3Notice 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 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.
Claim 10 is 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.
The term “near” in claim 10 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “near” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Specifically, it is unclear how close in proximity a plurality of fins have to be to the second exhaust outlet and the third exhaust outlet in order to read on being “near”. Thus, this limitation renders claim 10 indefinite.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 8-9, 11-13, 15, 18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zou (CN203233628U), referring to the English translation dated 08/28/2026.
Regarding claim 1, Zou teaches
a fan module for an electronic device (fig. 1), the fan module comprising:
a first cover (top 12 of shell 1, fig. 1);
a second cover (bottom wall of shell 1, fig. 1);
an input/output (IO) board adjacent the second cover (PCB 2), the second cover and IO board positioned beneath the first cover (fig. 1); and
a fan between the first cover and the second cover (fan 4B), the fan to operate above the second cover and a portion of the IO board (above bottom wall of shell 1 and PCB 2, fig. 1)
Regarding claim 2, Zou teaches the fan module of claim 1, further including
a housing (shielding cover 3) having a wall coupled to the IO board (partition 33, fig 1), the wall defining a first compartment (second shielding chamber 32) and a second compartment (first shielding chamber 31)
Regarding claim 3, Zou teaches the fan module of claim 2,
wherein the fan is in the first compartment (second shielding chamber 32), the fan is to create forced airflow in the first compartment, and the fan to create induced airflow in the second compartment (as shown on fig. 1, exhausting forced air from the second shielding chamber 32 downstream of fan 4B and inducing airflow through first shielding chamber 31 upstream of fan 4B)
Regarding claim 8, Zou teaches the fan module of claim 2,
wherein the first compartment includes a first exhaust outlet and a second exhaust outlet (two shielding cover air outlets 44, as shown on fig. 1), and the second compartment includes a third exhaust outlet (exchange air ports 34)
Regarding claim 9, Zou teaches the fan module of claim 8,
wherein the fan is to create a low pressure at the second exhaust outlet and the third exhaust outlet (due to fan 4B moving air through the system as shown on fig. 1, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that fan would create a low pressure at the second exhaust outlet and the third exhaust outlet; additionally, due to “fan is to create” language, this limitation is also regarded as an intended use limitation and thus not required to be taught by the prior art)
Regarding claim 11, Zou teaches
an apparatus to cool an electronic device (fig. 1), the apparatus comprising:
first compartment (second shielding chamber 32);
a second compartment (first shielding chamber 31);
a wall separating the first compartment and the second compartment (partition 33); and
a fan positioned in the first compartment (fan 4B), the fan to exhaust air from the first compartment and induce airflow in the second compartment (as shown on fig. 1, exhausting air from the second shielding chamber 32 downstream of fan 4B and inducing airflow through first shielding chamber 31 upstream of fan 4B)
Regarding claim 12, Zou teaches the apparatus of claim 11, further including
a first cover over the first compartment and the second compartment (top 12 of shell 1, fig. 1)
Regarding claim 13, Zou teaches the apparatus of claim 12, further including
a second cover beneath the first compartment (bottom wall of shell 1, fig. 1), and an input/output (IO) board beneath the second compartment (PCB 2, fig. 1), a portion of the IO board positioned in the first compartment (ports of PCB 2 positioned in second shielding chamber 32, fig. 1)
Regarding claim 15, Zou teaches the apparatus of claim 11, further including
an input/output (IO) board beneath the first compartment and the second compartment (PCB 2 beneath second shielding chamber 32 and first shielding chamber 31, fig. 1)
Regarding claim 18, Zou teaches the apparatus of claim 11,
wherein the first compartment has a first outlet (shielding cover air outlet 44) and the second compartment has a second outlet (exchange air ports 34), the second outlet adjacent the first outlet (as shown on fig. 1), the fan to create a low pressure at the first outlet and adjacent second outlet, the low pressure to induce the airflow in the second compartment (due to fan 4B moving air through the system as shown on fig. 1, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that fan would create a low pressure at the first exhaust outlet and the second exhaust outlet; additionally, due to “fan to create” and “the low pressure to induce” language, this limitation is also regarded as an intended use limitation and thus not required to be taught by the prior art)
Regarding claim 20, Zou teaches
a fan module for an electronic device (fig. 1) comprising:
a first cover (top 12 of shell 1, fig. 1);
a second cover (bottom wall of shell 1, fig. 1) coupled to the first cover (via left and right walls of shell 1, fig. 1);
a housing positioned between the first cover and the second cover (shielding cover 3), the housing having a wall (partition 33) defining a first compartment (second shielding chamber 32) and a second compartment (first shielding chamber 31);
a fan positioned in the first compartment (fan 4B), the fan having a fan inlet (bottom side of fan 4B) and a fan outlet (top side of fan 4B), the fan to generate forced airflow through the first compartment between the fan inlet and the fan outlet, the fan to cause a low pressure at the fan outlet (as shown on fig. 1, exhausting forced air from the second shielding chamber 32 downstream of fan 4B; due to fan 4B moving air through the system as shown on fig. 1, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that fan would create a low pressure at the fan outlet; additionally, due to “fan to generate” and “fan to cause” language, this limitation is also regarded as an intended use limitation and thus not required to be taught by the prior art); and
an input/output (IO) compartment having IO components positioned in the second compartment (components of PCB 2 positioned in first shielding chamber 31, fig. 1),
the wall restricting the forced airflow from the first compartment to the second compartment (fig. 1),
the housing having a housing inlet (shielding cover air inlet 43) and a housing outlet (shielding cover air outlet 44) in fluid communication with the second compartment (fig. 1), the housing outlet being in fluid communication with the fan outlet (fig. 1) such that the low pressure at the fan outlet causes a pressure differential between the housing inlet and the housing outlet to induce airflow in the IO compartment from the housing inlet to the housing outlet (as shown on fig. 1, exhausting air from the second shielding chamber 32 downstream of fan 4B and inducing airflow through first shielding chamber 31 upstream of fan 4B; thus fan 4B causing pressure differential), the wall restricting the induced airflow from the second compartment to the first compartment (partition 33, fig. 1), the induced airflow to remove heat generated by the IO components positioned in the second compartment (via “heat dissipation structure 4” of fig. 1; additionally, due to “the induced airflow to remove” language, this limitation is also regarded as an intended use limitation and thus not required to be taught by the prior art)
Claim(s) 11 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li (CN112462859A), referring to the English translation dated 08/28/2026.
Regarding claim 11, Li teaches
an apparatus to cool an electronic device (fig. 1; “The invention belongs to the field of computer heat dissipation, and particularly relates to a notebook computer refrigeration and ash removal radiator” [002]), the apparatus comprising:
first compartment (first space 13);
a second compartment (first groove 25);
a wall separating the first compartment and the second compartment (outer walls of second space 36, fig. 1); and
a fan positioned in the first compartment (fan blade 21), the fan to exhaust air from the first compartment and induce airflow in the second compartment (“The dust entering the first space 13 is blown by the fan blade 21. At the same time, the air entering the first space 13 will be blown into the first through hole 37 by the fan blade 21” [0029]; thus, fan blade 21 exhaust air from first space 13 via first through hole 37, wherein airflow out of first through hole 37 induces airflow in first groove 25)
Regarding claim 19, Li teaches the apparatus of claim 11,
wherein the induced airflow is a closed loop airflow along a chassis edge of the electronic device (“The dust entering the first space 13 is blown by the fan blade 21. At the same time, the air entering the first space 13 will be blown into the first through hole 37 by the fan blade 21 to enter the notebook computer from the side, thus forming a closed loop to continue to the notebook computer. Perform heat dissipation”) [0029]; closed loop airflow system of Li to “enter the notebook computer from the side” at first through hole 37, thus along a chassis edge of the electronic device)
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) 4, 7 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Zou (CN203233628U), referring to the English translation dated 08/28/2026, in view of Low (US6404626B1).
Regarding claim 4, Zou does not teach the fan module of claim 3,
wherein the second compartment includes one or more IO ports
Low teaches
wherein the second compartment includes one or more IO ports (side opening 20 of housing 21, fig. 1A)
While Zou teaches the first shielding chamber 31 including components of PCB 2 on fig. 1, Zou does not explicitly teach the second compartment includes one or more IO ports for routing to these PCB 2 components. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the side opening 20 of Low, to the first shielding chamber 31 in order to effectively allow connection to the PCB 2.
Regarding claim 7, Zou teaches the fan module of claim 2,
wherein the wall is a first wall (partition 33 is first wall)
Zou does not teach
the housing includes a second wall, the second wall to support one or more IO ports
Low teaches
the housing includes a second wall, the second wall to support one or more IO ports (wall of housing 21 comprising side opening 20, fig. 1A)
While Zou teaches the first shielding chamber 31 including components of PCB 2 on fig. 1, Zou does not explicitly teach the second compartment includes one or more IO ports for routing to these PCB 2 components. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the side opening 20 of Low, to the first shielding chamber 31 in order to effectively allow connection to the PCB 2.
Regarding claim 16, Zou teaches the apparatus of claim 11,
wherein the wall is a first wall (partition 33 is first wall)
Zou does not teach the apparatus further including:
one or more input/output (IO) ports in the second compartment; and
a second wall including a connection stiffener for the one or more IO ports
Low teaches the apparatus further including:
one or more input/output (IO) ports in the second compartment (side opening 20 of housing 21, fig. 1A)
a second wall including a connection stiffener for the one or more IO ports (wall of housing 21 comprising side opening 20 further comprising jack 26 with stiffener 36, fig. !A and 2D-2E)
While Zou teaches the first shielding chamber 31 including components of PCB 2 on fig. 1, Zou does not explicitly teach the second compartment includes one or more IO ports for routing to these PCB 2 components. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the side opening 20 and jack 26 with stiffener 36 of Low, to the first shielding chamber 31 in order to effectively allow connection to the PCB 2, wherein the stiffener ensures port stability and longevity.
Claim(s) 5 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Zou (CN203233628U), referring to the English translation dated 08/28/2026, in view of Rehmann (US20090147455A1) and Xing (CN109002151A), referring to the English translation dated 08/28/2026.
Regarding claim 5, Zou does not teach the fan module of claim 2, further including
an insulation layer on the second cover, the portion of the IO board, and a side of the wall oriented in the first compartment
Rehmann (US20090147455A1) teaches
an insulation layer on the second cover (“Thus, in order to reduce user discomfort from extended in use of the laptop computer 500 , particles may be embedded within a material for the housing 526 or the housing 526 may include a coating that includes particles that cover a material. When a coating is used, the coating can be applied to an inner surface of the housing 526 , an outer surface of the housing 526 , or both the inner and outer surfaces of the housing 526” [0041]; “The housing top piece 626 , the housing bottom piece 628 , or both may include particles within a material or may have a separate coating on an inner surface and outer surface, or both an inner surface and outer surface of the material” [0043]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the coating of Rehmann, applied to housing top piece 626 and housing bottom piece 628 of Rehmann, to the top 12 and bottom wall of shell 1 of Zou, in order to “reduce the thermal conduction rate through the housing” [0041 of Rehmann], thus “reduce user discomfort from extended in use of the laptop computer” [0041 of Rehmann].
Further, Xing teaches heat insulating layer 2 on the top, bottom, and each wall of the main body 1 comprising the fan assembly (first fan 10 and second fan 13). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the heat insulating layer 2 of Xing to the second shielding chamber 32 of Zou (comprising fan 4B), since “the main body 1 is prevented from being heated by the large amount of heat accumulated inside” [0030 of Xing].
Thus, the combination teaches
an insulation layer on the portion of the IO board, and a side of the wall oriented in the first compartment (heat insulating layer 2 of Xing as applied to second shielding chamber 32 of Zou would comprise the heat insulating layer 2 on PCB 2 and partition 33)
Regarding claim 14, Zou does not teach the apparatus of claim 13, further including
an insulation layer on the second cover and the portion of the IO board beneath the first compartment
Rehmann teaches
an insulation layer on the second cover (“Thus, in order to reduce user discomfort from extended in use of the laptop computer 500 , particles may be embedded within a material for the housing 526 or the housing 526 may include a coating that includes particles that cover a material. When a coating is used, the coating can be applied to an inner surface of the housing 526 , an outer surface of the housing 526 , or both the inner and outer surfaces of the housing 526” [0041]; “The housing top piece 626 , the housing bottom piece 628 , or both may include particles within a material or may have a separate coating on an inner surface and outer surface, or both an inner surface and outer surface of the material” [0043]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the coating of Rehmann, applied to housing top piece 626 and housing bottom piece 628 of Rehmann, to the top 12 and bottom wall of shell 1 of Zou, in order to “reduce the thermal conduction rate through the housing” [0041 of Rehmann], thus “reduce user discomfort from extended in use of the laptop computer” [0041 of Rehmann].
Further, Xing teaches heat insulating layer 2 on the top, bottom, and each wall of the main body 1 comprising the fan assembly (first fan 10 and second fan 13). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the heat insulating layer 2 of Xing to the second shielding chamber 32 of Zou (comprising fan 4B), since “the main body 1 is prevented from being heated by the large amount of heat accumulated inside” [0030 of Xing].
Thus, the combination teaches
an insulation layer on the portion of the IO board beneath the first compartment (heat insulating layer 2 of Xing as applied to second shielding chamber 32 of Zou would comprise the heat insulating layer 2 on PCB 2 and partition 33)
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Zou (CN203233628U), referring to the English translation dated 08/28/2026, in view of Bodenweber (US20160165755A1).
Regarding claim 6, Zou teaches the fan module of claim 2,
wherein the second compartment includes an inlet (shielding cover air inlet 43)
Zou does not teach
a plurality of pin fins adjacent the inlet
Bodenweber teaches
a plurality of pin fins adjacent the inlet (fins 30a adjacent inlet 18′)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the fins 30a of Bodenweber to first shielding chamber 31 of Zou, in order to provide a heat sink to dissipate heat and thus further improve the cooling effects of the system.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Zou (CN203233628U), referring to the English translation dated 08/28/2026, in view of Wu (US8693184B2).
Regarding claim 10, Zou does not teach the fan module of claim 8, further including
a plurality of fins at or near the second exhaust outlet and the third exhaust outlet
Wu teaches
a plurality of fins at or near the third exhaust outlet (“heat-dissipating fins 106 a of the heat-dissipating module 106 are located between the first outlet 104 b of the fan module 104 and the first heat-dissipating vent 102 a of the lower part 102”) [0034]
Zou teaches shielding cover air outlet 44 and exchange air ports 34 reading on the second exhaust outlet and the third exhaust outlet, however does not teach a plurality of fins at or near the second exhaust outlet and the third exhaust outlet. Therefore, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the heat-dissipating fins 106a of Wu (located between the first outlet 104b and first heat-dissipating vent 102a) between the shielding cover air outlet 44 and housing air outlet 42 of Zou, “so as to effectively dissipate the heat generated by the first heat source 108 a of the circuit board 108” [0034 of Wu].
While Zou, as modified, by Wu, does not teach a plurality of fins also located at the second exhaust outlet, the claim requires a plurality of fins at or near the second exhaust outlet and the third exhaust outlet. Therefore, due to the proximity of shielding cover air outlet 44 and exchange air ports 34 on fig. 1 of Zou, the modification of Zou in view of Wu reads on the dissipating fins 106a between the shielding cover air outlet 44 and housing air outlet 42 of Zou as near exchange air ports 34.
Thus, the combination teaches
a plurality of fins at or near the second exhaust outlet and the third exhaust outlet (dissipating fins 106a of Wu, as provided between the shielding cover air outlet 44 and housing air outlet 42 of Zou, located at the shielding cover air outlet 44 and near the exchange air ports 34)
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Zou (CN203233628U), referring to the English translation dated 08/28/2026, in view of Xing (CN109002151A), referring to the English translation dated 08/28/2026.
Regarding claim 17, Zou teaches the apparatus of claim 11, further including
an insulation layer on the wall in the first compartment
Xing teaches heat insulating layer 2 on the top, bottom, and each wall of the main body 1 comprising the fan assembly (first fan 10 and second fan 13). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the heat insulating layer 2 of Xing to the second shielding chamber 32 of Zou (comprising fan 4B), since “the main body 1 is prevented from being heated by the large amount of heat accumulated inside” [0030 of Xing].
Thus, the combination teaches
an insulation layer on the wall in the first compartment (heat insulating layer 2 of Xing as applied to second shielding chamber 32 of Zou would comprise the heat insulating layer 2 on partition 33)
Conclusion
The prior art of record not relied upon includes:
Kulkarni (US20210173443A1) and Chin (US20210165472A1), which teach a similar fan module for an electronic device to that claimed
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRETT P. MALLON whose telephone number is (571)272-4749. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday from 8am to 5pm.
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/BRETT P. MALLON/Examiner, Art Unit 3762 /MICHAEL G HOANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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