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 § 112
Claims 1 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “comprising adhesive and/or varnish with fibers directed thereon” in lines 10-11. The limitation is not directed to a specific portion of the structure and therefore can be applied to the inside of the housing, outside of the housing, the circuit board or any other portion of the structure, which renders the claim indefinite.
For the purpose of examination below, Examiner interprets claim 1, Lines 10-11 as reciting:
“wherein the condensate transport includes a surface comprising adhesive and/or varnish with fibers directed thereon”.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the flocking" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 1, 5, 9-12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sekhon (US 4047198 A).
As to Claim 1, Sekhon discloses:
A device (circuit package 10) for dissipation of heat from electronic components (chips 18; see Fig. 1) disposed in an electronics housing (enclosure 24), the device comprising:
a condensate transport (portion of dielectric powder 40 on top and sides of cover 26) to channel a working fluid from a cold site (cooler regions away from chips 18) in the electronics housing 24 to a vapor chamber (region adjacent chips 18) having an inner wall comprising a porous material 40 (dielectric powder 40 is porous as it contains defines a wick and promotes capillary action of the fluid; 40 at least in part comprises wall of housing 24); and
an adhesive and/or varnish with fibers attached to an inner surface of the inner wall (dielectric powder 40 comprises adhesive/varnish with glass fibers and wherein fibers and adhesive/varnish are at least indirectly attached to inner surface of 40; col. 4-5, Lines 67-68 and 1-6 “a dielectric powder 40 is adhered to all interior surfaces 42 of enclosure 24 and all exposed surfaces 44 of electronic devices 18, 20 and 22 and defines a heat pipe wick. An example of dielectric powder suitable to this purpose includes short glass fibers approximately 0.010 to 0.050 inches (0.0254 cm to 0.127 cm) long by 0.0002 to 0.0004 inches (0.0005 cm to 0.001 cm) in diameter”; col. 5, Lines 15-20 “An adhesive may be first applied, followed by the powder. In addition, the powder and the adhesive with or without the coolant may be together sprayed onto the surfaces. Examples of suitable adhesives are epoxys, polyurethanes and silicones”);
wherein the electronic components 18 are embedded in the porous material 40 (chips 18 are embedded in 40);
wherein the working fluid flowing through the vapor chamber removes waste heat from the components via enthalpy of evaporation of the working fluid (col. 5, Lines 31-41 “During electrical operation, local evaporation of the dielectric fluid takes place on the electronic device surface or surfaces. The vapor formed therefrom condenses on cooler regions of the package interior and is returned to the electronic device surfaces by capillary flow through the dielectric powder wick structure, thereby providing continuous operation of a phase change cooling mechanism at the active surfaces of the transistor chip or other electronic devices, according to heat pipe principles”);
wherein the condensate transport (portion of dielectric powder 40 on top and sides of cover 26) includes a surface comprising adhesive and/or varnish with fibers directed thereon (col. 4-5, Lines 67-68 and 1-6 “a dielectric powder 40 is adhered to all interior surfaces 42 of enclosure 24 and all exposed surfaces 44 of electronic devices 18, 20 and 22 and defines a heat pipe wick. An example of dielectric powder suitable to this purpose includes short glass fibers approximately 0.010 to 0.050 inches (0.0254 cm to 0.127 cm) long by 0.0002 to 0.0004 inches (0.0005 cm to 0.001 cm) in diameter”; col. 5, Lines 15-20 “An adhesive may be first applied, followed by the powder. In addition, the powder and the adhesive with or without the coolant may be together sprayed onto the surfaces. Examples of suitable adhesives are epoxys, polyurethanes and silicones”).
As to Claim 5, Sekhon discloses:
wherein a wall of the electronics housing (enclosure 24) comprises fiber composite material and/or composite material (dielectric power 40 on inside surface of enclosure 24 compromises glass fibers and an adhesive and constitutes a composite material as it is made up of various parts or elements; see col. 4-5, Lines 67-68 and 1-6 and col. 5, Lines 15-20).
As to Claim 9, Sekhon discloses:
further comprising a flocked carpet with or without structuring over at least part an inside of the housing (col. 4-5, Lines 67-68 and 1-6 “a dielectric powder 40 is adhered to all interior surfaces 42 of enclosure 24 and all exposed surfaces 44 of electronic devices 18, 20 and 22 and defines a heat pipe wick. An example of dielectric powder suitable to this purpose includes short glass fibers approximately 0.010 to 0.050 inches (0.0254 cm to 0.127 cm) long by 0.0002 to 0.0004 inches (0.0005 cm to 0.001 cm) in diameter”; col. 5, Lines 15-20 “An adhesive may be first applied, followed by the powder. In addition, the powder and the adhesive with or without the coolant may be together sprayed onto the surfaces. Examples of suitable adhesives are epoxys, polyurethanes and silicones”; Pg. 8 of applicant’s spec. defines “flocked carpet” as any point in the interior of the housing where there are fibers aligned on a varnish and/or adhesive surface; therefore, glass fibers of Sekhon are a flocked carpet as the fibers are at least in part aligned in any configuration when adhered to interior surfaces 42 of enclosure 24).
As to Claim 10, Sekhon discloses:
further comprising a coating of adhesive and/or varnish over at least part of an inside of the housing (interior surface 42 of enclosure 24; col. 4, Lines 67-68 “a dielectric powder 40 is adhered to all interior surfaces 42 of enclosure 24”; col. 5, Lines 15-20 “An adhesive may be first applied, followed by the powder. In addition, the powder and the adhesive with or without the coolant may be together sprayed onto the surfaces. Examples of suitable adhesives are epoxys, polyurethanes and silicones”).
As to Claim 11, Sekhon discloses:
wherein the flocked carpet (coating of dielectric powder as described in rejection of claim 9 above) includes patterns and/or free areas (col. 3, Lines 59-64 “The present invention overcomes these and other problems by providing for a substantially conformal coating of dielectric powder placed throughout and over substantially all the exposed surfaces of the electronic devices and connecting circuitry as well as the interior surfaces of the enclosure”; definition of pattern – “a repeated decorative design” – Oxford Languages; dielectric powder is a conformal coating and therefore constitutes a repeated design/coating).
As to Claim 12 (as best understood), Sekhon discloses:
wherein the electronic components 18 have a coating of protective varnish acting as an adhesive for a flocking (col. 4-5, Lines 66-67 and 1 “a dielectric powder 40 is adhered to all interior surfaces 42 of enclosure 24 and all exposed surfaces 44 of electronic devices 18”; fibers of dielectric powder adhered to adhesive coated on components 18; see col. 5, Lines 15-20).
As to Claim 14, Sekhon discloses:
wherein the condensate transport comprises channels (col. 5, Lines 34-41 “The vapor formed therefrom condenses on cooler regions of the package interior and is returned to the electronic device surfaces by capillary flow through the dielectric powder wick structure, thereby providing continuous operation of a phase change cooling mechanism at the active surfaces of the transistor chip or other electronic devices, according to heat pipe principles”; condensed dielectric fluid flows through dielectric powder wick structure, therefore comprises channel for fluid flow).
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 2-4 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sekhon (US 4047198 A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Mok (US 8176972 B2).
As to Claim 2, Sekhon does not disclose:
wherein the electronic components are arranged on a printed circuit board in the electronics housing.
However, Mok discloses:
wherein the electronic components (semiconductor chip 58; see Fig. 2) are arranged on a printed circuit board in the electronics housing (col. 3, Lines 46-47 “A semiconductor chip 58 is mounted on the substrate 54 within the vapor chamber 50”);
in order to provide an electrical connection between the semiconductor chip and connection pads within a vacuum-tight structure (col. 3, Lines 48-52).
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 Sekhon as further suggested by Mok e.g., providing:
wherein the electronic components are arranged on a printed circuit board in the electronics housing;
in order to provide an electrical connection within a vacuum-tight structure.
As to Claim 3, the obvious modification of Sekhon in view of Mok discloses:
wherein the printed circuit board (54 of Mok) comprises part of the electronics housing (col. 3, Lines 48-49 “The packaging substrate 54 is of a vacuum-tight structure”; Mok; see Fig. 2, 54 is part of housing of vapor chamber 50).
As to Claim 4, Sekhon does not disclose:
wherein a wall of the electronics housing comprises a metal.
However, Mok discloses:
wherein a wall of the electronics housing comprises a metal (col. 3, Lines 57-60 “The top part 66 of the vapor chamber 50 can be selectively made of thermally-conductive materials, such as copper, copper alloys, aluminum, and the like”);
in order to provide a thermally conductive structure and provide good thermal contact between the top part of the vapor chamber and a heat sink device (col. 3, Lines 57-62).
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 Sekhon as further suggested by Mok e.g., providing:
wherein a wall of the electronics housing comprises a metal;
in order to provide a thermally conductive structure and provide good thermal contact with a heat dissipating structure.
As to Claim 15, the obvious modification of Sekhon in view of Mok discloses:
wherein the printed circuit board (54 of Mok) comprises part of the electronics housing (col. 3, Lines 48-49 “The packaging substrate 54 is of a vacuum-tight structure”; Mok; see Fig. 2, 54 is part of housing of vapor chamber 50).
Claims 6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sekhon (US 4047198 A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Schon (US 20100326627 A1).
As to Claim 6, Sekhon does not disclose:
wherein the working medium comprises a coolant having a boiling point within range of 10° C. to 200° C.
However, Schon discloses:
wherein the working medium comprises a coolant having a boiling point within range of 10° C. to 200° C (Par. 0055 “For heat pipes operating in the range of ambient (about 20 ° C.) to about 100 ° C., exemplary suitable working fluids include those having normal boiling points (i.e., boiling points at atmospheric pressure) in the range of 10 ° C. to 80 ° C.”);
in order to provide working fluids with thermodynamic properties suitable for particular working temperatures and pressures of heat pipes systems (Par. 0055).
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 Sekhon as further suggested by Schon e.g., providing:
wherein the working medium comprises a coolant having a boiling point within range of 10° C. to 200° C;
in order to provide working fluids with thermodynamic properties suitable for particular working temperatures and pressures of heat pipes/vapor chamber systems.
Further, it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
It has also been held that discovering an optimum value of a result-effective variable (e.g., the relative boiling point of the working medium for effecting the heat transfer capability) involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
As to Claim 8, Sekhon does not disclose:
wherein the working medium comprises a fluid having a boiling point at standard pressure of 10° C. to 200° C.
However, Schon discloses:
wherein the working medium comprises a fluid having a boiling point at standard pressure of 10° C. to 200° C (Par. 0055 “For heat pipes operating in the range of ambient (about 20 ° C.) to about 100 ° C., exemplary suitable working fluids include those having normal boiling points (i.e., boiling points at atmospheric pressure) in the range of 10 ° C. to 80 ° C.”);
in order to provide working fluids with thermodynamic properties suitable for particular working temperatures and pressures of heat pipes systems (Par. 0055).
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 Sekhon as further suggested by Schon e.g., providing:
wherein the working medium comprises a fluid having a boiling point at standard pressure of 10° C. to 200° C;
in order to provide working fluids with thermodynamic properties suitable for particular working temperatures and pressures of heat pipes/vapor chamber systems.
See case law in rejection of claim 6 above.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sekhon (US 4047198 A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Petrov (US 20220388929 A1).
As to Claim 7, Sekhon does not disclose:
wherein the working medium comprises a nonflammable or low-flammability coolant having a global warming potential (GWP) value of less than 170.
However, Petrov discloses:
wherein the working medium comprises a nonflammable or low-flammability coolant having a global warming potential (GWP) value of less than 170 (Par. 0038 “Embodiments of the present disclosure comprise compositions that have a 0 Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP), are non-flammable (when measured in accordance with ASTM E681) and have a GWP of less than 150, less than 10 and in some cases less than about 1”);
in order to provide a non-flammable a heat transfer fluid with a low global warming potential for use in heat pipes (Par. 0006 and 0038).
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 Sekhon as further suggested by Petrov e.g., providing:
wherein the working medium comprises a nonflammable or low-flammability coolant having a global warming potential (GWP) value of less than 170;
in order to provide a non-flammable a heat transfer fluid with a low global warming potential for use in heat pipes.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sekhon (US 4047198 A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yang (US 20230107867 A1).
As to Claim 13, Sekhon does not disclose:
wherein the condensate transport comprises open pores in ceramics, foams, and/or composite materials.
However, Yang discloses:
wherein the condensate transport comprises open pores in ceramics, foams (second wick 104; Par. 0056 “The capillary structure may or may not be connected to an inner surface of a housing. The capillary structure is a porous medium whose material is metal. Specifically, the material of the capillary structure is copper or a copper alloy, and the capillary structure may be, for example, one or more of copper mesh, copper fiber, copper powder, or copper foam”), and/or composite materials;
in order to return working fluid to the heat source under capillary action (Par. 0069-0070).
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 Sekhon as further suggested by Petrov e.g., providing:
wherein the condensate transport comprises open pores in ceramics, foams, and/or composite materials;
in order to return working fluid to the heat source under capillary action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/08/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant suggests “the porous material must make up the inner wall of the vapor chamber and there must be an adhesive or fibers on the inner surface thereof. For these reasons, Independent claim 1 is not anticipated by Sekhon.” (Remarks, Pg. 6)
In response, Examiner notes that the dielectric powder 40 at least in part comprises a wall of housing 24 and the glass fibers within the stated epoxys, polyurethanes and silicones are at least indirectly disposed on the inner surface of 40.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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