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Claims 5, 14, and 8, 17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species (and depending from a withdrawn claim; noting claim depending from a withdrawn claim is considered withdrawn from exmianation), there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 11/06/2025.
Applicant's election with traverse of Embodiment 2 ( Species E and subspecies AD) in the reply filed on 11/06/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that examiner has grouped species/subspecies incorrectly across embodiments 1, 2 and 3 as outlined and first described in the specification. From applicants arguments, the distinct embodiments are Embodiment 1- Figs 9-11; Embodiment 2- Figs 12-16; Embodiment 3- Figs 5-7. Therefore, applicant's election with traverse of Embodiment 2 ( currently considered to represent Figs 12-16) in the reply filed on 11/06/2025 is acknowledged . The remaining unelected species are considered to be Embodiment 1- Figs 9-11; Embodiment 3- Figs 5-7. 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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-4,6-7,9-13,15-16 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CHEN et al. US 2020/0248968 Al.
Re claim 1, CHEN et al. teach
a liquid cooling plate comprising: a housing comprising: a top wall (top portion 12); a bottom wall (bottom portion 11), wherein the top wall and the bottom wall are covered to form an accommodation cavity (fig 3), wherein the accommodation cavity is configured to accommodate a coolant and comprises:
a first region (103, annotated fig); and a second region (104, annotated fig) configured to: dispose in a staggered manner with a heat-generating device (para 2); and deform to absorb a volume variation of the coolant that is configured to dissipate heat from the heat-generating device, to expand in volume when being heated, and to shrink in volume when being cooled (para 52-54);
and a support structure (13, 30, and ridges/flanges that connects longitudinal ends of 11/12) disposed in the first region, disposed between the top wall and the bottom wall, and coupled to the top wall and the bottom wall (annotated fig).
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Re claim 2, CHEN et al. teach wherein the first region is configured to be in contact with the heat-generating device (para 2 thermal contact).
Re claim 3, CHEN et al. teach wherein the support structure comprises a plurality of first (13) support columns that are arranged in the first region at intervals, and wherein the first support columns are disposed between and coupled to the top wall and the bottom wall (see the rejection of claim 1, figs).
Re claim 4, CHEN et al. teach wherein the support structure is further disposed in the second region (see the rejection of claim 1).
Re claim 6, CHEN et al. teach wherein the support structure further comprises a plurality of second support columns (30) that are arranged in the second region at intervals, wherein one or more of the second support columns comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the bottom wall, and wherein the second end is spaced apart from the top wall (figs 6-7).
Re claim 7, CHEN et al. teach wherein the second support columns have a same height in a direction perpendicular to the housing (figs 6-7).
Re claim 9, CHEN et al. teach wherein a second bending stiffness of the second region is less than a first bending stiffness of the first region (noting due to a cantilever effect, it will be easier to bend the very end of the second region in addition to be thinner in a direction).
Re claim 10, CHEN et al. teach a liquid cooling system comprising: a liquid cooling plate comprising: a housing comprising: a top wall; and a bottom wall (see the rejection of claim 1),
wherein the top wall and the bottom wall are covered to form an accommodation cavity that comprises: a first region (103, annotated fig ); and a second region (104, annotated fig ) configured to: dispose in a staggered manner with a heat-generating device (see the rejection of claim 1); and deform to absorb a volume variation of a coolant that is configured to dissipate heat from the heat-generating device, to expand in volume when being heated, and to shrink in volume when being cooled (see the rejection of claim 1); a support structure (annotated fig, 13 ) disposed in the first region, disposed between the top wall and the bottom wall, and coupled to the top wall and the bottom wall (see the rejection of claim 1); and a delivery apparatus (annotated fig , 20 ) coupled to the liquid cooling plate and configured to drive the coolant to flow in the liquid cooling plate (para 62).
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Re claim 11, CHEN et al. teach wherein the first region is configured to be in contact with the heat-generating device (para 2).
Re claim 12, wherein the support structure comprises a plurality of first support columns (13) that are arranged in the first region at intervals, and wherein the first support columns are disposed between the top wall and the bottom wall (see the rejection of claim 10, figs).
Re claim 13, see the rejection of claim 4.
Re claim 15, see the rejection of claim 6.
Re claim 16, CHEN et al. teach wherein the second support columns have different heights in a direction perpendicular to the housing (noting 31 in 30 give different height portions).
Re claim 18, see the rejection of claim 9.
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.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 2, 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHEN et al..
Additionally, Re claims 2 and 11 , Another embodiment teach wherein the first region is configured to be in contact with the heat-generating device (para 2, also see H figs 13- 14) to contact the chips directly on the cold plate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to combine embodiments in the CHEN et al. invention in order to advantageously allow for electronic configuration to dissipate heat.
Claim(s) 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHEN et al. in view of VANDERWEES US 20200221605 A1.
Re claim 19, CHEN et al. teach an electronic device comprising: wherein the liquid cooling system comprises: a liquid cooling plate comprising: a second housing comprising: a top wall (top portion 12); and a bottom wall (bottom portion 11), wherein the top wall and the bottom wall are covered to form an accommodation cavity that comprises:
a first region; and a second region (annotated fig)
configured to: dispose in a staggered manner with a heat-generating device (para 2); and deform to absorb a volume variation of a coolant that is configured to dissipate heat from the heat-generating device, to expand in volume when being heated, and to shrink in volume when being cooled (para 52-54);
a support structure (13, 30, and ridges/flanges that connects longitudinal ends of 11/12) disposed in the first region, disposed between the top wall and the bottom wall, and coupled to the top wall and the bottom wall; and a delivery apparatus (annotated fig)
coupled to the liquid cooling plate and configured to drive the coolant to flow in the liquid cooling plate.
CHEN et al. fail to explicitly teach a first housing.
VANDERWEES teach a first housing (2, 4, 6) ; and a liquid cooling system inside the first housing (in the instant combination) to provide a computing shell
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include a first housing as taught by VANDERWEES in the CHEN et al. invention in order to advantageously allow for electronics to be housed in a casing.
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Re claim 20, CHEN et al. teach wherein the first region is configured to be in contact with the heat-generating device (para 2).
Additionally, Re claim 20, Another embodiment teach wherein the first region is configured to be in contact with the heat-generating device (para 2, also see H figs 13- 14) to contact the chips directly on the cold plate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to combine embodiments in the CHEN et al. invention in order to advantageously allow for electronic configuration to dissipate heat.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US 20210095930 A1, US 20200003498 A1, US 20190257589 A1.
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/GORDON A JONES/Examiner, Art Unit 3763