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 of Application
Claims 1-11, 17 and 24-33 are pending and presented for examination.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 2/19/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Initially, the Examiner notes that Applicant’s amendments have overcome the rejections over Bodvarsson in view of Porter and Bodvarsson in view of Porter and Hamad.
Applicant's arguments filed 2/19/2026, with respect to the rejections over Bodvarsson in view of Weiss, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The Applicant argues that the combination fails to teach or suggest a shutter speed that is up to 1/1000 of a second. However, it is noted that this limitation is a range which includes any shutter speed slower than 1/1000 of a second. Furthermore, the shutter speed will need to be adjusted based on the rate at which the printing and curing is done to ensure proper protection of the nozzle during the process. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to choose the instantly claimed range through process optimization, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
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.
1. Claim 28 is 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 28 recites the limitation "the act of moving the light source". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. There is no initial recitation in claim 1 of an act of moving the light source. Therefore, claim 28 is indefinite. For examination purposes, the claim has been interpreted as “the light source is moved by changing an angle of the light source”.
Claim 28 also recites changing an angle of the light source. However, it is unclear what angle is being referred to as no frame of reference is provided. Therefore, claim 28 is indefinite. For examination purposes, any movement of the light source will be interpreted as changing an angle of the light source as moving the light source relative to a single point on the substrate will necessarily change the angle of the light source relative to that point.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
2. Claim(s) 1-11, 17 and 24-33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bodvarsson et al. (U.S. PGPUB No. 2022/0132257) in view of Weiss et al. (U.S. PGPUB No. 2019/0047309)
I. Regarding claims 1-5, 7-11, 17 and 24-30, Bodvarsson teaches a process of encapsulating a component on a substrate (0044) comprising: dispensing at least a first drop (0068) of a UV-curable polymer (0054) on or around a side of a component on a substrate (0056) by jetting the drop from a nozzle by inkjet printing (0083) to provide a dispensed polymer; curing the dispensed polymer by exposing the dispensed polymer to UV light from a UV light source to obtain an at least surface cured polymer (0073-0075); and repeating the steps of dispensing and curing the dispensed polymer to provide an encapsulated component (0077-0081). Bodvarsson also teaches after the repeating step completely curing the encapsulated component (0080 and note that the second insulation layer curing step will both partially cure and then fully cure the resultant layer resulting in completely curing step subsequent to the act of repeating), and applying a conductive material (0058) as a shielding material on the encapsulated component (0056) to form a magnetic shield (0059). Bodvarsson also teaches the jetting comprising inkjet printing (0083) which necessarily involves loading additional polymer into the nozzle for dispensing a second drop after dispensing the at least one first drop of polymer. Finally, Bodvarsson teaches performing the method using a system comprising a nozzle configured to dispense the droplets on or around the component being configured for placement above the substrate (inkjet printing, see Bodvarsson at 0083) and a UV light source configured to cure the dispensed polymer (0075). Bodvarsson fails to teach a repeating step of protecting the nozzle while curing the dispensed polymer in the process and fails to teach the method performed with a system explicitly comprising a light source placed above the substrate, moving the light source together with the nozzle and changing an angle of the light source as required by claims 26-28 and a protection element configured to protect the nozzle by placing a cover over the opening of the nozzle, where the protection element comprises a shield aligned with the opening of the nozzle and including a shutter plate that moves at a shutter speed of up to 1/1000 of a second to cover an opening on the shield.
First, Weiss teaches a repeating step of protecting a nozzle element from light during curing (0029) of a dispensed UV curable material (0024) by using a shield that surrounds sides of the nozzle element (element 202, Figure 2A and 0032). Weiss further teaches a system comprising a nozzle positioned above a substrate to be coated (element 102, Figure 2A), the nozzle for jetting a UV-curable material onto a substrate, in a system where a UV light source is positioned next to the nozzle and also placed above the substrate (see Figure 1), and a shield around the nozzle as a protecting element for the nozzle to protect from irradiation with the UV light (element 202, Figure 2A). Weiss teaches repeating the act of protecting and unprotecting the nozzle during the printing and exposing process (0029). Weiss teaches the shield aligned with the opening of the nozzle and the protecting and unprotecting being accomplished by moving a shutter plate to cover the opening of the shield and wherein regardless of the state of the shutter plate, the shutter system remains connected to the shield that surrounds the sides of the nozzles (Figures 2A-2B). Additionally, Weiss teaches the light source moving together with the nozzle and the light source can be moved by changing the angle of the light source. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Bodvarsson’s process by repeatedly protecting and unprotecting the nozzle from light with a shield including a moveable shutter during the step of curing with UV light from a movable light source using a system comprising a nozzle positioned above the substrate, a light source positioned above the substrate moving with the nozzle and the shield around the nozzle element for protecting it during UV curing as disclosed by Weiss. One would have been motivated to make this modification as the use of a shield protecting element and a system as disclosed by Weiss prevents the radiation during the curing step from curing the polymer material adjacent to the nozzle, thereby preventing clogging of the nozzle (see Weiss at abstract).
Second, Bodvarsson in view of Weiss fail to explicitly teach a shutter speed up to 1/1000 of a second. However, it is noted that this limitation is a range which includes any shutter speed slower than 1/1000 of a second. Furthermore, the shutter speed will need to be adjusted based on the rate at which the printing and curing is done to ensure proper protection of the nozzle during the process. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to choose the instantly claimed range through process optimization, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
II. Regarding claim 6, Bodvarsson in view of Weiss teach all the limitations of claim 1 (see above), but fail to teach jetting at a frequency of 1 Hz to 1000 Hz. However, the jetting frequency is a result-effective variable as adjusting this frequency will adjust the rate at which the polymer is applied, thereby adjusting the efficiency of the process, as well as adjusting the size of the droplets that are supplied. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to choose the instantly claimed range through process optimization, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
III. Regarding claim 31, Bodvarsson in view of Weiss teach all the limitations of claim 1 and inherently the act of dispensing and the act of emitting will be at a first and second frequency respectively. Bodvarsson in view of Weiss fail to explicitly teach the first and second frequency is different. However, the jetting frequency and emitting frequency are result-effective variables as adjusting these frequencies will adjust the rate at which the polymer is applied and cured, thereby adjusting the efficiency of the process, as well as adjusting the size of the droplets that are supplied. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to choose the instantly claimed range of a difference between the first and second frequency through process optimization, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
IV. Regarding claim 32, Bodvarsson teaches a process of encapsulating a component on a substrate (0044) comprising: dispensing at least a first drop (0068) of a UV-curable polymer (0054) on or around a side of a component on a substrate (0056) by jetting the drop from a nozzle by inkjet printing (0083) to provide a dispensed polymer; curing the dispensed polymer by exposing the dispensed polymer to UV light from a UV light source to obtain an at least surface cured polymer (0073-0075); and repeating the steps of dispensing and curing the dispensed polymer to provide an encapsulated component (0077-0081). Bodvarsson also teaches after the repeating step completely curing the encapsulated component (0080 and note that the second insulation layer curing step will both partially cure and then fully cure the resultant layer resulting in completely curing step subsequent to the act of repeating), and applying a conductive material (0058) as a shielding material on the encapsulated component (0056) to form a magnetic shield (0059). Bodvarsson also teaches the jetting comprising inkjet printing (0083) which necessarily involves loading additional polymer into the nozzle for dispensing a second drop after dispensing the at least one first drop of polymer. Finally, Bodvarsson teaches performing the method using a system comprising a nozzle configured to dispense the droplets on or around the component being configured for placement above the substrate (inkjet printing, see Bodvarsson at 0083) and a UV light source configured to cure the dispensed polymer (0075). Bodvarsson fails to teach a repeating step of protecting the nozzle while curing the dispensed polymer in the process and fails to teach the protection element configured to protect the nozzle by moving a shutter plate over the opening of the nozzle, where the protection element comprises a shield surrounding the sides of the nozzles and the shutter plates is connected to the shield regardless of the state of the shutter plate.
First, Weiss teaches a repeating step of protecting a nozzle element from light during curing (0029) of a dispensed UV curable material (0024) by using a shield that surrounds sides of the nozzle element (element 202, Figure 2A and 0032). Weiss further teaches a system comprising a nozzle positioned above a substrate to be coated (element 102, Figure 2A), the nozzle for jetting a UV-curable material onto a substrate, in a system where a UV light source is positioned next to the nozzle and also placed above the substrate (see Figure 1), and a shield around the nozzle as a protecting element for the nozzle to protect from irradiation with the UV light (element 202, Figure 2A). Weiss teaches repeating the act of protecting and unprotecting the nozzle during the printing and exposing process (0029). Weiss teaches the shield aligned with the opening of the nozzle and the protecting and unprotecting being accomplished by moving a shutter plate to cover the opening of the shield and wherein regardless of the state of the shutter plate, the shutter system remains connected to the shield that surrounds the sides of the nozzles (Figures 2A-2B). Additionally, Weiss teaches the light source moving together with the nozzle and the light source can be moved by changing the angle of the light source. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Bodvarsson’s process by repeatedly protecting and unprotecting the nozzle from light with a shield including a moveable shutter, where the shutter remains connected to the shield regardless of state during the step of curing with UV light from a movable light source using a system comprising a nozzle positioned above the substrate, a light source positioned above the substrate moving with the nozzle and the shield around the nozzle element for protecting it during UV curing as disclosed by Weiss. One would have been motivated to make this modification as the use of a shield protecting element and a system as disclosed by Weiss prevents the radiation during the curing step from curing the polymer material adjacent to the nozzle, thereby preventing clogging of the nozzle (see Weiss at abstract).
V. Regarding claim 33, Bodvarsson teaches a process of encapsulating a component on a substrate (0044) comprising: dispensing at least a first drop (0068) of a UV-curable polymer (0054) on or around a side of a component on a substrate (0056) by jetting the drop from a nozzle by inkjet printing (0083) to provide a dispensed polymer; curing the dispensed polymer by exposing the dispensed polymer to UV light from a UV light source to obtain an at least surface cured polymer (0073-0075); and repeating the steps of dispensing and curing the dispensed polymer to provide an encapsulated component (0077-0081). Bodvarsson also teaches after the repeating step completely curing the encapsulated component (0080 and note that the second insulation layer curing step will both partially cure and then fully cure the resultant layer resulting in completely curing step subsequent to the act of repeating), and applying a conductive material (0058) as a shielding material on the encapsulated component (0056) to form a magnetic shield (0059). Bodvarsson also teaches the jetting comprising inkjet printing (0083) which necessarily involves loading additional polymer into the nozzle for dispensing a second drop after dispensing the at least one first drop of polymer. Finally, Bodvarsson teaches performing the method using a system comprising a nozzle configured to dispense the droplets on or around the component being configured for placement above the substrate (inkjet printing, see Bodvarsson at 0083) and a UV light source configured to cure the dispensed polymer (0075), wherein inherently the act of dispensing and the act of emitting light will be conducted at a first and second frequency, respectively. Bodvarsson fails to teach a repeating step of protecting the nozzle while curing the dispensed polymer in the process and fails to teach the second frequency different from the first frequency.
First, Weiss teaches a repeating step of protecting a nozzle element from light during curing (0029) of a dispensed UV curable material (0024) by using a shield that surrounds sides of the nozzle element (element 202, Figure 2A and 0032). Weiss further teaches a system comprising a nozzle positioned above a substrate to be coated (element 102, Figure 2A), the nozzle for jetting a UV-curable material onto a substrate, in a system where a UV light source is positioned next to the nozzle and also placed above the substrate (see Figure 1), and a shield around the nozzle as a protecting element for the nozzle to protect from irradiation with the UV light (element 202, Figure 2A). Weiss teaches repeating the act of protecting and unprotecting the nozzle during the printing and exposing process (0029). Weiss teaches the shield aligned with the opening of the nozzle and the protecting and unprotecting being accomplished by moving a shutter plate to cover the opening of the shield and wherein regardless of the state of the shutter plate, the shutter system remains connected to the shield that surrounds the sides of the nozzles (Figures 2A-2B). Additionally, Weiss teaches the light source moving together with the nozzle and the light source can be moved by changing the angle of the light source. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Bodvarsson’s process by repeatedly protecting and unprotecting the nozzle from light with a shield including a moveable shutter during the step of curing with UV light from a movable light source using a system comprising a nozzle positioned above the substrate, a light source positioned above the substrate moving with the nozzle and the shield around the nozzle element for protecting it during UV curing as disclosed by Weiss. One would have been motivated to make this modification as the use of a shield protecting element and a system as disclosed by Weiss prevents the radiation during the curing step from curing the polymer material adjacent to the nozzle, thereby preventing clogging of the nozzle (see Weiss at abstract).
Second, Bodvarsson in view of Weiss fail to explicitly teach the first and second frequency is different. However, the jetting frequency and emitting frequency are result-effective variables as adjusting these frequencies will adjust the rate at which the polymer is applied and cured, thereby adjusting the efficiency of the process, as well as adjusting the size of the droplets that are supplied. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to choose the instantly claimed range of a difference between the first and second frequency through process optimization, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
3. Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bodvarsson in view of Weiss as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hamad et al. (“Inkjet printing of UV-curable adhesive and dielectric inks for microfluidic devices”).
Regarding claim 6, Bodvarsson in view of Weiss teach all the limitations of claim 1 (see above) including the jetting by inkjet printing (see above), but fail to teach jetting at a frequency of 1-1000 Hz (1 Hz-1 kHz). However, Hamad teaches that it is conventional to inkjet print UV-curable polymer materials at a frequency of 1 kHz (2nd paragraph of column 4). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute Hamad’s frequency of jetting for the generic jetting as disclosed in Bodvarsson in view of Weiss. One would have been motivated to make this substitution as one having ordinary skill in the art could have substituted a specific inkjet frequency for the generic disclosed inkjetting with a reasonable expectation of success (particularly given that Hamad is teaching inkjet printing of similar UV-curable polymer materials), and the predictable result of providing an encapsulated component on a substrate by an inkjet printing and UV curing process.
Conclusion
Claims 1-11, 17 and 24-33 are pending.
Claims 1-11, 17 and 24-33 are rejected.
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/ROBERT S WALTERS JR/
March 11, 2026Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1717