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 .
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 03/10/2026 canceling Claim 13 and amending Claims 1, 4, 8, and 9 has been entered. Claims 1 – 12 are examined.
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 1 - 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cassady et al. (6,173,565) in view of Kim et al., “Room-temperature catalytically reactive ammonium dinitramide–H2O2 monopropellant for microsatellites”, Advances in Space Research, Vol. 69, Issue 3, 2022, (available online 11/23/2021), hereinafter “Kim” in view of Xiong et al., “A colloid micro-thruster system”, Microelectronic Engineering, Vol. 61–62, (2002), hereinafter “Xiong” in view of Shinar et al. (2015/0197063A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Cassady teaches, in Figs. 1 – 8 and Col. 2, l. 55 – Col. 3, l. 5, the invention as claimed, including a thruster for a micro-satellite, the thruster (10 – Fig. 1) comprising: a first thrust module (120) configured to generate a first thrust in a first direction (X-axis); a second thrust module (130) configured to generate a second thrust in a second direction (Y-axis) intersecting the first direction (X-axis); and a control substrate (136) on which the first thrust module (120) and the second thrust module (130) are mounted, the control substrate (136 - Col. 2, l. 65 – Col. 3, l. 5) being configured to control the first thrust module (120) and the second thrust module (130).
Cassady is silent on wherein the first thrust module and the second thrust module comprises a plurality of printed boards stacked, wherein the first thrust module comprises: a first substrate assembly comprising the plurality of printed boards; and a first injector installed in the first substrate assembly and configured to inject a propellant, wherein the first injector is formed by stacking and aligning a plurality of injector holes formed in the plurality of printed boards.
Kim teaches, in Figs. 4 and 5, Abstract, and Pg. 1634, second column under heading “2.5.1 Microthruster fabrication”, a thruster for a micro-satellite (title) having a first thrust module and a second thrust module (four thrust modules, i.e., “Microthruster”, were shown in Fig. 5 on Pg. 1636) that comprise a plurality of printed boards stacked (Fig. 4 showed five printed boards/layers stacked to form a single thrust module. “Printing” was part of the process of forming the features on each printed board/layer.).
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Kim further teaches, in Fig. 4, the first thrust module comprises: a first substrate assembly (assembly of the five printed boards/layers shown in Kim – Fig. 4) comprising the plurality of printed boards; and a first injector (labeled “Injector” in Fig. 4) installed in the first substrate assembly and (Designed and intended purpose of the injector.) configured to inject a propellant, and wherein: the first injector is formed by stacking and aligning a plurality of injector holes (Kim – Fig. 4, “inlet” hole in ‘1st layer’ connected to similar holes in the ‘2nd layer’ and ‘3rd layer’ which was connected to the “injector”. The plurality of injector holes in the different printed boards/layers had to be aligned during stacking so that when the five printed boards/layers were bonded together to form a single thrust module the plurality of injector holes would have formed an unblocked fluid path for propellant to flow from a source outside of the thrust module to the inlet of the thrust module and then to the first injector inside the thrust module.) formed in the plurality of printed boards.
It would have been obvious, to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the thrust modules of Cassady with the first thrust module and the second thrust module comprise a plurality of printed boards stacked, wherein the first thrust module comprises: a first substrate assembly comprising the plurality of printed boards; and a first injector installed in the first substrate assembly and configured to inject a propellant, and wherein the first injector is formed by stacking and aligning a plurality of injector holes formed in the plurality of printed boards, taught by Kim, because all the claimed elements, i.e., the thruster comprising: a first thrust module configured to generate a first thrust in a first direction; a second thrust module configured to generate a second thrust in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and a control substrate on which the first thrust module and the second thrust module are mounted, the control substrate being configured to control the first thrust module and the second thrust module, and the first thrust module and the second thrust module comprise a plurality of printed boards stacked wherein the first thrust module comprises: a first substrate assembly comprising the plurality of printed boards; and a first injector installed in the first substrate assembly and configured to inject a propellant, and wherein the first injector is formed by stacking and aligning a plurality of injector holes formed in the plurality of printed boards, were known in the art, and one skilled in the art could have substituted the thrust module that comprises a plurality of printed boards stacked, taught by Kim, for the thrust modules of Cassady, with no change in their respective functions, to yield predictable results, i.e., the first thrust module would have generated a first thrust in a first direction and the second thrust module would have generated a second thrust in a second direction intersecting the first direction to facilitate propelling micro-satellite in two different orthogonal directions. KSR, 550 U.S. 398 (2007), 82 USPQ2d at 1395; MPEP 2143(B).
Cassady, i.v., Kim, teach a thruster for a micro-satellite, i.e., base device, upon which the claimed invention can be seen as an improvement. Cassady, i.v., Kim, as discussed above, is silent on said plurality of printed boards being a plurality of printed circuit boards, and wherein the plurality of printed circuit boards comprise a glass-reinforced epoxy laminate material (FR-4) [The following is a statement of intended use which has been given little patentable weight.] to reduce thermal loss.
Kim further teaches, on Pg. 1634, second column under heading “2.5.1 Microthruster fabrication”, that the thrust module (microthruster) was manufactured using the microelectromechanical process used for semiconductor manufacturing. Xiong teaches, in Abstract and Pg. 1035, first paragraph, a PCB (printed circuit board) based micro-thruster fabricated with PCB processing technology, which was simpler and cost-cheaper, compared with other micromachining technologies like microelectromechanical process. Shinar teaches, in Abstract, Para. [0139], and Para. [0216], that glass-reinforced epoxy laminate material (FR-4) was a known insulating and flame resistant material used for PCBs (printed circuit boards). The FR in FR-4 stood for “flame resistant”. FR-4 (or FR4) was a widely used NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) grade designation for flame-retardant, fiberglass-reinforced epoxy laminate material.
Thus, improving a particular device (thruster for a micro-satellite), based upon the teachings of such improvement in Xiong and Shinar, would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, i.e., applying this known improvement technique in the same manner to the thruster for a micro-satellite of, Cassady, i.v., Kim, and the results would have been predictable and readily recognized, that fabricating the first thrust module and the second thrust module of the thruster with FR-4 PCB (printed circuit board) processing technology would have facilitated simplifying the manufacturing and reducing the manufacturing cost while also reducing the thermal loss since FR-4 was a known insulating and flame resistant material used for PCBs (printed circuit boards). KSR, 550 U.S. 398 (2007), 82 USPQ2d at 1396; MPEP 2143(C). Furthermore, it has been held that the selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use was an obvious extension of prior art teachings, In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960), MPEP 2144.07.
Re Claim 2, Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above, including wherein: the first thrust module further comprises: a first catalyst chamber (labeled “catalyst bed” in Fig. 4 marked-up above) installed in the first substrate assembly and connected to the first injector (During operation propellant would have flowed from the first injector into the first catalyst chamber), a catalyst [Pg. 1634, first column, last paragraph, “catalyst (Pt/La/Al2O3)”] being positioned in the first catalyst chamber (labeled “catalyst bed”); and a first nozzle (labeled “Nozzle” in Fig. 4) installed in the first substrate assembly and [Examiner notes that the phrase “configured to generate the first thrust … to the outside of the first substrate assembly” is a statement of intended use and the structure of the device as taught by Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, can perform the function because generating a thrust was the designed and intended purpose of the thrust module, i.e., microthruster.] configured to generate the first thrust (Pg. 1635, Table 2 “Thrust 35 mN”) by discharging a first thrust gas (liquid propellant was catalytically decomposed into gas which was ejected through the nozzle to generate propulsive thrust), which is generated from the first catalyst chamber, to the outside of the first substrate assembly. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, that the first thrust module of the combination of Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, had the limitations of Claim 2 as discussed above.
Re Claim 3, Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above, including wherein: the second thrust module comprises: a second substrate assembly (assembly of the five boards/layers shown in Kim – Fig. 4) including the plurality of printed circuit boards (Kim – Fig. 4 modified by Xiong); a second injector (labeled “Injector” in Fig. 4) installed in the second substrate assembly and (Designed and intended purpose of the injector.) configured to inject a propellant; a second catalyst chamber (labeled “catalyst bed”) installed in the second substrate assembly and connected to the second injector (During operation propellant would have flowed from the second injector into the second catalyst chamber); and a second nozzle (labeled “Nozzle” in Fig. 4) installed in the second substrate assembly and [Examiner notes that the phrase “configured to generate the second thrust … to the outside of the second substrate assembly” is a statement of intended use and the structure of the device as taught by Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, can perform the function because generating a thrust was the designed and intended purpose of the thrust module, i.e., microthruster.] configured to generate the second thrust (Pg. 1635, Table 2 “Thrust 35 mN”) by discharging a thrust gas (liquid propellant was catalytically decomposed into gas which was ejected through the nozzle to generate propulsive thrust), which is generated from the second catalyst chamber, to the outside of the second substrate assembly. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, that the second thrust module of the combination of Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, had the limitations of Claim 3 as discussed above.
Re Claim 4, Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above, including wherein: the second injector is formed by stacking a plurality of injector holes (Kim – Fig. 4, “inlet” hole in ‘1st layer’ connected to similar holes in the ‘2nd layer’ and ‘3rd layer’ which was connected to the “injector”) formed in the plurality of printed circuit boards (Cassady, i.v., Kim, modified by Xiong and Shinar). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, that the combination of Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, had the limitations of Claim 4 as discussed above.
Re Claim 5, Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above, including wherein: the first catalyst chamber and the second catalyst chamber are formed by stacking a plurality of chamber holes (Kim – Fig. 4, the rectangular hole in the ‘2nd layer’, the five sided hole in the ‘3rd layer’ which was connected to the “injector”, and the rectangular hole in the ‘4th layer’) formed in the plurality of printed circuit boards (Cassady, i.v., Kim, modified by Xiong and Shinar). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, that the combination of Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, had the limitations of Claim 5 as discussed above.
Re Claim 6, Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above, including wherein: the first nozzle or the second nozzle is connected to any one of the plurality of chamber holes (Kim – Fig. 4, the five sided hole in the ‘3rd layer’ was connected to the “nozzle”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, that the combination of Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, had the limitations of Claim 6 as discussed above.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cassady et al. (6,173,565) in view of Kim et al., “Room-temperature catalytically reactive ammonium dinitramide–H2O2 monopropellant for microsatellites”, Advances in Space Research, Vol. 69, Issue 3, 2022, (available online 11/23/2021), hereinafter “Kim” in view of Xiong et al., “A colloid micro-thruster system”, Microelectronic Engineering, Vol. 61–62, (2002), hereinafter “Xiong” in view of Shinar et al. (2015/0197063A1) as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Cotti (4,834,660).
Re Claim 7, Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above; except, wherein the second thrust module and the first thrust module further comprise couplers coupled to the control substrate.
Cotti teaches, in Figs. 1 – 19, Col. 3, ll. 10 – 35, and Col. 4, l. 55 - Col. 5, l. 10, using couplers (26 – screws) to couple a first PCB (20 - printed circuit board) to a second PCB (22) into an assembly called a daughter board (12) which was coupled to mother board (14) using couplers (28 – screws).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Cassady, i.v., Kim, Xiong, and Shinar, with the couplers (screws) used to couple PCBs to other PCBs or other structures, taught by Cotti, because all the claimed elements, i.e., the thruster comprising: a first thrust module configured to generate a first thrust in a first direction; a second thrust module configured to generate a second thrust in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and a control substrate on which the first thrust module and the second thrust module are mounted, the control substrate being configured to control the first thrust module and the second thrust module, the thrust modules comprise a plurality of stacked printed circuit boards, and couplers (screws) used to couple PCBs to other PCBs or other structures, were known in the art, in combination each one of the components would perform the same function as it did separately, and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods, with no change in their respective functions, to yield predictable results, i.e., using couplers (screws) to fasten the first thrust module and the second thrust module to the control substrate would have facilitated removably securing the first thrust module and the second thrust module to the control substrate. KSR, 550 U.S. 398 (2007), 82 USPQ2d at 1395; MPEP 2143(A).
Claims 8 - 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al., “Room-temperature catalytically reactive ammonium dinitramide–H2O2 monopropellant for microsatellites”, Advances in Space Research, Vol. 69, Issue 3, 2022, (available online 11/23/2021), hereinafter “Kim” in view of Xiong et al., “A colloid micro-thruster system”, Microelectronic Engineering, Vol. 61–62, (2002), hereinafter “Xiong” in view of Volpe, Jr. (6,267,818) in view of Cassady et al. (6,173,565).
Regarding Claim 8, Kim teaches, in Fig. 4, Abstract, and Pg. 1634, second column under heading “2.5.1 Microthruster fabrication”, the invention as claimed, including a method of manufacturing a thruster for a micro-satellite (Title), the method comprising: manufacturing a first thrust module (microthruster), which is configured to generate a first thrust in a first direction (Designed and intended purpose of a microthruster.), by stacking a plurality of printed boards (Fig. 4 showed five boards/layers stacked. “Printing” was part of the process of forming the features on each printed board/layer.); manufacturing a second thrust module (Fig. 5 showed four thrust modules), which is configured to generate a second thrust in a second direction intersecting the first direction (shown in marked-up Fig. 5), by stacking the plurality of printed boards (Fig. 4 showed five boards/layers stacked); and wherein the first thrust module comprises: a first substrate assembly (assembly of the five printed boards/layers shown in Kim – Fig. 4) comprising the plurality of printed boards; and a first injector (labeled “Injector” in Fig. 4) installed in the first substrate assembly and (Designed and intended purpose of the injector.) configured to inject a propellant, wherein the first injector is formed by stacking and aligning a plurality of injector holes (Kim – Fig. 4, “inlet” hole in ‘1st layer’ connected to similar holes in the ‘2nd layer’ and ‘3rd layer’ which was connected to the “injector”. The plurality of injector holes in the different printed boards/layers had to be aligned during stacking so that when the five printed boards/layers were bonded together to form a single thrust module the plurality of injector holes would have formed an unblocked fluid path for propellant to flow from a source outside of the thrust module to the inlet of the thrust module and then to the first injector inside the thrust module.) formed in the plurality of printed boards.
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Kim teaches a method of manufacturing a thruster, i.e., base method, upon which the claimed invention can be seen as an improvement. Kim, as discussed above, is silent on said plurality of printed boards being a plurality of printed circuit boards. Kim further teaches, on Pg. 1634, second column under heading “2.5.1 Microthruster fabrication”, that the thrust module (microthruster) was manufactured using the microelectromechanical process used for semiconductor manufacturing.
Xiong teaches, in Abstract and Pg. 1035, first paragraph, a PCB (printed circuit board) based micro-thruster fabricated with PCB processing technology, which was simpler and cost-cheaper, compared with other micromachining technologies like microelectromechanical process.
Thus, improving a particular method (of manufacturing a thruster for a micro-satellite), based upon the teachings of such improvement in Xiong, would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, i.e., applying this known improvement technique in the same manner to the method of manufacturing a thruster for a micro-satellite of Kim, and the results would have been predictable and readily recognized, that fabricating the first thrust module and the second thrust module of the thruster with PCB (printed circuit board) processing technology would have facilitated simplifying the manufacturing and reducing the manufacturing cost. KSR, 550 U.S. 398 (2007), 82 USPQ2d at 1396; MPEP 2143(C).
Kim, i.v., Xiong, teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above, and Kim further teaches the manufacturing of the second thrust module comprises: aligning and stacking some of the plurality of printed circuit boards (assembly of the five boards/layers shown in Kim – Fig. 4). Kim, i.v., Xiong, as discussed above, is silent on wherein the manufacturing of the second thrust module comprises: aligning a metal mask having a plurality of opening portions on a conductive layer of the printed circuit board, forming a bonding agent pattern by applying bonding agent paste on the conductive layer through the plurality of opening portions, melting the bonding agent pattern so that a bonding member is spread on an entire surface of the conductive layer, and curing the bonding agent pattern to physically join all the printed circuit boards [The following is a statement of intended use which has been given little patentable weight.] to seal a fluidic channel formed therein. Kim further teaches, in right side of Fig. 4, bottom step, bonding the five fabricated layers of printed board together. Kim teaches, in Fig. 5 on Pg. 1636, that bonding the five fabricated layers of printed board together was after the etching step of the manufacturing process. Kim teaches, on Pg. 1636, middle of first column, “Finally, the fabricated layers were bonded by pressing at 25 kPa and 500 °C for 12 h”.
Volpe teaches, in Figs. 13 – 15, Col. 2, ll. 5 – 25, and Col. 9, ll. 1 – 15, the conventional manufacturing method of joining stacked printed circuit boards (PCBs) by aligning a metal mask (110 – metal mask stencil) having a plurality of opening portions (apertures) on a conductive layer (outer surface) of the printed circuit board, forming a bonding agent pattern by applying bonding agent paste (solder paste and/or epoxies) on the conductive layer through the plurality of opening portions (apertures in the metal mask stencil, Col. 2, ll. 5 – 15 teaches, “The rolling action of the solder paste, caused by simultaneous downward pressure and forward movement of the squeegee blade, causes the paste to be pushed and transferred through the screen or stencil apertures for deposition onto the circuit board.”), melting the bonding agent pattern so that a bonding member is spread on an entire surface of the conductive layer, and curing the bonding agent pattern to physically join all the printed circuit boards in the stack. Volpe teaches, in Col. 2, ll. 15 – 25, “The circuit board then goes through a heating/curing process whereupon the solder paste is transformed into what the industry refers to as pads and lines for creating the electrical circuitry on the circuit board”. The heating process would have melted the applied solder paste, i.e., the bonding agent, into a liquid that spread on an entire surface of the conductive layer where the bonding agent was applied. The curing process would have basically been allowing the melted solder to cool below its melting temperature so that the liquid solder would have changed phase back to a solid thus physically joining all the printed circuit boards in the stack together and sealing a fluidic channel formed within the joined stack of printed circuit boards.
Thus, improving a particular method (of manufacturing a thruster for a micro-satellite), based upon the teachings of such improvement in Kim and Volpe, would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, i.e., applying this known improvement technique in the same manner to the method of manufacturing a thruster for a micro-satellite of Kim, i.v., Xiong, and the results would have been predictable and readily recognized, that aligning a metal mask having a plurality of opening portions on a conductive layer of the printed circuit board, forming a bonding agent pattern by applying bonding agent paste on the conductive layer through the plurality of opening portions, aligning and stacking some of the plurality of printed circuit boards, melting the bonding agent pattern so that a bonding member is spread on an entire surface of the conductive layer, and curing the bonding agent pattern to physically join all the printed circuit boards would have facilitated sealing a fluidic channel formed within the joined stack of printed circuit boards because these manufacturing steps were the conventional method of joining adjacent pairs of printed circuit boards together. KSR, 550 U.S. 398 (2007), 82 USPQ2d at 1396; MPEP 2143(C).
Kim, i.v., Xiong and Volpe, as discussed above, is silent on coupling the first thrust module and the second thrust module onto a control substrate.
Cassady teaches, in Figs. 1 – 8 and Col. 2, l. 55 – Col. 3, l. 5, a similar thruster (10 – Fig. 1) comprising: a first thrust module (120) configured to generate a first thrust in a first direction (X-axis); a second thrust module (130) configured to generate a second thrust in a second direction (Y-axis) intersecting the first direction (X-axis); and a control substrate (136) on which the first thrust module (120) and the second thrust module (130) are mounted, i.e., coupled, the control substrate (136 - Col. 2, l. 65 – Col. 3, l. 5) being configured to control the first thrust module (120) and the second thrust module (130).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Kim, i.v., Xiong and Volpe, with coupling the first thrust module and the second thrust module onto a control substrate, taught by Cassady, because all the claimed elements, i.e., the thruster comprising: a first thrust module configured to generate a first thrust in a first direction; a second thrust module configured to generate a second thrust in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and a control substrate on which the first thrust module and the second thrust module are mounted, the control substrate being configured to control the first thrust module and the second thrust module, were known in the art, in combination each one of the components would perform the same function as it did separately, and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods, with no change in their respective functions, to yield predictable results, i.e., coupling the first thrust module and the second thrust module onto the control substrate would have facilitated fastening the first thrust module and the second thrust module to the control substrate so that the control substrate would have controlled the first thrust module and the second thrust module to generate their respective thrusts. KSR, 550 U.S. 398 (2007), 82 USPQ2d at 1395; MPEP 2143(A).
Re Claim 9, Kim, i.v., Xiong, Volpe, and Cassady, teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above, and Kim further teaches, including wherein: the manufacturing of the first thrust module further comprises: inserting a catalyst [Kim - Pg. 1634, first column, last paragraph, “catalyst (Pt/La/Al2O3)”] into a first catalyst chamber (Kim – Fig. 4 labeled “catalyst bed”) formed by stacking a plurality of chamber holes (Kim – Fig. 4, the rectangular hole in the ‘2nd layer’, the five sided hole in the ‘3rd layer’ which was connected to the “injector”, and the rectangular hole in the ‘4th layer’) formed in some of the printed circuit boards (Kim – Fig. 4 modified by Xiong); and coupling an uppermost (‘1st layer’) printed circuit board onto some of the printed circuit boards (Kim – Fig. 4 modified by Xiong), wherein a first nozzle (labeled “Nozzle” in Fig. 4), which is connected to the chamber hole (Kim – Fig. 4, the five sided hole in the ‘3rd layer’ was connected to the “nozzle”) and parallel to a surface of the printed circuit board, is installed in some of the printed circuit boards (‘3rd layer’).
Re Claim 10, Kim, i.v., Xiong, Cassady, and Volpe, teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above, and Kim further teaches, in Fig. 4 and Pg. 1636, first column, middle of the page, wherein: in the inserting of the catalyst into the first catalyst chamber, a first catalyst withdrawal prevention member (nickel wire sieve/mesh) is inserted between the first nozzle and the first catalyst chamber installed in the printed circuit board (Kim – Fig. 4 modified by Xiong), and the first catalyst withdrawal prevention member is installed to intersect (perpendicular to the thrust direction of the first nozzle) an extension direction of the first nozzle. Kim teaches, in Fig. 4 and Pg. 1636, first column, middle of the page, “A 100 mesh size (149 um) nickel wire sieve (Nilaco Corp.) was used to block the catalyst grains and protect the thruster nozzle. The dimensions of nickel wire were 5.5 mm (width) X 2.7 mm (length) X 0.1 mm (thickness) and fixed in the mesh holder (Fig. 4, left).”
Re Claim 11, Kim, i.v., Xiong, Cassady, and Volpe, teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above, including wherein: the manufacturing of the second thrust module (shown in Kim – Fig. 5 above) comprises: forming a bonding agent pattern on a conductive layer of the plurality of printed circuit boards; aligning and stacking (assembly of the five boards/layers shown in Kim – Fig. 4) some of the plurality of printed circuit boards (Kim – Fig. 4 modified by Xiong), refer to the Claim 8 rejection above. Kim further teaches, inserting a catalyst [Kim - Pg. 1634, first column, last paragraph, “catalyst (Pt/La/Al2O3)”] into a second catalyst chamber (Kim – Fig. 4 labeled “catalyst bed”) formed by stacking a plurality of chamber holes (Kim – Fig. 4, the rectangular hole in the ‘2nd layer’, the five sided hole in the ‘3rd layer’ which was connected to the “injector”, and the rectangular hole in the ‘4th layer’) formed in some of the printed circuit boards (Kim – Fig. 4 modified by Xiong); and coupling an uppermost (‘1st layer’) printed circuit board onto some of the printed circuit boards (Kim – Fig. 4 modified by Xiong), wherein a second nozzle (labeled “Nozzle” in Fig. 4), which is connected to the chamber hole (Kim – Fig. 4, the five sided hole in the ‘3rd layer’ was connected to the “nozzle”) and perpendicular to a surface of the printed circuit board, is installed in some of the uppermost (relative to the bottommost PCB) printed circuit boards (‘3rd layer’).
Re Claim 12, Kim, i.v., Xiong, Cassady, and Volpe, teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above, and Kim further teaches, in Fig. 4 and Pg. 1636, first column, middle of the page, wherein: in the inserting of the catalyst into the second catalyst chamber, a second catalyst withdrawal prevention member (nickel wire sieve/mesh) is inserted between the second nozzle and the second catalyst chamber installed in the uppermost (relative to the bottommost PCB) printed circuit board (Kim – Fig. 4 modified by Xiong), and the second catalyst withdrawal prevention member is installed to intersect (perpendicular to the thrust direction of the first nozzle) an extension direction of the second nozzle. Kim teaches, in Fig. 4 and Pg. 1636, first column, middle of the page, “A 100 mesh size (149 um) nickel wire sieve (Nilaco Corp.) was used to block the catalyst grains and protect the thruster nozzle. The dimensions of nickel wire were 5.5 mm (width) X 2.7 mm (length) X 0.1 mm (thickness) and fixed in the mesh holder (Fig. 4, left).”
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/10/2026 have been fully considered. To the extent possible they have been addressed in the rejections above at the appropriate locations, and furthermore they were found not persuasive for the following reasons.
Applicant argues on Pgs. 10 – 11 that “In contrast, melting and curing operations recited in amended claim 8 go beyond Volpe's simple electrical component mounting (i.e., SMT) to firmly bond the multi-layer substrates while simultaneously providing a seal for the 3D internal fluidic channels where high-pressure gas is generated, thereby fundamentally preventing any gas leakage.” This argument is not persuasive because the argued “…seal for the 3D internal fluidic channels where high-pressure gas is generated, thereby fundamentally preventing any gas leakage” is applicant’s intended use of the heated and cured solder. The solder of Volpe can perform the same function. Volpe teaches, in Col. 2, ll. 15 – 25, “The circuit board then goes through a heating/curing process whereupon the solder paste is transformed into what the industry refers to as pads and lines for creating the electrical circuitry on the circuit board”. The heating process would have melted the applied solder paste, i.e., the bonding agent, into a liquid that spread on an entire surface of the conductive layer where the bonding agent was applied. The curing process would have basically allowed the melted solder to cool below its melting temperature so that the liquid solder would have changed phase back to a solid thus physically joining all the printed circuit boards in the stack together and sealing a fluidic channel formed within the joined stack of printed circuit boards. This was similar to how copper water pipes in residential houses have been soldered together, since around 1927 in the United States of America, to seal the high pressure water inside the copper water pipes and prevent any leakage of high pressure water to the outside of said copper water pipes. Therefore, Applicant’s arguments are not persuasive.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LORNE E MEADE whose telephone number is (571)270-7570. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8-5 EST.
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/LORNE E MEADE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3741