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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 3/13/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 11, 13-18 and 20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claims 11, 13, 15, 16, 17 and 18 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nishi et al. (US 8,899,307B2). Regarding claim 11, Nishi discloses (figures 1 and 4) a cooler with two substantially parallel flow chambers (S1,S2), the cooler comprising three substantially plates (11C, 20, 11D), two of the plates (11C, 11D) forming a substantially planar structure at outer sides of the coolers, and an intermediate one (20) of the plates, which is interposed between the two of the plates, being shaped such that a flow of a fluid is divided into a plurality of flows after entering the cooler (see figure 4, the fluid after entering the inlet 21a, is divided into a plurality of flows separated by ribs 26), which always flows on both sides of the cooler simultaneously (the fluid flows across the width of the cooler includes two lateral sides of the cooler, figure 4), wherein a plurality of ribs (26) formed in the intermediate one of the plates support the two of the plates forming a substantially planar structure at outer sides of the cooler to form flow paths therebetween, and wherein the intermediate plate (20) comprise elongated holes (30a,30b,30c); wherein the cooler is configured such that a fluid introduced into the cooler first flows (21) along a flow path formed between the intermediate plate (20) and a first one of the two plates (11C), and subsequently flows through the elongated holes (30,a,b,c) to be introduced into a flow path (22) formed between the intermediate plate (20) and a second one of the two plates (11D).
Regarding claim 13, Nishi et al. discloses (figure 1) that at least one of the two of the plates (11C, D) comprises at least one inlet and/or outlet (21A, 22A).
Regarding claim 15, Nishi et al. discloses the fluid is guided through the cooler in a meandering or U-shaped. (figure 1 and figure 4).
Regarding claim 16, Nishi et al. discloses (figure 1) that the cooler has a mechanical internal pressure resistance corresponding to a maximum operating pressure of conventional refrigerants (the partition 20 has a certain thickness that is to provide adequate rigidity for the operation of the cooler).
Regarding claim 17, Nishi et al. discloses (figure 1) that the intermediate plate (20) is offset inwardly on at least one side.
Regarding claim 18, Nishi et al discloses (figure 1) that the cooler (10) is provided as a coolant cooler to cool an electronic device or as a direct refrigerant evaporator for refrigerants.
Claims 11, 13, 15, 16, 17 and 18 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dede (US 8,199,505)
. Regarding claim 11, Dede discloses (figures 1 and 2) a cooler with two substantially parallel flow chambers ( 151,153), the cooler comprising three substantially plates (112, 114, 116), two of the plates (112, 116) forming a substantially planar structure at outer sides of the coolers, and an intermediate one (114) of the plates, which is interposed between the two of the plates, being shaped such that a flow of a fluid is divided into a plurality of flows after entering the cooler (see figure 1 and 2, fluid after enter the inlet 118, split into different flows), which always flows on both sides of the cooler simultaneously (see figure 2), wherein a plurality of ribs (132, 115) formed in the intermediate one of the plates support the two of the plates forming a substantially planar structure at outer sides of the cooler to form flow paths therebetween, and wherein the intermediate plate (114) comprise elongated holes (122); wherein the cooler is configured such that a fluid introduced into the cooler first flows (151) along a flow path formed between the intermediate plate (114) and a first one of the two plates (112), and subsequently flows through the elongated holes (122) to be introduced into a flow path (153) formed between the intermediate plate (114) and a second one of the two plates (116).
Regarding claim 13, Dede et al. discloses (figure 1) that at least one of the two of the plates (116) comprises at least one inlet and/or outlet (126).
Regarding claim 15, Dede et al. discloses the fluid is guided through the cooler in a meandering or U-shaped. (figures 1 and 2 ).
Regarding claim 16, Dede et al. discloses (figure 1) that the cooler has a mechanical internal pressure resistance corresponding to a maximum operating pressure of conventional refrigerants (the partition 114 has a certain thickness that is to provide adequate rigidity for the operation of the cooler).
Regarding claim 17, Dede et al. discloses (figure 1) that the intermediate plate (114) is either completely flush with the two of the plates or is offset inwardly on at least one side.
Regarding claim 18, Dede et al discloses (figures 1 and 2) that the cooler (100) is provided as a coolant cooler to cool an electronic device or as a direct refrigerant evaporator for refrigerants.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 14 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishi et al. in view of Inagaki (US 7,571,759B2). Nishi substantially discloses all of applicant’s claimed invention as discussed above except for the limitation that at least one of the plate has a thickness of up to 0.5 mm (claim 14) and a ratio between a channel width and a thickness of one of the plate is greater than nine. Inagaki discloses ( figure 11 and column 15, lines 43-44) a cooler that has at least one of the plate (231,231) having a thickness of up to 0.5mm (tp is 0.1 mm) and a width channel (wf) is 1.5 mm, which therefore, has a ratio between a channel weidth and a thickness of one of the plate is greater than 9 for a purpose of obtaining a cooler with a weight and cooling performance as desired
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use Inagaki’s teaching in Nishi’s device for a purpose of obtaining a cooler with a weight and cooling performance as desired.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THO V DUONG whose telephone number is (571)272-4793. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 10-6PM.
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/THO V DUONG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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