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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of claims 1-10 in the reply filed on 6/15/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claim Objections
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 6 depends on claim 5 and says “a first sub-array” in line 2 and “a second sub-array” in line 4. For proper antecedent basis (which does not rise to the level of indefiniteness) claim 6 needs to say “the first sub-array” and “the second sub-array”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-10 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. Dependent claims not rejected separately are rejected due to their dependency.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "an output of an associated build material thermal sensor" in line 10. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Is this the same build material thermal sensor from the array of line 6, or a different sensor?
Claim 3 recites the limitation "in an associated region" in lines 5-6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Is this the region as claimed in claim 1, or a different region?
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the heating system" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 4 depends on claim 1, but claim 1 never sates a heating system. Proper antecedent basis is in claim 3, and claim 4 will be examined if it depended from claim 3.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "an optical filter" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Is this the same “optical filter” from claim 8, or a different optical filter?
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.
Claims 1-3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hierro Domenech et al (US PGPub 2019/0111626; herein Hierro Domenech, already of record). Regarding claim 1, Hierro Domenech teaches:
An agent distribution device to selectively deposit an agent onto a layer of build material to form a layer of a three-dimensional (3D) object (paragraph 0041 and Figure 5, agent distributor 504)
A carriage to transport the agent distribution device across the layer of build material (paragraph 0041 and Figure 5, carriage 502)
An array of build material thermal sensors disposed on the carriage and facing the layer of build material, each build material thermal sensor to measure a temperature of the layer of build material in a particular region (paragraphs 0041-0043 and Figure 5, temperature sensor 506 (which can be an array per paragraph 0042))
A controller to adjust additive manufacturing in different regions based on an output of an associated build material thermal sensor (paragraphs 0035-0039 and Figure 4, processing circuitry 408 with thermal analysis module 410, comparative module 412, and control data module 414, Paragraph 0036 teaches the claimed controller function. Paragraph 0039 connects the controller of Figure 4 with the structure of Figure 5)
Regarding claim 2, Hierro Domenech teaches:
Wherein adjusting additive manufacturing is performed per layer of build material (paragraph 0036 the analysis is per layer)
Regarding claim 3, Hierro Domenech teaches:
Further comprising a heating system to selectively heat the layer of powder build material; and wherein the controller is to adjust individual heating elements of the heating system based on an output of a build material thermal sensor in an associated region (paragraph 0038, the energy source is controlled based on the measurement)
Regarding claim 5, Hierro Domenech teaches:
Wherein the array of build material thermal sensors is divided into a first sub-array and a second sub-array (Since Hierro Domenech teaches an array of sensors, then naturally any array can be subdivided into first and second sub-arrays)
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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hierro Domenech, in view of Zhao et al (US PGPub 2019/0134898; herein Zhao). Regarding claim 4:
Wherein the heating system comprises: a carriage heater to selectively solidify portions of the layer of powder build material with agent deposited thereon; and a stationary overhead heater to maintain the layer of powder build material at a predetermined temperature below a solidifying temperature of the agent
Hierro Domenech teaches using a preheater in addition to the energy source, paragraph 0040, but is silent to the exact nature of the two structures.
In the same field of endeavor Zhao teaches using heaters 46 on a carriage, and a stationary heater 46’, in Figure 1.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use the dual heating structures of Zhao with the dual heaters of Hierro Domenech, since it allows for uniform energy application (Zhao: paragraph 0027).
The exact use of the heating system is seen as the intended use of the apparatus, and since the prior art teaches the desired structure, then the combination is capable of such use.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hierro Domenech, in view of Barnes et al (WO 2019231431; herein Barnes). Regarding claim 6, Hierro Domenech is silent to:
Wherein a first sub-array is on a first side of the agent distribution device in a direction of carriage transport; and a second sub-array is on a second side of the agent distribution device in the direction of carriage transport
In the same field of endeavor Barnes teaches two sets of thermal sensors (128a and 128b) on either side of an energy source 126 (Figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have the thermal sensors on either side of the dispenser, since it will allow for bidirectional functionality (Barnes: paragraph 0027). It is irreverent which structure the sensors are on either side of in Barnes, what Barnes teaches is that having them on either side of a desired structure allows for bidirectional functionality.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hierro Domenech, in view of Heiles et al (US PGPub 2020/0247110; herein Heiles). Regarding claim 7, Hierro Domenech is silent to:
Further comprising a carriage thermal sensor embedded in the carriage to sense a carriage temperature, wherein the temperature measurements of the build material thermal sensors are offset by a temperature measurement of the carriage thermal sensor
In the same field of endeavor Heiles teaches removing the carriage temperature from temperature data (paragraph 0028).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to control the temperature data as taught by Heiles, since it will then only provide the temperature needed for process. It is noted Heiles does not explicitly teach a carriage thermal sensor, however it has been shown that a person of ordinary skill has good reason to pursue the known options in their art. If this leads to an anticipated success, it is likely that it was not due to innovation but of ordinary skill and common sense. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1397 (2007). In this instance if carriage temperature is known, then a skilled artisan only has so many options as to how to capture said data, thus a sensor on the carriage would be obvious.
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hierro Domenech, in view of Hishikari (US 3611805). Regarding claims 8, Hierro Domenech is silent to:
Further comprising an optical filter disposed in front of the array of build material thermal sensors to collect temperature measurements in a particular bandwidth to reduce temperature measurement interference from heat sources in the additive manufacturing system
In the same field of endeavor of thermal measurements, Hishikari teaches using an optical filter in front of a thermal sensor in order to prevent unwanted data from reaching the sensor (Abstract, column 3 lines 60-74, and claims 1 and 3).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use the optical filter of Hishikari, since it allows for filtering of thermal data reaching the sensor.
Regarding claim 9:
Wherein an optical filter is disposed in front of each build material thermal sensor
The combination of Hierro Domenech and Hishikari would teach such an arrangement since there are multiple sensors in Hierro Domenech.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hierro Domenech, in view of Valero Navazo et al (WO 2017/196331; herein Valero Navazo). Regarding claim 10, Hierro Domenech is silent to:
Further comprising a cooling system to prevent overheating of the array of build material thermal sensors
In the same field of endeavor Valero Navazo teaches using a cooling airflow to cool a sensor (Abstract and paragraphs 0028 0031)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use the cooling system of Valero Navazo, since cooling the sensor prevents damaging the sensor (Valero Navazo: paragraphs 0014-0015)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 for references regarding temperature measurement and heating control in 3D printers.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY J KENNEDY whose telephone number is (571)270-7068. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.
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/TIMOTHY KENNEDY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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