Appeal 2006-2380
Application 10/791,079
INTRODUCTION
Appellants claim a powder blend composition for use in a solid free
form fabrication process, such as a laser sintering process (Specification 1;
claim 1). The powder blend is composed of metal powder blended with or
coated with a polymeric binder system and also includes a high melting
temperature fine particulate metallic, intermetallic, or ceramic (Specification
12).
Claim 1 is illustrative:
1. A powder blend for use in a laser sintering process comprising:
a steel alloy of about 88.75 to about 92.75 percent by weight selected from
the group consisting of a mild steel alloy, a carbon steel and a stainless steel;
a polymeric binder from about 1.25 to about 2.25 percent by weight; and
a high melting temperature fine metallic, intermetallic, or ceramic particulate
of greater than about 5 percent and less than about 15 percent by weight.
The Examiner relies on the following prior art references as evidence
of unpatentability:
Gardner US 4,554,218 Nov. 19, 1985
Luk US 5,782,954 Jul. 21, 1998
Bray US 6,048,379 Apr. 11, 2000
The rejections as presented by the Examiner are as follows:
1. Claims 1-7, 9-11, 34-44, 50, and 51 are rejected under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103(a) as being unpatentable over Gardner.1
1 Claim 44 was inadvertently omitted from the statements of the rejections.
However, the record is clear that claim 44 should be rejected under § 103(a)
2
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