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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 10-19 have been considered but are moot because Applicant’s amendments have the caused the formality issues being raised in the instant action.
Claim Objections
Claims 10-19 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 10, line 8, “each rack-receiving regions” should be “each of the rack-receiving regions”; and
Claim 10, lines 8-9, “the enclosure” should be “the server rack enclosure”.
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 10-19 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.
Claims 10, 13-15, 18, and 19, it is unclear whether “the server rack having a front portion and a rear portion” is being positively claimed. See also references to “the server racks” in claims 13, 14, 18, and 19;
Claim 10, line 1, requires “at least one server rack” whereas lines 7-11 requires “a plurality of rack-receiving regions, each rack-receiving region including an opening positioned at a rear side of the enclosure and dimensioned to receive a rear portion of a corresponding server rack” which indicates that there is actually a plurality of server racks;
Claim 10, lines 5 and 9 each require “rear portion.’ Should “rear portion” of line 9 have antecedence in “rear portion” of claim 5?
Claim 10, line 13; and Claim 15, lines 9-10 require “the rear portion of the server racks.” The Examiner understands that each of the server racks has a rear portion, so did Applicant intend to claim “the rear portions of the server racks”?
Claim 15, line 1 requires “server racks” and lines 6-8 requires “one or more a plurality of openings each configured to accommodate a rear portion of a corresponding one of the server racks” which indicates that there is actually a plurality of openings; and
Claim 15, lines 4 and 7 each require “rear portion.’ Should “rear portion” of line 7 have antecedence in “rear portion” of claim 4?
Suggested Claim Amendments
The Examiner is suggesting the following claim amendment to address issues raised above and clarify the scope of the invention.
10. A cooling assembly for cooling a plurality of server racks, the server racks each having a front portion and a rear portion, the cooling assembly comprising:
a server rack enclosure comprising:
panels defining a volume in which the server racks are disposed,
at least one frame member configured to be located between the front portions and the rear portions of the server racks, the at least one frame member defining a plurality of rack-receiving regions, each of the rack-receiving regions including an opening positioned at a rear side of the server rack enclosure and dimensioned to receive [[a]] the rear portion of a corresponding one of the server racks such that the rear portions of the s cooperates with the at least one frame member to form a hot space between the rear panel, the side panels, and a combination of the at least one frame member and the rear portions of the server racks;
a cooling system in thermal communication with the hot space to enable cooling of at least one server supported in the server racks, the server rack enclosure including one or more structural members that support at least one heat exchanger within the server rack enclosure, the at least one heat exchanger being in thermal communication with the hot space, the at least one heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between a fluid flowing through the at least one heat exchanger and another fluid flowing through the hot space that has been heated by the at least one server; and
at least one fluid supply line and at least one fluid return line supported by the one or more structural members, the at least one fluid supply line and the at least one fluid return line in thermal and fluid communication with the at least one heat exchanger.
11. The cooling assembly according to claim 10, wherein the at least one frame member includes one or more horizontal frame members, one or more vertical frame members, or combinations thereof.
12. The cooling assembly according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more horizontal frame members is supported by at least one of the one or more vertical frame members.
13. The cooling assembly according to claim 11, wherein the one or more vertical frame members and/or the one or more horizontal frame members includes a seal, the seal configured to form more vertical frame members and/or the one or more horizontal frame members and (2) between the front portions and the rear portions of the server racks.
14. The cooling assembly according to claim 10, wherein the rear panel includes at least one door configured to enable access to the rear portions of the server racks.
15. A cooling assembly for cooling server racks, the server racks each having a front portion and a rear portion, the cooling system comprising:
a server rack enclosure comprising:
panels defining a volume in which the server racks are disposed,
at least one frame member configured to be between the front portions and the rear portions of the server racks, the at least one frame member defining a plurality of openings each configured to accommodate [[a]] the rear portion of a corresponding one of the server racks to form a hot space between the rear panel, the side panels, and a combination of the at least one frame member and the rear portion of the corresponding one of the server racks;
a cooling system in thermal communication with the hot space to enable cooling of at least one server supported in the server racks, the server rack enclosure including one or more structural members that support at least one heat exchanger within the server rack enclosure, the at least one heat exchanger being in thermal communication with the hot space, the at least one heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between a first fluid flowing through the at least one heat exchanger and a second fluid flowing through the hot space that has been heated by the at least one server; and
at least one fan supported by the one or more structural members, the at least one fan being: (a) in fluid communication with the at least one heat exchanger to enable the cooling of the at least one server and (b) configured to draw the second fluid flowing in the hot space through the at least one heat exchanger and over a top of the server rack enclosure.
16. The cooling assembly according to claim 15, wherein the at least one frame member includes one or more horizontal frame members, one or more vertical frame members, or a combination thereof.
17. The cooling assembly according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more horizontal frame members is supported by one or more of the one or more vertical frame members.
18. The cooling assembly according to claim 16, wherein one or more of the one or more vertical frame members, or one or more of the one or more horizontal frame members, or both the one or more of the one or more vertical frame members and the one or more of the one or more horizontal frame members includes a seal, the seal configured to form members and (2) between the front portions and the rear portions of the server racks.
19. The cooling assembly according to claim 15, wherein the rear panel includes at least one door configured to enable access to the rear portions of the server racks.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT J HOFFBERG whose telephone number is (571) 272-2761. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon - Fri 9 AM - 5 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached on (571) 272-3740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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RJH 5/16/2026
/ROBERT J HOFFBERG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835
Prosecution Insights