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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-9 in the reply filed on 9/22/2025 is acknowledged. Claims 10-19 are hereby withdrawn from consideration.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it includes the implied phrase “is disclosed” and the legal phraseology “comprises”. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Objections
Claims 6-7 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 6 – the word “through” should be replace with the phrase “via an” (or similar) in line 3.
Claim 7 – either the term “the refrigerant sensor” should instead read “a refrigerant sensor”, or the claim should be amended to depend from claim 5.
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 2-3 and 6 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.
Regarding claim 2, the claim recites a “first tray”, then recites “there is at least one first tray below each of the one or more manifolds”, and finally recites “the first tray extends along a length of the corresponding manifold”. These limitations are indefinite as it is unclear how many trays and manifolds are required. For examination purposes the claim is presumed to mean that there is one or more first trays and one or more manifolds, wherein each manifold has a corresponding first tray.
Regarding claim 3, the claim recites a “second tray”, then recites “there is at least one second tray on top of each of the one or more manifolds”, and finally recites “the second tray extends along a length of the corresponding manifold”. These limitations are indefinite as it is unclear how many trays and manifolds are required. For examination purposes the claim is presumed to mean that there is one or more second trays and one or more manifolds, wherein each manifold has a corresponding second tray.
Regarding claim 6, the claim recites “the predetermined location at the bottom end of the coils” and “the refrigerant sensor”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. For examination purposes the claim is presumed to reference the limitations of claims 4 and 5 in regards to the “bottom end” and “refrigerant sensor”.
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.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lord (WO 2021/050618).
As to claim 1, Lord discloses an assembly for directing and detecting leaked refrigerant in a heat exchanger, the assembly comprising:
one or more trays 125a-b/130 configured at one or more leak-prone locations in the heat exchanger (paragraph 37),
wherein the one or more trays 125a-b/130 are adapted to block and collect leaked refrigerant from the leak-prone locations and direct the collected leaked refrigerant toward a predetermined location 140a at sensor 170 (paragraphs 37, 41, and 44).
As to claim 2, Lord discloses a manifold 122 and a corresponding first tray 125a/130 that extends below and along the length of the manifold 122 (Figs. 2 and 4; paragraph 37).
As to claim 3, Lord discloses second trays 150a-b configured on top of and extending along the length of manifold 122 to cover the top of said manifold (Figs. 2 and 4; paragraph 38).
As to claim 4, Lord discloses the predetermined location 140a at a bottom end of coils of the heat exchanger (Fig. 2).
As to claim 5, Lord discloses a refrigerant sensor 170 at the predetermined location 140a, wherein the sensor 170 is associated with a refrigerant leakage detection and mitigation system implemented in the heat exchanger (paragraphs 48-49).
As to claim 6, Lord discloses that leaked refrigerant is directed from the trays 125/130/150 towards the predetermined location 140a at the bottom end of the coils and towards the refrigerant sensor 170 through the outer surface of the coils of the heat exchanger (Figs. 2 and 4; paragraphs 37 and 42).
As to claim 7, Lord discloses the trays fluidically connected to the location 140a and sensor 170 via a channel formed by the slope 148 of tray 130 (Fig. 2).
As to claim 8, Lord discloses using A2L refrigerant (paragraph 34).
As to claim 9, Lord discloses a microchannel heat exchanger (paragraph 33) having a V-coil arrangement (Fig. 1, note that exchanger 40 is shaped in an upside-down “V”).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN BRADFORD whose telephone number is (571)270-5199. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 - 4:00 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jerry-Daryl Fletcher can be reached at (571)270-5054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JONATHAN BRADFORD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763