DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Remarks
2. Claims 1-5, 8-10, and 13-15 have been examined and rejected. This Office action is responsive to the amendment filed on July 2, 2026, which has been entered in the above identified application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
4. Claims 1-5, 8-10, and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Stock et al (U.S. Patent No. 9,075,581).
4-1. Regarding claims 1, 8, and 13, Stock teaches the claim comprising: a chassis, by disclosing a motherboard 109 [column 2, lines 41-46; figure 1].
Stock teaches a plurality of information handling resources enclosed within the chassis and including a first information handling resource and a second information handling resource, by disclosing a central processing unit 110A/110B and memory modules 112A [column 2, lines 47-53].
Stock teaches an air shroud enclosed within the chassis, by disclosing plenum 200 [column 3, lines 28-32] that is mounted over top the computer motherboard [column 3, lines 46-49; column 4, lines 62-64; figure 6].
Stock teaches that the air shroud including a plurality of channels including at least: a first channel configured to direct a first airflow driven by one or more chassis-level air movers from outside the chassis into the chassis and proximate to the first information handling resource, by disclosing one or more of the cooling fans 240 that cause a flow of cooling air to move into inlet 222 [column 3, lines 35-41; figure 5] and through a passageway formed by the bottom and top portions of the plenum that surrounds CPU 110A [column 6, lines 43-45].
Stock teaches a second channel configured to direct a second airflow driven by the one or more chassis-level air movers from outside the chassis into the chassis and proximate to the second information handling resource, by disclosing a passageway formed by the bottom and top portions of the plenum that draws air to memory module 112A [column 6, lines 40-43].
Stock teaches a shroud air mover mechanically coupled to the air shroud and fluidically coupled to the second channel via an opening formed in the air shroud and fluidically interfaced between the second channel and the shroud air mover, wherein the shroud air mover comprises a fan and/or a blower, by disclosing one of the cooling fans 240 that cause a flow of cooling air to move into inlet 222 and that affect the position of flap 452 [column 3, lines 35-41; column 9, lines 29-48]. Since Stock discloses that the plurality of cooling fans 240 comprises three or more cooling fans [column 5, lines 35-39], certain ones of cooling fans 240 may be interpreted as the shroud air movers while other ones of the cooling fans 240 may be interpreted as the one or more chassis-level air movers.
Stock teaches the shroud air mover configured to operate in a plurality of modes comprising: a first mode in which the shroud air mover is inactive; and a second mode in which the shroud air mover is active such that the shroud air mover draws the second airflow from the second channel through the opening formed in the air shroud and expels the second airflow out of the air shroud toward one or more components downstream of the air shroud, such that the second airflow through the second channel is greater in the second mode than in the first mode, by disclosing that the operational state of the cooling fans may be in a first or second operational state wherein in a first operational state the flap 452 may be held in a first one of the open and closed positions, and when the fans are in a second operational state, the flap may move to the second of the open and closed positions [column 9, lines 36-42]. Thus, in a first mode, the cooling fans are inactive and in a second mode, the cooling fans are active such that airflow to the memory module 112A is greater. The lower portion 220 of the plenum is designed to be mounted over top of a computer motherboard, and apertures 225, 226, 228, 230 are configured so that certain electrical components on the computer motherboard will protrude upward through the apertures and into the interior of the air plenum [column 3, lines 46-52]. The memory module 112A protrudes upward through the aperture 228 on the lower surface of the lower portion 220 of the air plenum [column 3, lines 58-61]. Thus, when the cooling fans are active, airflow will be directed to the memory module 112A, and some air will flow out of the aperture 228 and out of the plenum such that the airflow through the aperture 228 is greater when the cooling fans are active than when the cooling fans are inactive.
4-2. Regarding claims 2 and 14, Stock teaches all the limitations of claims 1 and 13 respectively, further comprising a management controller configured to: based on a temperature associated with the second information handling resource, determine a selected mode from the plurality of modes; and control operation of the shroud air mover based on the selected mode, by disclosing a controller for the cooling fans that can vary the rotational speed of the fans in response to a temperature signal from a temperature sensor [column 5, lines 40-46].
4-3. Regarding claims 3 and 15, Stock teaches all the limitations of claims 1 and 13 respectively, wherein: the first information handling resource comprises a processor; and the second information handling resource comprises a memory, by disclosing a central processing unit 110A/110B and memory modules 112A [column 2, lines 47-53].
4-4. Regarding claims 4 and 9, Stock teaches all the limitations of claims 1 and 8 respectively, further comprising a second opening formed in the air shroud and fluidically interfaced between the second channel and a volume of the chassis external to the air shroud, by disclosing an auxiliary opening formed in the plenum to admit cooling air into the plenum at selected locations [column 9, lines 29-35].
4-5. Regarding claims 5 and 10, Stock teaches all the limitations of claims 4 and 9 respectively, further comprising an air flapper mechanically coupled to the air shroud proximate to the second opening and configured to: assume an open position in the first mode such that airflow through the second channel exits the air shroud via the second opening; and assume a closed position in the second mode to prevent recirculation of air expelled from the shroud air mover, by disclosing a pivot joint 454 of a flap 452 that is spring loaded into the closed or opened position [column 9, lines 31-37]. When the fans coupled to the plenum are in first operational state, the flap 452 may be held in a first one of the open and closed positions, and when the fans are in a second operational state, the flap may move to the second of the open and closed positions [column 9, lines 37-42]. The operational states comprise whether the fans are running or not [column 9, lines 42-48].
Response to Arguments
5. The Examiner acknowledges the Applicant’s amendments to claims 1, 8, and 13.
Regarding independent claim 1, Applicant alleges that Stock et al (U.S. Patent No. 9,075,581) does not teach a shroud air mover that draws the second airflow out of the channel through an opening in the air shroud and expels it out of the air shroud toward downstream components, because Stock’s air movers propel air along the plenum from inlet to outlet.
Contrary to Applicant’s arguments, and after further consideration, Stock discloses that the lower portion 220 of the plenum is designed to be mounted over top of a computer motherboard, and apertures 225, 226, 228, 230 are configured so that certain electrical components on the computer motherboard will protrude upward through the apertures and into the interior of the air plenum [column 3, lines 46-52]. The memory module 112A protrudes upward through the aperture 228 on the lower surface of the lower portion 220 of the air plenum [column 3, lines 58-61]. Thus, when the cooling fans are active, airflow will be directed to the memory module 112A, and some air will flow out of the aperture 228 and out of the plenum such that the airflow through the aperture 228 is greater when the cooling fans are active than when the cooling fans are inactive.
Regarding dependent claims 5 and 10, Applicant alleges that Stock’s flap closes when the fans are inactive and opens when they are active, which is the reverse of the claimed flapper.
Contrary to Applicant’s arguments, while [column 9, lines 42-48] provides one example of holding the flap 452 closed when the fans are not running and opening the flap 452 when the fans begin to run, this is only an example that is provided. Stock discloses other configurations are possible by reciting that when fans coupled to the plenum are in first operational state, the flap 452 may be held in a first one of the open and closed positions, and when the fans are in a second operational state, the flap may move to the second of the open and closed positions [column 9, lines 37-42]. Thus, there may be provided a configuration where the flap 452 is held in a closed position when the fans are active and in an open position when the fans are inactive.
Independent claims 8 and 13 contain similar limitations as claim 1 and thus, Stock is still considered to teach those claims.
Dependent claims 2-5, 9-10, and 14-15 recite all the limitations of the independent claims. As discussed above, Stock is still considered to teach claims 1, 8, and 13, and consequently, claims 2-5, 9-10, and 14-15 are rejected.
Conclusion
6. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALVIN H TAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8595. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10AM-6PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Scott Baderman can be reached at 571-272-3644. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALVIN H TAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2118
