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 claims 1-9 in the reply filed on 02/09/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 10-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected method, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 02/09/2026.
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.
Claim 6 is 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 6 recites the limitation “the core” in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim because there is no earlier recitation of the limitation. MPEP 2173.05(e). For compact prosecution, the limitation has been examined as if it read --the first core--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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 1-3 and 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (CN-108044938-A - translation provided) in view of Dunn (US 2020/0370206 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 9, Wang teaches a production process wherein multi-stranded filament materials can be effectively expanded according to the needs of the printing operation before the 3D printing and after a four-step process is completed, the finished stranded material is then directly delivered to the 3D printing equipment for the production of the print job (method for producing a 3D item by means of fused deposition modelling, wherein the method comprises: 3D printing a filament comprising 3D printable material to provide the 3D item comprising 3D printed material) (Translation Pg 1-2).
Wang teaches that it is necessary to mix and adjust the structural strength of filamentous materials, which greatly improves the reliability and flexibility of filamentous materials in 3D printing operations (Translation Pg 2).
Wang teaches that the production process comprises a first step of material positioning and a second step wherein the material is preheated and after completion of preheating filamentous material delivered to the stranding equipment through the traction mechanism (Translation Pg 1).
Wang teaches that in a third step, after the second step of stranding is completed, after the preheated filament materials are stranded by twisting equipment, at least one of the filamentous materials is first selected as a center matrix (a first core), and then the remaining filamentary material is used as a coating layer (a first ribbon structure), and the coating layer is spirally wrapped around the central axis of the central substrate and coated on the outer surface of the filamentary material of the central substrate to complete the stranding and cooperation, and a pre-stranded material is prepared (the filament comprises (i) a first core, comprising a core material, and (ii) a first ribbon structure, comprising a plurality of first rounds, wound around the first core) (Translation Pg 1-2).
Wang teaches that the coated filament material is a strip coated around the center axis of the center body spirally on the outer surface (ribbon structure) and may have pitch that is 0 to 5 to 10 times the diameter of the center body (nearest neighboring first rounds of at least one set of two first rounds have a non-zero first mutual distance thereby defining a first inter-ribbon region where the core material is exposed) (Translation Pg 1-2).
Wang does not explicitly teach wherein the core material comprises a first thermoplastic material; wherein a coating over the first rounds of the first ribbon structure; nor wherein the coating comprises a second thermoplastic material, wherein the first thermoplastic material has a first glass transition temperature Tg1 and/or a first melting temperature Tm1, and wherein the second thermoplastic material has a second glass transition temperature Tg2 and or a second melting temperature Tm2, wherein one or more of the following applies: (a) Tg2>Tg1, and (b) Tm2>Tm1.
However, reasonably pertinent to the particular problem with which the applicant was concerned (thermoplastics for core and thermoplastics for coating; see MPEP 2141.01(a)), Dunn discloses a method wherein the first thermoplastic polymer 15 and the second thermoplastic polymer 20 may be 3D-printed using a dual head printer, for example, so that the supporting shell structure 30 will be produced as an integral component to the core 21 during the annealing process (¶0061). The first thermoplastic polymer 15 constitutes the supporting shell structure 30 of the continuous solid structure 25 and the second thermoplastic polymer 20 constitutes the core 21 of the continuous solid structure 25 (¶0061). Dunn teaches that PC, which may be used for the first thermoplastic polymer 15, has a glass transition temperature Tg of approximately 140° C. and is geometrically stable at 135° C and ABS, which may be used for the second thermoplastic polymer 20, has a glass transition temperature Tg of approximately 110° C (wherein the core material comprises a first thermoplastic material; wherein the coating comprises a second thermoplastic material, wherein the first thermoplastic material has a first glass transition temperature Tg1, wherein the second thermoplastic material has a second glass transition temperature Tg2, wherein Tg2>Tg1) (¶0061).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to modify the method disclosed in Wang by applying the known technique wherein the core material comprises a first thermoplastic material; wherein the coating comprises a second thermoplastic material, wherein the first thermoplastic material has a first glass transition temperature Tg1, wherein the second thermoplastic material has a second glass transition temperature Tg2, wherein Tg2>Tg1 disclosed in Dunn to the method of printing a filament comprising a core material as disclosed in Wang such that the coating is over the first rounds of the first ribbon structure disclosed in Wang with predictable results and resulting in an improved method so that the second thermoplastic polymer 20 interfaces can heal to a high strength, while the first thermoplastic polymer 15 remains as a rigid elastic solid to maintain part geometry during annealing. MPEP 2143(D).
Regarding claim 2, as applied to claim 1, Wang in view of Dunn does not explicitly teach wherein the first rounds have a first round width, wherein d13≥0.2*w13.
However, Wang teaches that the pitch (first round width) inversely related to the amount of filament coating on the core matrix (Translation Pg 1-2).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to modify method disclosed in Wang in view of Dunn such that the first rounds have a first round width, wherein d13≥0.2*w13 with a reasonable expectation of success in order to control the amount of filament coating on the core matrix.
Regarding claim 3, as applied to 1, although Wang in view of Dunn does not specify wherein the first core has a first core thickness, wherein the first rounds have a first round thickness, wherein h14≤0.5*h13; and h14≤0.5*w13, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to modify the method disclosed in Wang in view of Dunn such that the first core has a first core thickness, wherein the first rounds have a first round thickness, wherein h14≤0.5*h13; and h14≤0.5*w13, since it has been held that the change in form or shape, without any new or unexpected results, is an obvious engineering design. MPEP 2144.04(IV)(A)-(B).
Regarding claims 6-7, as applied to claim 1, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to substitute the material taught by Wang in view of Dunn such that the first ribbon structure comprises an electrical conductor while the core is non-electrically conductive and wherein the first ribbon structure comprises a thermal conductor having a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/(m*K) since the selection of a known material, which is based upon its suitability for the intended use, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP 2144.07.
Regarding claim 8, as applied to claim 1, Wang in view of Dunn does not explicitly disclose a method comprising selecting a configuration of the first ribbon structure and printing conditions such that two adjacent layers are obtained wherein: (a) the thus obtained deposited inter-ribbon regions of the two adjacent layers are in contact with each other.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to modify the method disclosed in Wang in view of Dunn such that two adjacent layers are obtained wherein the thus obtained deposited inter-ribbon regions of the two adjacent layers are in contact with each other, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention is an obvious matter of design choice and would not have modified the operation of the device. MPEP 2144.04(VI)(C).
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (CN-108044938-A - translation provided) and in view of Dunn (US 2020/0370206 A1), as applied to claim 1, and in further view of Hikmet (US 2018/0236712 A1).
Regarding claims 4-5, as applied to claim 1, Wang in view of Dunn teach wherein the first ribbon structure comprises a ribbon material.
However, Wang in view of Dunn do not explicitly teach wherein the core material and the ribbon material differ in one or more of an optical property, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity nor wherein the core material has a first optical property, wherein the ribbon material has a second optical property, wherein the first optical property and the second optical property are different with respect to a first wavelength, and wherein the first optical property and the second optical property are selected from the group comprising: (a) ≥60% absorption of light having the first wavelength and the conversion of the absorbed light having the first wavelength is ≤10% of the absorbed light having the first wavelength; (b) ≥60% reflection of light having the first wavelength; (c) ≥60% transmission of light having the first wavelength; and (d) absorption and conversion of light having the first wavelength into second light having a spectral power distribution different from the absorbed light, wherein the conversion is at least 20% of the absorbed light having the first wavelength.
However, reasonably pertinent to the particular problem with which the applicant was concerned (filament materials with optical properties; see MPEP 2141.01(a)), Hikmet discloses that optical fibers are interesting for producing decorative illumination (¶0007). By using an optical fiber one can easily couple light from a solid-state light source, such as a laser or a LED, into a fiber and couple light out along the length of the fiber (¶0007).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to modify the method disclosed in Wang in view of Dunn by applying the known technique of filaments comprising optical fibers coupled with an LED in order to produce decorative illumination disclosed in Hikmet to the method wherein the filament comprises (i) a first core, comprising a core material, and (ii) a first ribbon structure, comprising a plurality of first rounds, wound around the first core) disclosed in Wang in view of Dunn such that wherein the core material and the ribbon material differ in one or more of an optical property, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity nor wherein the core material has a first optical property, wherein the ribbon material has a second optical property, wherein the first optical property and the second optical property are different with respect to a first wavelength, and wherein the first optical property and the second optical property are selected from the group comprising: (a) ≥60% absorption of light having the first wavelength and the conversion of the absorbed light having the first wavelength is ≤10% of the absorbed light having the first wavelength with predictable results and resulting in an improved method. MPEP 2143(D).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JaMel M Nelson whose telephone number is (571)272-8174. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..
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, Galen Hauth can be reached on (571) 270-5516. 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.
/JAMEL M NELSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743