DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Japan on 08/17/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the JP2023-133129 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) and (a2) as being anticipated by WO 2023068268 to Osma (provided by applicant) (citations below are in reference to US Publication 2024/0335879 to Osma et al.)
In regards to claims 1-4, Osma discloses and shows in Figures 2a-2b, a crack evaluation method of an additively manufactured object, which is a method evaluating a crack sensitivity of an additively manufactured object, the crack evaluation method comprising:
additively manufacturing a crack evaluation device using a raw material powder, the crack evaluation device comprising: a body part (24), a base part (2) opposed to the body part, a connecting part (30) connecting one end side of the body part and the base part, a stress concentration part (26, wedge) connecting another end side of the body part and the base part, and a comb tooth part (26, teeth) connecting, by comb teeth, the body part and the base part between the connecting part and the stress concentration part (par. 35-37, 60-61; wherein the manufactured object may be visually inspected for cracks or a broken cantilever); and
evaluating the crack sensitivity based on cracked comb teeth at the crack evaluation device serving as the additively manufactured object (par. 35-37, 60-61; wherein the manufactured object may be visually inspected for cracks or a broken cantilever);
[claim 2] wherein the evaluating comprises evaluating the crack sensitivity based on a relationship between a crack length obtained from a quantity of cracked comb teeth and a length of the body part along an arrangement direction of the comb teeth (Figures 4a-5b) (par. 35-37, 60-61; wherein an amount of bending can be determined based upon the height of deformation and the number of teeth separated from the substrate);
[claim 3] wherein the evaluating comprises deriving manufacturing conditions for a lower crack sensitivity based on a correlation between a crack length obtained from a quantity of cracked comb teeth and manufacturing conditions (par. 35-37, 60-61; wherein a ratio of device length and width is determined to reduce bending due to residual stress; and wherein an optimal thickness of the cantilever part may be determined to provide an unbroken cantilever);
[claim 4] wherein an improved composition with a lower crack sensitivity is derived based on an evaluation result obtained in the evaluating, the improved composition is used in the additively manufacturing, the crack sensitivity of the manufactured crack evaluation device is evaluated, and composition improvement and evaluation of the crack sensitivity are subsequently repeated to derive a composition with a lower crack sensitivity (par. 35-37, 60-61; wherein a ratio of device length and width is determined to reduce bending due to residual stress; and wherein an optimal thickness of the cantilever part may be determined to provide an unbroken cantilever) (par. 47; wherein a variety of different metals and alloys may be utilized).
In regards to claim 5, Osma discloses and shows in Figure 2b, a crack evaluation device evaluating a crack sensitivity of an additively manufactured object, the crack evaluation device comprising:
a body part (24), a base part (2) opposed to the body part, a connecting part (30) connecting one end side of the body part and the base part, a stress concentration part (26, wedge) connecting another end side of the body part and the base part, and a comb tooth part (26, teeth) connecting, by comb teeth, the body part and the base part between the connecting part and the stress concentration part (Figure 2b) (par. 35-37, 60-61; wherein the manufactured object may be visually inspected for cracks or a broken cantilever).
Further, the claimed “crack evaluation” may be understood to be an intended use of the device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
As to claim 6, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious, the crack evaluation device, “wherein a front curved surface is provided at the another end side of the body part, side curved surfaces are provided on both sides of the front curved surface, and the front curved surface of the body part and the comb tooth part are connected to each other via the stress concentration part”, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claim.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The publication “Efficient Multiscale Prediction of Cantilever Distortion by Selective Laser Melting” by Guo et al. discloses and shows an additive manufactured object, which includes a body part, a base part, a support structure and a comb tooth part, wherein the support structure and the comb part are cut away from the substrate in order to measure a deformation of a cantilever structure.
US Publication 2019/0377843 to Chen et al. discloses and shows an additive manufactured object, including a bridge-like structure, wherein various compressive and tensile forces are measured based upon a deformation of the object.
US Publication 2024/0167132 to Fukuzawa et al. discloses and shows an additive manufactured object, wherein a comb tooth structure is cut away from a substrate to measure a part deformation.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN M HANSEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1736. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.
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JONATHAN M. HANSEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2877
/JONATHAN M HANSEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877