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 1/27/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: "the printed layers of . Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: "PIP densification resin" in lines 11-12 should read "PIP (polymer infiltration and pyrolysis) densification resin" for clarification as to PIP. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 25 and 27 are objected to because of the following informalities: each of the claims recite "the [one or more] preceramic polymer[s]" and should read "the one or more preceramic polymers" to be consistent with claim 1, line 14. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 25 is objected to because of the following informalities: "after deposition into the powder in line 3 should read "after deposition into the powder material" for consistency. 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 1-27 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 1 recites the limitation "said printing binder and P" in lines 13-14. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim as no PIP densification resin composition has been established. Lines 11-12 establishes “a second binder composition comprising a PIP densification resin”, not a PIP densification resin composition. Hence, the limitation is interpreted to read as “said printing binder and second binder compositions independently”.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "said composition having an Ohnesorge number" in line 16. It is unclear what composition is being referred to. Is said composition referring to the printing binder composition or second binder composition, or both? Paragraph 0007 of the published application discloses “The binder composition has an Ohnesorge number”. Further, paragraphs 0037-0038 discloses the Ohnesorge number is key to printability and paragraph 0040 discloses “the binder composition is jettable since the Ohnesorge number…”. Examiner has presumed said composition is referring to the printing binder composition and not to the second binder composition. Hence, the limitation is read as “said ”.
Claim 8 contains the trademark/trade names: StarPCS. Where a trademark or trade name is used in a claim as a limitation to identify or describe a particular material or product, the claim does not comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph. See Ex parte Simpson, 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982). The claim scope is uncertain since the trademark or trade name cannot be used properly to identify any particular material or product. A trademark or trade name is used to identify a source of goods, and not the goods themselves. Thus, a trademark or trade name does not identify or describe the goods associated with the trademark or trade name. In the present case, the trademark/trade name is used to identify/describe the preceramic polymer and, accordingly, the identification/description is indefinite. Examiner recommends substituting the structure of said products into the claim, as disclosed in paragraph 0031 of the published application.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "wherein the additive is" in line 1 and depends from claim 9. However, it is claim 10 which has established “the binder composition additionally comprises additives”. Hence, claim 11 has been interpreted to depend from claim 10. Additionally, claim 11 recites “the additive” whereas claim 10 recites “additives”; hence, claim 10 additives needs to be made singular or claim 11 additive needs to be made plural to be consistent with each other.
Claim 12 recites the limitation “The process wherein the additive” and is not a proper dependent claim. However, as the claim refers to the additive, Examiner has presumed claim 11 depends on claim 10 which has established “the binder composition additionally comprises additives”. Hence, claim 12 has been interpreted to read as “The process according to claim 10 wherein the additive” Additionally, claim 12 recites “the additive” whereas claim 10 recites “additives”; hence, claim 10 additives needs to be made singular or claim 12 additive needs to be made plural to be consistent with each other.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "wherein the crosslinker is" in line 1 and depends from claim 10. However, it is claim 11 which has established “the additive is a…crosslinker”. Hence, claim 13 has been interpreted to depend from claim 11.
Claim 20 recites the limitation "wherein the powder material is blended with bimodal sizes" in lines 1-2. It is unclear what bimodal sizes is referring to (i.e., bimodal sizes of what?). Paragraph 0046 of the published application discloses “[the powder material] may be blended with compositions used in the art of BJ3DP processing, such as bimodal powder size blend, powders with sintering aids in them, or agglomerated powder”. Hence, Examiner presumes “bimodal sizes” refers to “bimodal sizes of powder”.
Claim 22 recites the limitation "wherein the powder or particles therein are irregular" in line 1 and depends from claim 1. It is unclear what powder or particles therein is referring to. Claim 1 references powder material but makes no mention of particles. Paragraph 0046 of the published application discloses the powder material may be blended with catalysts or crosslinkers, such that the powder or particulate may be irregular. Hence, Examiner presumes powder or particles is referring to the powder material being mixed with catalysts or crosslinker; however, neither catalysts nor crosslinkers are referenced in claim 1. Examiner has interpreted claim 22 to depend from claim 21 which establishes “the powder material additional comprises a crosslinker, a catalyst…”.
Claim 22 recites the limitation "spray died" in line 2 of the claim. Paragraph 0046 discloses “catalysts or crosslinkers would be added by mixing or coating with a solvent and drying process”. Examiner presumes “spray died” should be “spray dried”.
Claim 24 recites the limitation "SMP-10" in line 1. Examiner has presumed this refers to StarPCSTM SMP-10; hence, claim 24 is rejected for the same reason as claim 8 above.
Claim 25 recites the limitation "the preceramic polymer binder" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim as no preceramic polymer binder has been referenced. Claim 1 has merely established the binder comprises one or more preceramic polymers (reference claim 1, lines 13-14). For examination purposes, the limitation is read as “the binder”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-27 would be allowable if the 112b rejections identified above are resolved allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Claim 1 would be allowable for requiring:.
“…(b) depositing a printing binder composition comprising a binder into the layer of powder material; (c) selectively printing the binder into the layer of powder material in a first pattern to generate a printed layer…
(h) pyrolyzing the green body part into a brown part at a temperature effective to consolidate and densify the printed layers of powder
(i) impregnating the brown part with a second binder composition comprising a PIP (polymer infiltration and pyrolysis) densification resin and pyrolyzing the resulting impregnated brown part to further densify the brown part and
(j) repeating step (i) until the ceramic part is prepared, said printing binder and PIP densification resin [second binder] composition[s] independently comprising one or more preceramic polymers, comprising silicon based polymeric species, each having a molecular weight ranging from about 100 to about 10,000 Daltons, said [printing binder] composition having an Ohnesorge number ranging from about 0.1 to about 1.0.”
The closest prior art, Hoel (US 2019/0284096 A1), disclose a method of forming a ceramic part (Figure 1; paragraph 0033), comprising: depositing a ceramic slurry on a working surface ((56 in Figure 1; paragraph 0033, layer of the ceramic slurry may be deposited on a working platform of a 3D printer or on top of a previously cured layer of the part being formed); selectively curing the ceramic slurry to generate a green body part (58 in Figure 1; paragraph 0034, portions of the deposited layer of the light-curable ceramic slurry with a light source suitable to cure the light-curable ceramic slurry to yield a portion of a green ceramic article 11); repeating the steps in a layer-by-layer manner until all of the layers of the entire green body part have been built up (60 in Figure 1; paragraph 0034, the steps represented by blocks 56 and 58 may be repeatedly performed to build up an entire green ceramic article 11 in a layer-by-layer manner.); curing the entire green body part of step (paragraphs 0034-0035); and pyrolyzing the green body part into a brown part at a temperature effective to consolidate and densify ceramic slurry (blocks 64, 68, 70; paragraphs 0035, firing (debinding) (block 64) the green ceramic article 11 at a temperature below the sintering temperature of the round and angular fine ceramic particles to remove the binder, create handling strength, and yield a brown ceramic article 68; paragraph 0037, completely firing (sintering) (block 70) the brown ceramic article 68 at a temperature at or above the sintering temperature of the ceramic particles to yield the final ceramic article). However, Hoel fails to teach or suggest selectively printing a binder into the layer of ceramic slurry in a first pattern to generate a printed layer, impregnating the brown part with a second binder composition comprising a PIP densification resin and pyrolyzing the resulting impregnated brown part to further densify the brown part, wherein the printing binder and second binder compositions independently comprise one or more preceramic polymers, comprising silicon based polymeric species, each having a molecular weight ranging from about 100 to about 10,000 Daltons, and the printing binder composition has an Ohnesorge number ranging from about 0.1 to about 1.0.
Claims 2-27 would be allowable at least for depending claim 1.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Virak Nguon whose telephone number is (571)272-4196. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday (and alternate Fridays) 7:30-5:00.
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/VIRAK NGUON/Examiner, Art Unit 1741 2/04/2026