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 Interpretation
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 1, the claim recites “a set of parts for assembling”. The claim is interpreted to recite a set of unassembled parts. The assembly and use of the parts is considered the intended use of the claimed parts, see MPEP § 2114. Further, claim 1 does not positively recite a controller. The claim recites the 3D printer to contain a controller, but the 3D printer is not a recited part.
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 6 and 12 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.
The term “usual” in claims 6 and 12 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “usual” 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. For purposes of examination “usual interconnectable blocks” will be understood to include any interconnectable block.
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) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “LEGO 3d Printer” by Gadema, May 27, 2015, http://www.instructables.com/id/LEGO-3d-Printer/, currently of record (hereinafter Gadema), in view of Issa (US 2019/0084289 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Gadema meets the claimed of parts for assembling a three-dimensional (3D) printer for 3D printing a specimen therewithin, (Gadema teaches parts for building a 3D printer, see Step 1:Bill of material) the 3D printer comprising a controller receiving instructions, (“software used to control the printer” and “Pronteface on my laptop to control the printer”, see Step 1 and Step 7) when the 3D printer assembled from the set of parts is in use, for changing a definite 3D location of a hot end in relation to a specimen and for selectively extruding material from the hot end to print the specimen, (see extruder Step 5) the set of parts comprising:
one or more modular constructions sets comprising a plurality of interconnectable blocks for assembling structural elements of the 3D printer (Gadema teaches Step 3 to include building the frame from LEGO blocks)
a hot end holder component (extruder-carriage uses the same LM8UU bearings as the other axes, see Step 5) for holding the hot end at the definite 3D location within the 3D printer when the set of parts is assembled into the 3D printer; a specimen holder component for receiving the specimen within the 3D printer, (Heated bed included Glass Plate, see Step 1) the specimen holder component's structural elements being configured to be assembled from the plurality of interconnectable blocks (Gadema teaches Step 3 to include building the frame from LEGO blocks) the z-axis component's structural elements being configured to be assembled from the plurality of interconnectable blocks. (Gadema teaches Step 3 to include building the frame from LEGO blocks).
Gadema does not explicitly teach the specimen holder component comprising a y-axis rack and pinion mechanism for moving a sliding plate component along a y-axis thereby determining a y-axis coordinate of the definite 3D location, a y-axis rack section of the y-axis rack and pinion mechanism being provided in a single material, an x-axis component comprising the hot end holder and comprising an x-axis rack and pinion mechanism for moving the hot end holder component along an x-axis therealong over the specimen holder component thereby determining an x-axis coordinate of the definite 3D location, an x-axis rack section of the x-axis rack and pinion mechanism being provided in the single material, the x-axis component's structural elements being configured provided in the single material; and a z-axis component for moving the specimen holder component along a z-axis therealong thereby determining a z-axis coordinate of the definite 3D location when the set of parts is assembled into the 3D printer.
Issa teaches the specimen holder component comprising a y-axis rack and pinion mechanism for moving a sliding plate component along a y-axis (a y-axis rack and pinion mechanism for moving the specimen holder component along a y-axis [0006]) thereby determining a y-axis coordinate of the definite 3D location, a y-axis rack section of the y-axis rack and pinion mechanism being provided in a single material, (the y-axis rack and pinion mechanism provided in the single material [0007]); an x-axis component comprising the hot end holder and comprising an x-axis rack and pinion mechanism for moving the hot end holder component ( x-axis component comprises an x-axis rack and pinion mechanism for moving the hot end holder component [0006]) along an x-axis therealong over the specimen holder component thereby determining an x-axis coordinate of the definite 3D location, an x-axis rack section of the x-axis rack and pinion mechanism being provided in the single material, the x-axis component's structural elements being configured provided in the single material; ( x-axis rack and pinion mechanism provided in the single material [0007]) and a z-axis component for moving the specimen holder component along a z-axis therealong thereby determining a z-axis coordinate of the definite 3D location when the set of parts is assembled into the 3D printer. (z-axis component is for moving the specimen holder component along a z-axis within the 3D printer thereby determining a z-axis coordinate, [0006]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to combine the rack and pinion mechanisms of a single material of Issa with the LEGO block 3D printer of Gadema because it avoids a tolerance stackup when the set of parts is assembled into the 3D printer, see [0006], and all structural parts and most moving parts of the 3D printer are designed to be 3D printed by a manufacturing device, see [0061].
Regarding claim 2, Gadema as modified by Issa meets the claimed set of parts of claim 1, wherein an x-axis pinion section of the x-axis rack and pinion mechanism, a y-axis pinion section of the y-axis rack and pinion mechanism and a z-axis pinion section of the x-axis rack and pinion mechanism are provided in the single material thereby providing the rack and pinions mechanisms along the x-axis, the y-axis and the z-axis in the single material. (x-axis, y-axis, provided in the single material [0007] a single material may also further be used for a structure of the z-axis component [0007]).
Regarding claim 3, Gadema as modified by Issa meets the claimed set of parts of claim 1, further comprising: the controller; an x-axis motor to be assembled in direct connection with the x-axis pinion section of the x-axis rack and pinion mechanism for moving the hot end component along the x-axis within the 3D printer; (an x-axis motor to be assembled in direct connection with the x-axis pinion section of the x-axis rack and pinion mechanism for moving the tool holder component along the x-axis within the 3D printer [0013]) and a y-axis motor to be assembled in direct connection with the y-axis pinion section of the y-axis rack and pinion mechanism for moving the specimen holder component along the y-axis within the 3D printer. (and a y-axis motor to be assembled in direct connection with the y-axis pinion section of the y-axis rack and pinion mechanism for moving the specimen holder component along the y-axis within the 3D printer [0013]).
Regarding claim 4, Gadema as modified by Issa meets the claimed set of parts of claim 1, further comprising: an x-axis limit-switch for the x-axis component; (x-axis limit-switch for the x-axis component, [0013]) a y-axis limit-switch for the specimen holder component; and a z-axis limit-switch for the z-axis component, the x-axis limit-switch, (y-axis limit-switch for the specimen holder component and a z-axis limit-switch for the z-axis component [0013]) the y-axis limit-switch and the z-axis limit-switch being for calibrating the definite 3D location within the 3D printer when the 3D printer assembled from the set of parts is in use. (limit-switch may allow for calibrating the definite 3D location [0014]).
Regarding claim 5, Gadema as modified by Issa meets the claimed set of parts of claim 1, wherein the sliding plate component's structural elements is configured to be assembled from the plurality of interconnectable blocks. (Gadema teaches Step 3 to include building the frame from LEGO blocks and depicts the build plate to be supported by LEGO blocks).
Regarding claim 6, Gadema as modified by Issa meets the claimed set of parts of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interconnectable blocks consists of usual interconnectable blocks. (Gadema teaches Step 3 to include building the frame from LEGO blocks. Examiner notes that “usual” blocks was found to be indefinite, see rejection under 35 USC 112(b) above).
Regarding claim 7, Gadema meets the claimed three-dimensional (3D) printer for 3D-printing a specimen therewithin (Gadema teaches a 3D printer, see Intro: LEGO 3D Printer) comprising: a hot end; a controller (“software used to control the printer” and “Pronteface on my laptop to control the printer”, see Step 1 and Step 7) that: sets a definite 3D location of the hot end in relation to the specimen; and controls the hot end for selectively extruding material to 3D-print the specimen; (extruder-carriage uses the same LM8UU bearings as the other axes, see Step 5) the support structure being assembled from one or more modular construction sets comprising a plurality interconnectable blocks; (Gadema teaches Step 3 to include building the frame from LEGO blocks) a hot end holder on the structure (extruder-carriage uses the same LM8UU bearings as the other axes, see Step 5) that moves the hot end along an x-axis within the 3D printer in accordance with instructions received from the controller, thereby determining an x-axis coordinate of the definite 3D location; a specimen holder component assembled from the plurality of interconnectable blocks, (Gadema teaches Step 3 to include building the frame from LEGO blocks, where heated bed includes a Glass Plate, see Step 1) comprising: a sliding plate over which the specimen is 3D-printed by the hot end; a receiving surface (Heated bed includes Glass Plate, see Step 1) defining a second plane along a y-axis within the 3D printer, the first plane and the second plane being perpendicular; and a y-axis motor assembly that causes the sliding plate to slide in on the receiving surface in accordance with instructions received from the controller, thereby determining a y-axis coordinate of the definite 3D location; (Gadema teaches Y-axis stepper motor to control the Y-axis movement, see Step 7: Electronics) and a z-axis motor assembly on the support structure that causes the specimen holder component comprising the z-axis motor assembly (Gadema teaches Y-axis stepper motor to control the Y-axis movement, see Step 7: Electronics) thereby determining a z-axis coordinate of the definite 3D location.
Gadema does not teach a support structure with a first groove defining a first plane along a z-axis within the 3D printer, a specimen holder… maintained in the first groove of the enclosure, z-axis motor assembly…to slide in the first groove along the first plane in accordance with instructions received from the controller.
Issa teaches a support structure with a first groove defining a first plane along a z-axis within the 3D printer, a specimen holder… maintained in the first groove of the enclosure, (a first groove defining a first plane along a z-axis within the 3D printer [0023] specimen holder component is maintained in the first groove of the enclosure [0023]) z-axis motor assembly…to slide in the first groove along the first plane in accordance with instructions received from the controller. ( z-axis motor assembly is provided on the enclosure and causes the specimen holder component, together with the z-axis motor assembly, to slide in the first groove along the first plane in accordance with instructions received from the controller, [0023]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to combine the groove of the enclosure and the rack and pinion mechanisms of Issa with the LEGO block 3D printer of Gadema because it avoids a tolerance stackup when the set of parts is assembled into the 3D printer, see [0006], and all structural parts and most moving parts of the 3D printer are designed to be 3D printed by a manufacturing device, see [0061].
Regarding claim 8, Gadema as modified by Issa meets the claimed 3D printer of claim 7, wherein the sliding plate is assembled from the plurality of interconnectable blocks. (Gadema teaches Step 3 to include building the frame from LEGO blocks).
Regarding claim 9, Gadema as modified by Issa meets the claimed 3D printer of claim 7, further comprising: an x-axis limit-switch for the hot end holder; (x-axis limit-switch for the x-axis component, [0013]) a y-axis limit-switch for the specimen holder component; and a z-axis limit-switch for the z-axis component, (y-axis limit-switch for the specimen holder component and a z-axis limit-switch for the z-axis component [0013]) the x-axis limit-switch, the y-axis limit-switch and the z-axis limit-switch being for calibrating the definite 3D location within the 3D printer. (limit-switch may allow for calibrating the definite 3D location [0014]).
Regarding claim 10, Gadema as modified by Issa meets the claimed 3D printer of claim 7, further comprising an adjustment tab parallel to the first plane to impede non-z-axis-movements of the specimen holder component in the first groove. (Issa teaches a specimen holder adjustment tabs on the specimen holder component in parallel to the first plane to impede non-z-axis-movements of the specimen holder component in the first groove, [0030]).
Regarding claim 11, Gadema as modified by Issa meets the claimed 3D printer of claim 7, wherein the structure further provides an x-groove receiving the hot end holder. (Issa teaches a third groove of the enclosure along the x-axis and is solidarized with the hot end, see [0028]).
Regarding claim 12, Gadema as modified by Issa meets the claimed 3D printer of claim 7, wherein the plurality of interconnectable blocks consists of usual interconnectable blocks. (Gadema teaches Step 3 to include building the frame from LEGO blocks. Examiner notes that “usual” blocks was found to be indefinite, see rejection under 35 USC 112(b) above).
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
“Homemade LEGObot 3D printer does 3D printing on the cheap” by Randall Marsh, New Atlas, July 16, 2023
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL M. ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)270-0467. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30AM-6PM.
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/MICHAEL M. ROBINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744