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 .
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) 1-4, 7, 9,14 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Della Flora DE 2428647 A.
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Della Flora discloses a material support system, comprising a thermally conductive member (3, 14) defining a support portion for receiving at least one material on the support portion, the support portion comprising an at least partially fluid-saturable engagement layer (15) disposed over the thermally conductive member, the thermally conductive member configured to remove heat energy from a fluid disposed on or within the at least partially fluid-saturable engagement layer to reduce a temperature of the fluid to solidify the fluid and secure the at least one material to the support portion of the thermally conductive member (page 6 of machine translation).
As for claim 2, Della Flora discloses a material support system, comprising: a thermally conductive member (3,14) defining a support portion for receiving at least one material (workpiece not shown) on the support portion, the support portion comprising at least partially fluid-saturable engagement surface (15) disposed over the thermally conductive member; and at least one channel (5, 7, 13) defined in the thermally conductive member (3), the at least one channel configured to hold a freezing substance (8), the thermally conductive member configured to remove heat energy from a fluid with the freezing substance to reduce a temperature of the fluid received by the at least partially fluid-saturable engagement surface to solidify the fluid and secure the at least one material to the support portion of the thermally conductive member (page 6 of machine translation).
As for claim 3, Della Flora discloses a method of machining, the method comprising: applying a fluid (liquid) to an engagement layer (15) of a support structure (3, 4, 7, 13, 14 and 18) and saturating at least a portion of the engagement layer with the fluid (Figs. 1-4 and page 6 of machine translation); disposing a core material on the engagement layer and causing the core material to engage at least a portion of the fluid; at least partially solidifying the fluid to secure to core material to the support structure (fluid 8 passes through inlet and return line 7 to cool closure plate 14 and solidify engagement layer 15); machining the core material; returning the solidified fluid to a fluid state to release the core material from the support structure; and removing the core material from the engagement layer (page 6 of machine translation).
As for claim 4, Della Flora discloses wherein at least partially solidifying the fluid comprises disposing a freezing substance into one or more compartments (3, 13) beneath the engagement layer (15).
As for claims 7 and 14, Della Flora discloses wherein the support portion (3) comprises a support layer (14), and wherein the at least partially fluid-saturable engagement layer (15) includes a flexible material (felt, page 3 and 5 of machine translation) capable of conforming to contours of an upper surface of the support layer (14).
As for claim 9, Della Flora discloses wherein at least one channel (13) defined in the thermally conductive member (3), the at least one channel (13) configured to hold a freezing substance (8), and wherein the thermally conductive member is configured to remove heat energy from the fluid with the freezing substance to reduce the temperature of the fluid received by the at least partially fluid-saturable engagement layer (15, page 6 of machine translation).
As for claim 20, Della Flora discloses wherein the thermally conductive member (3) comprises a thermally conductive insert, and wherein the at least one channel (13) comprises a plurality of apertures (5, 7) defining one or more patterns of fluid pathways for the freezing substance (8).
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) 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Della Flora DE 2428647 A in view of Cousin et al. US 8935930.
As for claims 5-6, Della Flora discloses all the limitations as recited above but does not specify wherein disposing a freezing substance into one or more compartments beneath the engagement layer comprising disposing frozen carbon dioxide or liquid nitrogen into the one or more compartments beneath the engagement layer. However, the use of frozen carbon dioxide or liquid nitrogen for quickly chilling and/or solidifying an object/fluid is well known in the art as evidence by Cousin who teaches the use of a mixture of frozen carbon dioxide and liquid nitrogen for chilling a product. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to substitute the freezing substance of Della Flora with either frozen carbon dioxide or liquid nitrogen as an alternative means for partially solidifying the fluid.
Claim(s) 8 and 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Della Flora DE 2428647 A in view of Carl US 2014/0161553.
As for claims 8 and 15, Della Flora discloses all the limitations as recited above and wherein the at least a portion of the upper surface of the support layer (14) is planar but does not specify wherein said upper surface comprises an arcuate surface. However, the use of an arcuate support surface for machining a material is well known in the art as evidence by Carl who teaches a machining apparatus provided with a support frame (14) having an arcuate shape (see Fig. 5 below) wherein the workpiece (10) is frozen to the channel (28). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify the shape of the upper surface of the support layer of Della Flora to an arcuate shape as taught by Carl as an alternative geometry for a workpiece to be supported.
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As for claim 16, the modified Della Flora teaches wherein the upper surface of the support layer comprises an arcuate surface (as taught by Carl) and a planar surface (Della Flora, 14). It furthermore, would have been obvious to modify the shape to either or a combination or various other shapes that would accommodate the workpiece that is being supported to be machined.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-13 and 17-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The claims recite structural limitations to the support portion having an insulating frame defining one or more compartments comprising a channel of the at least one channel. The prior art of record teaches a thermally conductive member (3) defining a support portion (14, 15) for supporting a workpiece thereon. The prior art of record fails to disclose, teach or suggest alone or in combination the claimed structural limitations of an insulating frame defining one or more compartments comprising a channel of the at least one channel. For the above reasons, the claims overcome the prior art of record.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYRONE V HALL JR whose telephone number is (571)270-5948. The examiner can normally be reached Mon.-Fri. 7:30am-3:30pm.
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/TYRONE V HALL JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723