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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08/03/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to Applicants arguments regarding the use of Bourke, the Examiner disagrees. First, Applicant states that the valve of Bourke does not maintain a stable, adjustable proportional split to maintain a set point temperature, however, Bourke explicitly states that “The valve can be operated to gradually switch over from the tank 16 to the bypass path over a predetermined range of temperatures” (see ¶ [0056] of Bourke). Therefore, the valve of Bourke, which is also acknowledged by Applicant in their arguments, gradually transitions the flow of heat transfer fluid between the two flow paths based on a range of temperature, which would allow it to maintain an intermediate position when the temperature is detected within the range. Further, the independent claims do not recite that the valve maintains a stable position and instead simply claim that the flow control valve simultaneously directs the dielectric fluid through the two flow paths based detected temperature, which is the function of the valve in Bourke. Second, Applicant states that the claimed invention requires a feedback-controlled proportional split of the dielectric fluid, which is not explicitly claimed but the Examiner acknowledges that the valve is intended to control the distribution of dielectric fluid based on the detected temperature. Again, this is explicitly claimed in Bourke. In the above citation of Bourke the valve controls the distribution of the fluid by “gradually” switching over based on the temperature of the fluid (feedback control). Third, Applicant states that the valve of Bourke would not function with the system of Ref. 1 since the system of Ref. 1 utilizes binary flow switching. The Examiner disagrees with this assertion. Ref. 1 does not explicitly teach away from proportional control of the flow switching valve, and the Examiner provides clear motivation as to one of ordinary skill in the art would want to utilize the proportional control instead of the binary switching in Ref. 1. Finally, Applicant argues that the motivation presented to modify the combined teachings with Bourke does not align with maintaining a stable preset temperature. The Examiner agrees with this statement but asserts that the motivation need not be the same as the intended use presented by Applicant as long as it results in the same structure as the claimed invention.
For the reasons presented above, the rejection of 05/07/2026 is maintained.
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, 4, 11-14, 17, 21-23 and 26-27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 20200015383 A1) in view of DE 29813325 U1 hereinafter referred to as Ref. 1 and Bourke (WO 2006032083 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Gao teaches of:
A system, comprising:
a liquid cooling chassis, comprising-a miner and a dielectric fluid enclosure (Fig. 1, 103 immerses miner 104 in dielectric fluid; ¶ [0019], “The internal cooling liquid is thermally conductive dielectric liquid”), the miner generating heat (Fig. 1, heat from the server blades in each cooling chassis 103 is transferred to the dielectric fluid)
Gao fails to explicitly teach:
a water tank kit, the water tank kit storing water and comprising a heating coil immersed in the water, the dielectric fluid flowing through the heating coil to heat the water; and
a dry cooler, configured to maintain a preset temperature of the water in the water tank kit,
wherein a thermostat associated with the water tank kit is configured to detect a temperature of the water in the water tank kit and to control a flow control valve to simultaneously direct a first portion of the dielectric fluid the heating coil and a second portion of the dielectric fluid through the dry cooler, wherein a ratio of the first portion to the second portion varies based on the detected temperature to maintain the preset temperature, and
wherein the heat generated from the miner is transferred to the water stored in the water tank kit, producing a heat source thereof.
Ref. 1 teaches of:
a water tank kit (Fig. 1, 2), the water tank kit storing water and comprising a heating coil immersed in the water (Fig. 1, 2 stores water and has a heating coil immersed therein; ¶ [0019], “a conventional hot water storage tank, which is heated by the heat transfer fluid heated in the energy converter 1 and stores the thermal energy supplied to it until it is needed by a consumer, e.g”), the dielectric fluid flowing through the heating coil to heat the water (see combination made below, the heating coil has a heat transfer fluid cycling through it); and
a dry cooler, configured to maintain a preset temperature of the water in the water tank kit (Fig. 1, 7 is a dry cooler that cools the heat transfer fluid via heat exchange with air pushed by fan 8; ¶ [0020], “The cooling circuit is preferably provided with a heat exchanger 7 through which the heat transfer fluid flows, which is e.g. B. an air/liquid heat exchanger, whose liquid passages are traversed by the heat transfer fluid, while a fan pushes 8 cooling air through the air passages”),
wherein a thermostat associated (14+16) with the water tank kit is configured to detect a temperature of the water in the water tank kit (16 detects temperature of water in the water tank kit) and to control a flow control valve (9) to maintain the preset temperature (Fig. 1, 14 and 16 make up the thermostat which detects temperature within 2 via 16 and controls valve 9 and pump 6 to maintain temperature within 2 at a preset level; ¶ [0023], “temperature sensor 16 e.g. B. samples the temperature in storage 2”; ¶ [0024], “by means of microprocessor control so that in the event that one of the temperature sensors 15,16 registers an undesirably high temperature of z. B. 70 0C indicates that the two switching valves 9,10 are switched via the control lines 11,12 so that the energy converter 1 or the cooling line Ic is connected to the cooling circuit, but no longer to the main circuit. At the same time, the control lines 17, 18 and 19 are used to switch off the circulation pump 3 on one side, while on the other hand the feed pump 6 and the fan 8 are switched on”), and
wherein the heat generated from the miner is transferred to the water stored in the water tank kit, producing a heat source thereof (see combination made below, 1 in Ref. 1 transfers heat to the tank 2 and is a heat source)
The primary reference can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
modify Gao so that the circuit of Ref. 1 replaces 102 and the 103 of Gao is positioned in place of solar heater 1 of Ref. 1 so that in the combined teachings the outlet of 112 is connected where the outlet of 1 in Ref. 1 is located and the inlet of 111 is connected where the inlet of 1 in Ref. 1 is located and further replace pump 115 of Gao with pump 3 of Ref. 1
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would allow for Gao to still cool the dielectric fluid and to utilize the heat generated to heat water in a domestic hot water storage tank while preventing over heating of the water in the storage tank and in the liquid cooling chassis as well (Ref. 1, ¶ [0011], “The invention offers the advantage that when a preselected temperature is reached, the pump in the cooling line is automatically switched on, thereby cooling the energy converter. This effectively protects the energy converter from high thermal loads.”)
Bourke teaches of:
control a flow control valve to simultaneously direct a first portion of the dielectric fluid through the heating coil and a second portion of the dielectric fluid through the dry cooler, and a ratio of the first portion to the second portion varies based on the detected temperature (see combination made below, Fig. 1, flow control valve 26 operates over a range of temperatures and simultaneously supplies heat transfer fluid between two separate flow paths based on the detected temperature; ¶ [014], “The bypass valve can operate over a range of temperatures to progressively open the bypass path and close the flow of heated fluid to the heat transfer means as the temperature increases within the said range of temperatures”)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
modify 14, 16, 9 and 10 of Ref. 1 so that 9 and 10 operate over a range of temperatures and gradually switch the flow of dielectric fluid from the tank to the dry cooler until the maximum temperature within the tank is reached
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
It would allow for more gradual control of the flow switching valve ensuring that the maximum temperature is not overshot within the tank (Bourke, ¶ [076], “In one embodiment, the sensor/valve trip 149 can be set to cause the piston to gradually change over between the normal operating position and the over temperature position by gradually moving the piston as the temperature of the water enters a range of temperatures, finally cutting off the normal path when a maximum temperature threshold is reached”)
Regarding claim 4, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 1, and the combined teachings further teach:
further comprises a pump circulating the dielectric fluid between the liquid cooling chassis and the water tank kit for transferring heat from the miner in the liquid cooling chassis to the water in the water tank kit (Ref. 1, Fig. 1, 3)
Regarding claim 11, Gao teaches of:
A system comprising:
means for generating heat (Fig. 1, 104 generates heat);
Gao fails to explicitly teach:
means for absorbing the generated heat, the absorbing means comprising a heating coil immersed therein;
means for maintaining a preset temperature in the absorbing means, the means for maintaining including a thermostat for detecting a temperature in the absorbing means and a flow control valve for distributing dielectric fluid between the heating coil and a dry cooler based on the detected temperature; and
means for transferring the generated heat to the heat absorbing means.
Ref. 1 teaches of:
means for absorbing the generated heat (Fig. 1, 2), the absorbing means comprising a heating coil immersed therein (Fig. 1, 2 stores water and has a heating coil immersed therein; ¶ [0019], “a conventional hot water storage tank, which is heated by the heat transfer fluid heated in the energy converter 1 and stores the thermal energy supplied to it until it is needed by a consumer, e.g”);
means for maintaining a preset temperature in the absorbing means, the means for maintaining including a thermostat for detecting a temperature in the absorbing means (Fig. 1, 14 and 16 make up the thermostat and 16 detects the temperature within 2) and a flow control valve (Fig. 1, 9 is a flow control valve that distributes heat transfer fluid between the coil in 2 and the dry cooler 7) based on the detected temperature to maintain the preset temperature (¶ [0023], “temperature sensor 16 e.g. B. samples the temperature in storage 2”; ¶ [0024], “by means of microprocessor control so that in the event that one of the temperature sensors 15,16 registers an undesirably high temperature of z. B. 70 0C indicates that the two switching valves 9,10 are switched via the control lines 11,12 so that the energy converter 1 or the cooling line Ic is connected to the cooling circuit, but no longer to the main circuit. At the same time, the control lines 17, 18 and 19 are used to switch off the circulation pump 3 on one side, while on the other hand the feed pump 6 and the fan 8 are switched on”); and
means for transferring the generated heat to the heat absorbing means (see combination made below, 1 in Ref. 1 transfers heat to the tank 2 and is a heat source)
The primary reference can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
modify Gao so that the circuit of Ref. 1 replaces 102 and the 103 of Gao is positioned in place of solar heater 1 of Ref. 1 so that in the combined teachings the outlet of 112 is connected where the outlet of 1 in Ref. 1 is located and the inlet of 111 is connected where the inlet of 1 in Ref. 1 is located and further replace pump 115 of Gao with pump 3 of Ref. 1
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would allow for Gao to still cool the dielectric fluid and to utilize the heat generated to heat water in a domestic hot water storage tank while preventing over heating of the water in the storage tank and in the liquid cooling chassis as well (Ref. 1, ¶ [0011], “The invention offers the advantage that when a preselected temperature is reached, the pump in the cooling line is automatically switched on, thereby cooling the energy converter. This effectively protects the energy converter from high thermal loads”)
Bourke teaches of:
control a flow control valve to simultaneously direct a first portion of the dielectric fluid through the heating coil and a second portion of the dielectric fluid through the dry cooler, and wherein a ratio of the first portion to the second portion varies based on the temperature detected by the thermostat (see combination made below, Fig. 1, flow control valve 26 operates over a range of temperatures and simultaneously supplies heat transfer fluid between two separate flow paths based on the detected temperature; ¶ [014], “The bypass valve can operate over a range of temperatures to progressively open the bypass path and close the flow of heated fluid to the heat transfer means as the temperature increases within the said range of temperatures”)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
modify 14, 16, 9 and 10 of Ref. 1 so that 9 and 10 operate over a range of temperatures and gradually switch the flow of dielectric fluid from the tank to the dry cooler until the maximum temperature within the tank is reached
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
It would allow for more gradual control of the flow switching valve ensuring that the maximum temperature is not overshot within the tank (Bourke, ¶ [076], “In one embodiment, the sensor/valve trip 149 can be set to cause the piston to gradually change over between the normal operating position and the over temperature position by gradually moving the piston as the temperature of the water enters a range of temperatures, finally cutting off the normal path when a maximum temperature threshold is reached”)
Regarding claim 12, the combined teachings teach of system of claim 11, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the heat transferring means comprises pumping a dielectric fluid between the heat generating means and the heat absorbing means (Ref. 1, Fig. 1, 3)
Regarding claim 13, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 12, and the combined teachings further teach:
further comprises the dielectric fluid flowing in an enclosure of the heat generating means, wherein the heat from the heat generating means is transferred to the dielectric fluid (Gao, Fig. 1, 104 is immersed in dielectric fluid in enclosure 103 and heat from 103 is transferred to the fluid then pumped through the circuit of the combined teachings)
Regarding claim 14, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 13, and the combined teachings further teach:
further comprises the dielectric fluid flowing in a coil in the heat absorbing means, wherein the heat from the dielectric fluid is transferred to the absorbing means surrounding the coil (see combination made in claim 1 above, the dielectric fluid of Gao flows through the circuit of Ref. 1 and as such flows into 2 and is transferred to the water therein)
Regarding claim 17, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 11, and the combined teachings further teach:
further comprises a means for storing heat absorbed by the absorption means (Ref. 1, Fig. 1, the interior of tank 2 that holes the water heated within the tank kit is the means for storing the heat absorbed)
Regarding claim 21, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 1, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein when the detected temperature of the water is below the preset temperature, the flow control valve directs a greater portion of the dielectric fluid through the heating coil than through the dry cooler, and when the detected temperature of the water approaches or exceeds the preset temperature, the flow control valve increases the portion of the dielectric fluid directed through the dry cooler and correspondingly decreases the portion directed through the heating coil (Bourke teaches of a valve that progressively opens a bypass bath as the detected temperature of the heat transfer fluid increases, in the combined teachings, the control of the flow switching valve 9 in Ref. 1 is modified so that when the detected temperature of the water is below the preset temperature it allows for a greater portion of the dielectric fluid through the heating coils of the hot water tank 2 and when the temperature of the water increases and approaches a threshold value it begins to transition the flow from the flow path through the heating coils to the flow path through the dry cooler 7 until finally cutting off flow through the coils and all flow flows through the dry cooler)
Regarding claim 22, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 1, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein when the detected temperature of the water is below the preset temperature, the flow control valve directs substantially all of the dielectric fluid through the heating coil, and when the detected temperature of the water approaches the preset temperature, the flow control valve directs at least a portion of the dielectric fluid through the dry cooler (Ref. 1, Fig. 1, when 16 detects the temperature of 2 is below the threshold temperature the valve 9 directs all of the heat transfer fluid through the coil in 2 and when the temperature is above the threshold it directs all heat transfer fluid through dry cooler 7; ¶ [0024], “by means of microprocessor control so that in the event that one of the temperature sensors 15,16 registers an undesirably high temperature of z. B. 70 0C indicates that the two switching valves 9,10 are switched via the control lines 11,12 so that the energy converter 1 or the cooling line Ic is connected to the cooling circuit, but no longer to the main circuit. At the same time, the control lines 17, 18 and 19 are used to switch off the circulation pump 3 on one side, while on the other hand the feed pump 6 and the fan 8 are switched on”)
Regarding claim 23, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 11, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the flow control valve is configured such that when the detected temperature is below the preset temperature, a greater portion of the dielectric fluid is directed through the heating coil than through the dry cooler, and when the detected temperature approaches or exceeds the preset temperature, the flow control valve increases the portion of the dielectric fluid directed through the dry cooler and correspondingly decreases the portion directed through the heating coil (Bourke teaches of a valve that progressively opens a bypass bath as the detected temperature of the heat transfer fluid increases, in the combined teachings, the control of the flow switching valve 9 in Ref. 1 is modified so that when the detected temperature of the water is below the preset temperature it allows for a greater portion of the dielectric fluid through the heating coils of the hot water tank 2 and when the temperature of the water increases and approaches a threshold value it begins to transition the flow from the flow path through the heating coils to the flow path through the dry cooler 7 until finally cutting off flow through the coils and all flow flows through the dry cooler)
Regarding claim 26, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 1, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the thermostat controls the flow control valve to maintain the water temperature at a user-selected stable set point while the miner operates continuously (Ref. 1, 14+16 controls 9 to maintain 2 at a maximum storage temperature, the server in Gao operates continuously, and therefore the combined teachings teach of the limitations; Ref. 1, ¶ [0028], “The invention offers the advantage that, in the event that the energy converter operates with solar cells, the storage unit 2 can normally be charged up to a maximum storage temperature of z. using the permanently connected main circuit.”), and wherein the dry cooler dissipates excess heat from the dielectric fluid into ambient air to ensure suitable working conditions for the miner (Ref. 1, 7 dissipates excess heat from the heat transfer fluid into ambient air via fan 8)
Regarding claim 27, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 11, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein a mass flow of the dielectric fluid through the heating coil and a mass flow of the dielectric fluid through the dry cooler are determined at least in part by a ratio of pressure drop between the dry cooler and the heating coil when the flow control valve is fully open (the mass flow through the heating coil and the dry cooler would have to be resultant from the pressure drop between the dry cooler and heating coils when both flow paths are open, no additional structure or control is claimed in the above limitations).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 20200015383 A1) in view of DE 29813325 U1 hereinafter referred to as Ref. 1 and Bourke (WO 2006032083 A1) and in further view of Thomasson (US 9702586 B2).
Regarding claim 7, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 1, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach:
further comprises hot water reservoirs storing the water heated in the water tank kit.
Thomasson teaches of:
further comprises hot water reservoirs storing the water heated in the water tank kit (Fig. 1, the interior of 19 is a first reservoir and the interior of 31 is the second reservoir which stores the heater water from 19)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
add an outlet to tank 2 of Ref. 1 and connect it to additional tank 31 of Thomasson so that the heated water from tank 2 flows into the additional tank 31 of Thomasson and then flows out of 31 to a plumbing fixture so that the combined teachings has a first reservoir in the interior of tank 2 and a second reservoir in the interior of tank 31
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would allow for the water temperature within the tank 2 of Ref. 1 to be maintained at a much higher temperature allowing for a much larger amount of hot water to be maintained increasing the overall efficiency of the system (Thomasson, Col. 4, lines 43-47, “Energy is absorbed in proportion to availability. By drawing hot water from the main water heater, the solar heated water is always mixed with cooler water yet the amount of available hot water is increased substantially, thereby improving the efficiency of the main water heater”)
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 20200015383 A1) in view of DE 29813325 U1 hereinafter referred to as Ref. 1 and Bourke (WO 2006032083 A1) and in further view of Best (US 12526954 B2).
Regarding claim 8, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 1, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach:
further comprises multiple liquid cooling chassis, wherein the dielectric fluid is distributed between the multiple cooling chassis based on a heat generated by a respective miner in each of the multiple liquid cooling chassis.
Best teaches of:
further comprises multiple liquid cooling chassis, wherein the dielectric fluid is distributed between the multiple cooling chassis based on a heat generated by a respective miner in each of the multiple liquid cooling chassis (Fig. 15, see multiple liquid cooling chassis 310 each with their respective dielectric inlet valve 918; Col. 21, lines 62-64, “The controller 920 may receive monitoring signals of the temperature of the heated liquid coolant exiting the server racks through control lines 924”; Col. 22, lines 6-24, “As previously described, the controller 920 operates an application program that processes the information received from the various monitoring signals to selected an optimum elevated temperature, the energy needed to be rejected by the system to cool the servers and maintain the elevated temperature, and then determine the various settings of the system 900 components that will be needed to maintain the elevated temperature of the liquid coolant exiting the servers in the multiple server racks 310. The various components of the system 900 controlled by the controller 920 include any fluid velocity augmentation devices positioned below the server racks, the pump 904, valves 918, the valve 390 (FIG. 2) for switching the flow of the heated liquid coolant between secondary cooling apparatus to be used, and the selected secondary cooling apparatus. The controller may adjust the flow of the cooled liquid coolant through each of the valves 918 to adjust the volume of the flow of the cooled liquid coolant among the different server racks 310”)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
modify Gao so that there are multiple liquid cooling chassis 103 connected to the dielectric circuit via lines 111 and 112 and further provide a valve at the inlet to each of the chassis, a temperature sensor at the outlet of each of the chassis and a controller to control the valves and as such the flow of dielectric fluid through each of the chassis based upon the detected outlet temperature of the dielectric fluid
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would allow for a plurality of server racks to be cooled at once and further for the temperature of each of the server racks to be maintained while still maintaining an adequately elevated temperature of the dielectric fluid to transfer heat to the hot water tank, improving the efficiency of the system (Best, Col. 22, lines 6-14, “As previously described, the controller 920 operates an application program that processes the information received from the various monitoring signals to selected an optimum elevated temperature, the energy needed to be rejected by the system to cool the servers and maintain the elevated temperature, and then determine the various settings of the system 900 components that will be needed to maintain the elevated temperature of the liquid coolant exiting the servers in the multiple server racks 310”)
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 20200015383 A1) in view of DE 29813325 U1 hereinafter referred to as Ref. 1 and Bourke (WO 2006032083 A1) and in further view of Bell (GB 2468015 A) (previously cited).
Regarding claim 9, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 1, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach:
further includes a secondary fluid circle operating in one of the following modes:
as a secondary/auxiliary heat source to heat the water in the water tank kit; or
as a secondary/auxiliary heat sink to cool the water in the water tank kit.
Bell teaches of:
further includes a secondary fluid circle operating in one of the following modes:
as a secondary/auxiliary heat source to heat the water in the water tank kit (Fig. 6, 100 is an auxiliary heat source made from a secondary fluid circuit); or
as a secondary/auxiliary heat sink to cool the water in the water tank kit.
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
add the auxiliary heater 100 of Bell to the tank 2 of Ref. 1
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would provide auxiliary heating to the tank as needed, ensuring the temperature in the tank is maintained at all times (Bell, Pg. 16, lines 1-4, “Thus the immersion heat exchanger 100 can be easily retrofitted to an existing hot water tank to enable connection of an auxiliary heat source to the hot water tank 1, such as a solar heater or a heat pump or any other additional source of heat”)
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 20200015383 A1) in view of DE 29813325 U1 hereinafter referred to as Ref. 1 and Bourke (WO 2006032083 A1) and in further view of Minnoy (US 20190338962 A1) (previously cited).
Regarding claim 10, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 1, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach:
wherein the miner is a cryptocurrency miner.
Minnoy teaches of:
wherein the miner is a cryptocurrency miner (¶ [0181], “The tasks can be of any suitable type, for example scientific, financial or medical applications, crypto-currency calculations”)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
utilize the server 104 of Gao to perform cryptocurrency calculations
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would allow for the unspecified servers of Gao to perform cryptocurrency calculations which would create monetary value for the owner of the server
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 20200015383 A1) in view of DE 29813325 U1 hereinafter referred to as Ref. 1 and Bourke (WO 2006032083 A1) and in further view of "Thermal Expansion Within the Plumbing System" hereinafter referred to as NPL1 (previously cited) and "What is a Water Heater Filter and How Does It Work?" hereinafter referred to as NPL2 (previously cited).
Regarding claim 16, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 11, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach;
further comprises a means to replenish said means for absorbing (see 112f interpretation made in the non-final rejection of 10/31/2025)
NPL1 teaches of:
a check valve (see first figure, labeled as a backflow preventer), a first isolation valve (first figure, shut-off valve), a second isolation valve (first figure, valve) and an expansion tank (first figure, Thermal Expansion Tank)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
add all of the components within the first figure of NPL1 to the inlet of the tank 2 of Ref. 1
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would allow for thermal expansion to occur, preventing issues like leaky faucets (NPL1, Paragraphs 2-4, “When a backflow preventer device is installed in your meter box, water from the building/house will be unable to flow back into the water system. The backflow preventer creates an isolated or closed plumbing system. For some homeowners, thermal expansion could produce leaky faucets or set off the relief valve on hot water heaters, or in some cases, other damage may occur. Thermal expansion occurs when your hot water heater heats the water, causing it to expand. In order to control thermal expansion, simply lowering the temperature setting of the hot water tank to 115-125 degrees (which is sufficient for most purposes) might reduce the possibility of thermal expansion. A plumber may recommend the installation of one of the following two types of products to control thermal expansion: Thermal expansion tank on your hot water heater. Layout shown below is for demonstration purposes only.”)
NPL2 teaches of:
a filter (Pg. 2, “A water heater filter protects your appliances from scale by retaining minerals in a solution so they cannot accumulate and damage your water heater”)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
add a filter upstream from all the components of the water replenishing kit
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would prevent scale buildup in the water heater (NPL2, Pg. 2, “A water heater filter protects your appliances from scale by retaining minerals in a solution so they cannot accumulate and damage your water heater”)
Claim(s) 6, 18-19 and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 20200015383 A1) in view of DE 29813325 U1 hereinafter referred to as Ref. 1 and Bourke (WO 2006032083 A1) and in further view of Joo (KR 20090129829 A) (previously cited).
Regarding claim 6, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 1, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach:
further comprises at least one of.
a water replenishing kit; or
an open expansion tank kit, supplying water to the water tank kit.
Joo teaches of:
further comprises at least one of
a water replenishing kit (Fig. 3, pipe of 141 is a water replenishing kit); or
an open expansion tank kit, supplying water to the water tank kit (Fig. 3, 120 is an open expansion tank that supplies water to 110).
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
modify 2 of Ref. 1 so that is has a the water feed pipe and expansion tank 141 and 120 of Joo supplying water to 2 and an outlet 150 leading to a plumbing fixture
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
It would allow for the water tank 2 to be refilled and expanding water heated within the water heater tank kit of the combined teachings to be compensated for (Joo, Pg. 7, lines 17-22, “As illustrated in FIG. 3, the water heater (100) according to the present invention has a hot water tank (110) that heats water through a heater (115) and stores the heated hot water, and an expansion tank (120) that receives hot water expanded in the hot water tank (110) when the hot water tank (110) is overheated.”)
Regarding claim 18, Gao teaches of:
A digital boiler system, comprising:
a miner liquid cooling chassis, comprising-a miner within a dielectric fluid enclosure (Fig. 1, 103 immerses miner 104 in dielectric fluid; ¶ [0019], “The internal cooling liquid is thermally conductive dielectric liquid”),
the miner configured to generate heat and transfer the heat to a dielectric fluid within the dielectric fluid enclosure (Fig. 1, 104 generates heat and transfers it to the dielectric fluid within the enclosure 103)
Gao fails to explicitly teach:
a water tank kit, comprising-a heating coil immersed in water, the dielectric fluid configured to flow through the heating coil to heat the water in the water tank kit;
a water replenishing kit, configured to provide water to the water tank kit;
a dry cooler comprising a coil and a fan;
configured to maintain a preset temperature of the water in the water tank kit, wherein a thermostat associated with the water tank kit is configured to detect a temperature of the water in the water tank kit and to control a flow control valve to distribute the dielectric fluid between the heating coil and the dry cooler to maintain the preset temperature; and
a pump, configured to circulate the dielectric fluid between the liquid cooling chassis and the water tank kit to transfer the heat from the miner in the liquid cooling chassis to the water in the water tank kit.
Ref. 1 teaches of:
a water tank kit (Fig. 1, 2), comprising-a heating coil immersed in water (see coil in 2), the dielectric fluid configured to flow through the heating coil to heat the water in the water tank kit (see combination made below, a heat transfer fluid in Ref. 1 flows through the heating coil to heat the water therein);
a dry cooler comprising a coil and a fan (Fig. 1, 7 is a dry cooler with a coil that cools the heat transfer fluid via heat exchange with air pushed by fan 8);
configured to maintain a preset temperature of the water in the water tank kit (¶ [0020], “The cooling circuit is preferably provided with a heat exchanger 7 through which the heat transfer fluid flows, which is e.g. B. an air/liquid heat exchanger, whose liquid passages are traversed by the heat transfer fluid, while a fan pushes 8 cooling air through the air passages”), wherein a thermostat associated (14+16) with the water tank kit is configured to detect a temperature of the water in the water tank kit (16 detects temperature of water in the water tank kit) and to control a flow control valve (9) to maintain the preset temperature (Fig. 1, 14 and 16 make up the thermostat which detects temperature within 2 via 16 and controls valve 9 and pump 6 to maintain temperature within 2 at a preset level; ¶ [0023], “temperature sensor 16 e.g. B. samples the temperature in storage 2”; ¶ [0024], “by means of microprocessor control so that in the event that one of the temperature sensors 15,16 registers an undesirably high temperature of z. B. 70 0C indicates that the two switching valves 9,10 are switched via the control lines 11,12 so that the energy converter 1 or the cooling line Ic is connected to the cooling circuit, but no longer to the main circuit. At the same time, the control lines 17, 18 and 19 are used to switch off the circulation pump 3 on one side, while on the other hand the feed pump 6 and the fan 8 are switched on”); and
a pump, configured to circulate the dielectric fluid between the liquid cooling chassis and the water tank kit to transfer the heat from the miner in the liquid cooling chassis to the water in the water tank kit (see combination made below, Fig. 1, 3 is a pump that cycles the heat transfer fluid through the heat source 1 and tank 2).
The primary reference can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
modify Gao so that the circuit of Ref. 1 replaces 102 and the 103 of Gao is positioned in place of solar heater 1 of Ref. 1 so that in the combined teachings the outlet of 112 is connected where the outlet of 1 in Ref. 1 is located and the inlet of 111 is connected where the inlet of 1 in Ref. 1 is located and further replace pump 115 of Gao with pump 3 of Ref. 1
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would allow for Gao to still cool the dielectric fluid and to utilize the heat generated to heat water in a domestic hot water storage tank while preventing over heating of the water in the storage tank and in the liquid cooling chassis as well (Ref. 1, ¶ [0011], “The invention offers the advantage that when a preselected temperature is reached, the pump in the cooling line is automatically switched on, thereby cooling the energy converter. This effectively protects the energy converter from high thermal loads.”)
Bourke teaches of:
control a flow control valve to simultaneously direct a first portion of the dielectric fluid through the heating coil and a second portion of the dielectric fluid through the dry cooler, and a ratio of the first portion to the second portion varying based on the detected temperature (see combination made below, Fig. 1, flow control valve 26 operates over a range of temperatures and simultaneously supplies heat transfer fluid between two separate flow paths based on the detected temperature; ¶ [014], “The bypass valve can operate over a range of temperatures to progressively open the bypass path and close the flow of heated fluid to the heat transfer means as the temperature increases within the said range of temperatures”)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
modify 14, 16, 9 and 10 of Ref. 1 so that 9 and 10 operate over a range of temperatures and gradually switch the flow of dielectric fluid from the tank to the dry cooler until the maximum temperature within the tank is reached
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
It would allow for more gradual control of the flow switching valve ensuring that the maximum temperature is not overshot within the tank (Bourke, ¶ [076], “In one embodiment, the sensor/valve trip 149 can be set to cause the piston to gradually change over between the normal operating position and the over temperature position by gradually moving the piston as the temperature of the water enters a range of temperatures, finally cutting off the normal path when a maximum temperature threshold is reached”)
Joo teaches of:
a water replenishing kit, configured to provide water to the water tank kit (Fig. 3, 141 and 120 make up the water replenishing kit that provides water to the water tank 110)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
modify 2 of Ref. 1 so that is has a the water feed pipe and expansion tank 141 and 120 of Joo supplying water to 2 and an outlet 150 leading to a plumbing fixture
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
It would allow for the water tank 2 to be refilled and expanding water heated within the water heater tank kit of the combined teachings to be compensated for (Joo, Pg. 7, lines 17-22, “As illustrated in FIG. 3, the water heater (100) according to the present invention has a hot water tank (110) that heats water through a heater (115) and stores the heated hot water, and an expansion tank (120) that receives hot water expanded in the hot water tank (110) when the hot water tank (110) is overheated.”)
Regarding claim 19, the combined teachings teach of the digital boiler system of claim 18, and the combined teachings further teach:
further comprises an open expansion tank kit, supplying water to the water tank kit (Joo, Fig. 3, 120 is an open expansion tank that supplies water to the water tank kit)
Regarding claim 24, the combined teachings teach of the digital boiler system of claim 18, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the flow control valve is configured to vary the ratio of the first portion to the second portion such that when the detected temperature is below the preset temperature, a greater portion of the dielectric fluid flows through the heating coil than through the coil of the dry cooler, and when the detected temperature approaches or exceeds the preset temperature, a greater portion of the dielectric fluid flows through the coil of the dry cooler than through the heating coil (Bourke teaches of a valve that progressively opens a bypass bath as the detected temperature of the heat transfer fluid increases, in the combined teachings, the control of the flow switching valve 9 in Ref. 1 is modified so that when the detected temperature of the water is below the preset temperature it allows for a greater portion of the dielectric fluid through the heating coils of the hot water tank 2 and when the temperature of the water increases and approaches a threshold value it begins to transition the flow from the flow path through the heating coils to the flow path through the dry cooler 7 until finally cutting off flow through the coils and all flow flows through the dry cooler)
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 20200015383 A1) in view of DE 29813325 U1 hereinafter referred to as Ref. 1, Bourke (WO 2006032083 A1) and Joo (KR 20090129829 A) (previously cited) and in further view of Thomasson (US 9702586 B2)
Regarding claim 20, the combined teachings teach of the digital boiler of claim 18, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach:
further comprises hot water reservoirs storing the water heated in the water tank kit.
Thomasson teaches of:
further comprises hot water reservoirs storing the water heated in the water tank kit (Fig. 1, the interior of 19 is a first reservoir and the interior of 31 is the second reservoir which stores the heater water from 19)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
add an outlet to tank 2 of Ref. 1 and connect it to additional tank 31 of Thomasson so that the heated water from tank 2 flows into the additional tank 31 of Thomasson and then flows out of 31 to a plumbing fixture so that the combined teachings has a first reservoir in the interior of tank 2 and a second reservoir in the interior of tank 31
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would allow for the water temperature within the tank 2 of Ref. 1 to be maintained at a much higher temperature allowing for a much larger amount of hot water to be maintained increasing the overall efficiency of the system (Thomasson, Col. 4, lines 43-47, “Energy is absorbed in proportion to availability. By drawing hot water from the main water heater, the solar heated water is always mixed with cooler water yet the amount of available hot water is increased substantially, thereby improving the efficiency of the main water heater”)
Claim(s) 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 20200015383 A1) in view of DE 29813325 U1 hereinafter referred to as Ref. 1 and Bourke (WO 2006032083 A1) and in further view of “2-Way vs 3-Way Valves: Which Type is Right for You?” hereinafter referred to as NPL3 (copy of NPL provided in file wrapper)
Regarding claim 25, the combined teachings teach of the system of claim 1, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach:
wherein the flow control valve and a second isolation valve cooperate such that when the detected temperature of the water exceeds the preset temperature, the second isolation valve closes to prevent dielectric fluid from flowing through the heating coil and the flow control valve opens fully to direct substantially all of the dielectric fluid through the dry cooler.
NPL3 teaches of:
utilizing two two-way valves instead of a single three-way vale to proportionally control the flow of fluid through a circuit (under “2 Way Valve Operation” paragraph, “2 way valves are commonly found in basic on/off applications, where they are frequently referred to as isolation valves. These valves are an essential component in many process safety systems, as they can immediately stop fluid flow to a specific location in the event of an emergency. 2 way valves can also be used in variable flow systems that experience changes in pressure, temperature, and flow. For instance, these valves can regulate operating temperatures by using sensors to adjust to specific fluid parameters to maintain the desired temperatures and flow.”)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
replace 9 of Ref. 1 with a two-way valve (flow control valve) in the flow path with the dry cooler 7 and a two-way valve (second isolation valve) in the flow path upstream from the hot water tank 2, control these two valves based on the same control scheme introduced in claim 1 in that when the temperature in 2 exceeds a maximum temperature the second isolation valve closes and the flow control valve opens so that the dielectric fluid in the combined teachings is diverted entirely through the dry cooler
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it is abundantly known in the art to control fluid flow through multiple flow paths utilizing either a three-way or two two-way valves, and further utilizing two-two way valves would allow for the isolation of each flow path if device within the flow path needs to be repaired or replaced and allows for greater proportional control of the flow through each flow path
Claim(s) 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 20200015383 A1) in view of DE 29813325 U1 hereinafter referred to as Ref. 1, Bourke (WO 2006032083 A1) and Joo (KR 20090129829 A) (previously cited) and in further view of Garnier (FR 3034851 A1) (previously cited)
Regarding claim 28, the combined teachings teach of the digital boiler of claim 18, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach:
wherein the miner liquid cooling chassis and the water tank kit are enclosed within a common housing comprising a top section housing the miner, the pump, and the flow control valve, and a bottom section housing the water tank kit including the heating coil, and wherein the thermostat comprises a temperature sensor inserted into a drum of the water tank kit.
Garnier teaches of:
wherein the miner liquid cooling chassis and the water tank kit are enclosed within a common housing (see combination below for specific components of the combined teachings within a common housing, Fig. 13, the miner (CsN) and the water tank kit (RsV) are positioned within a common housing) comprising a top section housing the miner, the pump, and the flow control valve (the miner and all necessary valves and pumps are positioned in a top section above RsV), and a bottom section housing the water tank kit including the heating coil (RsV is below the top section with the miner, valves and pumps and has the coil CdP positioned therein), and wherein the thermostat comprises a temperature sensor inserted into a drum of the water tank kit (temperature sensor (TpG) is inserted into the drum of the hot water tank RsV)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
position the miner, along with all of its pumps and valves, and the water tank kit into a common housing as claimed above, and further modify the sensor 16 of Ref. 1 to be positioned inside of the water tank kit
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would reduce the footprint of the system of the combined teachings, saving space and increasing the use cases for the system
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 MICHAEL J GIORDANO whose telephone number is (571)272-8940. The examiner can normally be reached M-Fr 8 AM - 5 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Helena Kosanovic can be reached at (571) 272-9059. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL JAMES GIORDANO/Examiner, Art Unit 3762
/VIVEK K SHIRSAT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
