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 .
Status of Claims and Application
This non-final action on the merits is in response to the election of invention received by the office 19 November 2025. Claims 1-10 are pending. Non-elected claims 11-20 were cancelled in the election of invention.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of the invention of group I (claims 1-10) in the reply filed on 19 November 2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Interpretation
The claims under examination are directed to “[a] kit for retrofitting an existing three-dimensional (3D) printer.” The preamble of the sole independent claim 1 recites certain structure and features of the three-dimensional printer. After careful review and consideration, examiner has determined that these preamble recitations are statements of intended use and not limiting of the structure claimed. (See MPEP 2211.02 (II) and In re Otto, 312 F.2d 937, 938, 136 USPQ 458, 459 (CCPA 1963))
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.
Claim 8 is 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.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted structural cooperative relationships are: the additional structural elements of claimed kit adapter from which the kit resin reservoir may be removed. As instantly presented, the sole claimed component of the kit adapter claimed in claim 8 is the kit resin reservoir. Without any additional elements recited as part of the kit adapter there does not appear to be anything else from which the reservoir can be removed.
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) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication 2018/0370136 to Klaus Stadlmann (‘136 hereafter).
Regarding claim 1, ‘136 teaches a kit for retrofitting an existing three-dimensional (3D) printer, the existing 3D printer including an existing resin reservoir including an existing bottom print surface, the existing resin reservoir adapted to register with an existing screen adapted to provide a curing light, the existing bottom print surface, when the existing resin reservoir is registered with the existing screen, covering a first portion of the existing screen and configured to receive the curing light from the first portion of the existing screen, the kit comprising: a kit adapter including a kit resin reservoir including a kit bottom print surface (Fig 2 item 15), the kit adapter adapted to register with the existing screen (Fig 1 item 1), the kit bottom print surface, when the kit adapter is registered with the existing screen, covering a second portion of the existing screen and configured to receive the curing light from the second portion of the existing screen only, wherein the second portion of the existing screen is contained within the first portion of the existing screen (Fig 2 item 15).
Regarding claim 2, ‘136 teaches the kit wherein a total surface area of the second portion of the existing screen is smaller than a total surface area of the first portion of the existing screen (Fig 2 item 15).
Regarding claim 3, ‘136 teaches the kit further comprising a kit cover configured to cover a portion of the first portion of the existing screen not covered by the kit bottom print surface (Fig 2 unlabeled flange on item 16.)
Regarding claim 4, ‘136 teaches the kit wherein the kit cover is attached to the kit adapter (Fig 2 items 10 and 16 and paragraph 0037).
Regarding claim 5, ‘136 teaches the kit wherein the existing 3D printer includes an existing build platform including an existing build surface with an existing build surface area, the kit further comprising: a kit build platform including a kit build surface with a kit build surface area that is smaller than the existing build surface area, the kit build platform interchangeable with the existing build platform (Fig 1 items 5, 6).
Regarding claim 6, ‘136 teaches the kit wherein the kit build surface area is less than a surface area of the kit bottom print surface (Fig 2 item 15, Fig 1 unlabeled platform supporting cartriges 5 and 6).
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Regarding claim 7, ‘136 teaches the kit wherein the kit bottom print surface includes a kit bottom surface perimeter, and the kit build surface includes a kit build surface perimeter that fits within the kit bottom surface perimeter (Fig 2 items 15 and 16).
Regarding claim 8, ‘136 teaches the kit wherein the kit resin reservoir is removable from the kit adapter (Fig 2 all items).
Regarding claim 9, ‘136 teaches the kit wherein the kit bottom print surface is transparent and/or semi-transparent (paragraph 0059).
Regarding claim 10, ‘136 teaches the kit wherein the kit resin reservoir is prefilled with an amount of photosensitive resin and is sealed using a sealing member with the amount of photosensitive resin therein (paragraph 0062, Fig 2 item 101).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2017/0246797 to Lambrecht et al. teaches a cartridge-based stereolithography apparatus.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0023787 to Busato et al. teaches a cartridge for retrofitting a stereolithography apparatus.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to John P Robitaille whose telephone number is (571)270-7006. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30AM-6:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Galen Hauth can be reached at (571) 270-5516. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JPR/Examiner, Art Unit 1743
/GALEN H HAUTH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1743