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 .
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.
Claim(s) 22-30 and 31-42 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Matheu et al (USP 2022/0025322).
22. (New) A method for lithography-based generative manufacturing of a three-dimensional component, comprising:
splitting, with a beam splitter, a beam emitted by an electromagnetic radiation source into a plurality of beams (Matheu et al: para. 0162; figs 12-14; beam splitter 1008/1108/1208 splits a laser beam);
focusing, by an optical imaging unit, the plurality of beams onto focal points within a material (Matheu et al: para. 0144; figs 12-14; focusing objective 1032/1132/1232 focuses the beam onto build material) ; and
displacing the focal points by a deflection unit arranged upstream of the optical imaging unit in the beam direction (Matheu et al: para. 0165; figs 12-14; mirror 1014a/1014b/104c displaces or deflects the beam);
wherein volume elements of the material located at the respective focal points are successively solidified by multiphoton absorption (Matheu et al: para. 0098; figs 12-14; photons are used to solidify the build material); and
wherein a spatial light modulator having a plurality of electronically controllable pixels is provided which are scanned by the plurality of beams and which are switched individually between at least one on-state and an off-state depending on the geometry of the component to be realized, so that the respective beam is guided to the imaging unit only in the at least one on- state (Matheu et al: para. 0140-0143; figs 12-14; spatial light modulator 1016/1116a/1116b/1216a/1216b).
23. (New) The method according to claim 22, wherein:the at least one on-state comprises at least a first on-state and a second on-state;the pixels are individually switched between the off-state and the first on-state and the second on-state; andthe first on-state and the second on-state generate different radiation intensities at the focal point (Matheu et al: para. 0140-143; figs 12-14).
24. (New) The method according to claim 22, wherein a radiation intensity of each pixel of the spatial light modulator is adjustable and the radiation intensity is adjusted depending on the exposure time of the pixels so that the volume elements receive a same radiation power (Matheu et al: para. 0140-143; figs 12-14).
25. (New) The method according to claim 22, wherein a radiation intensity of each pixel of the spatial light modulator is adjustable and the radiation intensity is adjusted so that volume elements receive different radiation power from one another in order to produce volume elements with different spatial dimensions from one another (Matheu et al: para. 0140-143; figs 12-14).
26. (New) The method according to claim 22, wherein the pixels of the spatial light modulator are arranged in at least one row extending along a straight line and the splitting of the beams is carried out by means of the beam splitter along the straight line, so that the beams impinge on the row of pixels spaced apart by a plurality of pixels (Matheu et al: para. 0140-143; figs 12-14).
27. (New) The method according to claim 26, wherein the pixels of the spatial light modulator are arranged in a plurality of parallel rows and the plurality of beams are deflected about a first axis and a second axis (Matheu et al: para. 0143-144; figs 12-14).
28. (New) The method according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of beams are directed to the spatial light modulator with the interposition of a polarizing beam splitter, the beams being reflected by the spatial light modulator and impinging with changed polarization on the polarizing beam splitter, which directs the beams to the optical imaging unit (Matheu et al: para. 0162-0163,0173, and 0183; figs 12-14).
29. (New) The method according to claim 22, wherein a mirror is provided and in that the spatial light modulator and the mirror are displaced in such a way that either the spatial light modulator or the mirror is brought into a working position arranged in the beam path (Matheu et al: para. 0163-0165; figs 12-14; mirror 1014a/1014b/1014c displaces or deflects the beam).
30. (New) The method according to claim 22, wherein the component is built up layer by layer with layers extending in an x-y plane, the change from one layer to a next layer comprising the change in a relative position of the optical imaging unit relative to the component in a z direction running perpendicular to the x-y plane (Matheu et al: para. 0156; figs 12-14).
31. (New) A device for lithography-based generative manufacturing of a three-dimensional component, comprising:
a material carrier for a solidifiable material (Matheu et al: figs 12-14; printer chamber 1134 or movable stage 1146); and
an irradiation device configured to be controlled for position-selecitve irradiation of the solidifiable material with at least one beam (Matheu et al: figs 12-14);
wherein the irradiation device comprises:
a beam splitter for splitting an input beam into a plurality of beams (Matheu et al: para. 0162; figs 12-14; beam splitter 1008/1108/1208 splits a laser beam),
a deflection unit arranged one of upstream and downstream of the beam splitter in the beam path (Matheu et al: para. 0165; figs 12-14; mirror 1014a/1014b/104c displaces or deflects the beam), and
an optical imaging unit arranged downstream of the deflection unit and the beam splitter (Matheu et al: para. 0144; figs 12-14; focusing objective 1032/1132/1232 focuses the beam onto build material);
wherein the irradiation device is configured to focus each beam
successively onto focal points within the material (Matheu et al: para. 0144; figs 12-14; the beam is focused into the build material);
wherein a volume element of the material located at the respective focal point can be solidified by multiphoton absorption (Matheu et al: para. 0098; figs 12-14); and
wherein a spatial light modulator (Matheu et al: para. 0140-0143; figs 12-14; spatial light modulator 1016/1116a/1116b/1216a/1216b is arranged between the focusing objective, and the beam splitter and mirrors) with a plurality of electronically controllable pixels is arranged between:
the optical imaging unit; and
the beam splitter and the deflection unit;
wherein the spatial light modulator is configured to be scanned by the plurality of beams and configured to be switched individually between at least one on-state and an off-state, so that the respective beam is guided to the imaging unit only in the at least one on-state (Matheu et al: para. 0140-143; figs 12-14).
32. (New) The device according to claim 31, wherein:the at least one on-state comprises at least a first on-state and a second on-state;the pixels are individually switchable between the off-state and the first on-state and the second on-state; and the first on-state and the second on-state generate different radiation intensities at the focal point (Matheu et al: para. 0140-143; figs 12-14).
33. (New) The device according to claim 31, wherein the spatial light modulator comprises a one-dimensional arrangement of the pixels (Matheu et al: para. 0140-143; figs 12-14).
34. (New) The device according to claim 31, wherein the spatial light modulator comprises a dynamically adjustable diffraction grating (Matheu et al: para. 0140-143; figs 12-14).
35. (New) The device according to claim 31, wherein the deflection unit comprises at least one acousto-optical modulator (Matheu et al: para. 0140-143; figs 12-14).
36. (New) The device according to claim 31, wherein the spatial light modulator comprises a two-dimensional arrangement of the pixels (Matheu et al: para. 0140-143; figs 12-14).
37. (New) The device according to claim 36, wherein the spatial light modulator comprises a reflective liquid crystal microdisplay (Matheu et al: para. 0140; figs 12-14).
38. (New) The device according to claim 36, wherein the deflection unit comprises a two-axis deflection unit (Matheu et al: para. 0165; figs 12-14; mirror is turning on or off by rotating).
39. (New) The device according to claim 31, wherein a polarizing beam splitter is assigned to the spatial light modulator, through which the plurality of beams is directed onto the spatial light modulator and which deflects the beams reflected by the spatial light modulator to the optical imaging unit (Matheu et al: para. 0162,0173, 0183; figs 12-14; polarizing beam splitter 1008/1108/1208).
40. (New) The device according to claim 39, wherein a waveplate is arranged between the polarizing beam splitter and the spatial light modulator (Matheu et al: para. 0162,0172, and 0182; figs 12-14; waveplate 1006/1106/1206).
41. (New) The device according to claim 31, wherein a mirror is provided and in that the spatial light modulator and the mirror can be displaced so that one of the spatial light modulator and the mirror is configured to be brought into a working position arranged in the beam path (Matheu et al: para. 0165; figs 12-14; mirror 1014a/1014b/104c displaces or deflects the beam).
42. (New) The device according to claim 31, wherein the irradiation device is configured to build up the component layer by layer with layers extending in an x-y plane, the change from one layer to a next layer comprising the change in a relative position of the optical imaging unit relative to the component in a z-direction perpendicular to the x-y plane (Matheu et al: para. 0156 and 0187; figs 12-14; stage is moved in x,y, and/or z direction to form the product).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following references teach optical additive manufacturing processes and apparatus: EP1935620 and WO2013/170311.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDMUND H LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1204. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 9AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xiao (Sam) Zhao can be reached at 571-270-5343. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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EHL
/EDMUND H LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744
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