DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 9/3/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1, 3-7, 9-11 and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takagi (JP 2017-73502 A) in view of Harkins (US Patent No. 9,955,613, previously cited).
Regarding claim 1, Takagi discloses a heat exchanger (a flow passage pipe 3 connects to one electrical component 2, Fig. 1), comprising:
at least one conduit (flow passage pipe 3, Figs. 1 and 2) adapted to allow the flow of a coolant fluid (refrigerant, paragraph 0015 of the translation) from a coolant fluid inlet cross-section (4) to a coolant fluid outlet cross-section (5), the conduit comprising at least one heat exchange wall (walls 31 and 32 over contact surfaces 311 and 321, Fig. 3), wherein the at least one exchange wall comprises at least one region on its outer surface configured for being in thermal contact with at least one external element or component (external sides of the walls 31 and 32 in contact with an electrical component 2, Fig. 1), the at least one region on the outer surface of the heat exchange wall (the external sides of the walls 31 and 32) having a corresponding thermal footprint region on the inner surface of the heat exchange wall (regions of walls 31 and 32 within the flow passage pipe 3 directly over or under contact surfaces 311 and 321 in Fig. 4, of electronic components 2, see paragraph 0050), wherein the thermal footprint region corresponds to the projection of the region of the outer surface of the exchange wall configured for being in thermal contact with at least one external element or component, or a group thereof, according to the direction perpendicular to the exchange wall (the regions of walls 31 and 32 within the flow passage pipe 3 directly over or under are the contact surfaces 311 and 321 are areas where the heat is transferred from the electrical component 2 through conduction in a direction perpendicular to the walls 31 and 32 of the pipe 3); and
at least one turbulator (inner fin 34 and channels between the fins) placed inside the at least one conduit (see Figs. 3, 4 and 7) to increase heat exchange, wherein the at least one turbulator extends along the flow direction of the coolant fluid (see Fig. 4);
wherein the at least one turbulator further comprises at least one flow channel through which coolant fluid flows in the flow direction (channels between the corrugations of the fin 34), wherein the at least one flow channel comprises at least one segment with fins which are not straight in the flow direction (wave portion 34b inside the region of the contact surfaces 311 and 321 of the electronic components 2, Fig. 4) and at least one segment with fins which are straight in the flow direction (straight portions 34a and 34c outside the region of the contact surfaces 311 and 321 of the electronic components 2, Fig. 4), wherein
the at least one segment with non-straight fins and the at least one segment with straight fins are arranged in adjacent positions and distributed along the flow direction (portions 34a-34c are adjacent, see Fig. 4),
the at least one flow channel of the segment with non-straight fins is connected continuously along the flow direction with the corresponding flow channel of the adjacent segment with straight fins, such that a continuous flow path of the coolant fluid along the flow direction is configured (continuous flow channels are each provided from the straight portion 34a, the wave portion 34b, to the straight portion 34c, as shown in Fig. 5),
each segment with non-straight fins of the at least one segment with non-straight fins comprises mainly the corresponding thermal footprint region to improve heat exchange (the wave portion 34b is entirely provided at the regions within the pipe 3 directly over or under the contact surfaces 311 and 312, according to the definition of “mainly a thermal footprint region” in paragraph 0065 of the publication being most of the thermal footprint region), and
each segment with straight fins of the at least one segment with straight fins comprises mainly a region outside of any thermal footprint region to reduce pressure drop (straight portions 34a and 34c are entirely provided outside contact surfaces 311 and 312).
Takagi fails to disclose wherein the at least one exchange wall comprises at least two regions on its outer surface each configured for being in thermal contact with a respective external element or component,
wherein the at least one flow channel comprises at least two segments with fins which are not straight,
the at least two segments with non-straight fins and the at least one segment with straight fins are arranged in adjacent positions and distributed along the flow direction,
the at least one flow channel of the segments with non-straight fins is connected continuously along the flow direction with the corresponding flow channel of the adjacent segment with straight fins
each segment with non-straight fins of the at least two segments with non-straight fins comprises mainly the corresponding thermal footprint region to improve heat exchange
wherein the at least one segment with fins which are straight in the flow direction is intercalated between the at least two segments with fins which are not straight in the flow direction.
Harkins discloses wherein the at least one exchange wall (21, Fig. 3) comprises at least two regions on its outer surface (a square region in Fig. 4 of planar heat sink 11b; and a square region of planar heat sink 12b) each configured for being in thermal contact with a respective external element or component (each square region thermally contacts the respective switching element 11a or 12a, Fig. 2),
wherein the at least one flow channel comprises at least two segments with fins which are not straight (a corrugated portion 32 and a corrugated portion 242 are not straight, Fig. 7 of Harkins), and
wherein the at least one segment with fins which are straight in the flow direction is intercalated between the at least two segments with fins which are not straight in the flow direction (straight segments at “31” and “241” in Fig. 7 of Harkins are intercalated between two wave segments 32 and 242).
Therefore, based on the teachings of Harkins that the switching elements are provided serially along a flow direction between inlet/outlet of a tube 20a, the flow passage pipe 3 in Takagi may be modified to include the electrical component 2, and a duplicate electrical component 2 serially provided along a flow direction between inlet/outlet 33a. Each of the serially provided electrical component 2 may further include an inner fin 34 having a wave portion 34b provided a thermal footprint of the electrical component 2 and two straight fin portions 34a, 34c. It is expected that more electrical components that require cooling may have the generated heat removed in the same flow passage pipe 3.
As a result, Takagi in view of Harkins discloses: the at least two segments with non-straight fins and the at least one segment with straight fins are arranged in adjacent positions and distributed along the flow direction (the wave portions 34b of the electrical component 2 and the duplicated electrical component 2 are serially adjacent along the flow of the flow passage pipe 3),
the at least one flow channel of the segments with non-straight fins is connected continuously along the flow direction with the corresponding flow channel of the adjacent segment with straight fins (the channels of the two inner fins 34 in the respective original and duplicated electrical components 2 are continuously and serially connected), and
each segment with non-straight fins of the at least two segments with non-straight fins comprises mainly the corresponding thermal footprint region to improve heat exchange (the wave portions 34b of both the original and duplicated electrical components 2 directly over or under the contact surfaces 311 and 312, see one shown in Fig. 4 Takagi).
wherein the at least one segment with fins which are straight in the flow direction is intercalated between the at least two segments with fins which are not straight in the flow direction (the straight fin portions 34a and 34c between the two electrical components 2 are intercalated between the two wave portions 34b).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein the at least one exchange wall comprises at least two regions on its outer surface each configured for being in thermal contact with a respective external element or component,
wherein the at least one flow channel comprises at least two segments with fins which are not straight,
the at least two segments with non-straight fins and the at least one segment with straight fins are arranged in adjacent positions and distributed along the flow direction,
the at least one flow channel of the segments with non-straight fins is connected continuously along the flow direction with the corresponding flow channel of the adjacent segment with straight fins
each segment with non-straight fins of the at least two segments with non-straight fins comprises mainly the corresponding thermal footprint region to improve heat exchange
wherein the at least one segment with fins which are straight in the flow direction is intercalated between the at least two segments with fins which are not straight in the flow direction
in Takagi as taught by Harkins in order to meet cooling demand in a structure having multiple electrical components. Also, it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Regarding claim 3, Takagi as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein the at least two segments with non-straight fins is a segment with fins selected from one of the following types: wavy fins with a triangular profile or rounded profile, or fins offset in the flow direction (a rounded triangular profile as shown in Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 4, Takagi as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein the at least one conduit comprises a first wall corresponding to the heat exchange wall (wall 31 away from contact surface 311), a second wall spaced from the first wall (wall 32 away from contact surface 321), and side walls connecting the first and second walls (312 and 322, Figs. 3 and 7, connect the walls 31 and 32).
Regarding claim 5, Takagi as modified in claim 4 further discloses wherein the first wall and the second wall of the at least one conduit are parallel to one another (see Figs. 3 and 7).
Regarding claim 6, Takagi in claim 1 fails to disclose wherein the distance between the respective inner faces of the first wall and the second wall of the at least one conduit is less than or equal to 40 mm.
It is noted that the distance between the first wall and the second wall directly defines a hydraulic diameter of flow passage pipe and it inherently being result effective to fluid flowing properties and further defines heat exchange performance in the heat exchanger. No specificized distance range is disclosed in Takagi, it is understood that increasing the distance increases a flow volume in the pipe and decreases pressure loss, while the distance cannot be excessively increased due to a size limitation and/or material economics. Therefore, an optimum distance including the claimed range is routinely experimented by one skilled in the art to obtain optimum flow performance in the pipe. Therefore, specifying the distance in the claim is not novel.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein the distance between the respective inner faces of the first wall and the second wall of the at least one conduit is less than or equal to 40 mm in Takagi through routine experimentation.
Regarding claim 7, Takagi as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein the at least one turbulator comprises k segments with the straight fins distributed along the flow direction and n segments with the non-straight fins distributed along the flow direction (n=2 segments of wave portions 34b in view of Harkins), and wherein k is between 1 and 30 (3 segments of straight fins, including a straight fin 34a most upstream, a straight fin group 34c and 34a between the electrical components 2, and a straight fin 34c downstream, hence k=3), wherein the k segments with the straight fins and the n segments with the non-straight fins are alternately arranged along the flow direction (straight fins 34a, wave fins 34b, straight fin group 34c+34a, wave fins 34b and straight fins 34c are connected alternatively and sequentially along a flow of the flow pipe 3).
Regarding claim 9, Takagi as modified in claim 1 fails to disclose wherein the at least one segment with non-straight fins of the turbulator has a length Lw along the flow direction between 2 mm and 500 mm.
Regarding claim 10, Takagi as modified in claim 1 fails to disclose wherein the at least one segment with straight fins of the turbulator has a length Lsk along the flow direction between 2 mm and 500 mm.
The fin length (non-straight fins or straight fins) along the flow direction is also a result effective variable. The fin length directly defines available additional heat exchange surface area being added to a fluid channel. Increasing the fin length further increasing heat exchange surface area for more efficient heat exchange, but the fin length cannot be excessively long that may interfere with other structures in the pipe or causing excessive pressure loss. No specificized fin length range is disclosed in Takagi, one of ordinary skill in the art would perform routine optimization of the fin length (of the non-straight fins or straight fins) including the claimed range in order for proper size without interfering other structure, heat exchange efficiency and fluid pressure loss. Therefore, specifying the fin length in the claim is not novel.
It is noted that the fin length is One of ordinary skill in the art would perform routine optimization of the support element thickness including the claimed range in order for proper supporting and phase change of the working fluid. Therefore, specifying the thickness in the claim is not novel.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein the at least one segment with non-straight fins of the turbulator has a length Lw along the flow direction between 2 mm and 500 mm (claim 9); and wherein the at least one segment with straight fins of the turbulator has a length Lsk along the flow direction between 2 mm and 500 mm (claim 10) in Takagi through routine experimentation.
Regarding claim 11, Takagi as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein the arrangement of one or more non-straight segments with fins and one or more straight segments with fins of the at least one turbulator is such that it is invariable with respect to a 180° rotation according to an axis perpendicular to the heat exchange wall (the rectangular profile of the fin 34 shown in Fig. 4 straight portions 34a and 34c and non-straight portion 34b remains the same after a 180° rotation according to an axis in the center of the rectangular profile and perpendicular to the heat exchange wall 31 and 32).
Regarding claim 13, Takagi as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein, in the case where the at least two segments with non-straight fins is of a wavy type, the attachment between a straight fin section and an adjacent non-straight fin section occurs at a point corresponding to a maximum or a minimum of the wave (an attachment between portion 34b to 34a or 34c is provided at peak or valley of the wave portion 34b).
Regarding claim 14, Takagi as modified in claim 1 further discloses a plurality of segments with straight fins, wherein the segments with non-straight fins are formed by wavy fins with a wave formed by: (a) straight segments forming a square wave, or (b) with a curved wave (a curved wave of fins 34b in an enlarged view in Fig. 5 and 6), and wherein:
at least a first segment with straight fins presents an attachment with the segment with non-straight fins in a maximum of the wave (portion 34a attaches a peak of the wave of portion 34b); and
at least a second segment with straight fins, different from the first segment, presents an attachment with the segment with non-straight fins in a minimum of the wave (portion 34c attaches a valley of the wave of portion 34b),
such that the first segment with straight fins is shifted with respect to the second segment with straight fins in the direction transverse to the flow to restrict the passage between the turbulator and the conduit on either side of the turbulator (the portion 34a and the corresponding portion 34c connected to the same wave of the portion 34b is shifted along the direction DRw in Fig. 4, and performing the claimed function by restricting a direct path between the inlet and outlet).
Regarding claim 15, Takagi as modified in claim 1 further discloses a heat exchanger module (Fig. 1), comprising:
a heat exchanger according to claim 1 (the flow passage pipe 3 connects to two electrical components 2 as modified); and
at least one external element or component (the electrical components 2) placed outside the conduit of the heat exchanger (outside the pipe 3, see Fig. 3) and said at least one external element or component occupying a heat exchange region close to or in contact with the wall of the at least one conduit of the heat exchanger (the electrical component 2 is in contact with one of the surfaces 311 and 321 of respective wall 31 and 32).
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takagi (JP 2017-73502 A) in view of Harkins (US Patent No. 9,955,613, previously cited) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Inagaki (US PGPub No. 2005/0121173).
Regarding claim 2, Takagi as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein in the at least one turbulator according to the flow direction, between a boundary delimiting the thermal footprint region (see annotated figure 7 of Harkins below) and a boundary delimiting the attachment
of the at least two segments with non-straight fins to the at least one adjacent segment with straight fins (not required) or
of the at least one segment with straight fins to the at least two adjacent segments with non-straight fins (see “attachment” in the annotated figure 7 of Harkins below, which is an attachment of the straight fins and two adjacent wave fins via the tube wall) there is a distance comprised by a transition area (see annotated figure below), wherein the boundary delimiting the attachment of the at least two segments with non-straight fins to the at least one adjacent segment with straight fins or vice versa is outside the thermal footprint region, or is inside the thermal footprint region (the “boundary of the attachment” is outside the thermal footprint region 11b).
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However, Takagi fails to disclose wherein the distance of the transition area is between 1 mm and 15 mm.
Inagaki discloses wherein the distance of the transition area (delta between the inner fins 203, Fig. 6) is between 1 mm and 15 mm (at least 1 mm, paragraph 0162, including the range as claimed).
Therefore, the “distance of transition area” in the annotated figure above may be at least 1 mm including the range as claimed as taught by Inagaki.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the distance of the transition area is between 1 mm and 15 mm in Takagi as taught by Inagaki in order to largely prevent the boundary layer from greatly formed and to improve the cooling capacity of the stacked type cooler 1 (paragraph 0162 of Inagaki).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 12 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Takagi in view of Harkins discloses an electrical component 2 with the fin 34 and a duplicated electrical component 2 with the duplicated fin 34 serially provided in the flow passage pipe 3 between the inlet/outlet 33a. The modification discloses 2 segments with the non-straight fins 34b and 3 or 4 segments of straight fins 34a and 34c.
Therefore, Takagi in view of Harkins fails to disclose n segments with the non-straight fins and k segments with the straight fins, wherein n is equal to k + 1, if k is greater than 1 required in claim 8.
Further, regarding claim 12, Takagi as modified in claim 1 fails to disclose wherein the at least one turbulator comprises three segments with non-straight fins and two segments with straight fins, wherein each segment with the straight fins is intercalated between two segments with the non-straight fins.
Based on the modification of a duplicated electrical component 2 with the fins 34 having the sections 34a-c may be added serially with the original electrical component 2 in claim 1 through duplication of parts, another set of electrical component 2 with the fins 34 having the sections 34a-c may also be added serially along the fluid flow with the two electrical components 2 with the fins 34 modified in claim 1.
As a result, the at least one turbulator comprises three segments with non-straight fins (three wave sections 34b in the three electrical components 2) and two segments with straight fins (straight fins 34a and 34c between an upstream and middle wave sections 34b along the flow direction; and another straight fins 34a and 34c between the middle and a downstream wave sections 34b along the flow direction).
However, the modification includes the most upstream straight fins 34a closest to the inlet and the most downstream straight fins 34c closest to the outlet. Therefore, the modification fails to teach or make obvious “each segment with the straight fins is intercalated between two segments with the non-straight fins” required in claim 12.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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 (i.e., Takagi in view of Harkins).
Conclusion
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/JIANYING C ATKISSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/F.K.L/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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