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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/21/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged. Applicant has not complied with one or more conditions for receiving the benefit of an earlier filing date under 35 U.S.C. 112 (a) as follows:
The later-filed application must be an application for a patent for an invention which is also disclosed in the prior application (the parent or original nonprovisional application or provisional application). The disclosure of the invention in the parent application and in the later-filed application must be sufficient to comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, except for the best mode requirement. See Transco Products, Inc. v. Performance Contracting, Inc., 38 F.3d 551, 32 USPQ2d 1077 (Fed. Cir. 1994)
The disclosure of the prior-filed application, PCT Application No. PCT/EP2022/060752, fails to provide adequate support or enablement in the manner provided by 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph for one or more claims of this application. The limitations of claims 16, 25 and 28 are not provided in the specification or the claims of the prior-filed application, PCT Application No. PCT/EP2022/060752. Accordingly, claims 16-30 are not entitled to the benefit of the prior application.
Claim Objections
Claims 27 and 30 are objected to because of the following informalities:
in claim 27, Applicant has been advised to replace:
“an interior infill using a 3D printer” in lines 2-3 to – the interior infill using the 3D printer”;
“a planar first infill pattern of lines” in line 4 to – the planar first infill pattern of lines --;
“a first general direction” in line 5 to – the first general direction --;
“a spatially periodic waveform shape with a component” in lines 5-6 to – the spatially periodic waveform shape with the component --;
“a first cross-sectional width” line 7 to – the first cross-sectional width --;
“a planar second infill pattern of lines” in line 8 to – the planar second infill pattern of lines --;
“a second general direction” in line 9 to – the second general direction --;
“a spatially periodic waveform shape with a component” in lines 9-10 to – the spatially periodic waveform shape with the component --;
“a second cross-sectional width” in line 11 to – the second cross-sectional width --;
“a planar transitional infill pattern of lines” in line 12 to – the planar third infill pattern of lines --;
“a third cross-sectional width” in line 13 to – the third cross-sectional width --;
“a first set of layers of the first infill pattern, a transitional set of layers of the transitional infill pattern, and a second set of layers of the second infill pattern” in lines 15-16 to – the first set of layers of the first infill pattern, the transitional set of layers of the transitional infill pattern, and the second set of layers of the second infill pattern --;
“a first contact layer” and “a second contact layer” in lines 19-20 to – the first contact layer – and – the second contact layer --; and
in claim 30, Applicant has been advised to replace:
“an interior infill” in line 2 to – the interior infill”;
“a planar first infill pattern of lines” in line 4 to – the planar first infill pattern of lines --;
“a first general direction” in line 5 to – the first general direction --;
“a spatially periodic waveform shape with a component” in lines 5-6 to – the spatially periodic waveform shape with the component --;
“a first cross-sectional width” line 7 to – the first cross-sectional width --;
“a planar second infill pattern of lines” in line 8 to – the planar second infill pattern of lines --;
“a second general direction” in line 9 to – the second general direction --;
“a spatially periodic waveform shape with a component” in lines 9-10 to – the spatially periodic waveform shape with the component --;
“a second cross-sectional width” in line 11 to – the second cross-sectional width --;
“a planar transitional infill pattern of lines” in line 12 to – the planar third infill pattern of lines --;
“a third cross-sectional width” in line 13 to – the third cross-sectional width --;
“a first set of layers of the first infill pattern, a transitional set of layers of the transitional infill pattern, and a second set of layers of the second infill pattern” in lines 15-16 to – the first set of layers of the first infill pattern, the transitional set of layers of the transitional infill pattern, and the second set of layers of the second infill pattern --;
“a first contact layer” and “a second contact layer” in lines 19-20 to – the first contact layer – and – the second contact layer --.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 25-27 are 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 25 recites the limitation "a second contact layers" in line 15. It renders the claim indefinite since it is unclear whether it is meant to be a second contact layer or multiple second contact layers. Furthermore, the limitation “the second contact layer” in line 18 renders the claim indefinite since it is unclear whether it is meant to be one of the second contact layers in line 15 or the single second contact layer.
Claim 25 further recites the limitation “the first contact layers" in line 17. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim since the claim recites “a first contact layer” in line 14.
The remaining dependent claims 26 and 27 are also rejected under 112 (b) because they depend from, and thus include all the limitations of rejected claim 25.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-24 and 28-30 are allowed.
Claims 25-27 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With respect to claims 16, 25 and 28, the prior art (Coccia et al. US 2021/0068475 -of record) teaches a method of printing an interior infill using a 3D printer (“a method for providing a padding, which is characterized in that it uses 3D printing”, Pa [0021]), the method comprising the steps of: defining a planar first infill pattern of lines (“3a”, “3c”, “3e”, “3g”), wherein respective lines of the first infill pattern lengthwise extend in a first general direction and have a spatially periodic waveform shape with a component perpendicular to the first general direction (Fig. 1), wherein respective lines of the first infill pattern have a first cross-sectional width; defining a planar second infill pattern of lines (“3b”, “3d”, “3f”), wherein respective lines of the second infill pattern lengthwise extend in a second general direction and have a spatially periodic waveform shape with a component perpendicular to the second general direction, wherein respective lines of the second infill pattern have a second cross-sectional width (Fig. 1); printing a first set of layers of the first infill pattern and a second set of layers of the second infill pattern (Fig. 1); wherein the first general direction is different from the second general direction (Fig. 1), but does not explicitly teach defining a planar transitional infill pattern of lines, wherein respective lines of the transitional infill pattern have a third cross-sectional width exceeding the first cross-sectional width and the second cross-sectional width; and printing a first set of layers of the first infill pattern, a transitional set of layers of the transitional infill pattern, and a second set of layers of the second infill pattern such that the transitional set of layers is printed between the first set of layers and the second set of layers, wherein the first set of layers comprises a first contact layer in contact with the transitional set of layers and the second set of layers comprises a second contact layer in contact with the transitional set of layers, wherein the first general direction of the first contact layer is different from the second general direction of the second contact layer. Another prior art (Vandecruys, US 2022/0002951) teaches defining a planar transitional infill pattern of lines; and printing a first set of layers of the first infill pattern, a transitional set of layers of the transitional infill pattern, and a second set of layers of the second infill pattern such that the transitional set of layers is printed between the first set of layers and the second set of layers, wherein the first set of layers comprises a first contact layer in contact with the transitional set of layers and the second set of layers comprises a second contact layer in contact with the transitional set of layers, wherein the first general direction of the first contact layer is different from the second general direction of the second contact layer (Fig. 11A), but does not explicitly teach that respective lines of the transitional infill pattern have a third cross-sectional width exceeding the first cross-sectional width and the second cross-sectional width.
One prior art (Jodet et al., US 2020/0376743 -of record) teaches transitional layers (200, 300) (Fig. 6C), but does not explicitly teach that respective lines of the transitional infill pattern have a third cross-sectional width exceeding the first cross-sectional width and the second cross-sectional width.
One prior art (Patrov, US 10,532,511) teaches a first infill pattern and a second infill pattern (Fig. 37), but does not explicitly teach transitional infill pattern having a third cross-sectional width exceeding the first cross-sectional width and the second cross-sectional width.
One prior art (Rodrigues, US 12,153,399) teaches a first infill pattern, a second infill pattern and a transitional infill pattern (Fig. 3A, 3B), but does not explicitly teach that respective lines of the transitional infill pattern have a third cross-sectional width exceeding the first cross-sectional width and the second cross-sectional width.
None of the prior art teach or suggest the deficits of Coccia.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YUNJU KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-1146. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00-4:00 EST M-Th; Flexing Fri.
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/YUNJU KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1742