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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 11-13 and 16 are the subject of this FINAL Office Action.
Large IDS
On 04/28/2026, Applicants filed an IDS with hundreds of references listed. Many seem irrelevant to the claimed invention (e.g. a pre-2000 references such as US 3331545, Wire Feed Assembly; US 6335511, Control Method And Apparatus For An Arc Welding System; US 20140242374, Porous Metal Coating; US 20160057250, INFORMATION TERMINAL, ACCESS SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM; US 20170089782, STRAIN GAUGE DEVICE AND EQUIPMENT WITH SUCH STRAIN GAUGE DEVICES; US 20170152142, BORON NITRIDE NANOTUBES AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF) and numerous other references that have nothing to do with 3D printing rafts, or even 3D printing. The Examiner is not allotted enough time to review every one of the hundreds of references in detail. However, presumably, Applicants reviewed each reference, and filed each for a reason. Thus, the Examiner encourages applicant to specifically point out any particular references in the IDS that they may believe to be particularly relevant to the claimed invention.
Priority
Claim 11 and its dependents receive a priority date of 12/10/2015 because the priority document filed on that date (PCT/US2015/065003) is the first priority document to disclose sacrificial raft with first layer with an adjacent pair of plurality of stripes separated by a gap.
Response to Arguments
The priority is maintained because Applicants fail to address the Examiner’s argument. The Examiner stated that
Claim 11 and its dependents receive a priority date of 12/10/2015 because the priority document filed on that date (PCT/US2015/065003) is the first priority document to disclose sacrificial raft with first layer with an adjacent pair of plurality of stripes separated by a gap
(emphasis added). None of Applicants’ arguments address this “adjacent pair of plurality of stripes separated by a gap.”
Applicants’ arguments only address the provisional application use of a “first layer of deposited metal will hold the structure firmly in place on the baseplate during further deposition.” The provisional may state this, but it specifically fails to describe a “raft,” much less “adjacent pair of plurality of stripes separated by a gap.” Applicants then point to a provisional example that overlaps to some degree with the non-provisional description:
Provisional
For example, if the deposited metal is steel, copper or aluminum may be appropriate materials for the baseplate. Copper and aluminum have a high electrical conductivity, will not alloy with steel and change the composition of the deposited metal, and have good thermal conductivity
Non-Provisional
a sacrificial structure (or 'raft') may be printed on the baseplate 130 before the part and utilized to enable removal of the part from the baseplate 130. In various embodiments, the structure of the raft is selected to facilitate anchoring of the part to the baseplate 130 and enable electrical conductivity between the part (i.e., the wire electrode) and the baseplate.
However, nothing in the provisional section describes or explains a “sacrificial structure,” much less a raft. Nor does the provisional describe “anchoring.” Nor does the provisional describe electrical conductivity. Instead, the provisional describes a layer that allows thermal conductivity between a baseplate and the layer. This clearly fails to describe “sacrificial raft with first layer with an adjacent pair of plurality of stripes separated by a gap.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 - Maintained
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) A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(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; or
(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 11-13 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by VARANKA (US 20100021638).
As to claim 11, VARANKA teaches a method for printing an article upon a sacrificial raft, the method comprising: printing a first layer of a plurality of stripes of the sacrificial raft upon a base, wherein one of the plurality of stripes has a first width across the first layer, and wherein an adjacent pair of the plurality of stripes are separated by a gap having a second width across the first layer (sacrificial raft strips 16 separated by gaps 28; Fig. 4c); printing a second layer of the plurality of stripes of the sacrificial raft above the first layer of the plurality of stripes of the sacrificial raft (additional raft strips printed over first raft strip layer; Fig. 4c; para. 0020- “drops 16D of sacrificial mold material 16 onto a previously existing layer 12”); and printing a first layer of the article above the second layer of the plurality of stripes of the sacrificial raft (article 22; Fig. 4c). The lattice/grid raft structure in VARANKA is the same as that shown in the instant figures.
As to claim 12, VARANKA teaches separating the sacrificial raft from the base; and separating the article from the sacrificial raft (paras. 0069-72).
As to claim 13, VARANKA teaches the separating the sacrificial raft from the base is performed before the separating the article from the sacrificial raft (sacrificial material removed from final product before final product removed from base/platform; paras. 0069-72).
As to claim 16, VARANKA teaches a height of the first layer of the plurality of stripes is different than a height of the first layer of the article (paras. 0044 & 0062-64).
Response to Arguments
The rejection is maintained because the breadth of Applicants’ claim does not match their argument. Specifically, nothing in the claim excludes “sacrificial mold material to define cavities or boundaries into which model material is subsequently deposited” (Reply, pg. 3). As long as the prior art teaches the (very) minimal steps of claim 11, then the prior art anticipates. Additional steps or elements are allowed (“comprising”). Claim 11 only requires print first layer of “adjacent” (any distance) stripes separated by a gap, print a second layer of stripes on the first layer (which encompasses additional elements of material between first gaps of first layer), finally print another layer above the second layer (also encompasses additional elements of material between first gaps of first layer and/or second layer). This is met by VARANKA when VARANKA teaches to print sacrificial raft strips 16 separated by gaps 28; Fig. 4c; additional raft strips printed over first raft strip layer; Fig. 4c; para. 0020- “drops 16D of sacrificial mold material 16 onto a previously existing layer 12”; and printing a first layer of the article 22 above the second layer of the plurality of stripes of the sacrificial raft (article 22; Fig. 4c). Moreover, the lattice/grid raft structure in VARANKA is the same as that shown in the instant figures. The rejection is maintained.
Applicants also point to Figure 9C, which is only an example, and does not define the claimed method, which is very broad/generic. Applicants should consider amending their claim.
Prior Art
Numerous other prior art also teaches adjacent pair of the plurality of stripes are separated by a gap, or grid or lattice sacrificial layers: US 9440397; US20160039152; US 20160263822; US 20150266244; US 20160263839.
Conclusion
No claims are allowed.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MELODY TSUI whose telephone number is (571)272-1846. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Heather Calamita can be reached at 571-272-2876. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/YUNG-SHENG M TSUI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1684
Prosecution Insights