DETAILED ACTION
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lynch (2022/0185683). Lynch teaches a method for manufacturing an insulating board, the method comprising providing a tray 608 having a bottom surface and plurality of side walls 606, placing on the bottom surface of the tray a plurality of seeds in a first layer, placing a plurality of seeds in a second layer on top of the first layer, a center of each seed in the second layer being horizontally offset from a center of each seed of the first layer, placing a plurality of seeds in a third layer on top of the second layer, a center of each seed in the third layer being horizontally offset from a center of each seed of the first layer and the second layer, and heating the tray to transform the seeds into a plurality of hollow structures in the positioned in which they were laid (figure 6, [0159]-[0160]). Lynch doesn’t specify printing of the seeds in this embodiment. However, Lynch teaches the seeds can be produced by 3-dimensional printing. More specifically, Lynch teaches applying a lower coating over a tray bottom or belt, applying a plurality of cores over the lower coating, and applying an upper coating over the cores and lower coating ([0141], [0142]). Lynch also teaches multiple layers of seeds can be produced by a similar method of applying a lower coating over a tray bottom, applying a plurality of cores over the lower coating, and applying an upper coating over the cores and lower coating, and repeated to form more layers ([0153]). Lynch teaches the 3-dimensional printing method is used to produce seeds that are subsequently used in the embodiment shown in figure 6, as discussed earlier. However, in light of the different embodiments for producing seeds taught by Lynch, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have combined known steps of 3-D printing of the layers of seeds directly into the tray 608 in the embodiment of figure 6, wherein the layers of seeds are 3-D printed by layering of the lower coating, the cores, and the upper coating, repeatedly to form a plurality of layers, and heating of filled tray with the plurality of layers of seeds to transform the seeds in the seeds in the positioned in which they were printed, as it would provide a more efficient process than producing the seeds, collecting them, and then filling the tray with the seeds. Naturally in combining the known techniques, the printing of said plurality of seeds of said first layer would include applying a lower coating over said tray bottom, applying a plurality of cores over said lower coating, and applying an upper coating over said cores and said lower coating, the printing of said plurality of seeds of said second layer would include applying a second lower coating over upper coating of said first layer, applying a second plurality of cores over said second lower coating, and applying a second upper coating over said second plurality of cores and said second lower coating, the printing of said plurality of seeds of said third layer would include applying a third lower coating over said second upper coating, applying a third plurality of cores over said third lower coating, and applying a third upper coating over said third plurality of cores and said third lower coating, and the step of heating said tray to transform said seeds of said first, second, and third layers into said plurality of hollow structures includes transforming said seeds in the position in which they are printed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant did not provide any substantial argument in their response filed April 29, 2026.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUEENIE S DEHGHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8209. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30.
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/QUEENIE S DEHGHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741
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