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 .
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 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-15, 17, and 20-23 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection that includes Nabovati (WO 2023/023090) is included in the instant action.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-15, and 20-23 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 4 (and other places), “cooling element” should be “first cooling element” to differentiate from “additional cooling element” of claims 6 and 7 and “second cooling element” of claim 23);
Claim 8, line 2; and Claim 20, line 2, “replacement of expansion cards” should be “replacement of each of the two or more expansion cards.”
Claim 12, line 2, delete “to which the cooling element is directly attached” as redundant to requirement in claim 1, line 4 of “a first cooling element directly attached to the first printed circuit board”;
Claim 11, line 2; and Claim 15, lines 1-2, change “the one or more back side power delivery components and front side power delivery components” to “front side power delivery components and the one or more back side power delivery components” (to make it clear that “the” is only for antecedence of “the one or more back side power delivery components”;
Claim 13, lines 6-7, “the one or more back side power delivery components” should be “each of the one or more back side power delivery components”;
Claim 21, line 1, “length” should be “a length” and line 3, “length” should be “the length”;
Claim 21, line 2, “width” should be “a width” and line 3, “width” should be “the width”;
Claim 23, line 2, add “and” at end of line.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3, 4, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3, lines 2-3 requires “beneath the second printed circuit board”, Claim 4, line 5 requires “beneath a printed circuit board” and Claim 14, lines 3-4, requires “each printed circuit board.” Since “clearance” is a distance, while the circuit board is one end point, what is the other end point for the clearance?
Claim 4, line 5 requires “a printed circuit board” and Claim 1, line 6 requires “a second printed circuit board.” Are these the same or different elements being claimed?
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claim 22, lines 1-3 requires “each of the two or more expansion cards has the second printed circuit board the one or more back side power delivery components situated thereon” and Claim 1, lines 5-7 requires “the two or more expansion cards each having a second printed circuit board with one or more back side power delivery components situated thereon.” Claim 1 appears to not positively claim “the two or more expansion cards.” Claim 22 when rewritten in independent form does not appear to be positively claiming “the two or more expansion cards.” The Examiner believes that claim 22 is duplicating what is already required by claim 1. For the “two more expansion cards to be positively claimed, claim 22 should be amended to read “further comprising the two or more expansion cards, each of the two or more expansion cards has the second printed circuit board the one or more back side power delivery components situated thereon.” Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 5-10, 12, 13, 17, 20, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nabovati (WO 2023/023090).
With respect to Claim 1, Nabovati teaches an apparatus (fig. 6, 600), comprising: a first printed circuit board (PCB of 606; ¶[0071], l. 1) configured to support two or more expansion cards (604,602); and a cooling element (605) directly attached to the first printed circuit board, wherein: the cooling element is sized (see fig. 6) for placement thereon of the two or more expansion cards (604,602) each having a second printed circuit board (PCBs of 602,604; ¶[0071], l. 1) with one or more back side power delivery components (fig. 7, 704) situated thereon; and the cooling element is configured to provide cooling to each of the one or more back side power delivery components of the two or more expansion cards placed thereon (all materials have thermal conductivity which allows heat be conductively transmitted from one element to another so that element 605 can cool all the elements in the system, also heat can be transmitted by convection through the surrounding air so 605 can cool the surrounding air which in turn cools the back side power delivery components of the two or more expansion cards).
With respect to Claim 13, Nabovati teaches a system (fig. 6, 600), comprising: a universal base board (606) configured to support two or more expansion cards (604,602); a cooling element (605) directly attached to the universal base board; and the two or more expansion cards (604,602) each having a printed circuit board (PCBs of 602,604; ¶[0071], l. 1; 702) with one or more back side power delivery components (fig. 7, 704) placed on the cooling element with a thermal interface material (¶[0054], ll. 2-3) positioned between the cooling element and the one or more back side power delivery components, wherein the cooling element is configured to provide cooling to each of the one or more back side power delivery components (all materials have thermal conductivity which allows heat be conductively transmitted from one element to another so that element 605 can cool all the elements in the system, also heat can be transmitted by convection through the surrounding air so 605 can cool the surrounding air which in turn cools the back side power delivery components of the two or more expansion cards). (examiner’s note: if “universal base board” has any special meaning other than being a printed circuit board, then Applicant shall provide a definition of the term “universal base board”).
With respect to Claim 17, Nabovati teaches a method comprising: providing a first printed circuit board (fig. 6, 606) configured to support two or more expansion cards (604,602); attaching a cooling element (605) directly to the first printed circuit board, wherein the cooling element is configured to provide cooling to back side power delivery components (704) of any of the two or more expansion cards placed thereon; and placing the two or more expansion cards, each having back side power delivery components attached to a second printed circuit board (PCBs of 602,604; ¶[0071], l. 1; 702), on (see fig. 6) the cooling element.
With respect to Claims 5-7, Nabovati further teaches the cooling element (705) is operable independently (see fig. 7, 701 is independent of 705) of an additional cooling system (701,709,710) located on a front side (fig. 7, top) of any of the two or more expansion cards (702) placed thereon (claim 5), a temperature of a fluid deliverable (from 711) through the cooling element is controllable independently (fig. 7, inlets 711 and 709 are independent of each other) of an additional temperature of an additional fluid deliverable through an additional cooling element (701) of the additional cooling system (claim 6), a flow rate of a fluid deliverable through the cooling element is controllable independently i (fig. 7, inlets 711 and 709 are independent of each other) of an additional flow rate of an additional fluid deliverable through an additional cooling element (701) of the additional cooling system.
With respect to Claims 8-10, 12, 20, and 22, Nabovati further teaches the cooling element is configured to facilitate swappable replacement of expansion cards without requiring modification of the cooling element (see fig. 6, 605 is separate from 602,604 allowing for 602,604 to be swapped with any modifications) (claims 8 and 20), the cooling element has at least one fluid inlet (711), at least one fluid outlet (712), and at least one fluid routing component (705) (claim 9), the at least one fluid routing component includes one or more cooling channels (channel that lets fluid to go from 711 to 712) (claim 10), the first printed circuit board is configured as a universal base board (606) to which the cooling element is directly attached (see fig. 6) (examiner’s note: if “universal base board” has any special meaning other than being a printed circuit board, then Applicant shall provide a definition of the term “universal base board”) (claim 12) and each of the two or more expansion cards (702,703,704) has the second printed circuit board (PCBs of 602,604; ¶[0071], l. 1; 702) the one or more back side power delivery components (704) situated thereon (claim 22).
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 of this title, 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 2-4, 14, 21, and 23 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nabovati (WO 2023/023090).
With respect to Claim 2, Nabovati discloses the claimed invention including a thermal interface material (TIM) (¶[0054], ll. 2-3) positioned on the cooling element. Nabovati fails to disclose a combined thickness of the cooling element and the TIM is no greater than four millimeters. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made for the cooling element and the TIM to be of any thickness including a combined thickness is no greater than four millimeters so that the TIM which usually made of a material that has a lower thermal conductivity than mating parts does not inhibit the flow of heat through the TIM, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
If the “combined thickness of the cooling element and the TIM is no greater than four millimeters” is critical characteristic of the invention (which the thickness cannot be a critical characteristic because the thickness is included in a dependent claim, can Applicant provide evidence that this requirement of “combined thickness of the cooling element and the TIM is no greater than four millimeters” is critical characteristic of the invention.
With respect to Claim 3, Nabovati discloses the claimed invention except for the cooling element has a thickness of no more than half of an amount of available clearance beneath the second printed circuit board when one of the two or more expansion cards is placed on the cooling element. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made for the cooling element and the TIM to be of any thickness including a combined thickness that is no greater than four millimeters so that the TIM which usually is made of a material that has a lower thermal conductivity than the mating parts does not inhibit the flow of heat through the TIM, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
With respect to Claim 4, Nabovati discloses the claimed invention including a thermal interface material (¶[0054], ll. 2-3) positioned between (¶[0054[, ll. 2-4, “between electronic layers and coolers” where the electronic layers include 704s) the cooling element and any of the one or more back side power delivery components. Nabovati fails to disclose a combined thickness of the cooling element, any of the one or more back side power delivery components on a back side of any of the two or more expansion cards, and a thermal interface material positioned between the cooling element and any of the one or more back side power delivery components is no greater than an amount of available clearance beneath a printed circuit board when any of the two or more expansion cards is placed on the cooling element. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made for the combined thickness to be any thickness including a combined thickness is less than the available clearance beneath a printed circuit board, so there are no air gaps between the cooling element, the intervening thermal interface material and the back side power delivery components to optimize heat transfer from the back side power delivery components to the cooling element, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
With respect to Claim 14, Nabovati discloses the claimed invention except for a combined thickness of the cooling element, any of the one or more back side power delivery components, and the thermal interface material is no greater than an amount of available clearance beneath each printed circuit board of the two or more expansion cards when placed on the universal base board. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made for the cooling element and the TIM to be of any thickness including a combined thickness that is no greater than four millimeters so that the TIM which usually is made of a material that has a lower thermal conductivity than the mating parts does not inhibit the flow of heat through the TIM, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
With respect to Claim 21, Nabovati discloses the claimed invention including the cooling element (605) is equal (see fig. 6) in length than each individual expansion card (604 or 602) of the two or more expansion cards and is sized (see fig. 6) in length for placement of the two or more expansion cards thereon (602 is stacked on 604, which in turn is stacked on 605). Nabovati fails to disclose the cooling element is greater in length than each individual expansion card of the two or more expansion cards. It would have been an obvious matter of choice to for the cooling element to be larger than each of the expansion cards so that with an error in positioning any of the expansion cards, the expansion card is protected by not overhanging any portion of the cooling element, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
With respect to Claim 23, Nabovati further teaches the first printed circuit board is a universal base board (606) of a server (¶[0005], l. 9); a second cooling element (705) attached to the second printed circuit board; wherein the cooling element is smaller (708 is smaller than 701) than the second cooling element; and wherein the cooling element operates independently of the second cooling element (examiner’s note: if “universal base board” has any special meaning other than being a printed circuit board, then Applicant shall provide a definition of the term “universal base board”). Nabovati fails to disclose the cooling element is larger than the second cooling element. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to reverse the positions of Nabovati’s cooling elements so that the larger cooling element corresponds to components that produce the larger amount heat and the smaller cooling element corresponds to components that produce the smaller amount heat to insure proper thermal management of the expansion cards, since it has been held that a mere reversal of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Einstein, 8 USPQ 167.
Claims 11 and 15 is rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nabovati (WO 2023/023090) and Macias (US 2021/0208647).
Nabovati discloses the claimed invention except for a combined power delivery of the one or more back side power delivery components and front side power delivery components of an individual expansion card of the two or more expansion cards is at least fourteen-hundred watts. Macias discloses the claimed invention including the back side power delivery components (112,116; 1028,1032) and front side power delivery components (1016,1020,1024) of an individual expansion card (figs. 10A and 10B, 1000) of the two or more expansion cards. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Nabovati with the and front side power delivery components of Macias for the purpose of using both sides of the second circuit board of each individual expansion card so that the size of each individual expansion card can be miniaturized.
Nabovati and Macias fail to disclose a combined power delivery of the back side power delivery components and front side power delivery components of an individual expansion card of the two or more expansion cards is at least fourteen-hundred watts. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to for the combined power rating to be any value including at least fourteen-hundred watts to provide sufficient power to operate the individual expansion card, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
If the combined power of at least fourteen-hundred watts is critical characteristic of the invention, can Applicant provide evidence that this requirement of “at least fourteen-hundred watts” is critical characteristic of the invention. It is noted that “at least fourteen-hundred watts” is presented in a dependent so it cannot be a critical characteristic of the claimed invention.
Suggested Claim Amendments
The Examiner suggests the following claim amendments. These were presented to the Applicant on 12/18/25.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a first printed circuit board configured to support two or more expansion cards; and
a first cooling element directly attached to the first printed circuit board, wherein:
the first cooling element has a surface [[is]] sized for placement thereon of the two or more expansion cards in a side by side arrangement, the two or more expansion cards each having a second printed circuit board with one or more back side power delivery components situated thereon, each of the one or more back side power delivery components on a side of the second printed circuit board facing the first cooling element; and
the first cooling element is configured to provide cooling to each of the one or more back side power delivery components of the two or more expansion cards placed thereon.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a thermal interface material (TIM) positioned on the first cooling element, wherein a combined thickness of the first cooling element and the TIM is no greater than four millimeters.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first cooling element has a thickness of no more than half of an amount of available clearance between the first printed circuit board and any of the second printed circuit board when one of the two or more expansion cards is placed on the first cooling element.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a combined thickness of the first cooling element, any of the one or more back side power delivery components on a back side of any of the two or more expansion cards, and a thermal interface material positioned between the first cooling element and any of the one or more back side power delivery components is no greater than an amount of available clearance between the first printed circuit board and any of the second printed circuit board when any of the two or more expansion cards is placed on the first cooling element.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first cooling element is operable independently of an additional cooling system located on a front side of any of the two or more expansion cards placed thereon.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a temperature of a fluid deliverable through the first cooling element is controllable independently of an additional temperature of an additional fluid deliverable through an additional cooling element of the additional cooling system.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a flow rate of a fluid deliverable through the first cooling element is controllable independently of an additional flow rate of an additional fluid deliverable through an additional cooling element of the additional cooling system.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first cooling element is configured to facilitate swappable replacement of each of the two or more expansion cards without requiring modification of the first cooling element.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling element has at least one fluid inlet, at least one fluid outlet, and at least one fluid routing component.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one fluid routing component includes at least one of:
one or more cooling channels; one or more pin fins;
one or more serpentine channels; or
one or more heat transfer enhancement structures.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a combined power delivery of front side power delivery components and the one or more back side power delivery components
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first printed circuit board is configured as a universal base board
13. A system, comprising:
a universal base board configured to support two or more expansion cards;
a cooling element directly attached to the universal base board; and
the two or more expansion cards each having a printed circuit board with one or more back side power delivery components on a face of the printed circuit board facing the cooling element, the two or more expansion cards placed on a surface of the cooling element in a side by side arrangement with a thermal interface material positioned between the cooling element and each of the one or more back side power delivery components, wherein the cooling element is configured to provide cooling to each of the one or more back side power delivery components.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein a combined thickness of the cooling element, any of the one or more back side power delivery components, and the thermal interface material is no greater than an amount of available clearance between the universal base board and the [[each]] printed circuit board of any of the two or more expansion cards when any of the two or more expansion cards is placed on the universal base board.
15. The system of claim 13, wherein a combined power delivery of front side power delivery components and the one or more back side power delivery components and
16. (Canceled)
17. A method comprising:
providing a first printed circuit board configured to support two or more expansion cards;
providing the two or more expansion cards each having a second printed circuit board with one or more back side power delivery components on a face of the second printed circuit board facing the first circuit board;
attaching a cooling element directly to the first printed circuit board, wherein the cooling element has a surface [[is]] configured to provide cooling to the back side power delivery components of any of the two or more expansion cards placed thereon; and
placing the two or more expansion cards in a side by side arrangementthe surface of the cooling element.
18. (Canceled)
19. (Canceled)
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the cooling element is configured to facilitate swappable replacement of each of the two or more expansion cards without requiring modification of the cooling element.
21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface of the first cooling element is greater in a length and/or a width than each individual expansion card of the two or more expansion cards and the surface is sized in the length and/or the width for placement of all of the two or more expansion cards thereon.
22. (Cancel)
23. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
the first printed circuit board is a universal base board of a server; and
a second cooling element attached to the second printed circuit board;
wherein the first cooling element is larger than the second cooling element; and wherein the first cooling element operates independently of the second cooling element.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 12,505.538 discloses a cooling elements (106,108) for a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB having back side power delivery components (208s).
US 2025/009607, 2025/0338387 and TW I901227 includes a module having a printed circuit board and back side power delivery components.
US 2021/0321526 discloses a cooling element for a printed circuit board (PCB) , the PCB having front side and back side power delivery components (118).
US 2025/0087557 is a US family member of WO 2023/023090.
US 2024/035779 has a similar disclosure to WO 2023/023090.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT J HOFFBERG whose telephone number is (571) 272-2761. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon - Fri 9 AM - 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached on (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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RJH 12/25/2025
/ROBERT J HOFFBERG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835