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
Claims 7-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected method of manufacture (claims 7-14) and a nonelected slurper circuit (claims 15-20), there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 12/30/2025.
Applicant's election with traverse of a heat exchanger (claims 1-6) in the reply filed on 12/30/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that (i) there is no serious burden since any field of search for one invention would necessarily overlap with the field of search for the other invention and that (ii) maintaining a restriction between elected claims 1-6 and non-elected claims 7-20 would impede the examination process. This is not found persuasive because:
The 10/31/2025 Restriction Requirement clearly identified that claims 1-6 are drawn to a heat exchanger classified in 165/71, claims 7-14 are drawn to a method of making a heat exchanger classified in 29/890.03, and claims 15-20 are drawn to a slurper circuit classified in 62/281. While there is some overlap, each identified group requires (emphasis added) separate searches that are unique to each of the identified groups.
Since the inventions have acquired a separate status in the art in view of their different classification, since the inventions have acquired a separate status in the art due to their recognized divergent subject matter, and since the inventions require a different field of search (e.g., searching different classes /subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search strategies or search queries) (MPEP 808.02), each invention should be examined in the areas in which the respective inventions are classified in order to receive a comprehensive examination by an examiner that is skilled in the respective areas.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 1-4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liang et al. (US 2019/0360755).
Regarding claim 1, Liang et al. discloses a heat exchanger (Defined by a fin unit 100), comprising: a heat exchanger core (defined by first portion 120 of the fin unit) (Annotated Figure 2) and an integral slurper circuit (defined by a second portion 110 of the fin unit) (Annotated Figure 2), the integral slurper circuit comprising:
Multiple slurper bars (Annotated Figure 1) integrally formed with the heat exchanger core as a single monolithic body (Figure 1 and Paragraph 55: The first and second portions of the fin unit are integrally part of the same heat exchanger core),
Each of the multiple slurper bars comprising a hollow shell (Annotated Figure 1), the hollow shell being elongate in a longitudinal dimension (B) thereof (Figures 1-2), which is aligned with a direction of flow of humid air exiting the heat exchanger core (Figures 1-2), and
The hollow shell being formed to define an interior (i.e. an interior of the hollow shell) and to define holes (140) arranged along a length of the hollow shell (Figures 1-2) by which water that is condensed out of the humid air is drawn into the interior (Paragraph 33: Holes 140 define drain holes for water).
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Regarding claim 2, Liang et al. discloses a heat exchanger as discussed above, where the multiple slurper bars are arranged in parallel with one another (Figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 3, Liang et al. discloses a heat exchanger as discussed above, where the multiple slurper bars all have a common configuration (Figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 4, Liang et al. discloses a heat exchanger as discussed above, where the hollow shell of each of the multiple slurper bars comprises parallel ridges (130) extending perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal dimension (Figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 6, Liang et al. discloses a heat exchanger as discussed above, where the hollow shell ofeach of the multiple slurper bars comprises parallel ridges (130) and channels (Figure 2: See spaces between respective elements 131 and 132) extending perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal dimension and ridged baffles extending in parallel with respect to the longitudinal dimension (Figure 2).
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liang et al. (US 2019/0360755), and further in view of Sato et al. (US 2015/0211781).
Regarding claim 5, Liang et al. discloses a heat exchanger as discussed above. While Liang et al. discloses that the hollow shell of each of the multiple slurper bars comprises ridges (130), Liang et al. does not explicitly teach or disclose offset angled ridges.
Sato et al. teaches a heat exchanger, comprising: a heat exchanger core (Figure 1: Defined by a windward portion of 5) and an integral slurper circuit (Figure 1: Defined by a leeward portion of 5), the integral slurper circuit comprising: multiple slurper bars (6) integrally formed with the heat exchanger core as a single monolithic body and arranged along a longitudinal dimension (z) (Figure 1), where the multiple slurper bars comprises offset angled ridges (40) extending diagonally with respect to the longitudinal dimension (Figure 1). As a result it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to configure the ridges as disclosed by Liang et al. in the form of offset angled ridges as taught by Sato et al. to improve heat exchanger heat exchanger heat transfer efficiency by operatively directing condensed water toward water draining grooves (Paragraph 38 of Sato et al.).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2022/0065539 discloses an additively manufactured heat exchanger comprising fins and tubes.
US 2002/0036079 discloses a heat exchanger with integrated condensate removal.
US 2013/0306280 discloses a heat exchanger with condensate removal.
US 2016/0195345 discloses a heat exchanger with condensate removal.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON N THOMPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-6391. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Friday 8:30 am -5:00 pm.
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/JASON N THOMPSON/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/FRANTZ F JULES/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763