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 .
Drawings
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The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
Color photographs will be accepted if the conditions for accepting color drawings and black and white photographs have been satisfied. See 37 CFR 1.84(b)(2).
Black and white line drawings replacing the grayscale drawings will overcome this objection.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-12, 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over van Boheemen et al. (US 2017/0274778 A1) in view of Shin et al. (US 2019/0333676 A1)
Re. claims 1-3: Van Boheemen discloses a cooling apparatus for a wireless power transfer (WPT) transmitter coil comprising:
a reservoir (tank in 561) for holding coolant; (see fig. 5; para. 0065)
a coolant loop (510, 610, 710), wherein the coolant loop includes a plurality of heat sinks; (see fig. 5-7; para. 0065-0070, 0076-0077)
a wireless power transfer (WPT) transmitter coil (422), wherein coolant flows from the reservoir through the coolant loop into the plurality of heat sinks via the pump, (see fig. 4-7; para. 0062-0065)
wherein heat from the WPT transmitter coil is transferred from the plurality of heat sinks to the coolant. (see para. 0071-0075)
van Boheemen fails to disclose:
a pump for pumping a coolant including nano ferrite particles;
wherein the nano ferrite particles include at least one of Mn-Zn, cobalt ferrite, barium ferrite, and nickel-zinc.
However, Shin discloses:
a pump (100) for pumping a coolant including nano ferrite particles; (see fig. 2-4; para. 0027-0031)
wherein the nano ferrite particles include at least one of Mn-Zn, cobalt ferrite, barium ferrite, and nickel-zinc. (see para. 0029)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide an inductive coolant loop with ferrofluid comprising Mn-Zn coolant to the apparatus of van Boheemen as taught by Shin. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to do this in order to circulate coolant within the coil and magnet without the need for an external pump. (Shin para. 0023-0024)
Re. claim 4: Shin discloses wherein a magnetic field of the WPT transmitter coil (120) assists in pumping the coolant (through channel 240). (see para. 0039-0044)
Re. claim 6: van Boheemen discloses an electromagnet (421) proximate an inlet of a manifold (561 manifold for plural 560). (see fig. 5; para. 0063-0064)
Re. claim 7: Shin discloses wherein a magnetic field magnitude difference between the inlet and an outlet causes the coolant with the nano ferrite particles to flow passively from the inlet to the outlet. (see fig. 2B; para. 0033-0034, 0039-0044)
Re. claims 8-11: van Boheemen discloses a cooling apparatus for cooling a wireless power transfer (WPT) transmitter coil comprising:
a reservoir (tank in 561) for holding coolant; (see fig. 5; para. 0065)
a coolant loop (510, 610, 710), wherein the coolant loop includes a plurality of heat sinks; (see fig. 5-7; para. 0065-0070, 0076-0077)
wherein heat from the WPT transmitter coil is transferred from the plurality of heat sinks to the coolant. (see para. 0071-0075)
an electromagnet (421) proximate an inlet of a manifold (561 manifold for plural 560); and (see fig. 5; para. 0063-0064)
a wireless power transfer (WPT) transmitter coil (422), wherein coolant flows from the reservoir through the coolant loop into the plurality of heat sinks (see fig. 4-7; para. 0062-0065)
wherein heat from the WPT transmitter coil is transferred from the plurality of heat sinks to the coolant. (see para. 0071-0075)
van Boheemen fails to disclose:
wherein a magnetic field magnitude difference between the inlet and an outlet causes the coolant to flow passively from the inlet to the outlet,
However, Shin discloses:
wherein a magnetic field magnitude difference between the inlet and an outlet causes the coolant to flow passively from the inlet to the outlet, (see fig. 2-4; para. 0027-0031)
wherein the nano ferrite particles include at least one of Mn-Zn, cobalt ferrite, barium ferrite, and nickel-zinc. (see para. 0029-0031)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide an inductive coolant loop with ferrofluid comprising Mn-Zn coolant to the apparatus of van Boheemen as taught by Shin. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to do this in order to circulate coolant within the coil and magnet without the need for an external pump. (Shin para. 0023-0024)
Re. claim 12: Shin discloses wherein a magnetic field of the WPT transmitter coil (120) assists in pumping the coolant (through channel 240). (see para. 0039-0044)
Re. claim 14: Shin discloses a pump (100) that helps the coolant to flow. (see fig. 2-4; para. 0039-0042)
Re. claims 15-17: van Boheemen discloses a method for cooling a wireless power transfer (WPT) transmitter coil comprising:
holding coolant in a reservoir (tank in 561); (see fig. 5; para. 0065)
connecting a coolant loop (510, 610, 710), that includes a plurality of heat sinks to the reservoir; (see fig. 5-7; para. 0065-0070, 0076-0077)
moving coolant from the reservoir through the coolant loop into the plurality of heat sinks; and (see fig. 4-7; para. 0062-0065)
transferring heat from a WPT transmitter coil (422) to the coolant via the plurality of heat sinks. (see para. 0071-0075)
van Boheemen fails to disclose:
a pump for pumping a coolant including nano ferrite particles;
wherein the nano ferrite particles include at least one of Mn-Zn, cobalt ferrite, barium ferrite, and nickel-zinc.
However, Shin discloses:
a pump (100) for pumping a coolant including nano ferrite particles; (see fig. 2-4; para. 0027-0031)
wherein the nano ferrite particles include at least one of Mn-Zn, cobalt ferrite, barium ferrite, and nickel-zinc. (see para. 0029)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide an inductive coolant loop with ferrofluid comprising Mn-Zn coolant to the apparatus of van Boheemen as taught by Shin. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to do this in order to circulate coolant within the coil and magnet without the need for an external pump. (Shin para. 0023-0024)
Re. claim 18: Shin discloses a magnetic field of the WPT transmitter coil assists in pumping the coolant. (through channel 240). (see para. 0039-0044)
Re. claim 20: van Boheemen discloses:
generating a magnetic field via an electromagnet (421) proximate an inlet of a manifold, (561 manifold for plural 560). (see fig. 5; para. 0063-0064)
Van Boheemen fails to disclose:
wherein a magnetic field magnitude difference between the inlet and an outlet causes the coolant with the nano ferrite particles to flow passively from the inlet to the outlet.
However, Shin discloses:
wherein a magnetic field magnitude difference between the inlet and an outlet causes the coolant with the nano ferrite particles to flow passively from the inlet to the outlet. (see fig. 2B, 4D; para. 0039-0042)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide an inductive coolant loop with ferrofluid comprising Mn-Zn coolant to the apparatus of van Boheemen as taught by Shin. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to do this in order to circulate coolant within the coil and magnet without the need for an external pump. (Shin para. 0023-0024)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 13, and 19 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.
Re. claims 5, 13, and 19: the limitations of “a metering valve in an inlet tube of the coolant loop” in combination with the remaining limitations in the claim cannot be found in the prior art. One of ordinary skill in the art would not have been motivated to provide a metering valve to the apparatus of van Boheemen and Shin because the valve would have slowed the coolant and reduced the cooling efficiency of the apparatus.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Luzinski et al. (US 2022/0200342 A1) discloses a wireless power transmission device with cooling loop. Liu et al. (US 2023/0085399 A1) discloses a ferrous heat exchanging cold plate for use in wireless vehicle charging.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM B DRAVININKAS whose telephone number is (571)270-1353. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9a-6p MT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JAYPRAKASH (JP) N GANDHI can be reached at 571-272-3740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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August 21, 2026
/ADAM B DRAVININKAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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