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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2023/0238607 A1 (herein “Zhang”).
Regarding claim 1.
Zhang discloses an interconnector (Fig. 2) for a heat exchanger (Fig. 1) comprising a body with an upper inlet (one end of 113) and a lower inlet (the other end of 113) connected by an inlet conduit (113); an upper outlet (one end of 114 which is adjacent the upper inlet) and a lower outlet (the other end of 114) connected by an outlet conduit (114); an external inlet (Fig. 3; left end of 111) communicated with the inlet conduit; an external outlet (Fig. 3; right end of 112) communicated with the outlet conduit, with the external outlet and the external inlet facing in opposite directions (shown in Fig. 3; the left end of 111 faces left which is opposite to the right end of 112 which faces right); wherein the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit are fluidically isolated with respect to each other within the interconnector (seen in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 2.
Zhang discloses that the upper inlet and the lower inlet are concentric (shown in Fig. 3 at 113).
Regarding claim 3.
Zhang discloses that the upper outlet and the lower outlet are concentric (shown in Fig. 3 and 114).
Regarding claim 4.
Zhang discloses that the external inlet is arranged perpendicular to the upper inlet (shown in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 5.
Zhang discloses that the external outlet is arranged perpendicular to the upper outlet (shown in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 6.
Zhang discloses that the external inlet is arranged parallel to the external outlet (Fig. 3; external inlets at 111 are parallel to the external outlets at 112).
Regarding claim 7.
Zhang discloses that the external inlet faces away from the external outlet (Fig. 3; right end of 111 faces away from the left end of 112).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Each reference discloses a heat exchanger interconnector similar to Applicant’s invention.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 Jon T. Schermerhorn Jr. whose telephone number is (571)270-5283. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am to 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Len Tran can be reached at (571) 272-1184. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JON T. SCHERMERHORN JR./ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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