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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the upper figure figs 4 and 5 appear to be a photograph. The Examiner is requiring a black and white line drawing instead of the photograph due to its current lack of reproducibility.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
The objections to the Claims 1-4 are withdrawn in view of the amendments to
the Claims 1-2.
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 1-2 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KIM, HYUN SEOK (KR 102008303 - hereinafter, "Kim").
With respect to Claim 1, Kim teaches (in Figure 3 and as shown in the annotated Figure 3 below)
A thermoelectric chiller (10, in page 3, 5th paragraph, lines 1-2, “the cold device 10 of the present embodiment is installed where necessary, and has a structure that applies cold or hot air of a desired temperature to the object” of the provided translation) for cooling an electronic device (object) comprising:
a chassis (20) and a heatsink (32), the heatsink (32) having a flat side (side without cooling fins (34) and in contact with peltier effect element (12)) and an opposing side equipped with cooling fins (34), the chassis (20) and heatsink (32) adapted for cooperative engagement (heatsink 32 is installed in chassis (20), in page 4, 2nd paragraph, line 1, “The heat dissipation unit 30 is installed in the case 20 forming an external shape” of the provided translation) to create an air-sealed chamber (internal of chassis (20)) with the cooling fins (34) inside the chamber (internal of chassis (20));
a cold air inlet (26) on an inlet side of the chamber (internal of chassis (20)), the cold air inlet (26) equipped with one or more fans (36) adapted to force ambient air into the chamber (internal of chassis (20));
a hot air exhaust (24) on an exhaust side of the chamber (internal of chassis (20)), the hot air exhaust (24) providing an outlet for air to leave the chamber (internal of chassis (20));
one or more Peltier effect elements (12), each having a hot side (side of (12) in contact with heatsink (32)) and a cold side (side of 12 in contact with cold plate (40)), the one or more Peltier effect elements (12) disposed so that their hot side (side of (12) in contact with heatsink (32)) is in thermal contact with the flat side (side without cooling fins (34) and in contact with peltier effect element (12)) of the heat sink (30);
a cold plate (40) disposed over the one or more Peltier effect elements (12) and in thermal contact with the cold side (side of 12 in contact with cold plate (40)) of the one or more Peltier effect elements (12);
a controller (50) to control the operation (in page 3, 6th paragraph, lines 6-8, “A circuit module 50 that is provided inside the housing 22 and controls a current applied to the thermoelectric element 12 and the heat dissipation unit 30, and is installed outside the housing 22 and the circuit module” of the provided translation) of the one or more fans (36, in page 3, last paragraph, lines 1-4 “The heat dissipation unit 30 is a heat dissipation plate 32 in contact with the thermoelectric element 12 and the heat dissipation fin 34 is formed on the outside, and a heat dissipation fan 36 disposed outside the heat dissipation plate 32 to circulate outside air to the heat dissipation plate 32” of the provided translation) and the one or more Peltier effect elements (12).
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Figure I
With respect to Claim 2, Kim further teaches (in Figure 3 and as shown in the annotated Figure 3 above)
further comprising a display (56) for displaying operational parameters of the thermoelectric chiller (10), the display (56) controlled by the controller (50, in page 5, 2nd paragraph, lines 4-7, “In addition, the circuit module may be provided with a display 56 for displaying a control state such as a temperature value to the outside. Thus, the user can easily set and use a desired temperature through the switch of the operation panel 52 and the display module 56 of the circuit module provided in the device” of the provided translation).
With respect to Claim 5, Kim further teaches (in Figure 3 and as shown in the annotated Figure 3 above)
wherein the one or more fans (36) are reversable to enable a direction of air to be reversed (on page 4, 1st paragraph of the provided translation, lines 4-5, “The heat radiating fan 36 is rotated in response to the application of current to circulate the outside air through the heat radiating fins 34”, thus the rotation of the one or more fan can be reversable if the current is applied in such a way (such as reverse the polarity) to drive the fan in reverse).
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 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Sharfi et al. (US 2022/0157691 - hereinafter, "Sharfi").
With respect to Claim 3, Kim teaches the limitation of Claim 1 as per above and further teaches (in Figure 3 and as shown in the annotated Figure 3 above)
wherein an interface (contact surface) between at least one of the one or more Peltier effect elements (12) and the heatsink (32).
Kim fails to specifically teach or suggest wherein an interface between an element and a heatsink comprises a liquified diamond thermal paste.
Sharfi, however, teaches (in Figure 2) wherein an interface (contact surface) between an element (114) and a heatsink (115) comprises a liquified diamond thermal paste (111).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time before effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Sharfi with Kim, such that wherein an interface between an element and a heatsink comprises a liquified diamond thermal paste as taught by Sharfi since doing so would further enhance thermal energy dissipation. (in paragraph [0043])
With respect to Claim 4, Kim teaches the limitation of Claim 1 as per above and further teaches (in Figure 3 and as shown in the annotated Figure 3 above)
wherein an interface (contact surface) between at least one of the one or more Peltier effect elements (12) and the cold plate (40).
Kim fails to specifically teach or suggest wherein an interface between an element and a cold plate comprises a liquified diamond thermal paste.
Sharfi, however, teaches (in Figure 2) wherein an interface (contact surface) between an element (114) and a cold plate (115) comprises a liquified diamond thermal paste (111).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time before effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Sharfi with Kim, such that wherein an interface between an element and a cold plate comprises a liquified diamond thermal paste as taught by Sharfi since doing so would further enhance thermal energy dissipation. (in paragraph [0043])
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/29/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With respect to the Applicant’s remark to Claim 1,
“Independent claim 1 is not anticipated by Kim because Kim does not disclose each and every limitation of claim 1.
First, the Examiner contends that "the side heat dissipation opening" (26) of Kim teaches "a cold air inlet on an inlet side of the chamber," and "heat radiating fan" (36) of Kim teaches "one or more fans" in "the cold air inlet equipped with one or more fans" Applicant respectfully submits that the Examiner's interpretation mischaracterizes Kim. As is clearly shown in Figure 4 of Kim (reproduced below), the purported "one or more fans" (heat radiating fan 36 in Kim) is located separately and on a different side than the purported "cold air inlet" (side heat dissipation opening 26 in Kim)…
Therefore, a rejection based on anticipation is not appropriate with respect to independent claim 1 as each and every limitation of claim 1 is not taught by a single reference, namely Kim. Accordingly, Applicant respectfully requests the withdrawal of the anticipation rejection of claim 1 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.” (Present remarks page 5-8) The Examiner respectfully disagrees.
First, Claim 1 limitation recites “a cold air inlet on an inlet side of the chamber, the cold air inlet equipped with one or more fans adapted to force ambient air into the chamber;”, Kim teaches each and every limitation of the recited limitation. Kim teaches “a cold air inlet on an inlet side of the chamber”, “the cold air inlet equipped with one or more fans” and “one or more fans adapted to force ambient air into the chamber”, the recited limitation does not Claim the “one or more fans” is directly attached to the “inlet side of the chamber” or the “cold air inlet”, it merely claims the “cold air inlet” is “equipped” with “one or more fans”.
Second, Claim 1 limitation recites “a cold air inlet on an inlet side of the chamber” and “a hot air exhaust on an exhaust side of the chamber”, the claim limitations recited does not claim where the “inlet side” or the “exhaust side” of the chamber is or as to what direction or orientations the “side” are in aspect to the chamber, it broadly states the “cold air inlet” is on an “inlet side” and the “hot air exhaust” is on an “exhaust side”.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Steven Ngo whose telephone number is (571)272-4295. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30AM - 4:00PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached at (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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/S.N./Examiner, Art Unit 2835
/Jayprakash N Gandhi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2835