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 .
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 1, 4-8 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitations "the initial conditions", “the initial shape”, “the machining tool”, “the upper surface”, “the bottom machine end”, “the surface”, “the Z axis”, “the axial direction”, “the gap”, “the speed”, “the polishing gap”, “the motion track”, “the shape”, “the workpiece”, “the relative motion”, “the machining requirements”, “the process”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
The term “a high-quality surface” in claim 1 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “a high-quality surface” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
The limitation “a magnetic slurry shall be prepared” is ambiguous. The term “shall” is a future tense verb and it is unclear if the preparation is part of the claim.
Claims 4-5 recite “the diamond abrasive can be replaced”, and “the method can add”. It is unclear if the replacement and/or addition recited in the claims are actually part of the claim.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the polishing process". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 5 recites “wherein the method can add chemical action in the polishing process to introduce a chemical field for compounding”. It is unclear what is meant by “introduce a chemical field for compounding”. The limitation will be construed as there will be chemical reactions during the polishing process.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the additive amount". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao CN 110370099 B in view of Gao CN 108148505 B and Feng CN 101559571 A and Haisma US 4,397,669.
Re claim 1, Zhao discloses a conformal flexible polishing method for a micro lens array mold 13-5, comprising the following steps:
step 1: conducting initial inspection of a micro lens array mold by inspecting initial topography of feature points on the micro lens array mold, i.e., size, “the size of the plated iron-nickel alloy iron-nickel alloy sphere is less than the diameter of the through hole of the fixed substrate”, initial surface roughness, “obtain better surface roughness.”, and initial shape, “obtaining a hemispherical concave die with a certain shape precision”; wherein the size of the feature points is in micron order, “[t]he invention claims a method for processing micro-hemispherical concave die array”. It is noted that all these steps inherently require an [initial] inspection.
step 2: preparing magnetic polishing slurry; when the machining tool is a tip tool 12-5, magnetic slurry shall be prepared, “a method for processing micro-hemispherical concave die array by rotary ultrasonic processing combined with magnetic grinding”;
step 3: installing tools; the magnetic slurry is placed on the upper surface of the micro lens array mold [fig. 4]; the micro lens array mold is installed on a triaxial movement platform [fig. 1]; the tip tool is installed on a motor 12-2 so as to rotate, “the rotating ultrasonic magnetic tool head 7-2 at the same time of high frequency ultrasonic vibration to rotate at high speed”; the bottom machining end of the tip tool is a tip end 12-5, which is magnetically conductive [iron based] and possesses the ability of adsorbing magnetic slurry and the motor 12-2 is installed on the Z axis of the triaxial movement platform so as to move along the axial direction of the micro lens array mold;
step 4: setting polishing parameters and starting polishing
the polishing parameters to be set mainly include the gap, “the vertical distance error of the contact point of the lower surface of each iron-nickel alloy ball is less than 3 microns”, between the micro lens array mold 13-5 and the tip tool 12-5, the motion track [any motion by the tool tip is implicitly set] of the micro lens array mold and the speed of the motor, “the rotating device drives the ultrasonic tool head to rotate horizontally at high speed “, wherein the polishing gap between the micro lens array mold and the tip tool is adjusted through the Z axis of the triaxial platform so that the tip tool always moves along a polishing path; and the micro lens array mold carries out XY two- dimensional planar motion through the triaxial platform according to the motion track, ”horizontal table 9, y-direction feeding sliding table 10”;
the tip tool rotates, “the rotating ultrasonic magnetic tool head 7-2 at the same time of high frequency ultrasonic vibration to rotate at high speed”, the magnetic slurry on the tip end of the tool forms a spherical polishing head under the action of magnetic force and centrifugal force [fig. 4], and the polishing head has flexibility to achieve the purpose of maintaining the shape of the micro lens array mold [fig. 4]; material removal is achieved through the micro lens array mold after rotation to obtain a high-quality surface, “[t]he invention can quickly and quickly prepare high shape precision, hemispherical concave die with high surface quality.”; and all the feature points of the micro lens array mold 13-5 are polished by controlling the tip tool [fig. 3] to move along the motion track;
step 5: conducting quality inspection of the mold
the polished micro lens array mold is inspected to determine whether the machining requirements are met “[t]he invention can quickly and quickly prepare high shape precision, hemispherical concave die with high surface quality…The invention claims a rotary ultrasonic processing combined magnetic grinding processing micro-hemispherical concave die array method, which can overcome the defect of the traditional micro-processing, high efficiency batch preparing higher surface quality, hemispherical concave die array with higher shape precision.”. It is noted that meeting quality inspection is inherent to overcome defects of traditional micro-processing surfaces.
Zhao does not disclose the magnetic slurry comprises diamond abrasive and iron powder bonded through a coupling agent; and a magnet installed below the micro lens array mold so that the magnetic slurry is fitted with the surface of the workpiece under the action of magnetic field force to produce a contact pressure; material removal is achieved through the magnetic field force generated by the magnet below the workpiece on the magnetic slurry and the relative motion generated between the tip tool.
However, Gao teaches a magnetic slurry comprises diamond abrasive and iron powder and a coupling agent, “[e]xample 3 the carbonyl iron powder mass ratio of 0.5 %-10 % of epoxy resin, dissolved in the carbonyl iron powder mass ratio of 5 %-12 % of acetone, adding carbonyl iron powder and carbonyl iron powder mass ratio of 5 % of diamond powder, kneading and evaporating the acetone and granulating; curing in the 110-200 ℃ (specifically according to the resin requirement), cooling to obtain the composite particle composed of iron magnetic particles and abrasive diamond…silane coupling agent.”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the composition of magnetic slurry of Gao with the polishing apparatus of Zhao, in order to yield the predictable result of optimizing the magnetic slurry for their specific grinding intended purpose.
Feng teaches a magnet 4 [fig. 2] installed below workpiece 3 so that the magnetic slurry is fitted with the surface of the workpiece under the action of magnetic field force to produce a contact pressure and such that material removal is achieved through the magnetic field force generated by the magnet below the workpiece on the magnetic slurry and the relative motion generated between the tip tool 2, “ a permanent magnet or an electromagnet, whose surface is kept 0.5 to 10 mm gap with the outer surface of the workpiece 3, so that a spatial region between the polishing spindle and the processing surface in generating the gradient magnetic field, the magnetic field intensity is 200 to 3000 gauss.”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the magnet of Feng with the polishing apparatus of Zhao, in order to yield the predictable result of generating a gradient magnetic field with an optimized intensity.
The combination as discussed above does not teach a process such that if the requirements of quality are met, the process end, otherwise, step 4 is executed for polishing and inspection again until the machining requirements are met.
Haisma teaches molds for precision glass articles and whether if the requirement of quality are not met, the polishing process is repeated.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the requirements of quality of Haisma with the polishing apparatus of the combination of Zhao in order to yield the predictable result of meeting machining requirements.
Re claim 4, Zhao, Gao, Fenga and Haisma teach the invention as discussed above. Gao further teaches wherein the diamond abrasive can be replaced with silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide or other abrasives based on the material of the micro lens array mold, “[e]xample 1 The abrasive particles were coated on the surface of the iron magnetic particle carbonyl iron powder with a hot melt method. 0.1 %-10 % of nano silicon dioxide with mass ratio of carbonyl iron powder,”.
Re claim 5, Zhao, Gao, Feng and Haisma teach the invention as discussed above. They further teach wherein the method can add chemical action in the polishing process to introduce a chemical field for compounding [inherent during the process rejected in claim 1, see 112b rejection above].
Re claims 6-7, Zhao, Gao, Feng and Haisma teach the invention as discussed above fail to teach wherein the mass ratio of the diamond abrasive to the iron powder is 4:1 in step 2; and wherein the additive amount of the coupling agent is 1 ml for every 5 g of magnetic slurry in step 2.
However, Gao further teaches the coupling agent is silane coupling agent, and the general conditions of the polishing slurry:
“Example 1 The abrasive particles were coated on the surface of the iron magnetic particle carbonyl iron powder with a hot melt method. 0.1 %-10 % of nano silicon dioxide with mass ratio of carbonyl iron powder, preferably 1 %-5 %; after dispersing by mechanical method, putting into the diluted solution of 10-25 kg of methanol or ethanol and 50-500 g of silane coupling agent, stirring uniformly, adding 200 kg of carbonyl iron powder, ball milling for 2 hours; evaporating the ethanol until the powder is dried. after drying, the carbonyl iron powder coated with nano silicon dioxide and silane coupling agent, under the protection of nitrogen at more than 400 degrees centigrade, heat fusing, cooling to obtain the composite particle composed of the ferromagnetic particles and the abrasive nano-silicon dioxide….Example 3 the carbonyl iron powder mass ratio of 0.5 %-10 % of epoxy resin, dissolved in the carbonyl iron powder mass ratio of 5 %-12 % of acetone, adding carbonyl iron powder and carbonyl iron powder mass ratio of 5 % of diamond powder, kneading and evaporating the acetone and granulating; curing in the 110-200 ℃ (specifically according to the resin requirement), cooling to obtain the composite particle composed of iron magnetic particles and abrasive diamond….Example 4 the carbonyl iron powder mass ratio of 0.5 %-10 % of polyvinyl alcohol, dissolved in the carbonyl iron powder mass ratio of 5 %-12 % of de-ionized water or distilled water, adding carbonyl iron powder and carbonyl iron powder mass ratio of 2 % of silicon nitride after dispersing, kneading and evaporating the moisture, plasticizing in the 100-160 ℃; cooling and granulating to obtain the composite particle composed of iron magnetic particles and abrasive silicon nitride….Embodiment 5 the carbonyl iron powder mass ratio of 0.5 %-10 % of polyvinyl alcohol, dissolving in the carbonyl iron powder mass ratio of 5 %-12 % of de-ionized water or distilled water, adding carbonyl iron powder, stirring uniformly, adding carbonyl mass ratio of 10 %-100 % of silica sol, stirring uniformly, drying and plasticizing, cooling and granulating; obtaining the composite particle composed of the ferromagnetic particle and the abrasive silicon dioxide“.
Furthermore, Applicant has not evidence that the specific ratios/amounts were unexpected.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to optimized the slurry for its intended purpose since it has been held that "[w]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.". MPEP 2144.05 II A.
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao CN 110370099 B in view of Gao CN 108148505 B and Dresel US 2015/0192769 and in further view of Wang WO 2020/177295 A1.
Re claim 8, Zhao, Gao, Feng and Haisma teach the invention as discussed above but fail to teach wherein the particle size of the diamond abrasive is 3-5 µm in step 2.
However, Wang teaches a magnetic slurry and “according to actual needs, the polishing abrasive of the magnetic abrasive 12 may specifically be diamond, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, cerium oxide and other materials, and the size of the magnetic abrasive 12 may be several micrometers to hundreds of micrometers to be used for fineness. And rough polishing”
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to in the case “where the claimed ranges overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art, a prima facie case of obviousness exists”. MPEP 2144.05 I.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Carlos A. Rivera whose telephone number is (571)270-5697. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM -4PM.
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C. A. R.
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/C. A. RIVERA/ Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
