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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: “claim1” should read “claim 1.” Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 2-4 and 8-10 are 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.
Regarding claim 2, the recitation “a plurality of flat pipes are provided, the plurality of flat pipes comprise first flat pipes and second flat pipes which are alternately distributed” is unclear. It is unclear if the “plurality of flat pipes” are the same as the previously recited “at least one flat pipe.” It is also unclear if the second flat pipes are included in the “at least one flat pipe,” as this contradicts the disclosure and the claims, which require the two sets of pipes to be fluidly separate. The following recitations are unclear: “a first inlet,” “a first outlet,” “a second inlet,” “a second outlet,” “two through holes,” as an inlet, outlet, and two through holes are already recited in claim 1. It is unclear if these are the same as or different therefrom. Claims 2-4 and 8-10 are rejected for their dependency.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Donaldson (US4002201).
Regarding claim 1, Donaldson discloses a heat exchanger (see 36, Fig. 5-8), comprising at least one flat pipe (37), each flat pipe is provided with a refrigerant cavity (interior of 37), an inlet (inlet port 45), an outlet (outlet port 46) and two through holes (through ports – 49), wherein the inlet and the outlet are located at two ends of the refrigerant cavity respectively, and both the inlet and the outlet communicate with the refrigerant cavity; and the two through holes are respectively located at two ends of the refrigerant cavity, and the two through holes do not communicate with the refrigerant cavity.
Regarding claim 2, Donaldson discloses the limitations of claim 1, and Donaldson further discloses a plurality of flat pipes (alternating sets of 37/37a) are provided, the plurality of flat pipes comprise first flat pipes (37) and second flat pipes (37a) which are alternately distributed, the heat exchanger further comprises a first liquid inlet pipe (52), a second liquid inlet pipe (53a), a first liquid outlet pipe (53) and a second liquid outlet pipe (52a), a first inlet (45 of 37) of each first flat pipe communicates with the first liquid inlet pipe, a first outlet (46 of 37) of the each first flat pipe communicates with the first liquid outlet pipe, a second inlet (45 of 37a) of each second flat pipe communicates with the second liquid inlet pipe, and a second outlet (46 of 37a) of the each second flat pipe communicates with the second liquid outlet pipe; two through holes (ports 49 of 37) of the first flat pipe are a first through hole and second through hole respectively, two through holes (ports 49 of 37a) of the second flat pipe are a third through hole and a fourth through hole respectively, the first through hole corresponds to the second outlet, the second through hole corresponds to the second inlet, the third through hole is disposed corresponding to the first inlet, the fourth through hole is disposed corresponding to the first outlet, the first through hole communicates with the second liquid outlet pipe, the second through hole communicates with the second liquid inlet pipe, the third through hole communicates with the first liquid inlet pipe, and the fourth through hole communicates with the first liquid outlet pipe.
Regarding claim 3, Donaldson discloses the limitations of claim 1, and Donaldson further discloses the first liquid inlet pipe (52) and the second liquid outlet pipe (52a) are located at one end of the each first flat pipe, and the first liquid outlet pipe (53) and the second liquid inlet pipe (53a) are located at the other end of the each first flat pipe.
Regarding claim 4, Donaldson discloses the limitations of claim 2, and Donaldson further discloses the first liquid inlet pipe (52) and the second liquid outlet pipe (52a) are distributed along a width direction of the first flat pipe, and the first liquid outlet pipe (53) and the second liquid inlet pipe (53a) are distributed along the width direction of the first flat pipe.
Regarding claim 5, Donaldson discloses the limitations of claim 1, and Donaldson further discloses each flat pipe (37/37a) comprises two heat exchange plates which are connected together in a sealed manner, and the two heat exchange plates are symmetrically disposed relative to a preset symmetry plane.
Regarding claim 6, Donaldson discloses the limitations of claim 5, and Donaldson further discloses each heat exchange plate comprises a plate body (see body of 37/37a), a welding edge disposed at a periphery of the plate body, and a first convex surface and a second convex surface disposed at two ends of the plate body at intervals, and the welding edge, the first convex surface and the second convex surface are all located on a same side of the plate body; an area between plate bodies of the two heat exchange plates forms the refrigerant cavity, welding edges of the two heat exchange plates are welded together, first convex surfaces of the two heat exchange plates are welded together, and second convex surfaces of the two heat exchange plates are welded together; the inlet and the outlet are respectively located at two ends of the plate body, and the two through holes are respectively located on the first convex surface and the second convex surface (see Col. 2, lines 60-70).
Regarding claim 7, Donaldson discloses the limitations of claim 6, and Donaldson further discloses the inlet (45) and one of the two through holes (49) are distributed along a width direction of the heat exchange plate, and the outlet (46) and the other of the two through holes (other set of 49) are distributed along the width direction of the heat exchange plate.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Donaldson (US4002201) in view of Bemrose (US3670812).
Regarding claim 8-9, Donaldson teaches the limitations of claim 2, and Donaldson does not teach wherein the first liquid inlet pipe comprises a plurality of pipe sections which communicate in sequence, one end of each pipe section is connected with the first flat pipe in a sealed manner, and the other end of the each pipe section is connected with the second flat pipe in a sealed manner, and wherein the each pipe section comprises a pipe body and a first ring body and a second ring body respectively disposed at two ends of the pipe body, the first ring body is welded with an outer wall of the first flat pipe, and the second ring body is welded with an outer wall of the second flat pipe.
Bemrose teaches wherein the first liquid inlet pipe comprises a plurality of pipe sections (interconnector members 5) which communicate in sequence, one end of each pipe section is connected with the first flat pipe (1) in a sealed manner (via welding thereof – Col. 3, lines 15-20), and the other end of the each pipe section is connected with the second flat pipe (1) in a sealed manner, and wherein the each pipe section comprises a pipe body and a first ring body and a second ring body (flanges 6) respectively disposed at two ends of the pipe body, the first ring body is welded with an outer wall of the first flat pipe, and the second ring body is welded with an outer wall of the second flat pipe (welding Col. 3, lines 15-20).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Donaldson to include the pipe sections of Bemrose, as it has been held obvious to provide a simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results (see MPEP 2143 I B). In the instant case, the spacing means of Bemrose (interconnectors) would achieve the same purpose of the spacing means (38) of Donaldson.
Regarding claim 10, Donaldson teaches the limitations of claim 8, and Donaldson further teaches the first liquid inlet pipe, the second liquid inlet pipe, the first liquid outlet pipe and the second liquid outlet pipe have the same structure (see shapes of 52/52a/53/53a).
Conclusion
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/ERIC S RUPPERT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763