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
Claims 1-5 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on January 30, 2026.
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 6-10 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 6, line 1, “pre-oxidized” is unclear. It is suggested to replace this with “ surface oxygenated”.
Claim 6, line 1, “coatings” should be “coating”.
Claim 6, line 2, is indefinite because it depends on claim 1. It is unclear how the claim can be both a method and an apparatus. It is suggested to write the claim to incorporate the limitations of the product to identify the product being produced in the method claims.
Claim 6, line 2 “nano gradient” should be “nano-gradient”.
Claim 6, line 3, is indefinite because “arc ion plating technology” is unclear. Should this be “an arc ion plating process”.
Claim 6, line 4, “V content” should be “the V content of the AlCrVTiSiON nano-gradient coating”.
Claim 6, line 5, “nano gradient” should be “nano-gradient”.
Claim 6, line 5, the phrase “pre-oxidation on the surface of the coating” is unclear because it seems to include a step previous. It is suggested to change this phrase to “surface oxygenated”.
Claim 6, line 7, it is suggested to change “targets” to “targets utilized for the arc ion plating process”.
Claim 6, line 7, the term “metal” is unclear because “V” is a metal. It is suggested to remove the term “metal”.
Claim 6, line 10, the phrase “the AlCrVTiSiN functional layer” lacks antecedent basis. It is suggested to change this to “an AlCrVTiSiN functional layer”.
Claim 6, line 10, the phrase “pre-oxidized” is unclear. It is suggested to change this to “surface oxygenated”.
Claim 6, line 11, the phrase “pre-oxidized” is unclear. It is suggested to change this to “surface oxygenated”.
Claim 6, lines 11 and 12, “the background vacuum” should be “a background vacuum”.
Claim 6, line 12, “the bias” should be “a bias”.
Claim 6, lines 12 and 13, it is unclear if (duty cycle 50% ~ 60%) is part of the claim. It should be “a duty cycle 50% ~ 60%”.
Claim 6, line 13, “the deposition pressure” should be “a deposition pressure”.
Claim 6, line 14, “open” is unclear. Should this be “used” or “utilized”.
Claim 6, line 15, “the target current” should be “target currents”.
Claim 6, line 15, insert “the” before “AlCrSi”.
Claim 6, line 18, “the upper limit of 80-95 A” should be “the upper limit of 95 A”.
Claim 6, line 18, “through” should be “utilizing”.
Claim 6, line 19, “the thickness” should be “a thickness”.
Claim 6, line 19, “the required” should be “a required AlCrVTiSiON nano gradient coating”.
Claim 6, lines 19, 20, the phrase “and the target current, the opening time of the target material and the gas inlet time are set,” is confusing. Should this be “a set time is utilized for the currents, the targets and for a gas inlet,”
Claim 6, lines 20, 21, the phrase “oxygen is injected into the coating within 5-20 min of the last deposition to implement pre-oxidation to form AlCrVTiSiON nanogradient coating” is confusing. Should this be “oxygen is injected into the AlCrVTiSiN functional layer within the last 5-20 minutes of deposition to implement surface oxygenation to form the AlCrVTiSiON nano gradient coating.”.
Claim 7, line 1, “pre-oxidized” should be “surface oxygenated”.
Claim 7, line 1, change “coatings” to “coating”.
Claim 7, line 2, the phrase “For the preparation of the AlCrVTiSiON nano-gradient coating” is confusing. It suggested to delete this phrase.
Claim 7, line 3, the phrase “the flow rate through Ar” should be “a flow rate of Ar”.
Claim 7, line 3, the phrase “the flow rate through N2” should be “a flow rate of N2”.
Claim 7, line 4, the phase “the total gas flow rate” should be “a total gas flow rate”.
Claim 7, line 5, the phrase “the pre-oxidation process” should be “surface oxidation”.
Claim 7, line 4, “the gas flow rate” should be “a gas flow rate”.
Claim 7, line 6, “the oxygen time” should be “an oxygen time”.
Claim 7, line 7, “the deposition” should be “deposition”.
Claim 7, line 8, “the coating” should be “the AlCrVTiSiON nano-gradient coating”.
Claim 7, line 9, “the coating” should be “the AlCrVTiSiON nano-gradient coating”.
Claim 7, line 10, after “increase” insert “with the increase of oxygen passage time”.
Claim 8, line 1, “pre-oxidized” is unclear. It is suggested to replace this with “ surface oxygenated”.
Claim 8, line 1, “coatings” should be “coating”.
Claim 8, line 2, “specifically” is unclear and does not further limit the claim. It is suggested to delete this word.
Claim 8, line 3, “the cleaned substrate” lacks antecedent basis. Should this be “a cleaned substrate”?
Claim 8, line 3, “the rotating frame” lacks antecedent basis. Should this be “a rotating frame”?
Claim 8, line 3, “the coating room” lacks antecedent basis. Should this be “a coating room”?
Claim 8, lines 3, 4, “the vacuum degree” lacks antecedent basis. Should this be “a vacuum degree”?
Claim 8, lines 4, 5, “metal V targets” is unclear because “V” is a “metal”. Should “metal” be deleted?
Claim 8, line 8, “the working layer” lacks antecedent basis. Should this be “a working layer”?
Claim 8, line 9, “AlCrVTiSiN functional layer” should be “the AlCrVTiSiN functional layer”.
Claim 9, line 1, “pre-oxidized” is unclear. It is suggested to replace this with “ surface oxygenated”.
Claim 9, line 2, “the glow discharge cleaning process is:” lacks antecedent basis. Should this be “the glow discharge cleaning uses”.
Claim 9, line 2, “the Ar gas flow is” should be “an Ar gas flow”.
Claim 9, line 3, “the working pressure is” should be “a working pressure”.
Claim 9, line 3, “the pulse bias is” should be “a pulse bias”.
Claim 9, line 4, “(duty cycle 94-96%)” should be “, a duty cycle of 94-96%.
Claim 9, line 4, “the glow time is” should be “a glow time of”.
Claim 9, line 5, delete the word “process”.
Claim 9, line 6, insert “pulse” before “bias”.
Claim 9, line 7, “opened” should be “utilized”.
Claim 9, line 8, “respecitvely” should be “respectively”.
Claim 9, line 8, insert the phrase “during the ion bombardment cleaning” before ”the pulse bias voltage”.
Claim 9, line 9, change “duty cycle 95-96%” to “a duty cycle of 94-96%”.
Claim 9, line 9, replace “2 min washes” with “for 2 minute washes each”.
Claim 10, line 1, “pre-oxidized” is unclear. It is suggested to replace this with “ surface oxygenated”.
Claim 10, line 1, “coatings” should be “coating”.
Claim 10, lines 2 and 3, the phrase “the process of depositing the CrN transition layer is:” should be “the depositing of the CrN transition layer includes:”.
Claim 10, line 4, replace “turn” with “turning”.
Claim 10, line 4, “the Cr target power supply” should be “a Cr target power supply”.
Claim 10, line 4, “open the” should be “opening a”.
Claim 10, line 5, insert “setting” before “argon”.
Claim 10, lines 5, 6, “adjust the working pressure” to “adjusting a working pressure”.
Claim 10, line 6, insert “a” before “pulse”.
Claim 10, line 6, change “(duty cycle 60%)” to “, a duty cycle 60%”.
Claim 10, line 7, change “open” to “utilizing”.
Claim 10, line 7, change “deposition” to “to deposit the”.
Clam 10, line 7, insert “utilizing a” before “Cr target current”.
Claim 10, line 8, change “the deposition time” to “a deposition time of the CrN transition layer”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 6-10 are indicated as being allowable over the prior art because the prior art of record does not teach the surface oxygenated AlCrVTiSiON nano-gradient coating where V is present and the target current increases linearly during deposition and the coating is surface oxygenated within the last 5-20 minutes to produce a surface oxidized AlCrVTiSiON nano-coating coating having a CrN layer, a AlCrVTiSiN layer and a layer of AlCrVTiSiON.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CN111549322, CN111647856, WO 2019/128904 are considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure but fail to teach the surface oxygenated AlCrVTiSiON nano-gradient coating where V is present and the target current increases linearly during deposition and the coating is surface oxygenated within the last 5-20 minutes to produce a surface oxidized AlCrVTiSiON nano-coating coating having a CrN layer, a AlCrVTiSiN layer and a layer of AlCrVTiSiON.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RODNEY GLENN MCDONALD whose telephone number is (571)272-1340. The examiner can normally be reached Hoteling: M-Th every Fri off.
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/RODNEY G MCDONALD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1794
RM
April 1, 2026