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 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.
Claims 16-32 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 16, lines 17 and 18 each recite "layer of building material". It is unclear if this building material is the same or different than the building material recited earlier in the claim. For the purpose of examination, claim 16, lines 17 and 18 read on "layer of the building material". Dependent claims fall herewith.
Claim 16, lines 16-19 recite "a region of local overheating within a layer of building material in comparison to a surrounding region, wherein a next powder layer situated directly above the layer of building material includes at least one portion of the next powder layer within the region of local overheating". It is unclear how a region of local overheating within a layer of building material also has at least one portion of the next powder layer within said region of local overheating, rendering the claim indefinite. For the purpose of examination, claim 16, lines 16-19 read on "a region of local overheating in comparison to a surrounding region, the region of local overheating including a layer of building material, and wherein a next powder layer situated directly above the layer of building material includes at least one portion of the next powder layer within the region of local overheating". Dependent claims fall herewith.
Claim 16, lines 20-21 recite "modifying, with the control device, at least one process parameter adapting the energy influx per unit area based on the temperature data". It is unclear whether the process parameter is adapting the energy influx, or instead, the modifying of the process parameter is to adapt the energy influx. Furthermore, it is unclear what must be based on the temperature data (eg. the modifying of at least one process parameter or the adapting of the energy influx), rendering the claim indefinite. For the purpose of examination, claim 16, lines 20-21 read on "modifying, with the control device, at least one process parameter based on the temperature data to adapt an energy influx per unit area". Dependent claims fall herewith.
Claim 16, line 20 recites "energy influx per unit area". It is unclear to what or where the energy influx per unit area must occur, rendering the claim indefinite. For the purpose of examination, claim 16, line 20 reads on "energy influx per unit area of the next powder layer". Dependent claims fall herewith.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 16 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action, in a manner consistent with the indication of allowable subject matter in section 10 below.
Claims 17-32 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action, in a manner consistent with the indication of allowable subject matter in section 10 below and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and all intervening claims.
The prior art of record does not teach, suggest, or render obvious a system for selective laser powder processing, the system comprising:
a thermographic detector configured to acquire temperature data comprising a temperature profile of one or more layers of building material, the one or more layers comprising solidified building material, and
a control device comprising a processor and memory, the memory configured to store the temperature data, and wherein the processor is configured to cause the control device to control the laser radiation source based at least in part on the temperature data, the control of the laser radiation source comprising:
determining, based at least in part on the temperature data, a region of local overheating in comparison to a surrounding region, the region of local overheating including a layer of building material, and wherein a next powder layer situated directly above the layer of building material includes at least one portion of the next powder layer within the region of local overheating; and
modifying, with the control device, at least one process parameter based on the temperature data to adapt an energy influx per unit area of the next powder layer,
in combination with the other limitations recited in claim 16.
The closest prior art of record are Benda (US Patent 5,427,733), Domrose (US Patent 11,458,540), Chung (US PG Pub 2004/0200816), Kruth (US PG Pub 2009/0206065), and Satzger (US Patent 9,952,236), each previously made of record.
Benda, Domrose, Chung, and Kruth teach systems for producing a three-dimensional component using conventional components for solidifying powder layers and which involve modifying with the control device, at least one process parameter based on the temperature data to adapt an energy influx per unit area of build material. However, none of these references teaches or suggests determining, based at least in part on the temperature data, a region of local overheating in comparison to a surrounding region, the region of local overheating including a layer of building material, and wherein a next powder layer situated directly above the layer of building material includes at least one portion of the next powder layer within the region of local overheating.
Satzger teaches a thermographic detector configured to acquire temperature data comprising a temperature profile of one or more layers of solidified building material (col. 3, lines 40-53);
determining, based at least in part on the temperature data, a region of excessively high temperature gradient within the component (col. 3, lines 51-53);
modifying, based on the temperature data, at least one process parameter adapting an energy influx per unit area of the next powder layer (col. 2, lines 22-24 and col. 3, lines 48-56).
However, Satzger does not teach or suggest determining, based at least in part on the temperature data, a region of local overheating in comparison to a surrounding region, the region of local overheating including a layer of building material, and wherein a next powder layer situated directly above the layer of building material includes at least one portion of the next powder layer within the region of local overheating.
Conclusion
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/JIMMY R SMITH JR./Examiner, Art Unit 1745
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