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`Remarks
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`PATENTS
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`MBOT-0051-P02
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`Status of the Claims
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`Claims 1, 3 and 4 are amended. Claim 2 is canceled. Claims 1 and 3—13 are
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`presented for examination, where claim 1 is independent.
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`The claim amendments find support in at least 11 [0047] of the as-filed
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`Specification. No new matter is added.
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`Specification
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`In the Office Action, “[t]he disclosure is objected to because of the following
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`inforrnalities: please update the status of the application 14/065,516 in paragraph
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`[0001].”1 In response, the applicant has amended 11 [0001] of the specification to update
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`the status of the aforementioned application.
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`In view of the above, the applicant respectfully requests reconsideration and
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`withdrawal of the outstanding objection to the specification.
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`Claim Rejections — 35 US. C. § 102
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`Independent claim 1 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102 as being anticipated by
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`US. Pat. No. 7,939,003 to Bonassar, el al. (“Bonassar”). This rejection is traversed for at
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`least the following reasons.
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`The applicant has devised a three-dimensional printer where “[a]n extruder .
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`.
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`. is
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`instrumented to detect contact force against the extruder, such as by a build platform or
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`an object being fabricated.”2 With a force sensor included on the extruder, “resulting
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`feedback data can be used in a variety of ways to control operation of the three-
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`dimensional printer during fabrication or diagnostics.”3 For example, the applicant’s
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`extruder/force sensor configuration can be used to detect “warping of the [build] surface,
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`physical damage to the surface, (e. g., dents, scratches, etc.), the surface having become
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`skewed or misaligned with respect to its intended mounting position in the three-
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`dimensional printer,” or for planarizing a build surface to compensate for measured
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`1 Non-final Office Action mailed September 13, 2018 (hereinafter “Office Action”), p. 2.
`2 Applicant’s as-filed Specification (hereinafter “Specification”), Abstract.
`3 Specification, Abstract.
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`irregularities.4 In this context, the build surface can include either a build platform or a
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`layer of deposited build material upon which further material is deposited.5 The applicant
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`has amended independent claim 1 to clarify the inventive concept of an extruder
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`including a force sensor, which is not taught or suggested by the cited art.
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`Bonassar is directed to an article fabrication system including a “[c]artridge 26
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`[that] holds [a] syringe 66 that contains material to be deposited through [a] syringe
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`needle 68.”6 To be sure, Bonassar contemplates a calibration device 44 that may include
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`a force sensor 204, but this calibration device 44 (with force sensor 204) is included on
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`the substrate 16 (i. e., the build surface7), not on an extruder (e.g., the syringe 66):
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`As illustrated in FIG. 13, calibration device 44 is mounted
`on substrate 16 [i.e., build surface]. Calibration device 44
`eliminates the need for the registration mark and reliance on
`the human operator’s eye. Calibration device 44 has two
`infrared emitters 200A-B and two infrared detectors 202A-
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`B oriented orthogonally to each other, and Teflon-covered
`analog force sensor 204 located at the intersection of the two
`optical axes.8
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`This is abundantly clear when viewing FIG. 13 of Bonassar, which is annotated below to
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`highlight the force sensor 204 on the substrate 16 (i.e., the build surface).
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`4 Specification, 1] [0054].
`5 See, e. g, Specification 1] [0057] (“This process 400 may also or instead be used periodically during a
`fabrication process to ensure that a build remains leveled, or continuously, e.g., by monitoring contact force
`and controlling flow rate, to maintain a level top surface of an object during fabrication”).
`6 Bonassar, col. 14, 11. 19—20.
`7 In Bonassar, the “[s]ubstrate 16 is a build surface upon which material from material deposition tool 18 is
`deposited.” Bonassar, col. 8, 11. 24—26.
`8 Bonassar, col. 22, 11. 24—30 (emphasis added).
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`Therefore, Bonassar does not teach or suggest an extruder having one or more
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`sensors for sensing a contact force between the extruder and a separate structure. This is
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`more than a passing distinction, as the system in Bonassar would not be able to perform
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`many of the advantageous functions of the presently claimed three-dimensional printer,
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`such as detecting a warped build surface (e.g., where the presently claimed extruder,
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`unlike Bonassar, can sense a force in numerous locations on a build surface to see if they
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`match, including at the extremities), planarizing a build surface, detecting leveling of a
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`build surface, checking a printed layer for irregularities, and so on.
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`For the foregoing reasons, independent claim 1 is believed to be patentable over
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`Bonassar. The remaining claims depend from an allowable base claim and are likewise in
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`condition for allowance. The applicant respectfully requests reconsideration and
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`withdrawal of the outstanding claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 102.
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`Claim Rejections — 35 US. C. § 103
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`Independent claim 1 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable
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`over US. Pat. No. 6,129,872 to Jang (“Jang”) in view of US. Pat. No. 7,625,198 to
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`Lipson, er a]. (“Lipson”). This rejection is traversed at least because, similar to the
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`discussion above with respect to Bonassar, neither Jang nor Ll’pson teach or suggest an
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`extruder with one or more sensors mechanically coupled thereto for sensing a contact
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`force between the extruder and a separate structure.
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`Jang is directed to a “[p]rocess and apparatus for creating a colorful three-
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`dimensional obj ect.”9 As correctly noted in the Office Action, “Jang fails to disclose a
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`sensor detecting contact force between the fabrication tool and a separate structure.”10
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`Therefore, while Jang may generally contemplate various components of a three-
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`dimensional printer, conspicuously missing from Jang is any teaching or suggestion of an
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`extruder having one or more sensors for sensing a contact force between the extruder and
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`a separate structure.
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`Lipson does not fill the void left by Jang. Lipson appears to share inventorship
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`and priority claim with Bonassar (discussed above), and Ll'pson also appears to include
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`9 Jang, Title.
`10 Office Action, p. 5.
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`an identical specification/disclosure to Bonassar. Thus, similar to Bonassar, Lipson
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`appears to contemplate a calibration device 44 that may include a force sensor 204, but
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`the calibration deVice 44 (with force sensor 204) is included on the substrate 16 (i.e., the
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`build surface), not on an extruder (e.g., the syringe 66).
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`For the foregoing reasons, independent claim 1 is believed to be patentable over
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`the cited art. The remaining claims depend from an allowable base claim and are likewise
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`in condition for allowance. The applicant respectfully requests reconsideration and
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`withdrawal of the outstanding claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 103.
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`Conclusion
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`In view of the foregoing, the applicant believes that the currently pending claims
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`are in condition for allowance and respectfully requests a corresponding Notice of
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`Allowance.
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`The applicant believes that all of the pending claims have been addressed.
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`However, the absence of a reply to a specific rejection, issue, or comment does not
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`signify agreement with or concession of that rejection, issue, or comment. In addition,
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`because the arguments made above may not be exhaustive, there may be reasons for
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`patentability of any or all pending claims (or other claims) that have not been expressed.
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`Nothing in this paper should be construed as intent to concede any issue with
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`regard to any claim, except as specifically stated in this paper. The amendment of any
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`claim does not necessarily signify concession of unpatentability of the claim prior to its
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`amendment.
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`The Director is hereby authorized to charge any fees or to credit any
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`overpayments associated with this filing to Deposit Account No. 50-4262. If the
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`Examiner believes a telephone conference would expedite prosecution of this application,
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`please telephone the undersigned attorney.
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`Respectfully submitted
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`STRATEGIC PATENTS, P.C.
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`/Thomas J. Bassolino/
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`Thomas J. Bassolino
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`Reg. No. 65,946
`Tel: (646) 238-1234
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`December 10, 2018
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