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 without traverse of claims 12-21 in the reply filed on 5-4-26 is acknowledged.
Claims 2-11 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 5-4-26.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 12-13, 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Eibl et al. (2016/0114427 as English translation of DE102013011676).
Regarding claim 12, Eibl et al. discloses a method for additive manufacturing comprising (abstract, claim 11):
Emitting a first projection of laser energy from a fist laser energy source 5, 12;
Emitting a second projection of laser energy from a second laser energy source (fig. 1, 4, abstract, para 10-14, 18, 21, 31, 35, claim 1, 12-13); and
Scanning, using a gantry system 9, the first and second projections of laser energy across a build surface 6 to form one or more tracks on the build surface (fig. 2, claim 1, abstract).
Regarding claim 13, Eibl et al. discloses wherein scanning the first and second laser projections of laser energy across the build surface comprises adjusting, using the gantry system, a position of the first and second projections of laser energy relative to the build surface (fig. 2, claim 1, abstract).
Regarding claim 15, Eibl et al. discloses wherein the first projection of laser energy comprises at least one first pixel 2, the second projection of laser energy comprises at least one second pixel 2, and forming the one or more tracks on the build surface comprises moving the at least one first pixel and the at least one second pixel (fig. 1, 3).
Regarding claim 16, Eibl et al. discloses wherein forming the one or more tracks on the build surface comprises:
Moving the first and second laser projections of laser energy across the build surface; and
Fusing a portion of a layer of material 10 on the build surface (fig. 3, claim 1, 13).
Regarding claim 17, Eibl et al. discloses partially overlapping the first and second projections of laser energy on the build surface (abstract, claim 1).
Regarding claim 18, Eibl et al. discloses fusing a portion of a layer of material 10 on the build surface by at least partially overlapping the first and second projections of laser energy (fig. 3, claim 1, 13).
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.
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) 20-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eibl et al. as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Dallarosa et al. (2017/0021455).
Regarding claim 20, Eibl et al. does not teach wherein emitting the first projection of laser energy comprises heating a portion of a layer of material on the build surface to a first temperature below a melting temperature of the layer of material. However, Dallarosa et al. teaches a multiple beam additive manufacturing method such that multiple beams are sequentially directed by the optical head to the same powder region providing multiple beam sequential exposures (e.g., with pre-heating, melting and controlled cool down) to fuse the powder region (see abstract, claim 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Eibl et al. with the teaching of Dallarosa et al. in order to provide pre-heating before the melting.
Regarding claim 21, Dallarosa et al. teaches wherein emitting the second projection of laser energy comprises heating the portion of the layer of material to a second temperature higher than the melting temperature of the layer of material (see abstract, claim 2).
Claim(s) 14 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eibl et al. as applied to claim 12 or 13 above, and further in view of Burris et al. (2014/0263209).
Regarding claim 14, Eibl et al. does not teach measuring a property associated with at least one of the build surface, and adjusting the position of the first and second projections of laser energy is based on the measured property. However, Burris et al. teaches the processor 190 can further adjust a power, operation wavelength, pulse time, and/or other parameter of one or more laser diodes within the apparatus 100 based on a detected temperature of a region of a topmost layer of deposited material (para 69, 100). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Eibl et al. with the teaching of Burris e al. in order to provide close loop feedback control of parameters such as a position of the laser energy.
Regarding claim 19, Eibl et al. discloses wherein the first projection of laser energy is a line projection and the second projection of laser energy is a line projection (see claim 4); and scanning the first and second projections of laser energy comprises scanning the first projection in the same direction as the second projection and along the second projection. Eibl et al. does not teach wherein the first projection of laser energy is a dot projection. However, Burris et al. teaches the first energy beam can be passed through the beam shaper that transforms a circular energy into a square or rectilinear energy beam (para 95).it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the shape of the first energy beam to a dot projection since Burris et al. teaches that energy beams of particular shapes have different power distributions (see para 95).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XUE H LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-5522. The examiner can normally be reached 1PM - 10PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christina Johnson can be reached at 5702721176. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/X.H.L/Examiner, Art Unit 1742 /CHRISTINA A JOHNSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1742
Prosecution Insights