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 Objections
Claim 10 objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 10, “further comprising the fiber coupled” should read –wherein the fiber is coupled--.
In claim 20, “condensing, via a condensing step and through the condensing device, the fiber embedded layer;
swapping the condensing device with the subtractive component, and
machining, via a machining step and through the subtractive component, a printed component”
should read:
-- condense, via a condensing step and through the condensing device, the fiber embedded layer;
swap the condensing device with the subtractive component, and
machine, via a machining step and through the subtractive component, a printed component--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 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(s) 1-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jones et al. (US2020/0086424 of record) hereinafter Jones in view of Sankare (US2020/0298481 of record) and Stranberg et al. (US2020/0156318) hereinafter Stranberg.
Regarding claim 1, Jones teaches:
A fiber embedding extrusion unit for use in a 3D printing system ([0006-0008, 0172]), comprising:
a drive motor ([0171]; spindle);
an auger coupled to the drive motor (Fig 9: screw 404; [0171-172]);
a housing assembly (Fig 9: body portion 303), the auger disposed within the housing assembly (Fig 9; [0172]), the auger configured to translate a material to be deposited through the housing assembly ([0172]);
a hopper in fluid communication with the housing assembly (Fig 9: ducting 402);
at least one of a mount or an actuator, wherein at least one of the mount or the actuator can be removably coupled to a computer numerical control (CNC) machining device (Fig 9: clamping component 302; [0106, 0170]); and
a fiber feeder system configured to feed a fiber into the housing assembly and intersect with the material to be deposited upstream from an outlet of the auger (Fig 9: rollers 412; [0172]).
Jones does not teach a heating system coupled to the housing assembly, wherein the heating system is configured to heat a deposited layer prior to depositing a second layer.
In the same field of endeavor regarding additive manufacturing, Sankare teaches a heating system (Fig 1-2: stream channel arrangement 11, stream channels 13; [0017]) coupled to a housing assembly (Fig 1-2: body 3), wherein the heating system is configured to heat a deposited layer prior to depositing a second layer ([0017, 0026]) for the motivation of improving the bonding between layers ([0017]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the apparatus as taught by Jones with the gas feed system as taught by Sankare in order to improve the bonding between layers.
Jones in view of Sankare does not teach the fiber feeding system is a spool feeder system.
In the same field of endeavor regarding additive manufacturing, Stranberg teaches a spool feeder system (Fig 1: arrangement 28; [0020-0024]) for the motivation of producing structures having predictable performance and avoiding malfunctions during printing ([0020]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the fiber feeding system as taught by Jones in view of Sankare with the spool feeding system as taught by Stranberg in order to produce structures having predictable performance and to avoid malfunctions during printing.
Regarding claim 2, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Stranberg further teaches the spool feeder system comprises a spool (Fig 1: spool 17), a second drive motor (Fig 1: motor 50), and a shaft (Fig 1: shaft 52), and the second drive motor is configured to drive the shaft ([0024]), and wherein the spool is configured to rotate in response to the shaft being driven ([0024]).
Regarding claim 3, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 2.
Stranberg further teaches a nozzle (Fig 1: outlet 22), wherein responsive to driving the second drive motor, the fiber is driven towards the nozzle to intersect with the material to form an extruded bead and create a composite material therefrom ([0013, 0024]).
Regarding claim 4, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 2.
Stranberg further teaches wherein the spool is coupled to, and disposed external from, the housing assembly (Fig 1: head 16).
Regarding claim 5, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Stranberg further teaches the spool feeder system.
Jones further teaches the auger defines a longitudinal axis (Fig 9), and wherein responsive to driving the drive motor, the material to be deposited traverses along the longitudinal axis from an outlet of the hopper to the outlet of a nozzle (Fig 9; [0172]), and the fiber feeder system is configured to supply the fiber into the housing assembly axially between a longitudinal end of the auger and the outlet of the nozzle (Fig 9; [0172]).
Regarding claim 6, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Sankare further teaches wherein the heating system further comprises a hot-air blower (Fig 1-2: inlet to stream channel arrangement 11) in fluid communication with a hot-air duct (Fig 1-2: stream channel arrangement 11, stream channels 13).
Regarding claim 7, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 6.
Jones further teaches a nozzle in fluid communication with the housing assembly (Fig 9; [0172]).
Regarding claim 8, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 7.
Stranberg further teaches the spool feeder system.
Jones further teaches the housing assembly further comprises a fiber intersection portion (Fig 9); the fiber intersection portion is disposed axially between the auger and the nozzle (Fig 9), and the fiber feeder system is configured to feed the fiber into the fiber intersection portion to intersect with the material to be deposited (Fig 9; [0172]).
Regarding claim 9, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 7.
Sankare further teaches an outlet of the hot-air duct, wherein the outlet is disposed radially outward of the nozzle (Fig 1-2: stream channels 13).
Regarding claim 10, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Stranberg further teaches wherein the fiber is coupled to a spool of the spool feeder system ([0012]).
Regarding claim 11, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Stranberg further teaches the spool feeder system.
Jones further teaches a nozzle (Fig 9), wherein: the drive motor is configured to drive the material through the housing assembly and out the nozzle during operation of the fiber embedding extrusion unit ([0171-0172]), and the fiber feeder system is configured to intersect with the material prior to the material being output from the nozzle (Fig 9; [0172]).
Regarding claim 12, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Jones further teaches an electrical connector (Fig 9: unlabeled wires connected to heating zones 406; [0027, 0045, 0073, 0171]) and one or more heater band elements (Fig 9: heating zones 406), the electrical connector in electrical communication with the one or more heater band elements (Fig 9; [0171]), the one or more heater band elements configured to control a temperature of the material along an axial section of the auger during operation of the fiber embedding extrusion unit (Fig 9; [0171]).
Regarding claim 13, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Jones further teaches a nozzle configured to output a fiber embedded material formed from intersecting the fiber with the material during operation of the fiber embedding extrusion unit (Fig 9; [0172]).
Regarding claim 14, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 13.
Sankare further teaches the heating system comprises a first hot-air duct comprising a first duct outlet that is disposed radially outward from a nozzle outlet of the nozzle (Fig 1-2: stream channels 13).
Regarding claim 15, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 14.
Jones further teaches wherein the heating system further comprises a second hot-air duct comprising a second duct outlet that is disposed radially outward from the nozzle outlet of the nozzle and spaced apart circumferentially from the first duct outlet (Fig 1-2: stream channels 13; [0013]).
Regarding claim 16, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 16.
Sankare further teaches wherein the first hot-air duct and the second hot-air duct are each configured to blow hot-air on the fiber embedded material after depositing of the fiber embedded material during operation of the fiber embedding extrusion unit ([0048-0052]).
Regarding claim 17, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Sankare further teaches wherein the heating system further comprises a first hot-air blower disposed radially outward of the housing assembly (Fig 1-2: stream channels 13; [0013]).
Regarding claim 18, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 17.
Sankare further teaches wherein the heating system further comprises a second hot-air blower disposed radially outward of the housing assembly (Fig 1-2: stream channels 13; [0013]).
Claim(s) 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Adair et al. (US2015/0331412 of record) hereinafter Adair.
Regarding claim 19, Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Jones further teaches:
A hybrid computer numerical control (CNC) machining / three-dimensional (3D) printing system comprising the fiber embedding extrusion unit of claim 1 (Fig 5-6: machine tool 100; [0002]), the hybrid CNC machining / 3D printing system further comprising:
a frame (Fig 5-6: machine tool 100) having a spindle (Fig 5-6: unlabeled spindle; [0146]), the spindle configured to receive a subtractive component ([0063]);
the fiber embedding extrusion unit coupled to the frame ([0042, 0170]); and
a controller in electrical communication with the frame ([0040, 0127]).
Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg does not teach a controller in electrical communication with the spindle and the fiber embedding extrusion unit.
In the same field of endeavor regarding additive manufacturing, Adair teaches a controller in electrical communication with a spindle and extruder other control devices of a CNC machine for the motivation of programming a combined additive/subtractive, continuous, and automated manufacturing process for a component ([0004, 0048, 0053, 0055]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the controller as taught by Jones in view of Sankare and Stranberg to have the controller wired with the other controllers and components as taught by Adair in order to program a combined additive/subtractive, continuous, and automated manufacturing process for a component.
Regarding claim 20, Jones in view of Sankare, Stranberg, and Adair teaches the apparatus of claim 19.
Jones further teaches a condensing device (Fig 9: tamping foot 414; [0173]),
wherein the controller is configured to:
swap the condensing device with the subtractive component ([0040, 0063]).
Jones further teaches depositing, via a fiber layering step and through the fiber embedding extrusion unit, a fiber embedded layer ([0172]);
condensing, via a condensing step and through the condensing device, the fiber embedded layer (0173); and
machining, via a machining step and through the subtractive component, a printed component ([0063]).
Adair further teaches the controller generates parts programs for additive and subtractive manufacturing processes ([0021, 0048, 0053, 0069]).
It would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the prior art teaches a controller configured to:
deposit, via a fiber layering step and through the fiber embedding extrusion unit, a fiber embedded layer;
condense, via a condensing step and through the condensing device, the fiber embedded layer; and
machine, via a machining step and through the subtractive component, a printed component.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER A WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-5361. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8 am-4 pm EST.
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/ALEXANDER A WANG/ Examiner, Art Unit 1741
/ALISON L HINDENLANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1741
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