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 with traverse of group 1, species of claim 6, and species of Fig 7 in the reply filed on 2/23/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that that the hole and pin shapes do not constitute a significant search burden (species A, B, C), no other arguments are provided to the rest of the restriction and election of species. The examiner finds this persuasive and has withdrawn the election of species between claims 5-7. As no arguments were presented to the rest of the requirement/election of species, the examiner presumes applicant agrees with their propriety and has maintained the restriction requirement. Furthermore, the second species election contain mutually exclusive subject matter it is unlikely the same references would read on both claims requiring search of additional classes and use of different search queries, thus prolonging examination and prosecution. The inventions have acquired a separate status in the art in view of their different classification; the inventions require searching different classes/subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search queries; and the prior art applicable to one invention would not likely be applicable to another invention.
The remaining requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 8-14 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 2/23/26.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1, 4, 6, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bradway (US 2018/0281464).
As to claim 1, Bradway teaches an apparatus for supporting a build part produced in an additive manufacturing process, the apparatus comprising: a pin array including (100) [Fig 1-6B]; at least one support plate defining a plurality of parallel holes therethrough (plate supported by 131); and a like plurality of rigid elongated pins (132), each slidably extending through a corresponding one of said plurality of parallel holes and each including a tip at one end configured to contact a surface of the build part (120) and an opposite end adjacent a surface of the support plate [Fig 6A], each of the pins movable relative to said support plate by a force (compression spring 170) acting on the tip, as the pin array is moved toward the build part, to move the opposite end in a vertical direction away from said surface of the support plate; and a locking component configured to frictionally engage each of the plurality of elongated pins to frictionally resist movement in the vertical direction, said locking component including; a movable plate (140) defining a like plurality of parallel holes configured to receive the plurality of pins of the pin array therethrough, said movable plate supported for movement relative to said support plate in a direction transverse to the vertical direction of movement of the plurality of pin [0022]; and a translation mechanism operable to move said movable plate in the transverse direction to a clamping position so that the pins contact the walls of respective holes in the movable plate and in the support plate so that friction therebetween restricts movement of the pin in the vertical direction [0022, Fig 6B].
As to claim 4, Bradway teaches each pin of said pin array includes a biasing spring (224) configured to bias the opposite end of the pins toward the surface of the support plate [0020, 0022, 0023].
As to claim 6, Bradway teaches each pin has a circular cross- section and each hole has a non-circular shape and sized for friction-free movement of a corresponding pin therethrough [Fig 6B].
As to claim 19, Bradway teaches the translation mechanism includes a lever (138) pivotably mounted to a fulcrum and connected to said movable plate so that pivoting movement of said lever moves said movable plate in the transverse direction [Fig 6A, 0020].
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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bradway (US 2018/0281464) in view of Hertz (US 6726195).
As to claim 2, Bradway does not explicitly state a biasing element operable to resist movement of said movable plate in the transverse direction by said translation mechanism.
Hertz teaches a pin array for holding workpieces level [Abstract] wherein a movable sheet biased against movement in the transverse direction by a spring (922) in order to return the sheet to its original position and maintain the position of the pins [col 9 line 45-col 10 line 42, Fig 12]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have altered the invention of Bradway and including a biasing element operable to resist movement of said movable plate in the transverse direction by said translation mechanism, as suggested by Hertz,
Claim(s) 3, 5, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bradway (US 2018/0281464) in view of Gordon (US 5897108).
As to claims 3 and 20, Bradway teaches 3 support plates all with parallel holes and the movable plate disposed in between the top and bottom plate, but does not explicitly state a u shaped plate configuration and the translation mechanism is a lead screw.
Gordon teaches a pin work holder [Abstract] wherein a u-shaped plate with 2 prongs (formed by top plate 44, bottom plate 36 and frame 34) with a movable plate in disposed between for relative movement via screw (52) [Fig 3, col 5 line 29-56]. Gordon refers to this configuration as a “sandwich” and notes it allows for easy unlocking and provides strong, consistent, and level support [col 2 line 4-15, col 2 line 16-24]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have altered the invention of Bradway and utilized this sandwich configuration (ie U shaped plate) with the middle movable plate displaced by a screw, as suggested by Gordon, as this configuration had proven successful at providing a strong, consistent, and level support.
While the sandwich structure of Gordon is not an integral plate, making integral or separable is generally regarded to be obvious, see MPEP 2144.04 V.
As to claim 5, Bradway depicts the pins as having a circular cross section [Fig 6B] but does not explicitly state that the pin and holes are both circular in gross section.
Gordon teaches a pin work holder [Abstract] wherein a u-shaped plate with 2 prongs (formed by top plate 44, bottom plate 36 and frame 34) with a movable plate in disposed between for relative movement via screw (52) [Fig 3, col 5 line 29-56]. Gordon refers to this configuration as a “sandwich” and notes it allows for easy unlocking and provides strong, consistent, and level support [col 2 line 4-15, col 2 line 16-24]. Bradway teaches the holes and pins are circular [col 5 line 5-17, Fig 1-4]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have altered the invention of Bradway and utilized circular holes and pins, as suggested by Gordon, as this configuration had proven successful at providing a strong, consistent, and level support
Claim(s) 5, 7, 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bradway (US 2018/0281464) in view of Van Espen (US 2018/0086004).
As to claims 5, 7, 15-18, Bradway teaches the pins are circular and the holes have a non circular shape but does not teach that the pins and holes have a circular or diamond shape.
Van Espen teaches an apparatus for supporting articles during 3D printing [Abstract] wherein in pins [0054] are raised through matching holes [0050, 0054, Fig 1, 7A] and can have either a circular or polygonal (which would be inclusive of diamond) shape [0059, 0060, 0065, 0067-0070, 0013, Claim 12]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to have made the holes and pins have a circular or diamond shaped, as suggested by Van Espen, as this had proven successful at providing support to objects during 3D printing. Furthermore, this would just be combining prior art elements according to known method to yield predictable results, see MPEP 2143 A. Further still, this feature amounts to a mere change in size or shape, which is generally regarded as obvious, see MPEP 2144.04 IV.
When the polygonal shape of Van Espen is imparted to the holes and pins of Bradway, the matching apertures and pins would result in 2 contacting surfaces when then displacement taught by Bradway is executed.
Claim(s) 5, 7, 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bradway (US 2018/0281464) in view of Bidram (US 2019/0283973).
As to claims 5, 7 15-18, Bradway teaches the pins are circular and the holes have a non circular shape but does not teach that the pins and holes have a circular or diamond shape.
Bidram teaches an apparatus for supporting articles during transport wherein in pins (202) are raised through matching holes (210) [Abstract, Fig 2] and can have either a circular or polygonal (which would be inclusive of diamond) shape [0067, 0013, Claim 12]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to have made the holes and pins have a circular or diamond shaped, as suggested by Bidram, as this had proven successful at providing support to objects during transportation [Abstract, 0004]. Furthermore, this would just be combining prior art elements according to known method to yield predictable results, see MPEP 2143 A. Further still, this feature amounts to a mere change in size or shape, which is generally regarded as obvious, see MPEP 2144.04 IV.
When the polygonal shape of Bidram is imparted to the holes and pins of Bradway, the matching apertures and pins would result in 2 contacting surfaces when then displacement taught by Bradway is executed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARMAND MELENDEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-0342. The examiner can normally be reached 9 AM- 6 PM Monday-Friday.
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/ARMAND MELENDEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759