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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/01/2026 has been entered.
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:
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.
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, 4, 6 – 7, 9 – 10, 14, 16 – 17, and 19 – 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang et al. in view of Hoffman et al.
Regarding Claim 1, Tang et al. discloses a cooling system (first cooling system 120 and second cooling system 125) for an integrated drivetrain assembly (100) of an electrified vehicle (Tang et al. Para [0028] lines 6 – 7) (Tang et al. Fig. 1),
the integrated drivetrain assembly comprising an electric motor (115) (Tang et al. Fig. 1),
a reducer (110) (Tang et al. Fig. 1) mechanically coupled to the electric motor (Tang et al. Paea [0032] lines 1 – 4),
and a power inverter (105) (Tang et al. Fig. 1) electrically connected to the electric motor (Tang et al. Para [0028] whole paragraph),
the cooling system (Tang et al. Fig. 1) comprising:
a cooling circuit (EGW coolant loop 145 of first cooling system 120 and oil coolant loop 170 of second cooling system 125) configured for being flowed through with a coolant (Tang et al. Fig. 1) and for distributing the coolant at least throughout the integrated drivetrain assembly (Tang et al. Para [0023] lines 18 – 23),
wherein the heatsink comprises a cooling plate (175) with a corresponding cover (180) (Tang et al. Para [0030] whole paragraph discloses a heat sink can be created through utilization of the cold plate 175 and inverter housing 180 with coolant channels going in between them).
Tang et al. does not disclose:
the cooling circuit comprising a fluid turbulent passage formed by a plurality of cooling spikes extending from opposing inner surfaces of a heatsink,
the cooling spikes creating turbulent coolant flow by disrupting flow patterns as the coolant flows around and between the cooling spikes,
and the fluid turbulent passage being arranged onto the inner surfaces of the heatsink which is configured for cooling a power switching device provided with the power inverter,
the plurality of cooling spikes extending from inner surfaces of both the cooling plate and the cover toward each other to create variable flow channels between the cooling spikes,
the plurality of cooling spikes comprising the cooling spikes with an increased or decreased size,
wherein a location of the cooling spikes with the increased or decreased size depends on a location of electrical components provided by the power switching device such that cooling spikes with decreased size are positioned directly adjacent to electrical components having a predetermined amount of heat generation to increase local coolant flow rate, so as to modulate the rate and flow of the coolant within the fluid turbulent passage,
and wherein the cooling spikes with the increased size comprises an increased height between free ends of the cooling spikes, the cooling spikes with the decreased size comprises a decreased height between free ends of the cooling spikes, and the inner surface of the cover of the cooling plate corresponding to the cooling spikes with the decreased size being larger than an inner surface of the cover of the cooling plate corresponding to the cooling spikes with the increased size.
Hoffman et al. discloses:
the cooling circuit comprising a fluid turbulent passage formed by a plurality of cooling spikes (fins 51 of base 52 and fins 130 of upper lid 59, respectively) and extending from opposing inner surfaces of a heat sink (50) (Hoffman et al. Fig. 20B and Para [0135] lines 12 – 15),
the cooling spikes creating turbulent coolant flow by disrupting flow patterns as the coolant flows around and between the cooling spikes (Hoffman et al. Para [0130] lines 5 – 12 and Fig. 20A),
the plurality of cooling spikes extending from inner surfaces of both the cooling plate (52) and the cover (59) toward each other to create variable flow channels between the cooling spikes (Hoffman et al. Fig. 20A and Para [0135] lines 1 – 5),
the plurality of cooling spikes comprising the cooling spikes with an increased or decreased size (Hoffman et al. Fig. 20A discloses cooling spikes increasing in size from left to right).
Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. structurally disclose:
and the fluid turbulent passage being arranged onto the inner surfaces of the heatsink (of Hoffman et al. Fig. 20b and Para [0135] lines 12 – 15) which is configured for cooling a power switching device provided with the power inverter (of Tang et al. Para [0029] whole paragraph),
wherein a location of the cooling spikes with the increased or decreased size depends on a location of electrical components (94) (Hoffman et al. Para [0135] lines 25 – 47 discloses traverse dimension and fin characteristics such as length and spacing can be modified to have specific areas within the heat sink to yield higher effectiveness of heat transfer) provided by the power switching device (of Tang et al. Para [0029] whole paragraph) such that cooling spikes with decreased size are positioned directly adjacent to electrical components having a predetermined amount of heat generation to increase local coolant flow rate, so as to modulate the rate and flow of the coolant within the fluid turbulent passage (Hoffman et al. Para [0135] lines 25 – 47 discloses traverse dimension and fin characteristics such as length and spacing can be modified to have specific areas within the heat sink to yield higher effectiveness of heat transfer such that fins can have a decreased size when positioned directly adjacent to electrical components).
Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. do not explicitly disclose:
and wherein the cooling spikes with the increased size comprises an increased height between free ends of the cooling spikes,
the cooling spikes with the decreased size comprises a decreased height between free ends of the cooling spikes,
and the inner surface of the cover of the cooling plate corresponding to the cooling spikes with the decreased size being larger than an inner surface of the cover of the cooling plate corresponding to the cooling spikes with the increased size.
However, since Hoffman et al. discloses a list of parameters, which includes the fin length and height, and the passage depth (distance between baseplate 52 and upper lid 59) can be varied (Hoffman et al. Para [0123] whole paragraph), this shows that one of ordinary skill in the art would look to Hoffman et al. to have the cooling spikes with the increased size comprises an increased height between free ends of the cooling spikes, the cooling spikes with the decreased size comprises a decreased height between free ends of the cooling spikes, and the inner surface of the cover of the cooling plate corresponding to the cooling spikes with the decreased size being larger than an inner surface of the cover of the cooling plate corresponding to the cooling spikes with the increased size in order to improve the cooling efficiency of the heatsink inside the cooling system for an integrated drivetrain assembly.
As a result, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. so that wherein the cooling spikes with the increased size comprises an increased height between free ends of the cooling spikes, the cooling spikes with the decreased size comprises a decreased height between free ends of the cooling spikes, and the inner surface of the cover of the cooling plate corresponding to the cooling spikes with the decreased size being larger than an inner surface of the cover of the cooling plate corresponding to the cooling spikes with the increased size so as to improve the cooling efficiency of the heatsink inside the cooling system for an integrated drivetrain assembly.
Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. disclose heat sinks with a coolant flow therefore, Hoffman et al. constitutes as prior art. Hoffman et al. discloses a non-linear heat sink with various embodiments of heat sinks with various pin-shape arrays. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the cooling circuit comprising a fluid turbulent passage formed by a plurality of cooling spikes and extending from opposing inner surfaces of a heat sink, the cooling spikes creating turbulent coolant flow by disrupting flow patterns as the coolant flows around and between the cooling spikes, the plurality of cooling spikes extending from inner surfaces of both the cooling plate and the cover toward each other to create variable flow channels between the cooling spikes, and the plurality of cooling spikes comprising the cooling spikes with an increased or decreased size of Hoffman et al., and the fluid turbulent passage being arranged onto the inner surfaces of the heatsink which is configured for cooling a power switching device provided with the power inverter, and wherein a location of the cooling spikes with the increased or decreased size depends on a location of electrical components provided by the power switching device such that cooling spikes with decreased size are positioned directly adjacent to electrical components having a predetermined amount of heat generation to increase local coolant flow rate, so as to modulate the rate and flow of the coolant within the fluid turbulent passage of structurally disclosed Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. for the purpose of 1) increasing the heat sink’s surface area to improve heat dissipation of the power inverter and 2) targeting specific areas of the power switch device to cool and to prolong operation of the power inverter within the integrated drivetrain assembly.
Regarding Claim 4, Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. discloses the cooling system according to claim 1.
Tang et al. does not disclose:
wherein the increased or decreased size further comprises an increased or decreased width, generating variable width between the cooling spikes with an increased or decreased size for the adjacent cooling spikes.
Hoffman et al. discloses:
wherein the increased or decreased size further comprises an increased or decreased width (Hoffman et al. Fig. 20A), generating variable width between the cooling spikes with an increased or decreased size for the adjacent cooling spikes (Hoffman et al. Fig. 20B).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the increased or decreased size further comprises an increased or decreased width and generating variable width between the cooling spikes with an increased or decreased size for the adjacent cooling spikes of Hoffman et al. for the purpose of increasing or decreasing flow velocity of cooling between the cooling spikes within the heat sink.
Regarding Claim 6, Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. discloses the cooling system according to claim 1.
Tang et al. does not disclose:
wherein the cooling spikes with the increased size are arranged away from the electrical components in the flow direction of the coolant increasing the fluid velocity.
Hoffman et al. discloses:
wherein the cooling spikes with the increased size are arranged away from the electrical components in the flow direction of the coolant increasing the fluid velocity (Hoffman et al. Fig. 20A and 20B, to the right of the figures, discloses increased plural fins 51 and 130 that are away from the plurality of heat sources 94 with small spaces in between).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the cooling spikes with the increased size are arranged away from the electrical components in the flow direction of the coolant increasing the fluid velocity of Hoffman et al. for the purpose of quickly removing hot fluid away from the electrical components of the at least one power switching device to cool the inverter.
Regarding Claim 7, Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. discloses the cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the heatsink comprises one cooling plate with one corresponding cover (Tang et al. Para [0029] first sentence discloses there can be one cold plate 175 and an inverter housing 180),
configured for providing one-side cooling for the at least one power switching device (Tang et al. Fig. 1),
or the heatsink comprises at least two cooling plates with at least two corresponding covers, the at least one power switching device is configured to be arranged between each two cooling plates so as to be cooled from dual sides.
Regarding Claim 9, Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. discloses the cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the coolant is ultra-low viscosity oil (Tang et al. Para [0042] lines 18 – 19 discloses the second cooling system 125 has an ultra-low viscosity oil-based coolant).
Regarding Claim 10, Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. discloses an electrified vehicle (Tang et al. Para [0028] lines 6 – 7),
comprising the cooling system according to claim 9 (see above in rejection of claim 1).
Regarding Claim 14, Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. discloses an electrified vehicle (Tang et al. Para [0028] lines 6 – 7),
comprising the cooling system according to claim 9 (see above in rejection of claim 4).
Regarding Claim 16, Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. discloses an electrified vehicle (Tang et al. Para [0028] lines 6 – 7),
comprising the cooling system according to claim 9 (see above in rejection of claim 6).
Regarding Claim 17, Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. discloses an electrified vehicle (Tang et al. Para [0028] lines 6 – 7),
comprising the cooling system according to claim 9 (see above in rejection of claim 7).
Regarding Claim 19, Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. discloses an electrified vehicle (Tang et al. Para [0028] lines 6 – 7),
comprising the cooling system according to claim 9 (see above in rejection of claim 9).
Regarding Claim 20, Tang et al. and Hoffman et al. discloses the cooling system according to claim 1.
Tang et al. does not disclose:
wherein heat transfer occurs directly from the electrical components through the heatsink to the coolant flowing around the cooling spikes.
Hoffman et al. discloses:
wherein heat transfer occurs directly from the electrical components through the heatsink to the coolant flowing around the cooling spikes (Hoffman et al. Fig. 20A and Para [0035] lines 12 – 28 discloses heat generated by respective heat sources 94 provided on base 52 and cover 59 are transferred to respective cooling fins 51 and 130 to the cooling channel provided in between).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein heat transfer occurs directly from the electrical components through the heatsink to the coolant flowing around the cooling spikes of Hoffman et al. for the purpose of effectively providing heat dissipation to the electrical components.
Conclusion
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/THEODORE L PERKINS/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TERRANCE L KENERLY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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