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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on December 9, 2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
This Office action is in response to the amendments filed with the abovementioned request for continued examination filed on December 9, 2025.
Receipt and entry of the replacement drawing for Figure 1, the amendments to the specification, the amended abstract, and the amended claims are acknowledged.
Applicant’s statement of the substance of the interview held on November 25, 2025 is acknowledged and is acceptable.
Claims 1, 2, and 4 through 18 are pending, all as amended directly or indirectly.
Response to Arguments
Upon reconsideration in view of the amendments and persuasive arguments filed on December 9, 2025, the examiner hereby withdraws the various objections and rejections as cited in the previous Office action.
Drawings
The replacement drawings for Figure 1 were received on December 9, 2025. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 4 through 7, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (U.S. Patent No. 7,948,767 B2).
With regard to claim 1 of the instant application, Chen discloses a heat dissipation structure 1 essentially as claimed, including, for example: a plate 16; a heating element comprising a housing (broadly readable on protection layer 14) having a first surface attached to the plate 16, and a second side opposite and parallel to the first surface and having an opening (i.e., as shown in the figures), and a heater or semiconductor die 10 positioned inside the housing 14 and facing the opening on the second side and from which heat is emitted; a vapor chamber or heat pipe 122 (i.e., see column 4, lines 28-32) in thermal contact with the heater or die 10 via the opening and configured to receive and diffuse the heat emitted from the heater or die 10; a thermal pad (i.e., readable on bond pads 17) configured to transfer the heat received from the vapor chamber or heat pipe 122 to a heat sink or fins 124 (i.e., at least indirectly as broadly interpreted as required); and, the heat sink or fins 124 attached to the thermal pad or bond pads 17 (i.e., at least indirectly as broadly interpreted as required) and configured to emit the heat received from the thermal pad or bond pads 17.
With regard to claim 2 of the instant application, Chen further discloses a thermal compound or thermal adhesive in gap 11 (i.e., see column 5, lines 39-42) applied between the heating element or die 10 plus housing 14 and the vapor chamber or heat pipe 122 (i.e., as shown in Figure 6E, for example) to transfer heat from the heating element to the vapor chamber or heat pipe 122.
With regard to claim 4 of the instant application, Chen further discloses that the thermal compound in gap 11 is applied on an upper surface of the heater or die 10 as shown in at least Figure 6E.
With regard to claim 5 of the instant application, Chen further discloses that the vapor chamber or heat pipe 122 comprises a protrusion (i.e., rounded bottom end of the heat pipe 122 as shown in at least Figure 6E) at least partially inserted into the opening on the second side of the housing 14.
With regard to claim 6 of the instant application, Chen further discloses that the thermal pad or bond pads 17 is configured to bond the vapor chamber or heat pipe 122 and the heat sink (i.e., in this case the heat sink being alternately and broadly readable as required on the bottom portion of housing 18 in Figure 6E at least).
With regard to claim 7 of the instant application, Chen further discloses at least one connector (i.e., broadly readable on the bottom portion of the housing 18 as shown in Figure 6E) connecting the vapor chamber or heat pipe 122 and the plate 16 (i.e., as shown in Figure 6E at least).
With regard to claim 11 of the instant application, Chen further discloses that the thermal compound in gap 11 is at an interface directly between the vapor chamber or heat pipe 122 and the heater or die 10 (i.e., as shown in Figure 6E).
The reference thus reads on the claims.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 through 10 and 12 through 18 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record does not show nor reasonably suggest the heat dissipation structure including all of the various elements in combination which are structurally and functionally interrelated as recited in claims 8 through 10 and 12 through 18 of the instant application.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LJILJANA V CIRIC whose telephone number is (571)272-4909. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Saturday, flexible.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Len Tran can be reached at 571-272-1184. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Ljiljana V. Ciric/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
LJILJANA (Lil) V. CIRIC
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3763