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 .
Status
This Final Office Action is in response to the amendment/request for reconsideration dated 22 July 2026 (hereinafter “Reply”).
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are pending.
Response to Amendment
The objection(s) to claim(s) 16 and 20 is/are withdrawn after consideration of the submitted amendment(s).
The objection(s) to claim(s) 1 and 10 is/are maintained.
The rejection of claim(s) 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) is/are withdrawn after consideration of the submitted amendment(s).
Response to Arguments
Regarding the rejection of claim(s) 1-8, 10-13, 15-18, 20 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Voronin, the applicant(s) submit the following remark(s)/argument(s):
(A) At page 8 of the submitted Reply:
The cited art fails to disclose the following feature(s) of claims 1, 10, 16: the second region is substantially free of porosity. Specifically, Voronin discloses the diamond body has a network of empty interstitial regions, i.e. voids, with the second region (14b) having a porosity from about 1 to 4 percent by volume. Thus, Voronin fails to disclose the second region is substantially free of porosity.
In reply, the Office respectfully considers this argument not persuasive. The term "substantially" is often used in conjunction with another term to describe a particular characteristic of the claimed invention. It is a broad term which the instant specification has not provided a specific definition for. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would look to the generally understood meaning of the term "substantially" and interpret the claim to require the second region is largely but not wholly free of porosity. Voronin, at para. 0044, discloses the porosity of the second region (14b) may be from about 1 to 4 percent by volume. Thus, the second region is largely but not wholly free of voids.
Regarding the rejection of claim(s) 9, 14, 19 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Voronin in view of Qian, the applicant(s) submit the following remark(s)/argument(s):
(A) At page 8 of the submitted Reply:
Qian fails to cure the deficiencies of Voronin identified above with respect to claims 1, 10 and 16.
In reply, the Office respectfully considers this argument not persuasive for the reasons specified above with respect to claims 1, 10 and 16.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 1 is/are objected to because of the following informality(ies):
(A) At line 9: “the diamond body wherein the diamond body” is suggested to be: the diamond body, wherein the diamond body. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim(s) 10 is/are objected to because of the following informality(ies):
(A) At line 5: “and a second region” is suggested to be: and [[a]]the second region. Appropriate correction is required.
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(s) 1-8, 10-13, 15-18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication No. 20130146368 to Voronin (hereinafter “VORONIN”).
(A) Regarding Claim 1:
VORONIN discloses:
A superabrasive compact (Fig. 1), comprising:
a diamond body (14), wherein the diamond body comprises:
a first phase comprising a binderless intercrystalline diamond-to-diamond bonded matrix extending throughout the diamond body (para. 0049: Region 322 includes a material microstructure consisting essentially of the plurality of bonded together diamond crystals/particles 324, forming the intercrystalline diamond matrix first phase); and
a second phase comprising a binder-catalyst within interstitial regions of intercrystalline bonded diamond matrix (para. 0051: cobalt may be used as an infiltrant material), wherein the binder-catalyst material comprises a catalyst that promotes intercrystalline diamond-to-diamond bonding (para. 0033: diamond-to-diamond bonding and para. 0007: utilizes cobalt as a catalytic second phase material that facilitates sintering between diamond particles to form a single interconnected polycrystalline matrix of diamond);
wherein the first phase is substantially free of the binder-catalyst material (para. 0017: the second region is substantially free of the infiltrant material);
a metallic substrate (12) in direct contact with the diamond body (14) wherein the diamond body includes a first region (14a) comprising the binder-catalyst material and a second region (14b) is substantially free of the binder-catalyst, and wherein the second region is positioned along a wear surface (i.e. top of the region 14b) of the superabrasive compact, and wherein the second region is substantially free of porosity (para. 0044: the porosity of region 14b may be from about 1 to 4 percent by volume).
NOTE ON CLAIM INTERPRETATION:
The term "substantially" is often used in conjunction with another term to describe a particular characteristic of the claimed invention. It is a broad term which the instant specification has not provided a specific definition for. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would look to the generally understood meaning of the term "substantially" and interpret the claim to require the second region is largely but not wholly free of porosity. Voronin, at para. 0044, discloses the porosity of the second region (14b) may be from about 1 to 4 percent by volume. Thus, the second region is largely but not wholly free of voids.
(B) Regarding Claim 2:
VORONIN further discloses:
the binder-catalyst material comprises cobalt (para. 0051: cobalt may be used as an infiltrant material).
(C) Regarding Claim 3:
VORONIN further discloses:
the second region (14b, Fig. 1) is substantially free of porosity (para. 0044: 1 to 4 percent by volume).
(D) Regarding Claim 4:
VORONIN further discloses:
the metallic substrate comprises a metal carbide (para. 0056: a tungsten carbide).
(E) Regarding Claim 5:
VORONIN further discloses:
the metal carbide comprises tungsten carbide (para. 0056: a tungsten carbide).
(F) Regarding Claim 6:
VORONIN further discloses:
second region is substantially free of metal (para. 0017: the second region is substantially free of the infiltrant material).
(G) Regarding Claim 7:
VORONIN further discloses:
the metal comprises a catalyst (para. 0051: cobalt may be used as an infiltrant material).
(H) Regarding Claim 8:
VORONIN further discloses:
the catalyst comprises cobalt (para. 0051: cobalt may be used as an infiltrant material).
(I) Regarding Claim 10:
VORONIN discloses:
A superabrasive compact, comprising:
a diamond body (14, Fig. 1) comprising:
a first region (14a);
a second region (14b), wherein the first region comprises a binder- catalyst material (para. 0051: cobalt may be used as an infiltrant material) that promotes intercrystalline diamond-to-diamond bonding (para. 0033: diamond-to-diamond bonding and para. 0007: utilizes cobalt as a catalytic second phase material that facilitates sintering between diamond particles to form a single interconnected polycrystalline matrix of diamond) and a second region is substantially free of the binder (para. 0017: the second region is substantially free of the infiltrant material), and wherein the second region is positioned along a wear surface (i.e. the top of region 14b) of the superabrasive compact, wherein the second region is substantially free of porosity (para. 0044: 1 to 4 percent by volume) and comprises a binderless polycrystalline diamond material (para. 0049: Region 322 includes a material microstructure consisting essentially of the plurality of bonded together diamond crystals/particles 324, forming the intercrystalline diamond matrix first phase).
NOTE ON CLAIM INTERPRETATION:
The term "substantially" is often used in conjunction with another term to describe a particular characteristic of the claimed invention. It is a broad term which the instant specification has not provided a specific definition for. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would look to the generally understood meaning of the term "substantially" and interpret the claim to require the second region is largely but not wholly free of porosity. Voronin, at para. 0044, discloses the porosity of the second region (14b) may be from about 1 to 4 percent by volume. Thus, the second region is largely but not wholly free of voids.
(J) Regarding Claim 11:
VORONIN further discloses:
second region is substantially free of metal (para. 0017: the second region is substantially free of the infiltrant material).
(K) Regarding Claim 12:
VORONIN further discloses:
the metal comprises a catalyst (para. 0051: cobalt may be used as an infiltrant material).
(L) Regarding Claim 13:
VORONIN further discloses:
the catalyst comprises cobalt (para. 0051: cobalt may be used as an infiltrant material).
(M) Regarding Claim 15:
VORONIN further discloses:
a diamond body (12), wherein the diamond body comprises:
a first phase comprising a binderless intercrystalline diamond-to-diamond bonded matrix extending throughout the diamond body (para. 0049: Region 322 includes a material microstructure consisting essentially of the plurality of bonded together diamond crystals/particles 324, forming the intercrystalline diamond matrix first phase); and
a second phase comprising a binder-catalyst within interstitial regions (42) of intercrystalline bonded diamond matrix (para. 0051: cobalt may be used as an infiltrant material).
(N) Regarding Claim 16:
VORONIN discloses:
A superabrasive compact, comprising:
a diamond body (14, Fig. 1), wherein the diamond body comprises:
a first phase comprising a binderless intercrystalline diamond-to-diamond bonded matrix extending throughout the diamond body (para. 0049: Region 322 includes a material microstructure consisting essentially of the plurality of bonded together diamond crystals/particles 324, forming the intercrystalline diamond matrix first phase); and
a second phase comprising a binder within interstitial regions of intercrystalline bonded diamond matrix (para. 0051: cobalt may be used as an infiltrant material), wherein the binder-catalyst material comprises a catalyst that promotes intercrystalline diamond-to-diamond bonding (para. 0033: diamond-to-diamond bonding and para. 0007: utilizes cobalt as a catalytic second phase material that facilitates sintering between diamond particles to form a single interconnected polycrystalline matrix of diamond);
a metallic substrate (12) in direct contact with the diamond body, wherein the diamond body includes a first region (14a) and a second region (14b), and wherein the second region is positioned along a wear surface (i.e. the top of region 14b) of the superabrasive compact, wherein the second region is substantially free of porosity (para. 0044: 1 to 4 percent by volume) and has substantially binderless intercrystalline diamond- to-diamond bonded matrix from a wearing surface.
NOTE ON CLAIM INTERPRETATION:
The term "substantially" is often used in conjunction with another term to describe a particular characteristic of the claimed invention. It is a broad term which the instant specification has not provided a specific definition for. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would look to the generally understood meaning of the term "substantially" and interpret the claim to require the second region is largely but not wholly free of porosity. Voronin, at para. 0044, discloses the porosity of the second region (14b) may be from about 1 to 4 percent by volume. Thus, the second region is largely but not wholly free of voids.
(O) Regarding Claim 17:
VORONIN further discloses:
The metallic substrate comprises carbide (para. 0056: a tungsten carbide).
(P) Regarding Claim 18:
VORONIN further discloses:
The metallic substrate comprises tungsten carbide (para. 0056: a tungsten carbide).
(Q) Regarding Claim 20:
VORONIN further discloses:
the second region (14b, Fig. 1) comprises a plurality of diamonds with substantially free of metal (para. 0049: Region 322 includes a material microstructure consisting essentially of the plurality of bonded together diamond crystals/particles 324, forming the intercrystalline diamond matrix first phase and para. 0017: the second region is substantially free of the infiltrant material).
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.
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) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over VORONIN, as applied to claim 1 above, in view of U.S. Patent No. 7998573 to Qian et al. (hereinafter “QIAN”).
(A) Regarding Claim 9:
VORONIN teaches:
A first region (14a, Fig. 1) with an amount of binder-catalyst material (para. 0051: cobalt may be used as an infiltrant material) and a second region (14b) substantially free of binder-catalyst material (para. 0017: the second region is substantially free of the infiltrant material).
However, the difference between VORONIN and the claimed invention is that VORONIN does not explicitly teach an amount of binder-catalyst material within the first region of the body continuously increases with distance from the second region.
QIAN teaches:
A first region and a second region meet at an interface, wherein the amount of binder-catalyst material increases from the transition region toward the substrate (col. 9, ll. 50-55 and col. 10, ll. 4-8), wherein the second region is substantially free of the binder-catalyst (col. 9, ll. 65-67).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to continuously increase the amount of binder-catalyst material within the first region toward the substrate, as taught by QIAN, in order to reduce the amount of binder-catalyst material in the diamond body and thereby achieve the predictable result of increasing the thermal stability of the diamond body (QIAN col. 2, ll. 7-11).
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over VORONIN, as applied to claim 10 above, in view of QIAN.
(A) Regarding Claim 14:
VORONIN teaches:
A first region (14a, Fig. 1) with an amount of binder-catalyst material (para. 0051: cobalt may be used as an infiltrant material) and a second region (14b) substantially free of binder-catalyst material (para. 0017: the second region is substantially free of the infiltrant material).
However, the difference between VORONIN and the claimed invention is that VORONIN does not explicitly teach an amount of binder-catalyst material within the first region of the body continuously increases with distance from the second region.
QIAN teaches:
A first region and a second region meet at an interface, wherein the amount of binder-catalyst material increases from the transition region toward the substrate (col. 9, ll. 50-55 and col. 10, ll. 4-8), wherein the second region is substantially free of the binder-catalyst (col. 9, ll. 65-67).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to continuously increase the amount of binder-catalyst material within the first region toward the substrate, as taught by QIAN, in order to reduce the amount of binder-catalyst material in the diamond body and thereby achieve the predictable result of increasing the thermal stability of the diamond body (QIAN col. 2, ll. 7-11).
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over VORONIN, as applied to claim 16 above, in view of QIAN.
(A) Regarding Claim 19:
VORONIN teaches:
A first region (14a, Fig. 1) with an amount of binder-catalyst material (para. 0051: cobalt may be used as an infiltrant material) and a second region (14b) substantially free of binder-catalyst material (para. 0017: the second region is substantially free of the infiltrant material).
However, the difference between VORONIN and the claimed invention is that VORONIN does not explicitly teach an amount of binder-catalyst material within the first region of the body continuously increases with distance from the second region.
QIAN teaches:
A first region and a second region meet at an interface, wherein the amount of binder-catalyst material increases from the transition region toward the substrate (col. 9, ll. 50-55 and col. 10, ll. 4-8), wherein the second region is substantially free of the binder-catalyst (col. 9, ll. 65-67).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to continuously increase the amount of binder-catalyst material within the first region toward the substrate, as taught by QIAN, in order to reduce the amount of binder-catalyst material in the diamond body and thereby achieve the predictable result of increasing the thermal stability of the diamond body (QIAN col. 2, ll. 7-11).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 KAYLA M MCCAFFREY whose telephone number is (571)272-3438. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday (excluding Wednesday) 10AM - 2 PM EST.
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KAYLA M. MCCAFFREY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3745
/Kayla McCaffrey/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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