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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 1/6/2026 has been entered.
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) 1, 5, 6, 10 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang (US PGPub No. 2006/0000588) in view of Danoual (WO 2019115942 A1) and Lee (KR 10-2006-0031261 A).
Regarding claim 1, Kang discloses a heat exchanger (heating panel 2), comprising a first plate (4) and a second plate (6) that are arranged in a stacked manner (Fig. 3), wherein the first plate comprises a first base plate (a planar portion of the plate 4 at the location of “4” in Figs 2 and 3) and first protrusions protruding from the first base plate (connecting members 4a and frustoconical portions around each connecting member 4a), and the second plate comprises a second base plate (a planar portion of the plate 6 at the location of “6” in Figs. 2 and 3) and second protrusions protruding from the second base plate (connecting member 6a and frustoconical portions around each connecting member 6a);
each of the first protrusions comprises a first protrusion top portion (a portion of a connecting member 4a in the circled area in the annotated figure below) and a first protrusion side portion arranged around the first protrusion top portion (a frustoconical portion around the connecting member 4a, see annotated figure below), wherein a thickness of the first plate throughout the first protrusion top portion is smaller than a thickness of the first plate throughout the first protrusion side portion (the circled area of the connecting member 4a has a groove “a” throughout the circled area having a thickness less than the thickness throughout the frustoconical portion); each of the second protrusions comprises a second protrusion top portion (a portion of a connecting member 6a in the circled area in the annotated figure below) and a second protrusion side portion arranged around the second protrusion top portion (a frustoconical portion around the connecting member 6a, see annotated figure below), wherein a thickness of the second plate throughout the second protrusion top portion is smaller than a thickness of the second plate throughout the second protrusion side portion (the circled area of the connecting member 6a has a groove “a” throughout the circled area having a thickness less than the thickness throughout the frustoconical portion), and the first protrusion top portion is fixedly connected to the second protrusion top portion (the non-punctured adjacent connecting members 4a and 6a as shown in annotated figure below are held and fixedly connected by bolts 14 and nuts 16 within punctured connecting members 4a and 6a, see Figs. 4-5 and paragraphs 0031-0032); and
the first base plate has a thickness of H1, the first protrusion has a height of h1 (the thickness of the plate 4 and height of the protrusion between the planar portion of the plate 4 and the connecting member 4a); and the second base plate has a thickness of H2, the second protrusion has a height of h2 (the thickness of the plate 6 and height of the protrusion between the planar portion of the plate 6 and the connecting member 6a).
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Kang fails to disclose wherein 0.2<= H1/h1<= 1; and/or, wherein 0.2 <= H2/h2 <= 1.
It is noted that the thickness and height of the protrusion are result effective. Danoual discloses that the thickness of the plate is adapted in order to optimize the thermal performance and the mechanical strength of the thermal control device (paragraph 7, page 8 of the translation). Therefore, it is understood that increasing the plate thickness also increase mechanical strength; and decrease plate thickness reduces heat conduction distance which increases thermal performance. Moreover, the protrusion height defines the channel height as shown in the figure 3 of Kang. Fig. 7 of Lee discloses an effect of the pressure drop (dPa) and heat transfer amount (Q) as the channel height (FH) varies, and such the effect suggests that the variation in protrusion height is result effective.
Since the claimed thickness and height are result effective, the ratio thereof is also result effective. One of ordinary skill in the art would perform routine optimization of the claimed ratio of thickness to height including the claimed range in order for optimum or balanced thermal performance/mechanical strength; and pressure loss/ heat transfer amount of the heat exchanger. Therefore, specifying the ratio of thickness to height in the claim is not novel.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein 0.2<= H1/h1<= 1; and/or, wherein 0.2 <= H2/h2 <= 1 in Kang as taught by Danoual and Lee through routine optimization.
Regarding claim 5, Kang as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein the first protrusion top portion is provided with a first planar portion facing the second protrusion, the second protrusion top portion is provided with a second planar portion facing the first protrusion, wherein the first planar portion is in contact with the second planar portion (the connected surfaces of both the 4a and 6a).
Regarding claim 6, Kang in claim 5 further discloses wherein a first recess bottom portion and a first recess side portion (see annotated figure below) arranged around the first recess bottom portion are provided at one side (recess or concave side of the protrusion 4a of plate 4), facing away from the second plate (facing away from plate 6), of the first protrusion; a second recess bottom portion and a second recess side portion (see annotated figure below) arranged around the second recess bottom portion are provided at one side (recess or concave side of the protrusion 6a of plate 6), facing away from the first plate (facing away from plate 4), of the second protrusion; and
wherein a curvature radius of the first recess bottom portion is smaller than that of the first recess side portion, and/or a curvature radius of the second recess bottom portion is smaller than that of the second recess side portion (the portion b of 4a and 6a has a curvature radius smaller than the curvature radius of the first and second recess side portions).
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Regarding claim 10, Kang as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein
the first plate further comprises a plurality of third protrusions protruding away from the second plate (see annotated figure below), and third recesses are formed at one side, facing the second plate, of the plurality of third protrusions (recess side of the third protrusions facing the plate 6 within the inner fluid pathway 12), respectively; and
the second plate further comprises a plurality of fourth protrusions protruding away from the first plate (see annotated figure below), and fourth recesses are formed at one side, facing the first plate, of the plurality of fourth protrusions (recess side of the fourth protrusions facing the plate 4 within the inner fluid pathway 12), respectively; and wherein
in a length direction of the heat exchanger, the first protrusions and the third recesses are alternately arranged, and the second protrusions and the fourth recesses are alternately arranged (the locations of the first/third protrusions; and second/fourth protrusions are alternately arranged along a length).
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Regarding claims 19-20, please see the rejection of claim 10 above.
Claim(s) 2 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang (US PGPub No. 2006/0000588) in view of Danoual (WO 2019115942 A1) and Lee (KR 10-2006-0031261 A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Narahara (JP 2000-146477 A).
Regarding claim 2, Kang as modified in claim 1 further discloses a heat exchanger wherein the first protrusion has a first recess recessed relative to the first base plate (a concave side of the protrusion of the plate 4), and the second protrusion has a second recess recessed relative to the second base plate (a concave side of the protrusion of the plate 6), wherein an orthographic projection area of a fixed region, at which the first protrusion top portion and the second protrusion top portion are fixed to each other, on a plane in which the first base plate is located is represented as “s” (a circular area where the adjacent connecting members 4a and 6a connect);
an orthographic projection area of the first protrusion on the plane in which the first base plate is located is represented as “s1” (a circular area of the protrusion at the base of the cone coplanar with the plate 4); and/or
an orthographic projection area of the second protrusion on the plane in which the second base plate is located is represented as “s2” (a circular area of the protrusion at the base of the cone coplanar with the plate 4).
Kang fails to disclose wherein 2.5 <= (s+s1)/h1 <=8; and/or 2.5 <= (s+s2)/h2 <=8.
The protrusion heights h1 and h2 are effectively determine the pressure drop and heat transfer as noted in claim 1. Narahara discloses that if the bead is formed too small, it results poor durability; and if the bead is formed too large, the number of beads in the limited space occupied by the heat exchanger decreases and it becomes a product with inferior performance (paragraph 0026). The claimed projection areas s, s1 and s2 directly define the size of the beads or projections. Therefore, the areas s, s1 and s2 are also result effective. Since the claimed projection areas s, s1 and s2; and h1 and h2 are result effective, the ratio thereof is also result effective. Any variation of the areas and heights effectively vary the performance of the heat exchanger including the ratio claimed. Therefore, specifying the ratio of areas to the height in the claim is not novel. One of ordinary skill in the art would perform routine optimization of the claimed ratio including the claimed range in order for optimum or balanced thermal performance/mechanical strength; and pressure loss/ heat transfer amount of the heat exchanger.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein 2.5 <= (s+s1)/h1 <=8; and/or 2.5 <= (s+s2)/h2 <=8 in Kang as taught by Narahara through routine optimization.
Regarding claim 16, please see the rejection of claim 10 above.
Claim(s) 7 and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang (US PGPub No. 2006/0000588) in view of Danoual (WO 2019115942 A1) and Lee (KR 10-2006-0031261 A) as applied to claims 1 and 3-6 above, and further in view of Kouno (US Patent No. 6,199,750).
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang (US PGPub No. 2006/0000588) in view of Danoual (WO 2019115942 A1), Lee (KR 10-2006-0031261 A) and Narahara (JP 2000-146477 A) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Kouno (US Patent No. 6,199,750).
Regarding claims 7 and 14-15, Kang as modified fails to disclose wherein the first plate and the second plate each is an aluminum alloy plate; and wherein one side, facing the second protrusion, of the first plate is provided with a composite layer; and/or one side, facing the first protrusion, of the second plate is provided with a composite layer; and the first protrusion top portion and the second protrusion top portion are fixed to each other by welding.
Kouno discloses wherein the first plate and the second plate each is an aluminum alloy plate (joined plates 6 in Figs. 3C-3D are aluminum alloy, col. 8, lines 17-25); and wherein one side, facing the second protrusion, of the first plate is provided with a composite layer (a slime like flux 21 made of fluoride based flux and synthetic resin, col. 5, lines 30-36, is applied on bottom side of the upper plate 6); and/or one side, facing the first protrusion, of the second plate is provided with a composite layer (a slime like flux 21 made of fluoride based flux and synthetic resin, col. 5, lines 12-17, is applied on upper side of the lower plate 6); and the first protrusion top portion and the second protrusion top portion are fixed to each other by welding (noted that the “welding” is product-by-process limitation, and the patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production, see MPEP 2113. “welding” does not imply a distinct structure to the fixed protrusion top portions. Kouno discloses that the plates 6 are brazed, col. 6, lines 2-8, which disclosed the required structure fixation structure of the two protrusion top portions).
Therefore, the plates 4 and that are and fixedly connected by bolts 14 and nuts 16 within punctured connecting members 4a and 6a in Kang, may have a material made of aluminum alloy, provided with a slime like flux 2, and are fixed together as taught by Kouno.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein the first plate and the second plate each is an aluminum alloy plate; and wherein one side, facing the second protrusion, of the first plate is provided with a composite layer; and/or one side, facing the first protrusion, of the second plate is provided with a composite layer; and the first protrusion top portion and the second protrusion top portion are fixed to each other by welding in Kang as taught by Kouno in order to increase heat transfer efficiency since aluminum alloy material has a higher thermal conductivity compared to a thermoplastic material in Kang, and in order to help the brazing material flowing by the use of the flux layer.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 8, 9, 12, 13, 17 and 18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 3, 4, 12, 13, 17 and 18, the parent claims 3 and 4 both require “the first protrusion top portion is of an arc surface structure, and the second protrusion top portion is of an arc surface structure”. The first protrusion top portion and the second protrusion top portion of Kang in current rejection have only a planar structure on a protrusion side, but not the arc surface structure as claimed.
Claim 8 requires that “an angle between a tangent of the first protrusion side portion at an outer edge of the fixed region and a tangent of the second protrusion side portion at the outer edge of the fixed region is represented as "a", wherein "a" is equal to or less than 120 degrees”. Kang requires that the inner fluid pathway 12 is a circular or elliptical shape to increase pressure resistance in the inner fluid pathway 12 (paragraph 0030). Therefore, the angle between the tangents of the first and second protrusion side portions at the outer edge of the fixed region is 180 degrees and is more than the claimed value. None of the reference discloses that the angle is result effective. The closest prior art Kun (US Patent No. 3,757,855) discloses that an angle theta (Fig. 1A) between a protrusion side portion and a horizontal plate material effectively influencing the deflection of the cone surfaces (col. 8, lines 18-24). An angle between two joined conical protrusion side portions 31 in Fig. 4A may have a value of 2x theta suggested by Kun. However, the angle theta and the analysis of the angle in Kun is not the specified angle between a tangent of the first protrusion side portion at an outer edge of the fixed region and a tangent of the second protrusion side portion at the outer edge of the fixed region as disclosed in claim 8. Therefore, the analysis of the claimed angle being result effective cannot be established. None of other references discloses or make obvious to the angle is equal to or less than 120 degrees as claimed.
Claim 9 requires “wherein for the composite layer located in the fixed region, a thickness of part of the composite layer away from a center of the fixed region is greater than that of another part of the composite layer closer to the center of the fixed region”. Kang in view of Kouno in parent claim 7 only provide an aluminum alloy plate as the material of the first and second plates, and a composite layer (a layer of flux and brazing material, as per Kuono’s teaching) between the first protrusion top portion and the second protrusion top portion to fix the portions together. The modification fails to disclose or make obvious that thickness away from a center of the fixed region is greater than another part of the composite layer closer to the center of the fixed region as set forth in claim 9.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/6/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant’s argument that the locally reduced thickness at portion “a” fails to meet the amended section of claim 1, it is noted that the “first protrusion top portion” and “second protrusion top portion” may still be a section, a part or a portion of a plate. Therefore, “first protrusion top portion” and “second protrusion top portion” in annotated figure above are a portion of the respective plate, at a protruded side or top side as claimed, and entirely having a reduced thickness compared to a thicker first or second protrusion side portion as required in claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kun (US Patent No. 3,757,855) discloses a protrusion height H of about 0.035 inch and a sheet or wall thickness of about 0.008 inch (col. 8, lines 6-13, Fig. 1A). The ratio of wall thickness to protrusion height H is 0.008/(0.035-0.008) = 0.296. The ratio is within the range as claimed.
Hosoya (EP 0907062 A1, Fig. 20B) discloses a tube 211 having bend back ends to define a channel thickness to be 2x the plate thickness. A ratio of plate thickness to protrusion height of protrusions 213 is therefore about 1.
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/JIANYING C ATKISSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/F.K.L/Examiner, Art Unit 3763