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 5-14 in the reply filed on June 19th, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 5-9, 11-12, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nasserrafi (US Patent No. 20220143900).
Regarding Claim 5, Nasserrafi teaches a laser cladding system comprising (Figure 3, Laser Cladding System): a laser emitter configured to heat at least one of a deposition material (Figure 3 and Paragraph 2, Laser 312) and a portion of a workpiece at a heating site on a surface of the workpiece onto which the deposition material is deposited (Figure 3, Substrate 314 is layered with Metallica powder from powder nozzle 336 and heated by Laser 312 on Melt pool 320); and a cryogenic nozzle configured to deliver a cryogenic fluid spray onto the workpiece adjacent to the heating site (Figure 3 and Paragraph 59, Cooling Source 334 sprays a cryogenic fluid to the heating site) and downstream from the heating site in a direction of relative motion between the laser emitter and the workpiece (Figure 3 and Paragraph 56, Cooling Source 334 sprays a cryogenic fluid and is downstream to the heating site as seen by Arrow 322).
Regarding Claim 6, Nasserrafi teaches that the cryogenic nozzle is fixedly coupled with the laser emitter to move with the laser emitter (Figure 3, and Paragraph 56, The Cooling Source 334 and the Laser 312 are coupled together and a controller 335 controls various components including movement of the system components).
Regarding Claim 7, Nasserrafi teaches that the cryogenic nozzle is oriented to direct the cryogenic fluid spray at an angle toward the heating site (Figure 3, Cooling Source 334 applies a cryogenic fluid at the heating site/ melting pool 320 at an angle).
Regarding Claim 8, Nasserrafi teaches that a shield disposed between the cryogenic nozzle and the heating site (Figure 3, Shields 326 and 332 disposed between Cooling Source 334 and melting pool 320), wherein the shield is configured to shield the heating site from the cryogenic fluid spray (Figure 3, Shields 326 and 332 separates the Cooling Source 334 from the melting pool 320).
Regarding Claim 9, Nasserrafi teaches that the shield is fixedly coupled to the cryogenic nozzle (Figure 3, Shields 332 is coupled to Cooling Source 334).
Regarding Claim 11, Nasserrafi teaches a supply of cryogenic fluid operatively provided to the cryogenic nozzle (Figure and Paragraph 56, Showcases that cryogenic spray is funneled downward to the Cooling Source 334), wherein the cryogenic nozzle sprays the cryogenic fluid to a quenching site adjacent the heating site (Figure 3, Cooling Source 334 applies a cryogenic fluid at the near the heating site/melting pool 320).
Regarding Claim 12, Nasserrafi teaches that a material deposition nozzle is configured to deliver the deposition material to the heating site (Figure 3, Powder Nozzles 336 deliver metical powder to melting pool 320).
Regarding Claim 14, Nasserrafi teaches that the material deposition nozzle is oriented to direct the deposition material at an angle toward the heating site (Figure 3, Powder Nozzles 336 deliver metical powder to melting pool 320 at an angle).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nasserrafi (US Patent No. 20220143900) in view of Barton (US Patent No. 20210053281).
Regarding Claim 10, Nasserrafi fails to teach that the laser emitter and the cryogenic nozzle are carried by a robotic arm, wherein the robotic arm is configured to simultaneously move the laser emitter and the cryogenic nozzle in the direction of relative motion
Barton teaches laser machining device (Figure 2, Laser Machining Device) where the laser emitter and the cryogenic nozzle are carried by a robotic arm (Paragraph 30, 36 and Figure 2, The curing head 18, which contains cooling gas channel 38 and port 42 and laser with laser beam 128, could be affixed to the end of a robotic arm), wherein the robotic arm is configured to simultaneously move the laser emitter and the cryogenic nozzle in the direction of relative motion (Paragraph 30 and Figure 2, The movement system 20 moves curing head 18, which contains cooling gas channel 38 and port 42 and laser with laser beam 128 in the X direction and relative motion).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Nasserrafi to incorporate movement system as stated in Barton. The movement system can configure the laser to move in any direction along a plane or three-dimensional contour for better laser control (Paragraph 30, Movement System).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nasserrafi (US Patent No. 20220143900) in view of Whitfield (US Patent No. 20130319325).
Regarding Claim 13, Nasserrafi fails to teach that the material deposition nozzle is fixedly coupled with the laser emitter.
Whitfield teaches A laser cladding device for applying a coating (Abstract, Laser Device) where the material deposition nozzle is fixedly coupled with the laser emitter (Figure 11 and 14, The nozzle assembly 1220, which provides coating material, is coupled to the laser cladding device 1200 with laser 1215).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Nasserrafi to incorporate the arrangement of the deposition nozzle and laser emitter as stated in Whitfield. The courts have held that rearrangement of parts requires only ordinary skill in the art and hence is considered a routine expedient. In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553,555,188 USPQ 7, 9 (CCPA 1975).
Conclusion
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/HAMZEH HICHAM AMIN/Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/JUSTIN C DODSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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