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 1-2, 5, 7-12, 15, 17-20 in the reply filed on 7-13-26 is acknowledged.
Claims 3-4, 6, 13-14 and 16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7-13-26.
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 11-12, 15, 17-20 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.
Regarding claim 11, the claim recites the limitation “to lift the film layer from the textured support surface of the film layer”. It’s not clear if it’s intended to recite “to lift the film layer from the textured support surface of the substrate”.
Claims 12, 15, 17-20 are rejected for depending from claim 11.
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) 1-2, 5, 7-12, 15, 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over El-Siblani et al. (2011/089610) in view of Dubelman et al. (English translation of CN1113477671).
Regarding claim 1, El-Siblani et al. discloses a system 214 comprising:
A substrate 279;
A film layer 294 having a first side contacting the textured support surface of the substrate and a second side formed on an opposite side from the first side; and
A build surface 44 contacting the second side of the film layer and operable between a first build surface position on a first distance from the substrate and a second build surface position on a second distance greater than the first distance from the substrate (para 122), wherein the first side of the film layer is attached to the substrate with the build surface at the first build surface position and the first side of the film layer is detached from the substrate with the build surface at the second build surface position (fig. 21-24).
El-Siblani et al. does not teach the substrate having a textured support surface. However, Dubelman et al. teaches all or part of the first building surface 26 can be combined with a controlled roughness or surface texture to impart non-stick property to the first building surface (para 28, 34). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify El-Siblani et al. with the teaching of Dubelman et al. in order to facilitate separation of the cured resin.
Regarding claim 2 and 12, Dubelman et al. teaches wherein the textured support surface is integrally formed with the substrate (para 28).
Regarding claim 5 and 15, El-Siblani et al. discloses wherein the film is a flexible film layer (para 124).
Regarding claim 7 and 17, Dubelman et al. teaches the surface texture is e.g. protrusions, depression, grooves, ridges, etc. (para 28). Dubelman et al. does not teach wherein the textured surface is defined by a sinusoidal pattern. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select any pattern such as sinusoidal pattern as long as it prevents the resin from sticking to the surface.
Regarding claim 8 and 18, El-Siblani et al. discloses wherein the substrate includes a glass material and is transparent to light (par 87, 150, 191 and claim 18).
Regarding claim 9, El-Siblani et al. discloses wherein the build surface is defined by a printed part 44 affixed to a build platform 104 (fig. 10) configured to move the build surface between the first build surface position and the second build surface position.
Regarding claim 10 and 20, El-Siblani et al. discloses a curing light 88 located at the first side of the film layer, the curing light configured to cure a liquid resin 92 disposed between the film layer and the build surface (fig. 2A).
Regarding claim 11, El-Siblani et al. discloses a system 214 comprising:
A substrate 279;
A film layer 294 having a first side facing the substrate and a second side formed on an opposite side from the first side (fig. 21); and
A build platform 46 including a build surface 44 attached to the film layer and operable to move in a direction away from the substrate to lift the film layer from the substrate (fig. 1).
El-Siblani et al. does not teach the substrate having a textured support surface. However, Dubelman et al. teaches all or part of the first building surface 26 can be combined with a controlled roughness or surface texture to impart non-stick property to the first building surface (para 28, 34). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify El-Siblani et al. with the teaching of Dubelman et al. in order to facilitate separation of the cured resin.
Regarding claim 19, El-Siblani et al. discloses wherein the build surface is defined by a printed part 44 affixed to the build platform 104 (fig. 10).
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.
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/X.H.L/Examiner, Art Unit 1742 /CHRISTINA A JOHNSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1742
