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 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.
Claim(s) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim KR-20210024967-A in view of KR101878723B1. Copies of both references were provided in the file wrapper dated 12/11/2023. Examiner has provided a machine translation with the action.
Regarding claim 1, Lim KR-20210024967-A discloses a fluid heater comprising:
a main body having a plate-like compartment (Fig. 2, 100), and
a heating plate having a flow path arranged at a lower portion thereof (200, flow path 105, 201);
a controller module including a controller body and a substrate disposed within the controller body (circuit board 300, electronic device 300a),
a first cover (110) and a second cover (120) on the main body; and
Lim does not expressly disclose
the controller module being disposed on an upper portion of the main body
a lower cover disposed on a lower portion of the main body; and
an upper cover disposed an upper portion of the controller module, wherein the main body and the controller module are detachably coupled
KR101878723B1 teaches a fluid heater comprising a main body having a plate like compartment (Fig. 2, body 100), a heater plate (300)
a controller module including a controller body and a substrate disposed within the controller body (control part 600 may include a substrate )
the controller module being disposed on an upper portion of the main body (Fig. 2)
a lower cover disposed on a lower portion of the main body (housing 420); and
an upper cover disposed on an upper portion of the controller module (housing 410), wherein the main body and the controller module are detachably coupled (Fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify the prior art device with the aforementioned teachings of KR101878723B1 since doing so amounts to a known technique for improving similar devices with the known predictable result of providing a detachable housing for the control module. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that such a modification would provide the benefits of repairability or ease of upgrading the control module.
Regarding claim 2, the modified Lim teaches the fluid heater according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate is spaced apart from a bottom surface of the controller body (Lim, Fig. 5 shows substrate 300 spaced apart from the housing).
Regarding claim 3, the modified Lim teaches the fluid heater according to claim 2, characterized in that the heating plate and the substrate are connected by a busbar (Lim, busbar 400).
Regarding claim 4, Lim does not expressly disclose the fluid heater according to claim 1, characterized in that a first gasket is disposed between the main body and the controller body.
KR101878723B1 teaches providing gaskets between the respective housings and the main boy (page 5, ¶11 of the provided translation).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify the prior art device with gasket(s), as taught by KR101878723B1 since doing so amounts to a known technique for improving similar devices with the known predictable result of providing a seal. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that providing a seal would protect the controller from moisture or the environment.
Regarding claim 5, the modified Lim teaches the fluid heater according to claim 1, characterized in that the flow path is formed by the heating plate and the compartment. (Lim, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3)
Regarding claim 6, the modified Lim teaches the fluid heater according to claim 1, characterized in that the flow path includes a plurality of straight portions and curved portions (Lim Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 7, the modified Lim teaches the fluid heater according to claim 6, characterized in that the straight portions are divided by a plurality of partition walls (Lim Fig. 6, annotated below).
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Regarding claim 8, the modified Lin does not expressly disclose the fluid heater according to claim 7, characterized in that a plurality of radiating fins are disposed in an area of the straight portions.
Lim teaches providing fins or ribs in the area of the straight portions thereby preventing damage to the heating plate. (page 7, ¶4-¶10, page 8, ¶1, of the provided translation).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify the prior art device with fins or ribs, as taught by Lim, since doing so amounts to a known technique for improving such devices with the known predictable result of preventing damage to the heating plate.
Regarding claim 9, the modified Lin does not expressly disclose the fluid heater according to claim 8, the height of the radiating fins is formed to be in the range of 20 to 50% of the overall flow path.
The difference between the prior art and the claimed subject matter amounts to a mere change in size of the fins of the prior art device.
Lim teaches varying the number, shape, and arrangement of the ribs in order to alter the behavior of fluid along the flow path (page 7, ¶4-¶10, page 8, ¶1, of the provided translation). Lim establishes that the dimensional relationship between the ribs and the flow path is a results effective variable which varies the behavior of the flow.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify the size or shape of the ribs of the prior art device in such a way as to meet the claimed subject matter since doing so amounts to a routine optimization of an art recognized results effective variable with the known predictable result of minimizing interference with the coolant while still preventing damage (Lim, page 7 ¶4, ¶6, inter alia).
Regarding claim 10, the modified Lim teaches the fluid heater according to claim 7, characterized in that a heating layer is disposed on a bottom surface of the heating plate on which the flow path is formed (Lim fig. 2).
Regarding claim 11, the modified Lim teaches the fluid heater the fluid heater according to claim 5, characterized in that a second gasket is disposed between the heating plate and the compartment (Lim, Fig. 2, seal S is a gasket).
Regarding claim 12, the modified Lim teaches the fluid heater according to claim 11, characterized in that the second gasket is disposed along an outer wall of the flow path )(Lim Fig. 2, seal S).
Regarding claim 13, the modified Lim teaches the fluid heater according to claim 6, characterized in that the heating plate includes a turning vane disposed in one area of the curved portions (Lim, see annotated Fig. 6, above).
Regarding claim 14, the modified Lim teaches the fluid heater according to claim 13, the turning vane is configured to prevent the flow of coolant introduced into the curved portions from being deflected toward the wall surface (the functional limitation is interpreted in light of instant specification Fig. 5, Lim Fig. 5 depicts having the same structure as the depicted in instant specification).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Deepak Deean whose telephone number is (571)270-3347. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 10-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Hoang can be reached at 517-272-6460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DEEPAK A DEEAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3762 /MICHAEL G HOANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3762
