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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on March 12, 2026 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: the claim includes multiple redundant linkers. Appropriate correction is required.
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 2-3 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.
The phrase “the one or more functional groups comprise acrylate” in claims 2-3 renders the claims indefinite because it is unclear if the one or more functional groups is referring back to the one or more functional groups attached to ends of the first liquid crystal reactive mesogenic materials or the one or more functional groups attached to ends of the chain-extended oligomer.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 1-6 and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Schoenefeld (US 2022/0306939) in view of Harding (US 2013/0012654).
Claim 1: Schoenefeld discloses first and second liquid crystal reactive mesogen materials having attached functional groups that allow crosslinking and having differing molecular weights with crosslinking between the materials (¶¶ 85, 304, 371-372; Examples 1-7); and at least one of a photoalignment material and a rubbed LCD alignment material contactable with the mesogen materials (¶ 328; Examples 1-7). Schoenefeld is silent as to the second liquid crystal reactive mesogenic material including a chain-extended oligomer composed of liquid crystal materials linked together and functional groups attached to ends of the chain-extended oligomer. However, Harding discloses reactive mesogens for use with liquid crystal alignment layers that are used in monomeric, oligomeric and polymeric forms (abstract; an oligomeric reactive mesogen composed of repeating mesogenic units linked together by chemical bonds is a chain-extended oligomer), with unreacted polymerizable groups at the ends of the mesogenic compounds (¶¶ 61, 65). As taught by Harding, unreacted polymerizable groups at the ends of the reactive mesogens enable crosslinking with subsequently applied liquid crystal layers. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the application to have included the chain-extended oligomer with unreacted polymerizable groups of Harding in the composition of Schoenefeld in order to allow crosslinking with subsequently applied liquid crystal layers.
Claims 2-3: Shoenefeld discloses the functional group being diacrylate (¶¶ 243, 259).
Claims 13-19: Harding discloses the reactive mesogens of formulae I-VI each possess: (a) core compound members including mesogenic ring groups including benzene and/or cyclohexylene aromatic or aliphatic ring systems designated A-D, (b) linkers connecting the core members including -COO-, -OCO-, and (c) mobile tails including alkyl or alkoxy spacer groups of 1-12 C atoms connecting the core to the terminal polymerizable groups (¶¶ 39-41).
Claim 20: Harding discloses that preferred functional groups include diacrylate (¶ 67).
Claim 4: Schoenefeld discloses a light valve including a first transparent substrate and second substrate (¶¶ 347-352; examples 1-7); a liquid crystal material positioned between the substrates (¶¶ 347-352; examples 1-7), the liquid crystal material including first and second liquid crystal reactive mesogen materials having attached functional groups that allow crosslinking and having differing molecular weights with crosslinking between the materials (¶¶ 304, 371-372; Examples 1-7); and at least one of a photoalignment material and a rubbed LCD alignment material contactable with the mesogen materials (¶ 328; Examples 1-7). Schoenefeld is silent as to the second liquid crystal reactive mesogenic material including a chain-extended oligomer. However, Harding discloses reactive mesogens for use with liquid crystal alignment layers that are used in monomeric, oligomeric and polymeric forms (abstract; an oligomeric reactive mesogen composed of repeating mesogenic units linked together by chemical bonds is a chain-extended oligomer), with unreacted polymerizable groups at the ends of the mesogenic compounds (¶¶ 61, 65). As taught by Harding, unreacted polymerizable groups at the ends of the reactive mesogens enable crosslinking with subsequently applied liquid crystal layers. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the application to have included the chain-extended oligomer with unreacted polymerizable groups of Harding in the composition of Schoenefeld in order to allow crosslinking with subsequently applied liquid crystal layers.
Claims 5-6: Shoenefeld discloses the functional group being diacrylate (¶¶ 243, 259).
Claims 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Demuth (2017/0232637) in view of Schoenefeld (US 2022/0306939) and Harding (US 2013/0012654).
Claim 7: Demuth discloses an additive manufacturing system including a light valve able to pattern a two dimensional light beam (¶¶ 28, 38); a light valve including a first and second substrate (¶¶ 28, 76); a liquid crystal material positioned between the first and second substrates (¶¶ 77-78); and a laser directable against the light valve for patterning (¶ 28). Demuth is silent as to the material including first and second liquid crystal reactive mesogen materials having attached functional groups that allow crosslinking and having differing molecular weights with crosslinking between the materials, and at least one of a photoalignment material and a rubbed LCD alignment material contactable with the mesogen materials. However, Schoenefeld discloses a light valve including a first transparent substrate and second substrate (¶¶ 347-352; examples 1-7); a liquid crystal material positioned between the substrates (¶¶ 347-352; examples 1-7), the liquid crystal material including first and second liquid crystal reactive mesogen materials having attached functional groups that allow crosslinking and having differing molecular weights with crosslinking between the materials (¶¶ 304, 371-372; Examples 1-7); and at least one of a photoalignment material and a rubbed LCD alignment material contactable with the mesogen materials (¶ 328; Examples 1-7). As taught by Schoenefeld, forming a light valve from these materials efficiently prepares light valves which are operable in and electrically switchable between an optically transparent state and an opaque state and which have an improved optical and electro-optical performance (¶ 14). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to utilize the light valve of Schoenefeld in the additive manufacturing system of Demuth in order to provide a light valve which is operable in and electrically switchable between an optically transparent state and an opaque state and which has improved optical and electro-optical performance. In addition, Harding discloses reactive mesogens for use with liquid crystal alignment layers that are used in monomeric, oligomeric and polymeric forms (abstract; an oligomeric reactive mesogen composed of repeating mesogenic units linked together by chemical bonds is a chain-extended oligomer), with unreacted polymerizable groups at the ends of the mesogenic compounds (¶¶ 61, 65). As taught by Harding, unreacted polymerizable groups at the ends of the reactive mesogens enable crosslinking with subsequently applied liquid crystal layers. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the application to have included the chain-extended oligomer with unreacted polymerizable groups of Harding in the modified system of Demuth in order to allow crosslinking with subsequently applied liquid crystal layers.
Claims 8-9: Shoenefeld discloses the functional group being diacrylate (¶¶ 243, 259).
Claim 10: Demuth discloses a powder bed additive manufacturing system including a light valve able to pattern a two dimensional light beam (¶¶ 2, 28, 38); a light valve including a first and second substrate (¶¶ 28, 76); a liquid crystal material positioned between the first and second substrates (¶¶ 77-78); and a laser directable against the light valve for patterning before direction onto a powder bed (¶ 28; fig. 3A). Demuth is silent as to the material including first and second liquid crystal reactive mesogen materials having attached functional groups that allow crosslinking and having differing molecular weights with crosslinking between the materials, and at least one of a photoalignment material and a rubbed LCD alignment material contactable with the mesogen materials. However, Schoenefeld discloses a light valve including a first transparent substrate and second substrate (¶¶ 347-352; examples 1-7); a liquid crystal material positioned between the substrates (¶¶ 347-352; examples 1-7), the liquid crystal material including first and second liquid crystal reactive mesogen materials having attached functional groups that allow crosslinking and having differing molecular weights with crosslinking between the materials (¶¶ 304, 371-372; Examples 1-7); and at least one of a photoalignment material and a rubbed LCD alignment material contactable with the mesogen materials (¶ 328; Examples 1-7). As taught by Schoenefeld, forming a light valve from these materials efficiently prepares light valves which are operable in and electrically switchable between an optically transparent state and an opaque state and which have an improved optical and electro-optical performance (¶ 14). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to utilize the light valve of Schoenefeld in the additive manufacturing system of Demuth in order to provide a light valve which is operable in and electrically switchable between an optically transparent state and an opaque state and which has improved optical and electro-optical performance. In addition, Harding discloses reactive mesogens for use with liquid crystal alignment layers that are used in monomeric, oligomeric and polymeric forms (abstract; an oligomeric reactive mesogen composed of repeating mesogenic units linked together by chemical bonds is a chain-extended oligomer), with unreacted polymerizable groups at the ends of the mesogenic compounds (¶¶ 61, 65). As taught by Harding, unreacted polymerizable groups at the ends of the reactive mesogens enable crosslinking with subsequently applied liquid crystal layers. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the application to have included the chain-extended oligomer with unreacted polymerizable groups of Harding in the modified system of Demuth in order to allow crosslinking with subsequently applied liquid crystal layers.
Claims 11-12: Shoenefeld discloses the functional group being diacrylate (¶¶ 243, 259).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LARRY THROWER whose telephone number is (571)270-5517. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm MT M-F.
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/LARRY W THROWER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1754