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 .
Status of Claims and Application
This non-final action on the merits is in response to the election of invention received by the office on 15 January 2026. Claims 9-27 are pending. Claims 17-27 are withdrawn as non-elected.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 17-27 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 15 January 2026.
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) 9-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0178677 (‘677 hereafter).
Regarding claim 9, ‘677 teaches a method for additively manufacturing components, comprising: providing a printing apparatus for additively manufacturing components, wherein the printing apparatus comprises an extruder device (Fig 1A item 102), a distributor device connected to the extruder device (Fig 1A item 108), and a multiplicity of nozzles spaced apart from one another (Fig 1A items 104 and paragraph 0116), and manufacturing a multiplicity of components by the printing apparatus, wherein extrusion material is conducted from the extruder device via the distributor device to the nozzles, and wherein the components are manufactured simultaneously (paragraph 0246).
Regarding claim 10, ‘677 teaches the method wherein a separate component is manufactured by each of the nozzles (paragraph 0246).
Regarding claim 11, ‘677 teaches the method wherein the components are manufactured simultaneously by a melt-based printing method (paragraph 0117).
Regarding claim 12, ‘677 teaches the method wherein the spacing between two adjacent nozzles is greater than a lateral extent of the components to be manufactured (paragraph 0241).
Regarding claim 13, ‘677 teaches the method wherein the printing apparatus comprises a movable component platform on which extrusion material emitted by the nozzles is printed during the manufacturing of the components (paragraph 0242).
Regarding claim 14, ‘677 teaches the method wherein the printing apparatus comprises an actuator for moving the component platform (paragraph 0242).
Regarding claim 15, ‘677 teaches the method wherein the nozzles are arranged with respect to the component platform in such a way that they are each at the same spacing to the component platform (paragraph 0141).
Regarding claim 16, ‘677 teaches the method wherein the components manufactured or to be manufactured by the method are each identical (paragraph 0111).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to John P Robitaille whose telephone number is (571)270-7006. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30AM-6:00PM.
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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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/JPR/Examiner, Art Unit 1743
/GALEN H HAUTH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1743
