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RESPONSE UNDER 37 C.F.R. § 1.116
`EXPEDITED PROCEDURE REQUESTED
`EXAMINING GROUP 1742
`PATENT
`Attorney Docket No. 13087.0003-0200
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`In re Application of:
`
`Kenneth TYLER
`
`Application No. 15/267,956
`
`Filed: September 16, 2016
`
`For: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
`CONTINUOUS COMPOSITE
`THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING
`
`)
`)
`) Group Art Unit: 1742
`)
`) Examiner: Stella Kim YI
`)
`) Confirmation No. 1088
`)
`)
`)
`)
`
`Mail Stop: AF
`Commissioner for Patents
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`Commissioner:
`
`VIA EFS-WEB
`
`AMENDMENT AFTER FINAL AND
`REQUEST FOR CONSIDERATION UNDER AFCP 2.0
`
`In reply to the Final Office Action mailed March 12, 2018 ("Final Office Action"), please
`
`amend and reconsider the above-identified application in view of the following. This
`
`Amendment accompanies a Request for Consideration under the After Final Consideration Pilot
`
`Program 2.0.
`
`Claim Amendments begin on page 2 of this Reply.
`
`Remarks follow the Claim Amendment section of this Reply.
`
`Page 1 of 11
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`Markforged Ex. 1020
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`

`

`Application No. 15/267,956
`Attorney Docket No. 13087.0003-02000
`
`CLAIMS LISTING:
`
`The following listing of claims represents a current status of all claims in the application,
`
`including all amendments previously made to the claims:
`
`1. (Original) A method of manufacturing of a three-dimensional object,
`
`compnsmg:
`
`directing a curable liquid material to a nozzle;
`
`directing a continuous strand material to the nozzle;
`
`discharging from the nozzle a path of composite material containing the
`
`continuous strand material at least partially coated with the curable liquid material;
`
`bonding an end point of the path of composite material to an anchor; and
`
`moving the nozzle away from the anchor during discharging to pull the path of
`
`composite material out of the nozzle.
`
`2. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein bonding the end point of the path
`
`of composite material to the anchor includes:
`
`placing the end point of the path of composite material on the anchor; and
`
`aiming a curing device at the path of composite material on the anchor.
`
`3. (Original) The method of claim 2, wherein aiming the curing device includes
`
`aiming at least one UV light.
`
`4.
`
`(Original) The method of claim 3, wherein aiming the at least one UV light
`
`includes aiming a plurality of lights from different angles around the nozzle.
`
`5. (Original) The method of claim 3, wherein aiming the at least one UV light
`
`includes aiming the at least one UV light from only a trailing side of the nozzle.
`
`6.
`
`(Original) The method of claim 1, wherein discharging from the nozzle the
`
`path of composite material includes discharging the path of composite material through a nozzle
`
`orifice having a diameter of about 2 mm.
`
`-2-
`
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`

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`Application No. 15/267,956
`Attorney Docket No. 13087.0003-02000
`
`7. (Original) The method of claim 6, wherein the continuous strand material
`
`includes a plurality of strands arranged in at least one of a tow, a roving, and a weave.
`
`8.
`
`(Original) The method of claim 1, wherein directing the curable liquid
`
`material to the nozzle includes directing a filler material at least partially coated in the curable
`
`liquid material to the nozzle.
`
`9.
`
`(Original) The method of claim 8, wherein the filler material includes pieces
`
`of fibers.
`
`hollow.
`
`10. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein the continuous strand material is
`
`11. (Original) The method of claim 1, further including:
`
`curing a first portion of the path of composite material;
`
`overlapping the first portion of the path of composite material with a second
`
`portion of the path of composite material that is uncured; and
`
`curing the second portion of the path of composite material while the first and
`
`second portions of the path of composite material are overlapped.
`
`12. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein the overlapping includes wrapping
`
`the second portion of the path of composite material around the first portion of the path of
`
`composite material.
`
`13. (Previously Presented) A method of manufacturing of a three-dimensional
`
`object, comprising:
`
`directing a curable liquid material to a nozzle;
`
`directing a continuous strand material to the nozzle;
`
`discharging from the nozzle a path of composite material containing the
`
`continuous strand material at least partially coated with the curable liquid material;
`
`bonding an end point of the path of composite material to an anchor;
`
`moving the nozzle during discharging to cause the path of composite material to
`
`extend away from the anchor; and
`
`-3-
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`Application No. 15/267,956
`Attorney Docket No. 13087.0003-02000
`
`exposing the curable liquid material in the path of composite material to a cure
`
`energy_while the nozzle is moving such that the path of composite material is hardened at
`
`a fixed location in three-dimensional space without support at locations between the
`
`anchor and the nozzle.
`
`14. (Original) A method of manufacturing of a three-dimensional object,
`
`compnsmg:
`
`directing a curable liquid material to a nozzle;
`
`directing a continuous strand material to the nozzle;
`
`discharging from the nozzle a path of composite material containing the
`
`continuous strand material at least partially coated with the curable liquid material;
`
`curing the curable liquid material in the path of composite material; and
`
`moving the nozzle during discharging to create tension in the continuous strand
`
`material that remains after curing of the composite material.
`
`15. (Original) A method of manufacturing of a three-dimensional object,
`
`compnsmg:
`
`directing a curable liquid material to a nozzle;
`
`directing a continuous strand material to the nozzle;
`
`directing a filler material to the nozzle;
`
`discharging from the nozzle a path of composite material containing the
`
`continuous strand material and the filler material at least partially coated with the curable
`
`liquid material;
`
`moving the nozzle during discharging to create the three-dimensional object; and
`
`curing the curable liquid material in the path of composite material.
`
`16. (Currently Amended) A method of manufacturing of a three-dimensional
`
`object, comprising:
`
`directing a curable liquid material to a nozzle;
`
`directing a continuous strand material to the nozzle;
`
`discharging from the nozzle a path of composite material containing the
`
`continuous strand material at least partially coated with the curable liquid material;
`
`-4-
`
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`Markforged Ex. 1020
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`Application No. 15/267,956
`Attorney Docket No. 13087.0003-02000
`
`aiming a curing device at the path of composite material at a location outside of
`
`the nozzle to cure the curable liquid material;
`
`moving the nozzle during discharging to create the three-dimensional object; and
`
`moving the curing device together with the nozzle.
`
`17. (Original) A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object
`
`compnsmg:
`
`directing a curable liquid material to a nozzle;
`
`directing a continuous strand material to the nozzle;
`
`discharging from the nozzle a path of composite material containing the
`
`continuous strand material at least partially coated with the curable liquid material;
`
`curing the curable liquid material in the path of composite material;
`
`moving the nozzle during discharging to create the three-dimensional object; and
`
`selectively cutting the continuous strand material before the continuous strand
`
`material reaches the nozzle such that at least one portion of the path discharging from the
`
`nozzle contains only the curable liquid material.
`
`18. (Original) A method of manufacturing of a three-dimensional object,
`
`compnsmg:
`
`directing a curable liquid material to a nozzle;
`
`directing a continuous strand material to the nozzle;
`
`discharging from the nozzle a path of composite material containing the
`
`continuous strand material at least partially coated with the curable liquid material;
`
`adjusting a trajectory of the path of composite material after discharge from the
`
`nozzle; and
`
`curing the curable liquid material in the path of composite material after
`
`adjusting.
`
`19. (Currently Amended) A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object
`
`compnsmg:
`
`discharging from a nozzle a first path of composite material--i:H½6-;
`
`-5-
`
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`Application No. 15/267,956
`Attorney Docket No. 13087.0003-02000
`
`curing a first portion of the first path of composite material, leaving a second
`
`portion of the first path of composite material at least partially uncured;
`
`discharging a second path of composite material adjacent the first path of
`
`composite material,
`
`wherein the composite material of each of the first and second paths containing
`
`contain a continuous strand material at least partially coated with a curable liquid
`
`material;
`
`curing a portion of the first second path of composite material;
`
`mechanically interlocking the second portion of the first path of composite
`
`material with an uncured portion of the cured second path of composite material; and
`
`curing the second portion of the first path of composite material while the first.(cid:173)
`
`and second paths- portion of the first path of composite material [[are]]is-mechanically
`
`interlocked with the cured second path of composite material.
`
`20. (Original) The method of claim 19, wherein discharging from the nozzle the
`
`first path of composite material and the second path of composite material includes
`
`simultaneously discharging the first and second paths of composite material.
`
`-6-
`
`Page 6 of 11
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`Markforged Ex. 1020
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`

`

`Application No. 15/267,956
`Attorney Docket No. 13087.0003-02000
`
`I.
`
`Status of the Claims
`
`REMARKS
`
`In the Final Office Action, the Examiner rejected claims 15 and 16 under 35 U.S.C.
`
`§ 102(b) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0236588
`
`("JANG"); rejected claims 18-20 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent
`
`No. 5,340,433 ("CRUMP"); and allowed claims 1-14 and 17.
`
`Applicant wishes to thank the Examiner for allowing claims 1-14 and 17.
`
`By this Reply, claims 16 and 19 have been amended, without adding new subject matter.
`
`No claims have been cancelled. Accordingly, claims 1-20 remain pending in this application.
`
`II.
`
`Claim 15 Rejection (JANG)
`
`In the Final Office Action, the Examiner rejected independent claim 15 as being
`
`anticipated by JANG. See Office Action at 2.
`
`Independent claim 15 recites a method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object that
`
`comprises, among other things, "discharging from [a] nozzle a path of composite material
`
`containing [a] continuous strand material and [a] filler material at least partially coated with the
`
`curable liquid material." Because JANG does not teach or suggest all elements recited in
`
`independent claim 15, the rejection of independent claim 15 should be withdrawn.
`
`In the Final Office Action, the Examiner suggested that JANG discloses all of the
`
`elements of independent claim 15, and pointed specifically to paragraph [0072] of JANG for
`
`alleged support of this suggestion. See Final Office Action at 4. However, paragraph [0072]
`
`discloses only that reinforcement fibers and a matrix material can be mixed to form a continuous
`
`tow of impregnated fibers, which is subsequently "pulled from a fiber spool 4 ... submerged in a
`
`resin bath ... [and] driven to enter. .. nozzle 22." In other words, paragraph [0072] of JANG
`
`-7-
`
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`Application No. 15/267,956
`Attorney Docket No. 13087.0003-02000
`
`describes only how to make a tow, which is later discharged with only resin from the nozzle
`
`(22). Nowhere in paragraph [0072] (or elsewhere in JANG) is there any mention of a filler
`
`material being discharged together with a continuous strand material and a curable liquid
`
`material, as required by independent claim 15.
`
`III.
`
`Claim 16 Rejection (JANG)
`
`In the Final Office Action, the Examiner rejected independent claim 16 as being
`
`anticipated by JANG. See Office Action at 2.
`
`Independent claim 16, as now amended, recites a method of manufacturing a three(cid:173)
`
`dimensional object that comprises, among other things, "aiming a curing device at a path of
`
`composite material at a location outside of [a] nozzle to cure [a] curable liquid material; and
`
`moving the curing device together with the nozzle." Because JANG does not teach or suggest all
`
`elements recited in independent claim 16, the rejection of independent claim 16 should be
`
`withdrawn.
`
`In the Final Office Action, the Examiner suggested that JANG discloses all elements of
`
`independent claim 16. Specifically, the Examiner suggested that JANG discloses "aiming [a]
`
`curing device at a path of composite material as illustrated in Fig. 4[,] wherein the heating
`
`elements surround[s] the path of composite material." See Final Office Action at 4.
`
`While JANG may disclose heating elements (88), the heating elements (88) are not aimed
`
`at a path of composite material at a location outside of a nozzle. In contrast, as the Examiner
`
`pointed out, the heating elements (88) surround a path of composite material only while the
`
`material is inside of the nozzle (22).
`
`-8-
`
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`Application No. 15/267,956
`Attorney Docket No. 13087.0003-02000
`
`IV.
`
`Claim 18 Rejection (CRUMP)
`
`In the Final Office Action, the Examiner rejected independent claim 18 as being
`
`anticipated by CRUMP. See Office Action at 3.
`
`Independent claim 18 recites a method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object that
`
`comprises, among other things, "adjusting a trajectory of [a] path of composite material after
`
`discharge from [a] nozzle; and curing [a] curable liquid material in the path of composite
`
`material after adjusting" (emphasis added). CRUMP fails to disclose any trajectory being
`
`adjusted after discharge or any curing after trajectory adjusting. Because CRUMP does not teach
`
`or suggest all features recited in independent claim 18, the rejection of independent claim 18
`
`should be withdrawn.
`
`In the Final Office Action, the Examiner suggested that CRUMP discloses all of the
`
`limitations of independent claim 18, but does not specifically address the limitations of post(cid:173)
`
`discharge trajectory adjustment or post-adjustment curing. In addition, the Examiner stated that
`
`"CRUMP further discloses that each strand (180) solidifies in space as it is dispensed from the
`
`nozzle (112)." See Final Office Action at 4-5. Because the strand (180) of CRUMP solidifies in
`
`space as it is dispensed, no opportunity exists for the post-discharge adjustment recited in
`
`independent claim 18.
`
`V.
`
`Claims 19-20 Rejection (CRUMP)
`
`In the Final Office Action, the Examiner rejected claims 19 and 20 as being anticipated
`
`by CRUMP. See Office Action at 3. Of these claims, claim 19 is independent.
`
`Independent claim 19, as currently amended, recites a method of manufacturing a three(cid:173)
`
`dimensional object that comprises, among other things, "discharging from a nozzle a first path;
`
`curing a first portion of the first path, leaving a second portion at least partially uncured;
`
`-9-
`
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`Application No. 15/267,956
`Attorney Docket No. 13087.0003-02000
`
`discharging a second path adjacent the first path; curing the second path; mechanically
`
`interlocking the second portion of the first path with the cured second path; and curing the
`
`second portion of the first path while the second portion of the first path is mechanically
`
`interlocked with the cured second path." Because CRUMP does not teach or suggest all features
`
`recited in independent claim 19, the rejection of independent claim 19 should be withdrawn.
`
`In the Final Office Action, the Examiner suggested that CRUMP discloses all of the
`
`limitations of independent claim 19. In particular, the Examiner indicated that CRUMP
`
`discloses that "multiple dispensing materials are simultaneously discharged through a
`
`nozzle .... wherein the strands are interlocked." While this may be true, CRUMP does not
`
`disclose leaving a portion of a discharged path at least partially uncured, subsequently
`
`mechanically interlocking the portion with another already cured path, and thereafter curing the
`
`portion, as required by independent claim 19.
`
`Dependent claim 20 should be allowed at least because of its dependency on independent
`
`claim 19, as well as for its own limitations.
`
`VI.
`
`Conclusions
`
`Applicant respectfully requests entry of the present amendment under the AFCP Program
`
`2.0. The Guidelines for Consideration of Responses After Final Rejection under 37 C.F.R. §
`
`1.1 l 6(b) under the AFCP Program 2.0 provide that "a response after final rejection should be
`
`entered ... [i]f [t]he amendment can be determined to place the application in condition for
`
`allowance with only a limited amount of further search or consideration .... " Under the AFCP
`
`Program 2.0, up to three additional hours of time are available to the Examiner to consider an
`
`amendment after a final rejection.
`
`-10-
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`Application No. 15/267,956
`Attorney Docket No. 13087.0003-02000
`
`Applicant respectfully submits that the amendments herein place the application in a
`
`condition for allowance with only a limited amount of further search or consideration.
`
`Accordingly, the present amendment is appropriate for entry into the AFCP Program 2.0.
`
`In view of the foregoing amendments and remarks, Applicant respectfully requests
`
`reconsideration of this application and the timely allowance of the pending claims.
`
`Dated: March 16, 2018
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`By /Ryan C. Stockett/
`Ryan C. Stockett
`Reg. No. 53,642
`
`-11-
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`

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