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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the abstract is not a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent. In this case, the technical disclosure of the patent is a method with steps not a 3D printing apparatus. See MPEP § 608.01 (b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 9, 17, and 18 is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 9 and 18, “polygonal or annular shape extending that surrounds” should be changed to -- polygonal or annular shape that surrounds--.
Claim 17, “the second Light emission” should be changed to --the second light emission--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 2-3, 8, and 11-20 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.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “controlling an irradiation timing of the light” which is indefinite. The limitation can have multiple plausible interpretations because claim 1 requires two different lights.
It is unclear if the “the light” of claim 2 is referring to the firstly irradiated light, the secondarily irradiated light, or both. The limitation has been examined below as if it is referring to the firstly irradiated light in view of Fig. 17 of Applicant’s disclosure.
Claims 3 and 12 recite the limitation “discharging the droplet on the substrate comprises simultaneously or sequentially discharging the droplet through a plurality of inkjet nozzles” which is indefinite. It is unclear how the droplet (i.e., one droplet) is simultaneously or sequentially discharged through a plurality of inkjet nozzles. The simultaneous discharging through a plurality of inkjet nozzles yields a plurality of droplets or sequential discharging through a plurality of inkjet nozzles yields production of different droplets at different times. Is the droplet nozzle of claim 1 same/part or different from the plurality of inkjet nozzles of claim 3? The limitation has been examined below as best understood in view of Fig. 17 of Applicant’s disclosure.
Claims 8 and 17 and recite the limitation “the first light emission channel irradiates a first droplet at the first height, the second light emission channel irradiates a second droplet at the second height, and the third light emission channel irradiates a third droplet at the third height” which is indefinite. It is unclear if the droplet of claim 1 is same or different from the first/second/third droplet of claim 8. It is unclear how/when the first/second/third droplet are formed in the claimed method. Last but not least, the inconsistent use of singular and plural droplet(s) makes the scope of the claim unclear. The limitation has been examined below as best understood in view of Fig. 17 of Applicant’s disclosure.
Claim 11 recites the limitation “controlling an irradiation timing of the UV light” which is indefinite. The limitation can have multiple plausible interpretations because claim 11 requires two different UV lights. It is unclear if the “the UV light” in the limitation is referring to the firstly irradiated UV light, the secondarily irradiated UV light, or both. The limitation has been examined below as if it is referring to the firstly irradiated UV light in view of Fig. 17 of Applicant’s disclosure.
Claim(s) 12-20 is/are rejected as being dependent from claim 11 and therefor including all the limitation thereof.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 11-14, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schlatterbeck (US 20160250877).
Regarding claims 1-2 and 11, Schlatterbeck discloses a 3D printing method (method for three-dimensional structures/coatings on a substrate using a print head: P0002-0003, 0113), the method comprising:
positioning a substrate (coating 11 reads on the claimed substrate) on a substrate stage (substrate 5 reads on the claimed substrate stage: P0107, Fig. 2);
discharging at least one photo-curable droplet (6) on a target area of the substrate through at least one droplet nozzle (nozzle of printhead 1: P0108, 0104, Fig. 2);
firstly irradiating light (irradiating light via light source 4) to the droplet falling along a drop path to change a viscosity of the droplet (P0104, 0049, 0087, Fig. 2; wherein partial curing implies/yields change/reduction in viscosity of the droplet: P0033);
secondarily irradiating light (irradiating light via light source 12) onto the droplet that has landed on the substrate to fully cure the droplet (P0108, Fig. 2); and
controlling the irradiation timing of the firstly irradiated light based on an ejection signal of the droplet ejected from the droplet nozzle (P0105),
wherein the photo-curable droplet can be a UV-curable droplet (P0030, 0036, 0049), and
wherein the irradiated lights can be UV lights (P0030, 0033, 0049, 0108).
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Regarding claims 3 and 12, Schlatterbeck further discloses wherein discharging the at least one droplet on the substrate comprises simultaneously or sequentially discharging a plurality of droplets through a plurality of inkjet nozzles arranged along a first direction (P0022, 0105, 0090, Fig. 2, the plurality of inkjet nozzles of 1 arranged along a direction into the page).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Schlatterbeck further discloses wherein firstly irradiating the light to the droplet comprises:
generating the light; and
directing the generated light toward the drop path between the droplet nozzle and the substrate through an optical fiber module comprising a plurality of optical fibers (P0090).
Regarding claims 5 and 14, Schlatterbeck further discloses wherein the optical fiber module comprises a light emitting portion in which output terminals of the optical fibers are arranged in an array (the light-emitting ends of the optical fibers are configured so that the light irradiates the area between the print head and the substrate and along a series of a plurality of spaced nozzles: P0090; that implies/suggests that the light-emitting ends of the optical fibers are arranged in an array to accomplish the taught irradiation).
Regarding claim 19, Schlatterbeck further discloses wherein firstly irradiating UV light to the droplet further includes controlling an output (dose, intensity, or walengths) of the UV light (P0030, 0033-0034, 0073).
Regarding claims 10 and 20, Schlatterbeck further discloses/shows after the droplet lands on the substrate, moving the substrate stage (5) under a device (12) that secondarily irradiates the UV light (P0106, 0108, Fig. 2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 6-8 and 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schlatterbeck as applied to claims 5 and 14 above, and further in view of Yamane (US 5059266).
Regarding claims 6-8 and 15-17, Schlatterbeck fails to disclose wherein the light emitting portion comprises a plurality of light emission channels arranged in a vertical direction and controlling irradiation timings of lights emitted from the light emission channels as claimed.
In the same field of endeavor, 3D printing methods, Yamane discloses/shows the technique of providing a plurality of light emission channels (133) arranged in a vertical direction (Z direction), wherein the plurality of light emission channels comprising a first light emission channel (133-1) at a first height (Z1) from a substrate (131), a second light emission channel (133-2) at a second height (Z2) from the substrate, and a third light emission channel (133-3) at a third height (Z3) from the substrate, the first height is greater than the second height (Z1 >Z2) and the second height is greater than the third height (Z2 >Z3: See annotated Fig. 8), wherein controlling irradiation timings of lights emitted from the light emission channels comprises simultaneously controlling an irradiation timing of the light emitted from the first light emission channel, the second light emission channel, and the third light emission channel such that the first light emission channel irradiates the droplet (droplet generated by 118) at the first height, the second light emission channel irradiates a second droplet (droplet generated by 117) at the second height, and the third light emission channel irradiates a third droplet (droplet generated by 116) at the third height (“133 for irradiating light to a flight passage of the drops of the photosetting resin during a flight period of the drops of the photosetting resin from the ink jet head to the forming stage 131 as shown in FIG. 8”; “plural optical fibers disposed in such a manner that one end of each confronts the flight passage of the photosetting resin in which the drops of the photosetting resin flights from the ink jet head to the forming stage 131”, “133 may be designed so as to irradiate the light in a multi-step fashion”) for the benefit(s) of irradiating and partially curing the plurality of drops during their flight period and/or preventing mixing/contamination of droplets (C7, L24-C8, L25).
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Since Schlatterbeck discloses/envisions providing irradiation transverse to the falling/flight direction of multiple droplets from different nozzles (P0090), it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the method of Schlatterbeck in view of Yamane by providing a plurality of light emission channels arranged in a vertical direction such that the plurality of light emission channels comprises a first light emission channel at a first height from the substrate, a second light emission channel at a second height from the substrate, and a third light emission channel at a third height from the substrate, the first height is greater than the second height and the second height is greater than the third height and by simultaneously controlling an irradiation timing of the light emitted from the first light emission channel, the second light emission channel, and the third light emission channel such that the first light emission channel irradiates the droplet at the first height, the second light emission channel irradiates a second droplet at the second height, and the third light emission channel irradiates a third droplet at the third height for yielding the predictable result(s)/benefit(s) of facilitating irradiation and partially curing of the plurality of drops during their flight period from different spaced apart nozzles and/or preventing mixing/contamination of droplets as suggested by Yamane. See MPEP §§ 2143 I C, 2143 I G, and/or 2144 II.
Claim(s) 9 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schlatterbeck as applied to claims 5 and 14 above, and further in view of Owada (US 20050248065) and/or Sato (JP 2004341167A with English machine translation – attached).
Regarding claims 9 and 18, Schlatterbeck fails to disclose wherein the light emitting portion has a polygonal or annular shape that surrounds the droplet nozzle when viewed in plan view, and directing the generated light toward the drop path between the droplet nozzle and the substrate comprises irradiating the light to different sides of the droplet falling along the drop path.
In the same field of endeavor, 3D printing methods, Owada discloses a technique of making a light emitting portion of a light guide member (42) with an annular/ring shape (Figs. 5-6C) that surrounds a droplet nozzle (nozzle 26a: Fig. 9b) when viewed in plan view, and directing the generated light toward the drop path between the droplet nozzle and the substrate comprises irradiating the light to different sides of the droplet falling along the drop path for the benefit(s) of applying ultraviolet rays from the tip ends 50a of the optical fibers 50 in the shape of a ring for improving/facilitating the irradiation of the droplet and/or increasing exposed surface area of the droplet by irradiating the light to different sides/angles of the droplet (P0045-0049, Fig. 6B).
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In an analogous art, devices comprising a photo curing unit configured to irradiate light to a drop path along which a droplet discharged from a droplet nozzle falls for the benefit(s) of increasing/adjusting the viscosity of the droplet before the droplet lands and controlling the shape of the droplet when it lands (P0008), Sato discloses the technique of providing a light emitting portion (42) having an annular shape that surrounds the droplet nozzle (30) when viewed in plan view, and directing the generated light toward the drop path between the droplet nozzle and the substrate comprises irradiating the light to different sides of the droplet falling along the drop path for the benefit(s) of improving/facilitating the irradiation of the droplet and/or increasing exposed surface area of the droplet by irradiating the light to different sides of the droplet (P0072-0076, Figs. 17-18).
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Since Schlatterbeck discloses/envisions providing irradiation transverse to the falling/flight direction of the droplet (P0090), it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to further modify the method of Schlatterbeck in view of Owada and/or Sato by modifying the light emitting portion to a polygonal or annular shape that surrounds the droplet nozzle when viewed in plan view, and directing the generated light toward the drop path between the droplet nozzle and the substrate comprises irradiating the light to different sides of the droplet falling along the drop path for yielding the predictable result(s)/benefit(s) of improving/facilitating the irradiation of the droplet and/or increasing exposed surface area of the droplet by irradiating the light to different sides of the droplet as suggested by Owada and/or Sato. See MPEP §§ 2143 I C, 2143 I G, and/or 2144 II.
Conclusion
Additional prior art made of record and not relied upon that is considered to be pertinent to
Applicant’s disclosure:
Renn (US 20170348903) discloses a relevant 3D printing method (claim 1, P0033, 0035, Fig. 1B-1C). Renn further discloses the technique of providing a light emitting portion having an annular shape (ring lamp) that surrounds the droplet nozzle when viewed in plan view, and directing the generated light toward the drop path between the droplet nozzle (24) and the substrate (51) comprises irradiating the light (37) to different sides of the droplet falling along the drop path (P0037, Fig. 1C).
Imai (JP 2015100945A with English machine translation - attached) discloses a relevant device comprising a photo curing unit configured to irradiate light to a drop path along which a droplet discharged from a droplet nozzle falls and a photo curing unit configured to irradiate light onto the droplet that has landed on a substrate (P) for the benefit(s) of improving photo curing of the droplet (Fig.10 , pg. 2, pg. 4), Imai discloses/suggest the technique of providing a first photo curing unit (80) comprising a plurality of light emission channels (ray emitting optical fibers annotated as LEMs: annotated Fig. 12b) arranged in a vertical direction (annotated Fig. 12b), the plurality of light emission channels comprising a first light emission channel (1st LEM) at a first height (H1) from the substrate (annotated Fig. 12b), a second light emission channel (2nd LEM) at a second height (H2) from the substrate (annotated Fig. 12b), and a third light emission channel (3rd LEM) at a third height (H3) from the substrate (annotated Fig. 12b), the first height is greater than the second height and the second height is greater than the third height (annotated Fig. 12b) for the benefit(s) of improving photo curing of the droplet, narrowing a gap between the droplet nozzle and the substrate, and reducing cost (pg. 2, pg. 4, Figs. 12a-b).
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERZI H MORENO HERNANDEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0625. The examiner can normally be reached 1:00-10:00 PM PT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Galen Hauth can be reached at 571-270-5516. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JERZI H. MORENO HERNANDEZ
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1743
/JERZI H MORENO HERNANDEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743