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 .
Claim Interpretation
The Examiner wishes to point out to applicant that claims 1-8 are directed towards an apparatus and as such will be examined under such conditions. The material worked upon or the process of using the apparatus is viewed as recitation of intended use and is given patentable weight only to the extent that structure is added to the claimed apparatus (Please see MPEP 2112.01 I and 2114-2115 for further details).
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of claims 1-8 in the reply filed on 5/5/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the grounds that there is no burden on the Examiner. This is not found persuasive. The groups are directed to different classification (per MPEP 808.02 all that is required is a showing of different classification). Claim 9 is literally a support or frame for a printer with a power supply, there is nothing connecting anything in claim 9 to a function or usable structure of a 3D printer (as in claim 1), this satisfies B. This also satisfies C, since claim 9 is directed to an entirely different apparatus the searches will be different.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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, 3, 4, and 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhao et al (WO 2018/022034; already of record, herein Zhao), as evidenced by Sweeney et al (US 2016/0325491; already of record, herein Sweeney). Regarding claim 1, Zhao teaches:
A build material supply containing a powder build material (Figure 1, build material supply 14 with build material 16), wherein the powder build material comprises polymer particles (this is the material worked upon by the apparatus and Zhao teaches such capability in paragraph 0034)
A first fluid jetting device containing a fusing agent (Figure 1, inkjet applicator 28B), wherein the fusing agent comprises water and a radiation absorber (this is the material worked upon by the apparatus and Zhao teaches such capability in paragraph 0065 and Figure 1, fusing agent 32)
A second fluid jetting device containing a conductive agent (Figure 1, inkjet applicator 28A), wherein the conductive agent comprises a conductive material (this is the material worked upon by the apparatus and Zhao teaches such capability in paragraphs 0044-00455 and Figure 1, electronic agent 30)
A heat source (Figure 1, radiation source 46 and paragraphs 0025-0029)
An electric current supply (the apparatus of Zhao is powered via electricity, therefore the is an electric current supply)
Regarding claims 3 and 4:
Claims 3 and 4 are directed to the materials worked upon by the apparatus, and since Zhao anticipates the apparatus of claim 1, Zhao is capable of using such materials.
Regarding claim 6:
Wherein the heat source is a fusing lamp (paragraph 0026)
Regarding claim 7:
Wherein each of the first and second fluid jetting devices is an inkjet printhead (as previously discussed applicators 28A and B are inkjet applicators)
Regarding claim 8:
Further comprising a third fluid jetting device (Figure 1, inkjet applicator 28C) containing a detailing agent (this is the material worked upon by the apparatus and Zhao teaches such capability in paragraph 0021 and Figure 1, detailing agent 34)
Claims 2 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhao, as evidenced by Sweeney et al (US 2016/0325491; already of record, herein Sweeney). Regarding claim 2:
Wherein the electric current supply includes an inductive source, and wherein the conductive agent comprises an inductively responsive material
Zhao teaches that the heat source (which is connected to the power supply) can be a microwave radiation source (paragraph 0026), and Zhao teaches using carbon nanotubes in the material deposited (paragraphs 0045-0046). As evidenced by Sweeney, when carbon nanotubes encounter microwave radiation an electric current is induced (paragraph 0112). Therefore in the embodiment of Zhao where carbon nanotubes are used in the conductive region 52 and where microwave radiation is the radiation source, the microwave generator is the inductive source.
Regarding claim 5:
A controller (Figure 1, controller 42)
A non-transitory computer readable medium (Paragraph 0024 and Figure 1, data store 44) having stored thereon computer executable instructions to cause the controller to:
Utilize the build material supply to form at least one build material layer on a powder bed (paragraph 0020)
Utilize the first fluid jetting device to apply the fusing agent onto the at least one build material layer (paragraph 0021)
Utilize the second fluid jetting device to apply the conductive material onto the at least one build material layer and form a conductive element (paragraph 0021)
Expose the conductive material and the powder build material to energy generated by the heat source to selectively fuse the polymer particles of the powder build material in contact with the radiation absorber and form a three-dimensional article (paragraphs 0025-0029)
Utilize the electric current supply to apply an electric current across the conductive element in the three-dimensional article (As previously discussed with respect to claim 2 and how the microwave source induces the current int eh carbon nanotubes)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY J KENNEDY whose telephone number is (571)270-7068. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-5pm..
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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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/TIMOTHY KENNEDY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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