Appeal No. 2004-1495 Page 9
Application No. 09/526,631
mold and fabricating the mold using a laser-aided, computer-controlled direct metal
deposition process in accordance with the computer database description.
Amaya discloses a method of fabricating molds using a CAD type computer
database describing the mold in conjunction with existing technologies, such as
stereolithography (SLA), to form the core and cavity patterns of the mold. In the SLA
process, a fully-automated machine uses the CAD data to guide an ultraviolet laser over
a vat of photosensitive polymer to cure or solidify portions struck by the laser so as to
incrementally build up a solid object to achieve the dimensions specified in the CAD
files. The core and cavity patterns so formed are then fitted into die pockets to powder
injection mold the actual mold parts. Amaya does not appear to disclose a laser-aided
computer-controlled direct metal deposition process as asserted by the examiner on
page 13 of the answer. We thus find ourselves in agreement with appellant that the
combined teachings of Moore and Amaya fail to suggest fabricating a product including
one or more integrated sensors using a laser-aided computer-controlled direct metal
deposition process. We thus shall not sustain the rejection of claims 12 and 13.
Rejection (6)
Claim 14, which depends from claim 12 and further recites one or more sensors
for monitoring temperature, stress and strain, is rejected as being unpatentable over
Moore in view of Amaya and Spillman. We have reviewed the teachings of Spillman
and find nothing therein to overcome the above-noted deficiencies of the combination of
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