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 .
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 of using the phrase “The present disclosure discloses…”. 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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 3-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song (US 2022/0400583) in view of Jing (US 2024/0357772).
Regarding claim 1, Song discloses a containerized data center at least comprising a container body (200) and an integrated refrigeration apparatus (refer to fig. 8); wherein
the container body (200) is internally provided with a to-be-cooled device set (201) dividing internal space of the container body into a cold channel and a hot channel (refer to the air return and air supply formed by the cold and hot channels within body 200);
the integrated refrigeration apparatus at least comprises a body (100), a liquid cooling system and an air cooling system (refer to fig. 8), wherein the body is connected to one end of the container body (refer to fig. 8), and the liquid cooling system and the air cooling system are installed in the body;
the body has an outdoor air inlet (refer to the fresh air arrow as in fig. 8), an outdoor air outlet (refer to air exhaust arrow as in fig. 8), an operating air inlet (refer to the air supply arow as in fig. 8) and an operating air outlet (refer to air return arrow as in fig. 8), wherein the operating air inlet is interconnected to the hot channel, and the operating air outlet is interconnected to the cold channel, such that after heat exchange through the air cooling system (heat exchange with evaporator 22 which is part of the air cooling system as in fig. 8), hot air in the hot channel is discharged into the cold channel through the operating air outlet; and
the liquid cooling system at least comprises a dry cooler (322) and a liquid supply and return pipe (refer to the broken lined arrows as in fig. 8 connected in series with dry cooler 322) connected in series with the dry cooler, wherein the dry cooler is positioned between the outdoor air inlet and the outdoor air outlet (refer to fig. 8).
While Song discloses the liquid supply line and the return pipe connected in series with a plate heat exchanger (refer to par. 52, wherein heat exchanger 31 may be implemented in a form of a plate heat exchanger), Song fails to explicitly disclose a plurality of liquid cooling cold plates being connected in series with the liquid supply and return pipe, the plurality of liquid cooling cold plates are connected in parallel with each other, and the plurality of liquid cooling cold plates respectively come into contact with a heat source of the to-be-cooled device set.
However, Jing teaches that is known in the art of refrigeration, to provide a data center cooling system (refer to fig. 5), comprising a plurality of liquid cooling cold plates (50) being connected in series with a liquid supply and return pipe (refer to the pipe in a series connection through said plates as in fig. 5), the plurality of liquid cooling cold plates (50) connected in parallel with each other (refer to fig. 5, and par. 13), and the plurality of liquid cooling cold plates respectively coming into contact with a heat source (410) of a to-be-cooled device set (41), in order to absorb the heat of the heat source to achieve liquid cooling of the to-be-cooled device set (refer to par. 47).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Song by providing a plurality of liquid cooling cold plates being connected in series with the liquid supply and return pipe, the plurality of liquid cooling cold plates are connected in parallel with each other, and the plurality of liquid cooling cold plates respectively come into contact with a heat source of the to-be-cooled device set, in order to directly absorb heat of the heat source to achieve liquid cooling of the to-be-cooled device set, hence, achieving higher performance due to superior heat removal in view of the teachings by Jing along with the knowledge generally available to one having ordinary skill in the art of refrigeration.
Regarding claim 3, Song as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 1. Further, Song as modified discloses wherein the air cooling system at least comprises a heat exchange core (body of heat exchanger 22); and an internal circulation air inlet of the heat exchange core is interconnected to the operating air inlet, and an internal circulation air outlet of the heat exchange core is interconnected to the operating air outlet (refer to the arrow flowing through heat exchange core 22 from the air return, and returning to the air supply as in fig. 8).
Regarding claim 4, Song as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 3. Further, Song as modified discloses wherein an air outlet channel (refer to the channel including the fans adjacent heat exchange core 22) is connected between the internal circulation air outlet and the operating air outlet; the air cooling system further comprises a condenser (31), an evaporator (22), an expansion valve (21) and a compressor (23), wherein the condenser, the evaporator, the expansion valve and the compressor are connected in series with each other to form a refrigeration cycle (refer to fig. 8); and the condenser (31) is positioned between the outdoor air inlet and the outdoor air outlet (refer to fig. 8), and the evaporator (22) is installed in the air outlet channel.
Regarding claim 5, Song as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 4. Further, Song as modified discloses wherein the heat exchange core (core from 22), the dry cooler (322), and the condenser (31) are arranged side by side (refer to fig. 8, wherein the term “side by side” is being considered as together; in the same place).
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song (US 2022/0400583), Jing (US 2024/0357772), and further in view of Campbell (US 2015/0173251).
Regarding claim 2, Song as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 1. Further, Song as modified discloses the to-be-cooled device set is installed inside the container body, but fails to explicitly disclose the to-be-cooled device set being installed through an overhead seat, and the liquid supply and return pipe is arranged inside the overhead seat.
However, Campbell further teaches a liquid-cooling apparatus for electronic modules, comprising a to-be-cooled device set (within electronic rack 210) being installed through an overhead seat (140), and a liquid supply and return pipe (222 and 223) is arranged inside the overhead seat (refer to fig. 2).
One having ordinary skill in the art of refrigeration would recognize that by providing the liquid supply and return pipe inside the overhead seat, it allows for more efficient and targeted cooling, and also enhances safety, simplifies maintenance, and improves overall aesthetics and organization of the data center.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to further modify Song such that the to-be-cooled device set is installed through an overhead seat, and the liquid supply and return pipe is arranged inside the overhead seat, in order to allow for more efficient and targeted cooling, and also enhance safety, simplify maintenance, and improve overall aesthetics and organization of the data center in view of the teachings by Campbell along with the knowledge generally available to one having ordinary skill in the art of refrigeration.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9 are 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.
Claim 10 is allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANA M VAZQUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0611. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7-4.
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/ANA M VAZQUEZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3763