DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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 § 103
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Claims 15, 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over Otsuka (US 5985204) in view of Kliner (US 20180088357).
5. Regarding claim 15:
Otsuka discloses an additive manufacturing device (column 1 lines 6-8 teaches producing a three-dimensional laminated object such as casting molds by piling solid layers formed by use of a laser beam) comprising:
a powder bed forming part having a base plate (column 6 lines 52-54 teaches a fixed frame 6 with a lift table 60, which corresponds to the base plated, capable of rising and falling to form layers) where a layer made of supplied raw-material powders is formed (column 7 lines 19-24 teaches that the depositing apparatus 7 discharges the resin coated sand 50c on the upper surface of the lift table 60 to form a sand layer 50); and
a light beam irradiation part that is able to emit a light beam to the layer (column 7 lines 28-30 teaches that the main emitting apparatus 80 emits the thick laser beam M1 having a large beam diameter to a designated area of the sand layer 50. Column 7 lines 61-65 teaches that there is disposed a main laser source 82 for emitting a thick laser beam M1 to the main emitting apparatus 80), wherein
the light beam irradiation part includes an oscillation device (the laser source 82 is fundamentally an optical oscillator) configured to be able to output two light beams (column 8 lines 26-29 and fig. 14 teach that one common main source 82a emits both the thick laser beam and the thin laser beam at different time) having different intensity distributions (column 2 lines 62-66 teaches that the thick laser beam and the thin laser beam have different power per unit area, which corresponds to different intensity distribution).
Otsuka fails to disclose an oscillation device configured to be able to coaxially output two light beams having different intensity distributions.
However, Kliner disclose an oscillation device configured ([0062] teaches that the fiber is suitable for use of a variety of fiber laser devices including continuous wave and pulsed fiber lasers, which correspond to the oscillation device) to be able to coaxially output two light beams ([0006] teaches that the first confinement region and the second confinement region may be coaxial) having different intensity distributions ([0065] teaches that the beam 226 power is divided among the confinement regions 216, 218, and/or 220 rather than concentrated in a single region. The beams in two different regions correspond to the two light beams. [0068] teaches that by perturbing the fiber, the system shifts the distribution of the intensity profile).
The inventions are analogous because they are directed towards creating distinct beam characteristics for processing materials (Otsuka column 1 lines 46-54 teaches using thick laser beam for forming the inner portion of the three-dimensional laminated object, and using a thin laser for forming the skin portion. Kliner [0082] teaches that the fiber parameters enable advantageous materials processing applications that are optimized by having a flatter or distributed beam intensity distribution). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Otsuka in view of Kliner to include an oscillation device configured to be able to coaxially output two light beams having different intensity distributions. Such modification would allow advantageous materials processing applications that are optimized by having a flatter or distributed beam intensity distribution (as taught in Kliner [0082]).
6. Regarding claim 19:
Otsuka in view of Kliner discloses the additive manufacturing device according to claim 15. Otsuka further discloses that wherein the light beam irradiation part (column 7 lines 28-30 teaches that the main emitting apparatus 80 emits the thick laser beam M1 having a large beam diameter to a designated area of the sand layer 50. Column 7 lines 61-65 teaches that there is disposed a main laser source 82 for emitting a thick laser beam M1 to the main emitting apparatus 80) further includes:
an oscillation device that outputs the light beam (the laser source 82 is fundamentally an optical oscillator); and
a conversion device (column 8 lines 49-53 teaches a beam-splitting means 100 with a beam-diameter adjusting lens 102) that converts a pattern of an intensity distribution of the light beam output from the oscillation device (column 8 lines 49-53 teaches a beam-diameter adjusting lens 102 capable of adjusting a beam-diameter in the range of 5-0.2mm. Column 2 lines 62-66 teaches that the thick laser beam and the thin laser beam have different power per unit area. Because the beam-splitting means changes the intensity of the beam at the molding surface, said beam-splitting means is considered to convert the pattern of an intensity distribution of the light beam).
7. Regarding claim 20:
Otsuka in view of Kliner discloses the additive manufacturing device according to claim 15. Otsuka further discloses that wherein the light beam irradiation part (column 7 lines 28-30 teaches that the main emitting apparatus 80 emits the thick laser beam M1 having a large beam diameter to a designated area of the sand layer 50. Column 7 lines 61-65 teaches that there is disposed a main laser source 82 for emitting a thick laser beam M1 to the main emitting apparatus 80) further includes an oscillation device (the laser source 82 is fundamentally an optical oscillator) that is able to change an intensity distribution of the light beam to be output (column 8 lines 49-53 teaches a beam-diameter adjusting lens 102 capable of adjusting a beam-diameter in the range of 5-0.2mm. Column 2 lines 62-66 teaches that the thick laser beam and the thin laser beam have different power per unit area. Because the power change means changes the intensity of the beam at the molding surface, said power change means corresponds to changing the intensity distribution from the laser oscillator).
8. Claims 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over Serbin (US 5753171) in view of Otsuka, further in view of Kliner.
9. Regarding claim 15:
Serbin discloses an additive manufacturing device (fig. 1, column 1 lines 6-8 teaches apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object by applying subsequent layers of a material) comprising:
a light beam irradiation part that is able to emit a light beam to the layer (column 2 lines 33-36 teaches that the solidifying device 2 comprises a radiation source 3 formed as a laser and directing a focused light beam 4 to a deflection device 5 operable to deflect the light beam 4 to the desired places of the layer 1), wherein
the light beam irradiation part includes an oscillation device (the radiation source 3 formed as a laser is fundamentally an optical oscillator).
Serbin does not specifically disclose a powder bed forming part having a base plate where a layer made of supplied raw-material powders is formed.
However, Otsuka discloses a powder bed forming part having a base plate (column 6 lines 52-54 teaches a fixed frame 6 with a lift table 60, which corresponds to the base plated, capable of rising and falling to form layers) where a layer made of supplied raw-material powders is formed (column 7 lines 19-24 teaches that the depositing apparatus 7 discharges the resin coated sand 50c on the upper surface of the lift table 60 to form a sand layer 50).
The inventions are analogous because they are directed towards creating distinct beam characteristics for processing materials (Serbin column 4 lines 23-35 teaches using laser with different beam diameters to create a finer and more accurate solidification of the material. Otsuka column 1 lines 46-54 teaches using thick laser beam for forming the inner portion of the three-dimensional laminated object, and using a thin laser for forming the skin portion). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Serbin in view of Otsuka to include a powder bed forming part having a base plate where a layer made of supplied raw-material powders is formed. Such modification would allow for a moveable lift table capable of rising and falling (as taught in Otsuka column 6 lines 52-54) on which a sand layer can be deposited (as taught in Otsuka column 7 lines 19-24).
Serbin in view of Otsuka fails to disclose an oscillation device configured to be able to coaxially output two light beams having different intensity distributions.
However, Kliner disclose an oscillation device configured ([0062] teaches that the fiber is suitable for use of a variety of fiber laser devices including continuous wave and pulsed fiber lasers, which correspond to an oscillation device) to be able to coaxially output two light beams ([0006] teaches that the first confinement region and the second confinement region may be coaxial) having different intensity distributions ([0065] teaches that the beam 226 power is divided among the confinement regions 216, 218, and/or 220 rather than concentrated in a single region. The beams in two different regions correspond to the two light beams. [0068] teaches that by perturbing the fiber, the system shifts the distribution of the intensity profile).
The inventions are analogous because they are directed towards creating distinct beam characteristics for processing materials (Kliner [0082] teaches that the fiber parameters enable advantageous materials processing applications that are optimized by having a flatter or distributed beam intensity distribution). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Serbin in view of Otsuka, further in view of Kliner to include an oscillation device configured to be able to coaxially output two light beams having different intensity distributions. Such modification would allow advantageous materials processing applications that are optimized by having a flatter or distributed beam intensity distribution (as taught in Kliner [0082]).
10. Regarding claim 16:
Serbin in view of Otsuka, further in view of Kliner discloses the additive manufacturing device according to claim 15. Serbin further discloses that wherein the light beam irradiation part (column 2 lines 33-36 teaches that the solidifying device 2 comprises a radiation source 3 formed as a laser and directing a focused light beam 4 to a deflection device 5 operable to deflect the light beam 4 to the desired places of the layer 1) is configured to be able to change a beam diameter of the light beam on a build surface (column 2 lines 54-55 teaches varying the focus and therefore the diameter of the beam at the working or reference plane 11, which may for example be the surface of the layer 1) during manufacturing in the same layer (abstract section teaches that the focus of the light beam 4 can be varied during the solidification of the layer 1).
11. Regarding claim 17:
Serbin in view of Otsuka, further in view of Kliner discloses the additive manufacturing device according to claim 15. Serbin further discloses that wherein the light beam irradiation part (column 2 lines 33-36 teaches that the solidifying device 2 comprises a radiation source 3 formed as a laser and directing a focused light beam 4 to a deflection device 5 operable to deflect the light beam 4 to the desired places of the layer 1) further includes a focal position changing device (column 2 lines 41 teaches a variable focusing device)
that changes a positional relationship between a beam waist of the light beam and the build surface (column 5 lines 18-22 teaches varying the position of the focusing lens 10 relative to the dispersing lens 9 by axial displacement dependent upon whether the deflection device 5 directs the beam 4 to the core region 26 or to the envelope region 25. Column 2 lines 51-57 teaches that the focusing lens 10 varies the focus and therefore the diameter of the beam at the working or reference plane 11, which may for example be the surface of the layer I. according to its position) during the manufacturing (abstract section teaches that the focus of the light beam 4 can be varied during the solidification of the layer 1).
12. Regarding claim 18:
Serbin in view of Otsuka, further in view of Kliner discloses the additive manufacturing device according to claim 17. Serbin further discloses a control device that controls the focal position changing device (column 2 lines 41-43 teaches that the variable focusing device 8 is connected to the control unit 6 for control) such that the beam waist shifts from the build surface (column 5 lines 18-22 teaches that the control unit 6 varies the position of the focusing lens 10 relative to the dispersing lens 9 by axial displacement dependent upon whether the deflection device 5 directs the beam 4 to the core region 26 or to the envelope region 25. Column 2 lines 51-57 teaches that the focusing lens 10 varies the focus and therefore the diameter of the beam at the working or reference plane 11, which may for example be the surface of the layer I. according to its position).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LARRY LI whose telephone number is (571) 272-5043. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am-4:30pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Kim can be reached at (571) 272-2293. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LARRY LI/
Examiner, Art Unit 2881
/WYATT A STOFFA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881