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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1–20 are pending and have been examined. Claims 1, 10 and 16 are independent. Claims 1–20 are rejected. Claims 7, 8, 10, 14 and 15 are also objected to.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informality: in paragraph [0027], the apparatus of FIG. 4C is referred to as "apparatus 450," whereas the same paragraph identifies that apparatus as 440 and uses 450 for the holes. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informality: "a dielectric material defining a first hole and a second hole the housing" appears to omit a word. For examination, the phrase is treated as "a first hole and a second hole in the housing." Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 7, 8, 14 and 15 are objected to because of the following informality: "the first electrode or the second electrode have" should read "the first electrode or the second electrode has." Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
During examination, claims are given their broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification. See MPEP § 2111.
"Center … offset." Claims 1, 4, 10, 13 and 16 recite that a center of one electrode is offset from a center of another. Applicant's specification describes electrodes formed around the same hole, with one electrode closer to the viewer and the other further into the page (¶0026, ¶0028), and describes electrodes spaced apart so that their centers are offset (¶0020). Accordingly, the limitation is met where the geometric centers of the two electrodes are spaced apart in any direction, including along the direction in which the hole extends.
"Formed around the hole." Applicant's specification describes the electrode structure along an inner surface of the hole and states that the hole may be rectangular, oval or circular (¶0021). Accordingly, an electrode extending about the periphery of a passage, whether annular, square or rectangular, is "formed around the hole."
"Housing." Applicant's specification states that the housing may be made of a dielectric material that itself acts as the dielectric layer between the electrodes (¶0021, ¶0025). Accordingly, a body that defines the passage is a "housing," whether or not it is the same structure that supplies the claimed dielectric material.
"First," "second," "third," "fourth." Applicant's specification states that these adjectives indicate different instances of like objects and imply no sequence or ranking (¶0012). Accordingly, the labels identify distinct electrodes but do not tie a label to a particular electrode of a reference across separately rejected dependent claims.
"Exposed within the hole"; "embedded in the housing"; "integral with the housing." Applicant's specification describes one electrode exposed to the air and the other embedded within the housing or inside the dielectric material (¶0017), and describes the housing material serving as the dielectric layer (¶0025). The terms are given those meanings.
"Dielectric material defining a first hole and a second hole." Applicant's specification describes dielectric pillars formed within the housing, with the holes formed between them (¶0026). Accordingly, a dielectric member that bounds at least part of each of two passages within the housing "defines" those passages.
"Rectangular shape"; "saw tooth shape." Applicant's specification contrasts a straight-edged electrode with electrodes having saw-tooth edges (¶0024). The terms are given those meanings.
Functional recitations. "Arranged to cause airflow over the heat exchanger" (claim 16) and "power supply circuitry to provide an alternating current (AC) signal" (claim 17) are given patentable weight as capabilities of the recited structure. See MPEP § 2114. The terms "blower apparatus" and "power supply circuitry" do not use "means" and are accompanied by recited structure, so 35 U.S.C. 112(f) is not invoked. See MPEP § 2181.
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—
(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; or
(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.
Claims 1–3 and 9 – Khozikov
Claims 1–3 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Khozikov et al. (US 2013/0175405 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Khozikov discloses an apparatus (dielectric barrier discharge device, ¶0007; plasma propulsion nozzle 10, FIG. 1, ¶0021) comprising:
a housing defining a hole through the housing (nozzle 10 having an inlet 16, an interior chamber 17 and an outlet 18, FIGS. 1–2, ¶0007, ¶0021);
a first electrode formed around the hole (a first annular electrode extending around the inside periphery of the upstream end of the nozzle, ¶0007; annular electrodes 12, FIG. 1, ¶0021);
a second electrode formed around the hole, a center of the second electrode offset from a center of the first electrode (a second annular electrode extending around the inside periphery of the nozzle downstream of the first annular electrode, ¶0007; electrodes 24a, 24b staggered along the nozzle, FIG. 2, ¶0021; see Claim Interpretation above); and
a dielectric material between the first electrode and the second electrode (a dielectric barrier layer present along the entire inside periphery of the nozzle, the first annular electrode external to the layer and the second annular electrode internal to it, ¶0007; dielectric 22a sandwiched between electrodes 24a and 24b, FIG. 2, ¶0021).
Regarding claim 2, Khozikov discloses wherein the first electrode is on one or more surfaces defining the hole through the housing (the first annular electrode extends around the inside periphery of the nozzle, external to the dielectric barrier layer, ¶0007).
Regarding claim 3, Khozikov's second annular electrode, which lies internal to the dielectric barrier layer, corresponds to the claimed first electrode, and the first annular electrode corresponds to the claimed second electrode; the limitations of claim 1 are met as set forth above (see Claim Interpretation, "First," "second"). Khozikov discloses wherein the first electrode is embedded in the housing and the dielectric material is integral with the housing (the second annular electrode is internal to the dielectric barrier layer, which is present along the entire inside periphery of the nozzle, ¶0007; nozzle 10 with dielectric barrier 11, FIG. 1, ¶0021).
Regarding claim 9, with the electrodes labeled as for claim 3, Khozikov discloses wherein the second electrode is exposed within the hole (the first annular electrode extends around the inside periphery of the nozzle, external to the dielectric barrier layer, ¶0007).
Claims 1, 4, 6 and 7 – Ouyang
Claims 1, 4, 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ouyang (US 7,839,634 B2). As to claim 1, this rejection is made in the alternative to the rejection over Khozikov above.
Regarding claim 1, Ouyang discloses an apparatus (micro plasma actuators 105 coupled to heat sink fins assembly 104, FIGS. 1–2, col. 4, ll. 21–33) comprising:
a housing defining a hole through the housing (actuator body of dielectric 108 defining a passage through which the gas flows, FIGS. 2, 4–5, col. 4, ll. 29–47, 64–66);
a first electrode formed around the hole (anode 106, square or circular, with the passage hole in the middle of the electrode, FIGS. 6(a)–6(b), col. 4, ll. 52–58);
a second electrode formed around the hole, a center of the second electrode offset from a center of the first electrode (cathode 107 surrounding the passage and spaced from anode 106 along the flow direction z, FIGS. 4, 6(a)–6(b), col. 4, ll. 38–43, 52–58); and
a dielectric material between the first electrode and the second electrode (dielectric 108 between anode 106 and cathode 107, FIGS. 4–5; the electrode pair is embedded inside the dielectric material, col. 4, ll. 43–47).
Regarding claim 4, Ouyang discloses wherein the hole is a first hole, the dielectric material is a first dielectric material, and the housing further defines a second hole through the housing in a same direction as the first hole (an array of micro plasma actuators in actuator assembly 105, with parallel passages discharging in the same direction, FIG. 2, col. 4, ll. 29–33), the apparatus further comprising: a third electrode formed around the second hole; a fourth electrode formed around the second hole, a center of the fourth electrode offset from a center of the third electrode; and a second dielectric material between the third electrode and the fourth electrode (each actuator of the array has its own anode 106 and cathode 107 around its passage with dielectric 108 between them, as set forth for claim 1; for FIGS. 1–6 the gas flows through the passage in the middle of the electrodes, col. 4, ll. 64–66; multiple pairs of actuators may be used, col. 4, ll. 40–43).
Regarding claim 6, Ouyang discloses wherein the third electrode is embedded in the housing and the second dielectric material is integral with the housing (the electrode pair is embedded inside the dielectric material that forms the actuator body, FIG. 5, col. 4, ll. 43–47).
Regarding claim 7, Ouyang discloses wherein the first electrode or the second electrode have a rectangular shape (anode 106 and cathode 107 may be square, FIG. 6(a), col. 4, ll. 52–54; see Claim Interpretation above).
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.
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; and (4) considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966).
Emori et al. (US 2025/0142707 A1) ("Emori '707") has an effective filing date of February 15, 2022, the filing date of International Application No. PCT/IB2022/000071. Emori et al. (US 2024/0268058 A1) ("Emori '058") has an effective filing date of July 8, 2021, the filing date of International Application No. PCT/IB2021/000456. Each names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, and therefore qualifies as prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2).
Claim 5 – Ouyang in view of Khozikov
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ouyang in view of Khozikov.
Regarding claim 5, Ouyang discloses the apparatus of claim 4 as set forth above. Ouyang does not expressly disclose wherein the third electrode is on one or more surfaces defining the second hole. Khozikov teaches a dielectric barrier discharge actuator in which one annular electrode extends around the inside periphery of the passage external to the dielectric barrier layer while the other is internal to it and downstream (¶0007). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to place one electrode of each of Ouyang's actuators on the passage surface in the manner of Khozikov, because Ouyang states that its actuators may utilize the actuation mechanism of dielectric barrier discharge (col. 5, ll. 11–14), and Khozikov teaches that this arrangement provides a silent, reduced-footprint air mover (¶0020).
Claim 8 – Ouyang in view of Younsi
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ouyang in view of Younsi et al. (US 2008/0047428 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Ouyang discloses the apparatus of claim 1 as set forth above, and further teaches that the shape and geometry of the electrodes may be varied, including sharp features that enhance the plasma flow through a higher electric field (col. 4, ll. 58–63). Ouyang does not expressly disclose wherein the first electrode or the second electrode have a saw tooth shape. Younsi teaches a dielectric barrier discharge electrode whose edge comprises a set of saw-tooth features (first electrode 120 with saw-tooth features 175, FIG. 2, ¶0015, ¶0019). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to give one of Ouyang's electrodes a saw-tooth edge as taught by Younsi, in order to distribute the plasma discharge streamers more uniformly and stabilize their location (Younsi ¶0032).
Claims 10–12 and 14 – Emori '707 in view of Emori '058
Claims 10–12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Emori '707 in view of Emori '058.
Regarding claim 10, Emori '707 discloses an apparatus (cooling device with heat sink and plasma actuators, FIGS. 1, 5, ¶0021) comprising:
a housing (heat sink formed by base plate 11, fins 12 and plate 13 closing the tops of the flow paths, FIG. 5, ¶0022, ¶0038);
a dielectric material defining a first hole and a second hole [in] the housing (dielectric layer of plasma actuator 2a, arranged in flow path 14 away from and parallel to the fins, so that the flow path on one side of the actuator and the flow path on the other side are each bounded in part by the actuator, FIG. 5, ¶0029, ¶0031, ¶0038; see Claim Interpretation above); and
a first electrode formed on a first side of the dielectric material (upstream electrode exposed on the surface of the dielectric layer, FIG. 2, ¶0029).
Emori '707 further discloses a downstream electrode offset from the upstream electrode in the flow-path direction, but incorporated into the dielectric layer (¶0029). Emori '707 does not expressly disclose a second electrode formed on a second side of the dielectric material opposite the first side, a center of the second electrode offset from a center of the first electrode.
Emori '058 teaches a plasma actuator for cooling having an upper electrode on the upper surface of a dielectric and a lower electrode on the lower surface, the lower electrode shifted in the flow direction from the upper electrode (upper electrode 13, lower electrode 15, dielectric 11, FIG. 3, ¶0029, ¶0031). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the downstream electrode of Emori '707 on the opposite surface of the dielectric layer as taught by Emori '058. This substitutes one known dielectric barrier discharge electrode arrangement for another with predictable results (MPEP § 2143(I)(B)). Emori '058 also teaches that forming the electrodes on opposite surfaces of a circuit-board dielectric allows them to be formed with high precision, secures the withstand voltage and improves mass-productivity (¶0067, ¶0078).
Regarding claim 11, the combination teaches wherein the first electrode is in the first hole and the second electrode is in the second hole: the electrodes lie on opposite surfaces of the actuator, each facing the flow path on its own side (Emori '707 FIG. 5, ¶0031; Emori '058 FIG. 3, ¶0029).
Regarding claim 12, Emori '707 discloses wherein the housing is rectangular (FIG. 1, ¶0022), and the dielectric material is between a first side defining a length of the rectangular housing and a second side defining the length of the rectangular housing (actuator 2a extends between base plate 11 and plate 13, which run the length of the flow paths, FIG. 5, ¶0038; the actuator depth may equal the height of the flow path, ¶0035).
Regarding claim 14, Emori '058 teaches wherein the first electrode or the second electrode have a rectangular shape (upper electrode 13 is a straight strip across the dielectric, FIG. 2, ¶0029).
Claim 13 – Emori '707 in view of Emori '058 and Dyer
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Emori '707 in view of Emori '058, as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Dyer et al. (US 8,172,547 B2).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Emori '707 and Emori '058 teaches the apparatus of claim 10, wherein the dielectric material is a first dielectric material (dielectric of actuator 2a, Emori '707 FIG. 5, ¶0029, ¶0038; dielectric 11, Emori '058 FIG. 3, ¶0029). The combination does not expressly teach a second dielectric material defining the second hole and a third hole in the housing, the second dielectric material parallel with the first dielectric material.
Dyer teaches parallel dielectric layers stacked within a flow passage, each inner layer bounding the air gaps on both of its sides, so that adjacent layers share the gap between them (dielectric layers 18′, 20′ forming three distinct air gaps 26a, 26b and 26c, FIG. 2, col. 4, ll. 25–46). Dyer further teaches that a greater plurality of electrodes may be employed to form a plurality of spaced-apart air gaps through which the flow is accelerated (col. 2, ll. 17–20). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide, within the flow path of the combination, a second actuator dielectric parallel with the first, so that the two share the second hole and the second actuator also bounds a third hole, because Dyer teaches that such stacking allows "more efficient packing of actuator stages in a smaller volume and length" (col. 4, ll. 60–64).
So configured, the second actuator carries the same electrode arrangement as the first, thereby providing a third electrode formed on a first side of the second dielectric material; and a fourth electrode formed on a second side of the second dielectric material opposite the first side, a center of the third electrode offset from a center of the fourth electrode (Emori '058 FIG. 3, ¶0029, ¶0031).
Claim 15 – Emori '707 in view of Emori '058 and Younsi
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Emori '707 in view of Emori '058, as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Younsi.
Regarding claim 15, the combination does not expressly teach wherein the first electrode or the second electrode have a saw tooth shape. Younsi teaches a dielectric barrier discharge electrode whose edge comprises a set of saw-tooth features (FIG. 2, ¶0015, ¶0019). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to give the exposed electrode of the combination a saw-tooth edge, in order to distribute the plasma discharge streamers more uniformly and stabilize their location (Younsi ¶0032).
Claims 16 and 17 – Ouyang in view of Khozikov
Claims 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ouyang in view of Khozikov.
Regarding claim 16, Ouyang discloses a computing device (electronic device such as a laptop computer, col. 3, ll. 45–58; electronic device 158, FIG. 13) comprising:
a processor (heat source 101, such as a microprocessor chip, FIG. 1, col. 3, ll. 45–52, col. 4, ll. 21–28);
a heat exchanger coupled to the processor (heat transfer pipes 102, heat sink base 103 and heat sink fins assembly 104 coupled to heat source 101, FIG. 1, col. 4, ll. 21–28);
a blower apparatus arranged to cause airflow over the heat exchanger (micro plasma actuators 105 inducing the air flowing out of heat sink fins assembly 104, FIGS. 2–3, col. 4, ll. 29–37), the blower apparatus comprising: a first electrode around a hole within the blower apparatus (anode 106 with the passage hole in the middle of the electrode, FIG. 6, col. 4, ll. 52–58); a second electrode around the hole, a center of the second electrode offset from a center of the first electrode (cathode 107 surrounding the passage and spaced from anode 106 along the flow direction z, FIGS. 4, 6, col. 4, ll. 38–43); and a dielectric material between the first electrode and the second electrode (dielectric 108, FIGS. 4–5, col. 4, ll. 43–47).
Ouyang does not expressly disclose the second electrode exposed within the hole; in the embodiment of FIG. 5 the electrode pair is embedded inside the dielectric material. Khozikov teaches a dielectric barrier discharge actuator around a passage in which one annular electrode extends around the inside periphery of the passage external to the dielectric barrier layer, and is thus exposed within the passage, while the other annular electrode lies downstream and internal to the layer (¶0007). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure Ouyang's electrode pair in Khozikov's dielectric barrier discharge arrangement, with one electrode exposed within the passage, because Ouyang states that its actuators may utilize the actuation mechanism of dielectric barrier discharge (col. 5, ll. 11–14), and Khozikov teaches that this arrangement provides a silent, reduced-footprint air mover (¶0020), consistent with Ouyang's stated aim of quieter cooling for laptops (col. 3, ll. 53–58).
Regarding claim 17, the combination teaches power supply circuitry to provide an alternating current (AC) signal to the blower apparatus (Ouyang power supplier 130, FIG. 11, col. 5, ll. 24–27; Khozikov alternating-current power source applied to the electrode pairs, ¶0025, ¶0027).
Claims 18–20 – Ouyang in view of Khozikov and Tran
Claims 18–20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ouyang in view of Khozikov, as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of Tran et al. (US 8,680,777 B2).
Regarding claim 18, the combination does not expressly teach wherein the power supply circuitry comprises direct current (DC)-to-AC conversion circuitry comprising a full or half bridge inverter to convert a DC signal to a square wave, a transformer to output an AC signal based on the square wave output by the inverter. Tran teaches a power system for dielectric barrier discharge loads in which four switches arranged as a full bridge convert an incoming DC bus voltage into a switched inverter output, drawn as a square wave (Vinv, FIG. 1B; switches 121–124, FIG. 1A, col. 3, ll. 1–4; full-bridge IGBTs 321–324, FIG. 3, col. 4, ll. 1–7). The output is supplied through a resonant tank to a high-voltage step-up transformer that delivers a high-voltage AC signal to the discharge cell (col. 3, ll. 11–20; transformer 340, col. 4, ll. 13–23). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Tran's full-bridge inverter and step-up transformer as the AC power supply of the combination, to generate the high-voltage AC signal from the device's DC supply, because Tran teaches that its combined control enables soft switching through all load conditions with improved dynamic range (col. 6, ll. 3–9, 17–24).
Regarding claim 19, the combination as modified teaches wherein the DC-to-AC conversion circuitry further comprises a microcontroller to control the full or half bridge inverter using frequency or pulse width modulation. Tran's control circuit generates the bridge switching signals through combined pulse width modulation and frequency modulation using a PWM controller chip (control circuit 430, col. 5, ll. 23–55; col. 6, ll. 17–26), under a power loop implemented on a low-cost microprocessor (col. 7, ll. 29–31). Ouyang likewise provides an IC assembly containing a micro-controller to drive the actuators (IC assembly 157, FIG. 13, col. 6, ll. 13–17).
Regarding claim 20, Tran teaches wherein the AC signal is between 5-10 kV and between 20-50 kHz (the transformer output voltage steps up to about 8 kV peak-to-peak at around 30 kHz of switching frequency, col. 4, ll. 20–23). A value within the claimed range anticipates the range. See MPEP § 2131.03.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2008/0302514 – plasma cooling heat sink
US 2004/0247886 – thin film forming method and thin film forming substrate
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHENGFU J FENG whose telephone number is (571)272-2949. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 900am-530pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JAYPRAKASH 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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/ZHENGFU J FENG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
October 14, 2026
