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 without traverse of Group II (claims 71-72, 74-76, 78, 80, 84-85, 95, 107, and 109) in the reply filed on 12/11/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 55-58, 60-63, 67, 86, 106, and 108 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/11/2025.
Claim Objections
Claims 80 and 95 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 80 should be corrected to “the first and second heat fluxes” or “the first flux and the second heat flux” (lines 1-2, and 2, respectively).
Claim 95 should be corrected to “at least a portion of the layer of powdered material” (line 6-7).
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 85, 107, and 109 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pieger (US 20190128419 A1).
Regarding claim 85, Pieger teaches a part manufactured using the method of claim 71 (Pieger: [0031, 0070]: the three-dimensional object 11 is produced by laser sintering or laser melting). Of note, this claim would be considered as product-by-process claims, and the claim would not be limited to the manipulations of the recited steps of claim 71 but only to the structure implied by the steps. See MPEP 2113.
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 ([0045-0052]: any components between the substrate 8 and the piston 6, e.g., powder seal 9, upper portion 7, central portion 15, thermal insulation 22); and
resiliently biasing the build plate, by the at least one coupling member, toward the build plate support structure ([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 resiliently biased toward the inner side of the base member and the substrate 8 against the gravity; figs. 1-4, 9).
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 ([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 6 and the fiber metal seal 9, and thus, the central portion 15 is resiliently biased toward the inner side of the base member and the substrate 8 against the gravity and thermally contacts with the substrate 8; figs. 1-4, 9);
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).
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 71-72, 74-76, 78, 80, and 85 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pieger (US 20190128419 A1) in view of Lu (US 20190247923 A1).
Regarding claim 71, Pieger teaches a method for additive manufacturing, the method ([0002, 0018]; figs. 1-3, 9) comprising:
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);
[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 Lu teaches the limitation(s) as follows:
Lu teaches a heating and cooling device applied in 3D printing such as selective laser sintering (SLS) ([0001, 0002]). The heating and cooling device 100 is disposed in a metal melting equipment and comprises a base 2, a heating unit 3, a guiding unit 4, a temperature control unit 5, a conduction plate 6, a heat shield 7, a plurality of temperature sensors 8, and a plurality of thermoelectric cooling chips 9 ([0018]; figs. 1-2). Lu teaches that the heating cooling device 100 applies a first heat flux to a first region of a build plate, and applying a second heat flux, different from the first heat flux, to at least one further region of the build plate ([0026-0027]: the conduction plate 6 can be cooled or heated regionally, and the different plate blocks 61 can be adjusted for temperature, and the temperature control of different blocks is achieved; figs. 1-2).
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 heating portion of the build platform of Pieger to have heating/cooling/controlling portions as taught by Lu in order to obtain known results or a reasonable expectation of successful results of controlling heating and cooling 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]).
Regarding claim 72, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 71, 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).
Regarding claim 74, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 71, wherein the first heat flux is less than the second heat flux (Lu: [0026-0028]; figs. 3-7).
Regarding claim 75, modified Pieger teaches the method of claim 71, wherein applying the first heat flux comprises applying the first heat flux from a first heater, and wherein applying the second heat flux to the at least one further region comprises applying the second heat flux from at least one further heater (Lu: [0026]: 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; here, Lu teaches that teach that each of the plurality of plate block has a flow passage tube 52 and a thermoelectric cooling chip 9 (i.e., a heater as recited), both of which can heat and cool the respective blocks).
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 and 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).
Claim 80 is, alternatively, rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pieger (US 20190128419 A1) and Lu (US 20190247923 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]).
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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Neil (US 20220219402 A1) teaches method and apparatus for additive manufacturing based on multi-dimensional build platforms (abstract, fig. 3A).
Naware (US 20160096326 A1) 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).
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/INJA SONG/Examiner, Art Unit 1744