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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 13, 15 and 17-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 13 should be amended to depend on claim 12.
Claim 15 should be amended to depend on claim 14.
Claim 17 should be amended to depend on claim 16.
Claim 18 should be amended to depend on claim 16.
Claim 19 should be amended to depend on claim 16.
Claim 20 should be amended to depend on claim 16.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 –
(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 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Goldowsky (US 6208512 B1).
As to Claim 9, Goldowsky discloses:
A liquid cooling module 22 for cooling a heat-producing component 20 of an information handling system 10 comprising:
a coolant loop tube core (central bore 38; Fig. 3);
an integrated screw pump 48 formed through the coolant loop tube core 38 (col. 4, Lines 48-51 “The impeller 48 illustrated in FIG. 3 is in the exemplary form of a screw pump having a plurality of axially spaced apart screw threads 48a for pumping the fluid 32 axially through the gap formed with the housing bore 38”);
a first manifold (highlighted in Fig. below) including a screw pump drive system (drive shaft 44) to drive the integrated screw pump 48 (drive shaft drives impeller 48);
and a second manifold (highlighted in Fig. below), wherein the first manifold (see Fig.), cylindrical cooling loop core 38, and second manifold (see Fig.) hold a coolant therein for the screw pump 48 to pump the coolant from the first manifold and to the second manifold through the cooling loop tube core 38 (see Fig. below; fluid 32 is pumped from highlighted first manifold to highlighted second manifold).
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As to Claim 10, Goldowsky discloses:
a heat exchanger (fins 58; see Figs. 3-4) comprising stacked fin layers wherein the cylindrical coolant loop 38 is formed through vias in the stacked fin layers (fins 58 are at least in part stacked as they around the perimeter of the bore 38; bore 38 is formed through the region in which the fins 58 are stacked).
As to Claim 11, Goldowsky discloses:
a fan module (fan 62) placed under the liquid cooing module 22 to pass air across the coolant loop tube core 38 (see Figs. 2-3; at least a portion of fan 52 is disposed beneath bore 38, wherein cooling air 60 is drawn across fins 58 connected to bore 38).
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goldowsky (US 6208512 B1) in view of Tse (US 20240389233 A1).
As to Claim 1, Goldowsky discloses:
An information handling system (computer 10; see Fig. 1), comprising:
a hardware processor (processor chip 20);
a power management unit (PMU) to provide power to the hardware processor 20 (col. 2, Lines 20-23 “a main processor board 18, or mother board, which cooperates with various peripherals such as the monitor 12, keyboard 14, hard drive, CD drive, and floppy disk drive, for example, all powered by a suitable power supply therein”); and
a liquid cooling module 26 thermally coupled to a heat-producing component 20 of the information handling system 10 (col. 2, Lines 66-67 “The heat sink 26 may be removably attached atop the processor 20”), the liquid cooling module including:
a coolant loop tube core (central bore 38; Fig. 3);
an integrated screw pump 48 formed through the coolant loop tube core 38 (col. 4, Lines 48-51 “The impeller 48 illustrated in FIG. 3 is in the exemplary form of a screw pump having a plurality of axially spaced apart screw threads 48a for pumping the fluid 32 axially through the gap formed with the housing bore 38”);
a first manifold (highlighted in Fig. below) including a screw pump drive system (drive shaft 44) to drive the integrated screw pump 48 (drive shaft drives impeller 48); and
a second manifold (highlighted in Fig. below), wherein the first manifold (see Fig.), cylindrical cooling loop core 38, and second manifold (see Fig.) hold a coolant therein for the screw pump 48 to pump the coolant through the coolant loop tube core 38 from the first manifold and to the second manifold (see Fig. below; fluid 32 is pumped from highlighted first manifold to highlighted second manifold).
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Goldowsky does not disclose:
An information handling system, comprising:
a memory device;
a power management unit (PMU) to provide power to the memory device.
However, Tse discloses:
An information handling system (network device 30; Fig. 1), comprising:
a memory device (RAM 34, NVM 38);
a power management unit (PMU) 46 to provide power to the memory device 34,38 (Par. 0016 “network device 30 may include processing circuitry such as a central processing unit (CPU) 32, storage circuitry including volatile memory such as random-access memory (RAM) 34 and nonvolatile memory (NVM) 38, a packet processing circuit such as packet processor 50, a control circuit such as hardware controller 42, and a power management circuit such as power manager 46 all contained within a device housing 31”; Par. 0022 “Power manager 46 (sometimes referred to as a power management device or power management unit) may be configured to control power sequencing operations on network device 30”);
in order to provide control circuitry for a network device (Par. 0016-0017).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the related art(s) before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Goldowsky as further suggested by Tse e.g., providing:
An information handling system, comprising:
a memory device;
a power management unit (PMU) to provide power to the memory device;
in order to provide control circuitry for a network device/information handling system.
As to Claim 2, the obvious modification of Goldowsky in view of Tse discloses:
wherein the liquid cooling module further includes a heat exchanger (fins 58; see Figs. 3-4 of Goldowsky) comprising stacked fin layers wherein the cylindrical coolant loop 38 is formed through vias through the stacked fin layers (fins 58 are at least in part stacked as they around the perimeter of the bore 38; bore 38 is formed through the region in which the fins 58 are stacked; Goldowsky).
As to Claim 3, the obvious modification of Goldowsky in view of Tse discloses:
a fan module (fan 62 of Goldowsky) placed under the liquid cooing module 22 to pass air across the coolant loop tube core 38 (see Figs. 2-3; at least a portion of fan 52 is disposed beneath bore 38, wherein cooling air 60 is drawn across fins 58 connected to bore 38; Goldowsky).
As to Claim 4, the obvious modification of Goldowsky in view of Tse does not explicitly disclose:
a plurality of coolant loop tube cores formed in the liquid cooling module; and
a plurality of integrated screw pumps each formed through one of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores.
However, Goldowsky further discloses:
the coolant loop tube core (38) formed in the liquid cooling module 22; and
the integrated screw pump 48 each formed through the coolant loop tube core 38 (col. 4, Lines 48-51 “The impeller 48 illustrated in FIG. 3 is in the exemplary form of a screw pump having a plurality of axially spaced apart screw threads 48a for pumping the fluid 32 axially through the gap formed with the housing bore 38”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide:
a plurality of coolant loop tube cores formed in the liquid cooling module; and
a plurality of integrated screw pumps each formed through one of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores;
in order to increase pumping power and since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
As to Claim 5, the obvious modification of Goldowsky in view of Tse discloses:
a transmission system of the screw pump drive system to concurrently drive each of the plurality of integrated screw pumps (48 of Goldowsky) formed through each one of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores (38 of Goldowsky; col. 3, Lines 39-42 “an electrical motor 52 of any suitable configuration is hermetically joined to the rotor 50 for rotating the shaft to drive the impeller to pump the fluid through the housing during operation”; Goldowsky).
As to Claim 6, the obvious modification of Goldowsky in view of Tse discloses:
the second manifold (see attached Fig. of Goldowsky in rejection of claim 1 above) comprising a bearing (col. 3, Lines 47-49 “The journal bearing is defined by the smooth outer surface of the journal 46”) to secure a distal end of the integrated screw pump 48 within the second manifold (journal bearing and impeller 48 are connected and 48 is secured within bore 38; Goldowsky).
Claims 12-13 and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goldowsky (US 6208512 B1) alone.
As to Claim 12, Goldowsky does not explicitly disclose:
a plurality of coolant loop tube cores; and
a plurality of integrated screw pumps each formed through one of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores.
However, Goldowsky further discloses:
the coolant loop tube core 38; and
the integrated screw pump 48 each formed through the coolant loop tube core 38 (col. 4, Lines 48-51 “The impeller 48 illustrated in FIG. 3 is in the exemplary form of a screw pump having a plurality of axially spaced apart screw threads 48a for pumping the fluid 32 axially through the gap formed with the housing bore 38”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide:
a plurality of coolant loop tube cores; and
a plurality of integrated screw pumps each formed through one of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores;
in order to increase pumping power and since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
As to Claim 13, the obvious modification of Goldowsky in view of Tse discloses:
a transmission system of the screw pump drive system to concurrently drive each of the plurality of integrated screw pumps 48 formed through one of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores 38 (col. 3, Lines 39-42 “an electrical motor 52 of any suitable configuration is hermetically joined to the rotor 50 for rotating the shaft to drive the impeller to pump the fluid through the housing during operation”).
As to Claim 16, Goldowsky discloses:
A liquid cooling module 26 of an information handling system operatively couplable to a heat-producing component 20 within the information handling system 10 (col. 2, Lines 66-67 “The heat sink 26 may be removably attached atop the processor 20”), comprising:
a coolant loop tube core (central bore 38; Fig. 3) formed through vias formed in a heat exchanger (bore 38 formed through fins 58);
an integrated screw pump 48, each integrated screw pump 48 placed through the coolant loop tube cores 38 (col. 4, Lines 48-51 “The impeller 48 illustrated in FIG. 3 is in the exemplary form of a screw pump having a plurality of axially spaced apart screw threads 48a for pumping the fluid 32 axially through the gap formed with the housing bore 38”);
a first manifold (highlighted in Fig. below) formed at a proximal end of the coolant loop tube core 38, the first manifold including a screw pump drive system (drive shaft 44) to drive the integrated screw pump 48 (drive shaft drives impeller 48); and
a second manifold (highlighted in Fig. below) formed at a distal end of the coolant loop tube core 38, wherein the first manifold (see Fig.), the cylindrical cooling loop core 38, and second manifold (see Fig.) hold a coolant 32 therein for the screw pump 48 to pump the coolant 32 from a coolant input port (housing inlet 40) formed in the first manifold, through the coolant loop tube core 38, and to a coolant outlet port (housing outlet 42) formed in the second manifold (see Fig. below; fluid 32 is pumped from 40 in highlighted first manifold to 42 in highlighted second manifold).
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Goldowsky does not disclose:
a plurality of coolant loop tube cores formed through vias formed in a heat exchanger;
a plurality of integrated screw pumps, each integrated screw pump placed through one of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores;
a first manifold formed at a proximal end of each of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores, the first manifold including a screw pump drive system to drive each of the plurality of integrated screw pumps; and
a second manifold formed at a distal end of each of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores, wherein the first manifold, plurality of cylindrical cooling loop cores, and second manifold hold a coolant therein for the plurality of screw pumps to pump the coolant from a coolant input port formed in the first manifold, through the coolant loop tube cores, and to a coolant outlet port formed in the second manifold.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide:
a plurality of coolant loop tube cores formed through vias formed in a heat exchanger;
a plurality of integrated screw pumps, each integrated screw pump placed through one of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores;
a first manifold formed at a proximal end of each of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores, the first manifold including a screw pump drive system to drive each of the plurality of integrated screw pumps; and
a second manifold formed at a distal end of each of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores, wherein the first manifold, plurality of cylindrical cooling loop cores, and second manifold hold a coolant therein for the plurality of screw pumps to pump the coolant from a coolant input port formed in the first manifold, through the coolant loop tube cores, and to a coolant outlet port formed in the second manifold;
in order to increase pumping power and since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
As to Claim 17, Goldowsky discloses:
a fan module 62 placed under the liquid cooing module 22 to pass air across the plurality of coolant loop tube cores 38 (see Figs. 2-3; at least a portion of fan 52 is disposed beneath bore 38, wherein cooling air 60 is drawn across fins 58 connected to bore 38).
As to Claim 18, Goldowsky discloses:
a transmission system of the screw pump drive system to concurrently drive each of the plurality of integrated screw pumps 48 formed through one of the plurality of coolant loop tube cores 38 (col. 3, Lines 39-42 “an electrical motor 52 of any suitable configuration is hermetically joined to the rotor 50 for rotating the shaft to drive the impeller to pump the fluid through the housing during operation”).
As to Claim 19, Goldowsky discloses:
the second manifold (see attached Fig. in rejection of claim 16 above) comprising a bearing (col. 3, Lines 47-49 “The journal bearing is defined by the smooth outer surface of the journal 46”) to secure a distal end of the integrated screw pump 48 within the second manifold (journal bearing and impeller 48 are connected and 48 is secured within bore 38).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8, 14-15 and 20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As to claims 7-8, 14-15 and 20, the allowability resides in the overall structure and functionality of the apparatus as recited in the dependent claims 7, 14 and 20, including all of the limitations of their base claims and intervening claims, and at least in part, because claims 7, 14 and 20 recite the following limitations:
“a plurality of wheels operatively coupled to each of the plurality of integrated screw pumps, wherein the rotator is operatively coupled to each wheel via a belt to drive each integrated screw pump to concurrently drive each of the plurality of integrated screw pumps” – claim 7;
“a plurality of wheels operatively coupled to each of the plurality of integrated screw pumps, wherein the rotator is operatively coupled to each wheel via a belt to drive each integrated screw pump to concurrently drive each integrated screw pump.” -claim 14;
“a plurality of wheels operatively coupled to each of the plurality of integrated screw pumps, wherein the rotator is operatively coupled to each wheel via a belt to drive each integrated screw pump to concurrently drive each of the plurality of integrated screw pumps.” -claim 20.
Chen (US 7352577 B2) discloses a screw-like pump in a heat dissipation module, but does not disclose a wheel or belt to drive the pump.
Huang (US 20230194177 A1) discloses a heat dissipation device with a heat sink and pumps disposed on one end of the heat sink, but does not disclose screw pumps or the claimed driving structure.
Schofield (US 20080226481 A1) discloses two screw pumps within the same chamber and does not disclose the claimed driving structure.
The aforementioned limitations in combination with all remaining limitations of claims 7, 14 and 20, are believed to render said claims 7, 14 and 20 and all claims dependent therefrom allowable over the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination.
Further, Examiner has not identified any double patenting issues.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW S MUIR whose telephone number is (571)270-1329. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm.
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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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/MATTHEW SINCLAIR MUIR/ Examiner, Art Unit 2835
/Jayprakash N Gandhi/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2835