DETAILED ACTION
In Reply filed on 05/26/2026, claims 71-72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, 95, 107, and 109-114 are pending. Claims 71, 80, 84, 95, 107, and 109 are currently amended. Claims 1-70, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81-83, 85-94, 96-106, and 108 are canceled, and claims 110-114 are newly added. Claims 71-72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, 95, 107, and 109-114 are considered in this Office 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 Objections
Claims 72 and 111 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 72 should be corrected to “the at least one further region[[s]]” (line 3).
Claim 111 should be corrected to “a coil density of [[a]]the heating coil of the first heater is less than a coil density of the one or more heating coils of the at least one further heater” (lines 1-2).
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 71, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, and 110 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pieger (US 20190128419 A1) in view of Naware (US 20160096326 A1).
Regarding claim 71, Pieger teaches a method for additive manufacturing, the method ([0002, 0018]; figs. 1-3, 9) comprising:
generating a first heat with a first heater and applying a first heat flux to a first region of a build plate ([0049]: in the remaining portion 23 of the piston 6 is a heating device 14 (e.g., with electric heating loops, only schematically illustrated in FIG. 1), by which the substrate 8 can be heated from below; fig. 1);
[generating a second heat with at least one further heater and applying a second heat flux, different from the first heat flux, to at least one further region of the build plate];
depositing a layer of material on the build plate ([0003, 0031, 0046]; figs. 1-3, 9); and
directing laser energy onto the layer of material to selectively melt at least a portion of the layer of material ([0003, 0018, 0046]; figs. 1-3, 9).
Pieger does not specifically teach the bracketed limitation(s) presented above, but Naware teaches the limitation(s) as follows:
Naware teaches a build plate for use in additive manufacturing process, having multiple elements are arranged to allow selective temperature control of upper surface of build plate, allowing portions of articles to be selectively cooled or heated (abstract, fig. 2). Naware teaches generating a first heat with a first heater (one of the temperature control modules 34) and applying a first heat flux to a first region of a build plate; generating a second heat with at least one further heater (at least another of the temperature control modules) and applying a second heat flux, different from the first heat flux, to at least one further region of the build plate (figs. 1-5; [0032]: each temperature control modules 34 is a device which has the ability to control the temperature thereof and consequently, control the temperature of its respective modular element 30, including heating/cooling mechanisms 38 such as heaters, coils, heat pipes, induction heating or a combination; [0038]: various/different temperatures for different modular elements 30).
In the same field of endeavor of an additive manufacturing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing invention to modify the heating portion of the build platform of Pieger to have a plurality of modulated heating/cooling/controlling portions as taught by Naware in order to obtain known results or a reasonable expectation of successful results of controlling temperature of each of modulated multiple zones of the build platform instantly and independently so as to minimize undesirable or unwanted thermal gradient across the build platform and thereby, to allow internal stresses with a part being built to be minimized or eliminated (Naware: derived from [0040]).
Regarding claim 74, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 71, wherein the first heat flux is less than the second heat flux (Naware: [0038]).
Regarding claim 76, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 71, wherein applying the first heat flux to the first region comprises conducting the first heat flux through a thermal interface material to the first region, and wherein conducting the first heat flux through the thermal interface material comprises conducting the first heat flux through a compliant thermal interface material (Pieger: [0011]: a powder seal on piston from a fiber metal seal (i.e., conducting), the deformation during compression (i.e. compliant) is, as a result of the metal material of the fibers, partially plastic to achieve a good fiber cohesion, but also partially resilient; [0047]: a powder seal 9; figs. 1-6).
Regarding claim 78, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 71, the method further comprising at least one of: insulating a support column coupled to the build plate (Pieger: [0050]: thermal insulation 22; figs. 1-3); and cooling a build plate support structure coupled to the build plate (Pieger: [0050]: cooling device 18).
Regarding claim 80, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 71, wherein applying the first and second heat flux comprises applying the first heat flux and the second heat flux by a build plate heating assembly (Pieger: [0049]: the heating device 14, fig. 1; Lu: [0018, 0026-0028]: the heating and cooling device 100), the method further comprising at least one of: biasing the build plate heating assembly toward the build plate ([0013]: the fiber metal seal may then under resilient tension, e.g., radial resilient compression stress, be clamped between the piston and the inner side of the base member of the build cylinder; here, a central portion 15 with the heating device 14 is located between the piston and the fiber metal seal, and thus, the central portion 15 is biased toward the inner side of the base member and the substrate 8 against the gravity; figs. 1-4, 9); and biasing the build plate toward the build plate heating assembly with a clamp assembly extending through the build plate heating assembly.
Regarding claim 84, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 71, further comprising fusing the melted portion of the powdered material to form one or more parts on the build plate (Pieger: [0031, 0070]: the layered production of three-dimensional objects by laser sintering or laser melting of powdered material).
Regarding claim 110, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 71, wherein each of the first heater and the at least one further heater comprises a respective heating coil (Naware: [0032]: each temperature control modules 34 is a device which has the ability to control the temperature thereof and consequently, control the temperature of its respective modular element 30, including heating/cooling mechanisms 38 such as micro/nano heaters/channels, coils, heat pipes, electromagnetic induction heating or a combination).
Claim 72 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pieger (US 20190128419 A1) and Naware (US 20160096326 A1) as applied to claim 71, and further in view of Lu (US 20190247923 A1).
Regarding claim 72, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 71, but does not specifically teach that wherein applying the first heat flux to the first region of the build plate comprises applying the first heat flux to a central region of the build plate, and wherein applying the second heat flux to the at least one further regions comprises applying the second heat flux to at least a first peripheral region and a second peripheral region of the build plate.
Lu teaches a heating and cooling device applied in 3D printing such as selective laser sintering (SLS) ([0001, 0002]). Lu teaches that wherein applying the first heat flux to the first region of the build plate comprises applying the first heat flux to a central region of the build plate, and wherein applying the second heat flux to the at least one further regions comprises applying the second heat flux to at least a first peripheral region and a second peripheral region of the build plate (Lu: [0026-0028]: each of the tubes 52 can be disposed as heat flow passages or cold flow passages according to actual needs, so that board blocks 511 can be adjusted to different temperatures (as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7), and at the same time, each of the thermoelectric cooling chips 9 can also conduct the heat to the corresponding board blocks 511; figs. 6-7).
In the same field of endeavor of 3D printing such as SLS, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing invention to modify the plurality of modulated heating/cooling/controlling portions for modulated temperature control on the build platform of modified Pieger to have various temperatures patterns on the build platform upon the characteristics of a building part, for examples, as shown in figs. 3-7, as taught by Lu in order to obtain known results or a reasonable expectation of successful results of controlling a temperature of each of modulated portions of the build platform instantly and independently so as to improved processing efficiency in 3D printing process (Lu : derived from [0003-0004]).
Claim 80 is, alternatively, rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pieger (US 20190128419 A1) and Naware (US 20160096326 A1) as applied to claim 71, and further in view of Zhang (CN 108608648 A).
Regarding claim 80, modified Pieger teaches the method of claims 71 and 80 (see above, the 103 rejection of claims 71 and 80), but does not specifically teach that the method further comprising biasing the build plate toward the build plate heating assembly with a clamp assembly extending through the build plate heating assembly.
Zhang teaches a high-temperature 3D printing platform with automatic leveling ([0002], figs. 1-3). Zhang teaches biasing the build plate 3 toward the build plate heating assembly 5 with a clamp assembly extending through the build plate heating assembly ([0034-0039]: 3D printing platform including a substrate 3, a heating unit 4, and automatic leveling mechanism; [0044-0048]: a connecting device including a screw 701 as shown in figs. 1-4).
In the same field of endeavor of 3D printing, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing invention to modify the 3D printing platform of modified Pieger to have a clamp assembly connecting the build plate with the heating assembly as taught by Zhang in order to obtain known results or a reasonable expectation of successful results of performing additive manufacturing process with automatic leveling mechanism by maintaining the flatness and stability of the printing platform so as to improve a quality of a final product (Zhang: derived from [0009-0012]).
Claim 111 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pieger (US 20190128419 A1) and Naware (US 20160096326 A1) as applied to claim 71, and further in view of Law (US 20240227250 A1).
Regarding claim 111, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 110, but does not specifically teach wherein a coil density of a heating coil of the first heater is less than a coil density of one or more coils of the at least one further heater.
Law teaches a method of curing a part in a mold using induction heated tooling (abstract; fig. 2). Law teaches that a coil density of a heating coil of the first heater is less than a coil density of one or more coils of the at least one further heater ([0029]: , heating of the tooling 20 may be controlled by the density and layout of the channels 22, and increasing the density of the channels in a particular location will increase the heat to that particular portion of the tooling 20).
In the same field of endeavors of heating a tool/platform, both modified Pieger and Law teaches a regionally-controlled heating by induction heating (modified Pieger: Naware: [0032]; Law: abstract). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing invention to modify the distribution of the plurality of temperature control modules of modified Pieger to be regionally non-uniform as taught by Law in order to obtain known results or a reasonable expectation of successful results of forming zoned heating or multi-zoned heating on a heating platform so as to increase heating temperature or heating capacity of a particular region more than other regions.
Claims 107, 109, and 112-114 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Pieger (US 20190128419 A1) in view of Markwalder (US 20200023581 A1).
Regarding claim 107, Pieger teaches a method for additive manufacturing ([0002, 0018]; figs. 1-3, 9), the method comprising:
disposing a build plate adjacent to a build plate support structure within a build volume of an additive manufacturing system ([0045-0052]: substrate 8 and build cylinder arrangement 1 including a piston 6 having an upper portion on which a substrate 8 is constructure in the base member 5; figs. 1-4, 9);
[engaging at least one coupling member between the build plate support structure and the build plate, wherein the at least one coupling member comprises an engagement feature that engages the at least one coupling member with a coupling portion of the build plate]; and
[resiliently biasing the build plate, by the at least one coupling member engaged with the build plate, toward the build plate support structure].
Pieger does not specifically teach the bracketed limitation(s) as presented above, but Markwalder teaches the limitation as follows:
Markwalder teaches a platform carrier that is mountable on a machine table of an additive manufacturing machine (abstract, figs. 6,8). Markwalder teaches a method comprising engaging at least one coupling member (screw box 20) between the build plate support structure (lower part 12, chuck 12, and/or a machine table via a chuck 2) and the build plate (build plate 3), wherein the at least one coupling member comprises an engagement feature (screw 13) that engages the at least one coupling member with a coupling portion (a receiving portion of the screw 13 in the build plate 3) of the build plate (figs. 1-8; [0034-0035, 0039-0040]); and resiliently biasing the build plate, by the at least one coupling member engaged with the build plate, toward the build plate support structure (figs. 1-8; [0034-0035, 0037, 0039-0040]: via a disc spring pack 21 which is an elastic element).
In the same field of endeavor of additive manufacturing, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing invention to modify the 3D printing platform of modified Pieger to have a clamp assembly (e.g., a plurality of fixing screw boxes 20 and/or springs 17) resiliently connecting the build plate to a build plate support structure with a heating element/plate therebetween as taught by Markwalder in order to obtain known results or a reasonable expectation of successful results of performing additive manufacturing process with facilitated heat transfer from a heating element/plate to a build plate by increasing a contact force between the heating element/plate and the build plate and by counteracting the contact force against a clamping force obtained from the clamp assembly so as to improve a quality of a final product (Markwalder: derived from [0007, 0024-0025]).
Regarding claim 112, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 107, but is silent that the method further comprising actuating the coupling member with an actuator to engage the engagement feature with the build plate. Still, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing invention to actuate (e.g., rotate) a plurality of screws of the respective fixing screw boxes at least using a hand or an automatic actuator (e.g., a drill) to connect the build plate to the build plate support structure via the screws, and furthermore, in case of an automatic actuator, it would be advantageous to save a massive amount of physical time and efforts compared to a manual actuation enabling to precise adjustment of torque, clutch, or a degree of rotation in the screws (Markwalder: derived from [0034-0035]: screws 13, figs. 4-6, 8).
Regarding claim 113, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 112, further comprising rotating the coupling member with the actuator (Markwalder: [0034-0035]: screws 13, figs. 4-6, 8).
.
Regarding claim 109, Pieger teaches a method for additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
disposing a build plate adjacent to a base plate of a build plate support structure within a build volume of an additive manufacturing system ([0045-0052]: substrate 8 and build cylinder arrangement 1 including a piston 6 having an upper portion on which a substrate 8 is constructed in the base member 5; figs. 1-4, 9);
[resiliently biasing a build plate heating assembly into thermal contact with the build plate with one or more biasing members between the build plate heating assembly and the build plate support structure];
heating the build plate, with the build plate heating assembly, from a first temperature to a second temperature ([0049]: in the remaining portion 23 of the piston 6 is a heating device 14 (e.g., with electric heating loops, only schematically illustrated in FIG. 1), by which the substrate 8 can be heated from below; fig. 1; here, upon operation, the build plate would be heated from a first temperature to a second temperature);
depositing a layer of powdered material on the build plate ([0003, 0031, 0046]; figs. 1-3, 9); and
directing laser energy toward the layer of powdered material to selectively melt at least a portion of the layer of powdered material ([0003, 0018, 0046]; figs. 1-3, 9).
Pieger does not specifically teach the bracketed limitation(s) as presented above, but Markwalder teaches the limitation as follows:
Markwalder teaches a platform carrier that is mountable on a machine table of an additive manufacturing machine (abstract, figs. 6,8). Markwalder teaches a method comprising resiliently biasing a build plate heating assembly (upper part 11 comprising a plurality of heating elements 16) into thermal contact with the build plate with one or more biasing members (a disc spring pack 21 and/or spring 17) between the build plate heating assembly and the build plate support structure (figs. 1-8; [0034-0037, 0039-0040]).
Thus, modified Pieger teaches all the claimed limitations, and the motivation to combine applied to claim 107 equally applies here.
Regarding claim 114, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 109, wherein the one or more biasing members are configured to bias the build plate and the build plate heating assembly together, the one or more biasing members (a disc spring pack 21 and/or spring 17) comprising at least one of: one or more springs cooperating with the build plate heating assembly (spring 17) to bias the build plate heating assembly toward the build plate (Markwalder: figs. 1-8; [0034-0037, 0039-0040]); or one or more clamp assemblies (screw box 20) cooperating with the build plate to bias the build plate toward the build plate heating assembly and including at least a portion extending through the build plate heating assembly (id.).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 71, 107, and 109 (which have been newly amended by the applicants) has been considered but are moot because new grounds of rejections have been made due to the newly added features from the applicant’s latest amendment filed on 05/26/2026.
Regarding claim 71, the basis of the applicant’s argument is based upon the changes regarding “generating a first/second heat with a first/second heater, respectively.” After further search and reconsideration, the Naware reference is applied to the rejection. Thus, when Pieger’s teaching is modified in view of Naware, modified Pieger does teach/suggest all the claimed limitations and the motivation to combine. Thereby, after reconsideration, claim 71 remains rejected.
Regarding claims 107 and 109, the basis of the applicant’s argument is based upon the changes regarding at least one coupling member and one or more biasing members, respectively.” After further search and reconsideration, the Markwalder reference is applied to the rejection. Thus, when Pieger’s teaching is modified in view of Markwalder, modified Pieger does teach/suggest all the claimed limitations and the motivation to combine. Thereby, after reconsideration, claims 107 and 109 remain rejected.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 95 is allowed.
Regarding claim 95, no prior art teaches a method for additive manufacturing the method comprising ““heating a build plate of an additive manufacturing system from a first temperature to a second temperature to transform the build plate from an unheated geometry in which a build surface of the build plate is non-flat to a heated geometry in which the build surface is flat.”
Meyer (US 20160108483 A1) teaches a method of additive manufacturing and heat treatment, wherein a substrate is secured to a fixture during a build process of a part and the heat treatment is operated to relieve thermally induced stress between the substrate and the part while the substrate is held in the fixture (abstract). Meyer discloses the distortion which would result if the substate is release from the fixture before heat treatment ([0025], fig. 3), but Meyer does not specifically teach or suggest heating a non-flat substrate to transform to have a flat geometry to use or reuse the substrate for additive manufacturing.
Che (CN 113020623 A) teaches that when the flatness of the forming surface is detected to change, the heat input of the corresponding area is adjusted according to the corresponding preset scheme according to the detected condition ([0010], fig. 8), but the forming surface is not a build plate.
A search of the relevant prior art failed to turn up any other prior art references which anticipate or could be used individually or in combination to set forth a prima facie case of obviousness and upon which to base a prior art rejection for claims rejecting these limitations.
Therefore, claim 95 is allowed.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Weisz (US 20220371086 A1) teaches a system and a method for additive casting of metal objects by constructing layers (abstract; [0024]: the induction heating unit may include multiple windings having a first density of turns (number of turns per unit distance) in a first portion of the induction heating coil and a second density of turns in a second portion of the induction heating coil, where the second density is higher than the first density).
Volk (US 20160059308 A1) teaches an additive-manufacturing device including a build chamber, wherein the build chamber is adjustably coupled to a base (abstract; fig. 2).
Neil (US 20220219402 A1) teaches method and apparatus for additive manufacturing based on multi-dimensional build platforms (abstract, fig. 3A).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to INJA SONG whose telephone number is (571)270-1605. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fri. 8 AM - 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xiao (Sam) Zhao can be reached at (571)270-5343. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/INJA SONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744
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