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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 03/26/2025 fails to comply with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.98(a)(4) because it lacks the appropriate size fee assertion. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered as to the merits.
The IDS filed 03/20/2026 with the same information includes the size fee assertion and has been considered.
Drawings
The subject matter of this application admits of illustration by a drawing to facilitate understanding of the invention. Applicant is required to furnish a drawing under 37 CFR 1.81(c). No new matter may be introduced in the required drawing. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d).
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 2 is/are objected to because of the following informalities: claim 2 should read “wherein a section of the tubular body projects axially beyond the guide flange towards the carrier and has a wall thickness that is…”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bruggeman et al., US 20170348911 A1 (corresponding to WO 2016102669 A1, provided in Applicant’s IDS), in view of MacNeish et al., US 20200298478 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Bruggeman discloses an extrusion head (deposition print head, Abstract, Figs. 1a-1b, depositing via extrusion, [0011], [0055]) for the additive production of a molded body (for depositing layers, [0055]), with said extrusion head comprising:
A tubular body (susceptive element 103, Fig. 1a, [0053]-[0054]) of a ferromagnetic material (ferromagnetic, [0054]), wherein the tubular body opens into an extrusion nozzle (opens into nozzle 106, Fig. 1a, [0053]) and has a feed side on an upper end (see feed direction 107, Fig. 1a) and forms an extrusion channel (channel 104, Fig. 1a, [0053]); and
At least one induction coil (exciter 105, an induction coil, Fig. 1a, [0053]-[0054]) enclosing the tubular body between the upper end and the extrusion nozzle (Fig. 1a); and
Wherein the tubular body has a radially outwardly projecting guide flange (radially outwardly projecting flange at upper end of 103, Fig. 1a) influencing an induced magnetic field (the claimed influencing being an effect of the claimed radially projecting geometry; thus, the same structural configuration in the prior art of the radially projecting flange would have the expected result of the same influencing capability), and said guide flange is arranged in an axial direction between the induction coil and the upper end (Fig. 1a).
Bruggeman is silent as to the tubular body being held on a feed side in a carrier, and thus also as to the position of the induction coil and the guide flange being relative to an upper element that is the carrier.
In the analogous art of 3D printing ([0053]), MacNeish discloses a print head (printer head 10, Fig. 1) including a heated tubular body (barrel 30, Figs. 2-3) surrounded by a heating coil (heating coil 38, Fig. 3), wherein the tubular body is held on a feed side in a carrier (via nozzle clamp 64, Fig. 2). MacNeish teaches the nozzle clamp retains the barrel and enables mounting to a movement system for the print head (Fig. 1, [0053], [0056]).
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 extrusion head of Bruggeman such that the tubular body was held on a feed side in a carrier, wherein the position of the induction coil and the guide flange with respect to the extrusion nozzle and the induction coil, respectively, were also relative to the carrier, in order to provide a mechanism for holding and moving the deposition assembly for extrusion as taught by MacNeish.
Regarding claim 2, modified Bruggeman discloses the extrusion head according to claim 1. Bruggeman does not disclose a section of the tubular body projects axially beyond the guide flange towards the carrier [and] has a wall thickness that is smaller than a wall thickness of the tubular body that is enclosed by the induction coil.
MacNeish further discloses a section of the tubular body projects axially beyond a guide flange towards the carrier (upper portion 54 of barrel 30 located above heated lower portion 40 and flange immediately above heated portion 40, Fig. 3) [and] has a wall thickness that is smaller than a wall thickness of the tubular body that is enclosed by the heating coil (neck 52 of upper portion 54 has a reduced diameter relative to region 60 below the neck 52 and in the heated lower portion 40, Fig. 3, [0055]). MacNeish teaches that the reduced diameter portion can help to secure the nozzle in a clamp and provides a heat break to reduce the transfer of heat from the lower portion to the upper portion of the barrel ([0055]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify for the head of Bruggeman that a section of the tubular body projects axially beyond the guide flange towards the carrier [and] has a wall thickness that is smaller than a wall thickness of the tubular body that is enclosed by the induction coil in order to provide a secure configuration for mounting and to establish a heat break between the heated nozzle and the carrier portion of the print head as taught by MacNeish.
Regarding claim 3, modified Bruggeman discloses the extrusion head according to claim 1, and Bruggeman discloses the tubular body has a second radially outwardly projecting guide flange (radially projecting flange at lower end of 103, Fig. 1a) influencing the induced magnetic field between the induction coil and the extrusion nozzle (the claimed influencing being an effect of the claimed radially projecting geometry; thus, the same structural configuration in the prior art of the radially projecting flange would have the expected result of the same influencing capability).
Regarding claim 4, modified Bruggeman discloses the extrusion head according to claim 2, and Bruggeman discloses the tubular body has a second radially outwardly projecting guide flange (radially projecting flange at lower end of 103) influencing the induced magnetic field between the induction coil and the extrusion nozzle (the claimed influencing being an effect of the claimed radially projecting geometry; thus, the same structural configuration in the prior art of the radially projecting flange would have the expected result of the same influencing capability).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
WO 2023187395 A1, Mortimer et al. disclose a relevant induction heated extrusion head configuration (e.g., Figs. 36-38).
US 20180272297 A1, Welb et al. disclose an induction heated extrusion assembly with multiple radially projecting flange portions (e.g., Figs. 1-2).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JENNIFER L GROUX whose telephone number is (571)272-7938. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 9am - 5pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Susan Leong can be reached at (571) 270-1487. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J.L.G./Examiner, Art Unit 1754
/LARRY W THROWER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1754
