative positions both horizontally and vertically with various shapes and thicknesses, and therefore is capable of producing a component and thermal management structures as claimed, [0041]).
Regarding claim 14, Fornos discloses wherein the thermal management structure comprises a cell structure with varying cell wall thickness, varying distance between cells of the cell structure and the component, and varying density of the cells, each configured to reduce the thermal gradient in the component (an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115; system is capable of producing more complicated objects in three dimensions, with ancillary objects in relative positions both horizontally and vertically with various shapes and thicknesses, and therefore is capable of producing a component and thermal management structures as claimed, [0041]).
Regarding claim 15, Fornos a multi jet fusion three-dimensional printer (fusing agent delivered to powder bed, [0010] [0012 [0027], claim 6), and wherein the component and the thermal management structure are composed of a polymer-based material formed into the component by the multi jet fusion three-dimensional printer (plastic, [0009]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed September 19, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that amending the claims with details about an article worked upon limits the system claims and argues for patentability on this basis. This argument is not persuasive because an article worked upon does not limit apparatus claims, see MPEP 2115.
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 NICHOLAS J CHIDIAC whose telephone number is (571)272-6131. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM.
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/NICHOLAS J CHIDIAC/Examiner, Art Unit 1744
/XIAO S ZHAO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1744
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