DETAILED ACTION
This non-final rejection is responsive to the claims 02 August 2024. Claims 1-10 are pending. Claim 1 is an independent claim.
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 .
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.
Claims 1-3, 5, 6, and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wust (EP 3,127,635 A1) hereinafter known as Wust.
Regarding independent claim 1, Wust teaches:
A method for additive manufacturing of a thin, angled component structure, comprising: (Wust: ¶[0008]; Wust teaches a method for radiation based additive manufacturing with layers that comprise an overhang layer.)
adjusting irradiation parameters (P, v) from a first layer (L1) to a following layer (L2, L3) in a construction direction (Z), a line energy (P) and/or a scanning speed (v) being changed for irradiation of the following layer (L2) in order to change a melt pool width of an irradiation path (V1, V2, V3) for the following layer (L2), and (Wust: ¶[0032], ¶[0047], and ¶[0066]; Wust teaches changing the energy density to the various layers in the Z-direction. ¶[0067] and ¶[0079] also teach changing the scanning speed or reducing laser power, so that the powder may be only partly melted but not completely melted.)
...
An embodiment of Wust does not explicitly teach but another embodiment teaches:
shifting an irradiation path (V1, V2, V3) for the following layer (L2) from the first layer (L1) in such a way that an angled edge is formed on a side of the component structure being formed opposite a movement direction (o). (Wust: Figs. 2-4 and ¶[0003], ¶[0040], and ¶[0051]; Wust teaches creating an overhang with a slope, opposite of the Z-direction., which extends in lateral direction.)
Wust is in the same field of endeavor as the present invention, as it is directed to a method for radiation based additive manufacturing. It would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person of ordinary skill in the art, to combine a radiation based additive manufacturing method that control energy densities in various layers and scanning speed with further shifting an irradiation path to form an angled surface. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine these teachings because the combination would allow creation of different types of layers, as suggested by Wust: ¶[0008].
Regarding claim 2, Wust further teaches the method as claimed in claim 1.
Wust further teaches:
wherein the line energy (P) is reduced and/or the scanning speed (v) is increased. (Wust: ¶[0067] and ¶[0079]; Wust teaches reducing the laser power.)
Regarding claim 3, Wust further teaches the method as claimed in claim 1.
Wust further teaches:
wherein the angled edge is a chamfer. (Wust: Figs. 2-4; Wust teaches creating a sloped/angled surface, which is interpreted as a chamfer.)
Regarding claim 5, Wust further teaches the method as claimed in claim 1.
Wust further teaches:
wherein an irradiation of the first layer (L1) forms a thicker region than an irradiation of the following layer (L2, L3), and wherein the component structure comprises a tapering component structure which tapers in the construction direction (Z). (Wust: Figs. 2-4; Wust teaches creating a sloped/angled surface, which can be interpreted as starting with the widest layer and tapering in the Z-direction.)
Regarding claim 6, Wust further teaches the method as claimed in claim 5.
Wust further teaches:
wherein an irradiation of the tapering component structure is implemented exclusively by way of single tracks (V2, V3). (Wust: Figs. 2-4 and ¶[0062] and ¶[0065]; Wust teaches creating a sloped/angled surface by continuously adapting energy densities, which is interpreted as single tracks.)
Regarding claim 8, Wust further teaches the method as claimed in claim 5.
Wust further teaches:
wherein an irradiation of the first layer forms a thinner region than an irradiation of the following layer, and wherein the component structure widens in the construction direction. (Wust: Figs. 2-4; Wust teaches creating a sloped/angled surface, which can be interpreted as starting with the thinnest layer and widening in the Z-direction.)
Regarding claim 9, Wust further teaches the method as claimed in claim 5.
Wust further teaches:
A component produced or producible according to the method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the component has a thin, stair-step-free component region. (Wust: Figs. 2-4 and ¶[0067]; Wust teaches creating a sloped/angled surface with different thickness and which has less roughness and avoid irregular lumps.)
Regarding claim 10, Wust further teaches the method as claimed in claim 5.
Wust further teaches:
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising: commands stored thereon which, upon execution of the commands by a device, for controlling the irradiation in an additive manufacturing apparatus, cause the said device to choose the line energy (P) and/or the scanning speed (v) and perform the production of the thin component structure as claimed in claim 1. (Wust: Figs. 2-4 and ¶[0032], ¶[0047], and ¶[0066]; Wust teaches changing the energy density to the various layers in the Z-direction to create the overhang. ¶[0067] and ¶[0079] also teach changing the scanning speed or reducing laser power, so that the powder may be only partly melted but not completely melted.)
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wust in view of Mumtaz (Selective Laser Melting of thin wall parts using pulse shaping, 2010, attached as pdf), hereinafter known as Mumtaz.
Regarding claim 4, Wust further teaches the method as claimed in claim 1.
Wust does not explicitly teach but Mumtaz further teaches:
wherein an energy input for production of the component structure is applied in pulsed fashion. (Mumtaz: Abstract and pg. 2; Mumtaz teaches pulse laser emission to change the melting behavior of a material.)
Mumtaz is in the same field of endeavor as the present invention, since it is directed to radiation based additive manufacturing. It would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person of ordinary skill in the art, to combine a radiation based additive manufacturing method that control energy densities in various layers and scanning speed as taught in Wust with further pulsing as taught in Mumtaz. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Wust to include teachings of Mumtaz, because the combination would allow changing the melting behavior of material, as suggested by Mumtaz: pg. 2.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wust in view of Song (Study on manufacturing of W-Cu alloy thin wall parts by selective laser melting, attached as part of IDS), hereinafter known as Song.
Regarding claim 7, Wust further teaches the method as claimed in claim 5.
Wust does not explicitly teach but Song further teaches:
wherein the tapering component structure has a wall thickness of less than 250 μm. (Song: Abstract; Song teaches using laser melting to achieve thicknesses of 123 to 276 μm.)
Song is in the same field of endeavor as the present invention, since it is directed to radiation based additive manufacturing. It would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person of ordinary skill in the art, to combine a radiation based additive manufacturing method that control energy densities in various layers and scanning speed as taught in Wust with further creating a structure of thickness less than 250 μm as taught in Song. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Wust to include teachings of Song, because the combination would allow creation of more precise parts, as suggested by Song: Abstract.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX OLSHANNIKOV whose telephone number is (571)270-0667. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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, Scott Baderman can be reached at 571-272-3644. 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.
/ALEKSEY OLSHANNIKOV/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2118
Prosecution Insights