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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Objections to the Claims, Specification and Drawings
There is a lack of correspondence between the claimed subject matter, the detailed written description, the summary of effective filing date of the filing and the drawings as to
a. Claim 4 requires “an air-to-liquid heat exchanger configured to receive the first cooling fluid via the rack fluid conduit such that thermal energy of the first cooling fluid is transferred to ambient air” which requires “thermal energy of the first cooling fluid is transferred to ambient air.” Whereas para. [0062] of the specification discloses “the thermal energy of the ambient air is transferred to the cool rack cooling fluid 111, resulting in cool air being expelled. Due to the transfer of thermal energy to the cool rack cooling fluid 111, the cool rack cooling fluid 111 increases in temperature and may be referred to, in its increased temperature state, as ‘warm rack cooling fluid 113’” which requires the thermal energy of the ambient air to be transferred to first cooling fluid. What is claimed is opposite to the written description.
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 effective filing date of the filing may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed effective filing date of the filing is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed effective filing date of the filing and the prior art are such that the claimed effective filing date of the filing as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the filing date of the claimed effective filing date of the filing to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed effective filing date of the filing pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the effective filing date of the filing was made.
Claim(s) 1, 4-9, 11-13, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2022/162174 to Verzijl in view of US 11,864,357 to Zhou et al. further in view of US 2023/0156959 to Malouin.
As to claim 1 Verzijl discloses in a hybrid datacenter a rack assembly (101) comprising: a cooling module (140) for liquid-to-liquid cooling (pg. 3, ln. 35-pg.4 ln. 4 teaches the cooling fluid circulating through housing (111) may be air or a liquid. It would stand in the later case that cooling module (140) would then become a liquid to liquid heat exchanger); a rack (120), a rack fluid conduit (141/142) configured to circulate a first cooling fluid through the rack cooling block and the cooling module; and, an immersion cooling (IC) rack (130) comprising: a dielectric immersion cooling fluid (pg. 22, ln. 12-13) and, an IC fluid conduit (144); wherein the rack and the immersion cooling rack are thermally connected via the cooling module such that thermal energy can be transferred between the IC fluid conduit and the rack fluid conduit within the cooling module.
Verzijl fails to disclose a rack cooling block configured to cool a rack electronic processing assembly when the rack electronic processing assembly is placed in contact with the rack cooling block. Zhou teaches in e.g. Fig. 2A a rack cooling block (100) configured to receive a cooling fluid (via 116), and configured to cool (via 112) a rack electronic processing assembly when the rack electronic processing assembly is placed in contact with the rack cooling block. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the rack fluid conduit of Verzijl with the cooling block of Zhou to remove heat and lower the operating temperature of the heat generating device as taught by Zhou (col. 1, ln. 25-45).
Verzijl also fails to disclose an IC cooling block immersed in the dielectric immersion cooling fluid and configured to cool an IC electronic processing assembly when the IC electronic processing assembly is placed in contact with the IC cooling block. Malouin teaches in e.g. Fig. 2C an IC cooling block (206) immersed in dielectric immersion cooling fluid (212) and configured to cool an IC electronic processing assembly (204) when placed in contact with the IC cooling block. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the IC rack (130) of Verzijl with the cooling block of Malouin in order to more efficiently cool both low power (202) and high power (204) electronics in the same tank as taught by Malouin (e.g. paragraph [0008].
As to claim 4 (as best understood), Verzijl further teaches the rack assembly of claim 1, as well as teaching an air-to-liquid heat exchanger configured to receive the first cooling fluid via the rack fluid conduit such that thermal energy of the first cooling fluid is transferred to ambient air (pg. 3, ln. 35-pg.4 ln. 3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the combination of Verzijl and Zhou with the air-to-liquid heat exchanger as taught by Verzijl in order to cool the air in the server housing as taught by Verzijl (pg. 3, ln. 35-pg.4 ln. 3).
As to claim 5, Verzijl further teaches the rack assembly of claim 1, wherein the cooling module 140 comprises a cooling module pump (see e.g. Abstract, fluid is pumped through both first and second circuits of the fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger by cooling module 140) and a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger (pg. 3, ln. 35-pg.4 ln. 4 teaches the cooling fluid circulating through housing (111) may be air or a liquid. It would stand in the later case that cooling module (140) would then become a liquid to liquid heat exchanger), wherein the cooling module pump is fluidly connected in series to the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger.
As to claim 6, the combination of Verzijl and Zhou fails to specifically disclose the rack cooling block is fluidly connected downstream from the cooling module, or the rack cooling block is fluidly connected upstream from the cooling module. Given the finite number of identified, predictable solutions of either of the rack cooling block is fluidly connected upstream from or downstream to the cooling module that it would be “obvious to try” since there is a reasonable expectation of success to having the rack cooling block is fluidly connected upstream from or downstream to the cooling module (note that in a closed fluid system, all elements are both upstream and downstream of every other element).
As to claim 7, Verzijl further teaches the rack assembly of claim 1 wherein the rack fluid conduit and the IC fluid conduit are fluidly isolated from one another (pg. 5, ln. 12-15).
As to claim 8, Verzijl further teaches the rack assembly of claim 1 wherein thermal energy is transferred from the IC fluid conduit to the rack fluid conduit within the cooling module (via heat exchanger 140).
As to claim 9, Verzijl further teaches wherein the rack (111) comprises a plurality of racks (120) connected in parallel with one another.
As to claim 11, Verzijl fails to explicitly disclose the server housings containing electronic processing assemblies. Zhou teaches in e.g. Fig. 3C electronic process assembly (11). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify rack of Verzijl to house electronic processing assemblies as taught by Zhou to contain components in close location to facilitate combined cooling as demonstrated by Zhou. Similarly Malouin teaches an electric process assembly (201,202,204). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify rack of Verzijl to house electronic processing assemblies as taught by Malouin to contain components in close location to facilitate combined cooling as demonstrated by Malouin.
As to claim 12, Verzijl in view of Malouin teach the rack assembly of claim 1, including Verzijl teaching a cooling device (heat exchanger) located on the IC cooling circuit (pg. 18, ln. 37- pg.19 ln. 5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the combination of Verzijl and Malouin to include a cooling device as taught by Verzijl in order to further cool the IC fluid as taught by Verzijl (pg. 18, ln. 37- pg.19 ln. 5).
As to claim 13, Verzijl teaches the rack assembly of claim 1, wherein the rack fluid circuit comprises an inlet 141 and an outlet 142. Verzijl does not teach wherein a temperature difference of the first cooling fluid between the inlet and the outlet is greater than 20°C, however he does teach the temperature difference being 15°C (e.g. pg. 21, ln. 27-31). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to arrive at an approaching or similar temperature difference as it has been held where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, where the ranges are close, requires only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235.
As to claim 15, the combination of Verzijl and Zhou further teach the rack assembly of claim 1, wherein the rack further comprises a plurality of racks (120), each rack comprising a rack cooling block (e.g. Zhou Fig. 2A, 100) and a distinct air-to-liquid heat exchanger (pg. 3, ln. 35-pg.4 ln. 3) and wherein the racks 120 are connected in parallel with one another. Verzijl in view of Zhou teach at least one rack cooling block in each rack, but fail to teach a distinct rack cooling block in each rack. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to remove unwanted cooling blocks or units in each rack to simplify production or energy waste as it has been held that the omission of an element would require only routine skill in the art. In re Larson, 340 F.2d 965, 144 USPQ 347
Verzijl in view of Zhou fail to disclose wherein the air-to-liquid heat exchangers are connected in parallel with one another. Examiner takes official notice that the air-to-liquid heat exchangers are connected in parallel with one another are well-known in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to isolate the air-to-liquid heat exchangers to their own parallel line to improve the thermal conductivity therein by keeping the medium temperature of the coolant to a minimum would require only routine skill in the art.
Claim(s) 2,3, 10 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Verzijl in view of Zhou and Malouin as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 2020/0404812 to Gao.
As to claim 2 the combination of Verzijl, Zhou, and Malouin teach all of the claimed limitations of claim 1 but fail to show wherein the IC rack further comprises: a plurality of immersion casings fluidly connected in parallel with one another and configured to house the dielectric immersion cooling fluid; wherein the IC cooling block comprises a plurality of IC cooling blocks; and, each of the plurality of IC cooling blocks are housed within each of the plurality of immersion casings. Gao teaches cold plates 303 similar to those used in Malouin for cooling electronic components arranged in a parallel configuration (see e.g. Fig. 4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the combination of Verzijl and Malouin to be configured in a parallel arrangement as taught by Gao in order to maintain an even temperature among multiple cooling units as taught by Gao (paragraph [0040]).
Verzijl fails to explicitly teach a plurality of immersion casings housing a plurality of IC cooling blocks. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify Verzijl to having a plurality of immersion casings housing a plurality of IC cooling blocks dependent on capacity and need of the data center, as it has been held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378.
As to claim 3 the combination of Verzijl, Zhou, and Malouin teach all of the claimed limitations of claim 1 but fail to show wherein the IC rack further comprises: a plurality of immersion casings fluidly connected in series with one another and configured to house the dielectric immersion cooling fluid; wherein the IC cooling block comprises a plurality of IC cooling blocks; and, each of the plurality of IC cooling blocks are housed within each of the plurality of immersion casings. Gao teaches cold plates 303 similar to those used in Zhou for cooling electronic components arranged in a series configuration (see e.g. Fig. 5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the combination of Verzijl and Zhou to be configured in a series arrangement as taught by Gao in order to efficiently stage the cooling process by cooling higher temperature devices earlier in the chain and lower temperature devices later in the chain s as taught by Gao (paragraph [0041]).
Verzijl fails to explicitly teach a plurality of immersion casings housing a plurality of IC cooling blocks. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify Verzijl to having a plurality of immersion casings housing a plurality of IC cooling blocks dependent on capacity and need of the data center, as it has been held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378.
As to claim 10 the combination of Verzijl, Zhou, and Malouin teach all of the claimed limitations of claim 1, including a plurality of racks 120 fluidly connected to one another but fail to show wherein the rack comprises a plurality of racks fluidly connected in series with one another. Gao teaches that it was well known in the art to use either series or parallel configurations in server cooling applications (see Gao [0040-0041]) depending on needs. Further It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the parallel configuration of Verzijl with a series configuration in order to prioritize the cooling of certain racks over others as taught by Gao ([0041]).
As to claim 14, the combination of Verzijl and Zhou further teach the rack assembly of claim 1, wherein the rack further comprises a plurality of racks 120, each rack comprising a rack cooling block (e.g. Zhou Fig. 15, 12) and a distinct air-to-liquid heat exchanger (pg. 3, ln. 35-pg.4 ln. 3). Verzijl in view of Zhou teach at least one rack cooling block in each rack, but fail to teach a distinct rack cooling block in each rack. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to remove unwanted cooling blocks or units in each rack to simplify production or energy waste as it has been held that the omission of an element would require only routine skill in the art. In re Larson, 340 F.2d 965, 144 USPQ 347
The combination of Verzijl in view of Zhou while teaching the racks connected in parallel fail to teach the racks connected in series with one another. Gao teaches that it was well known in the art to use either series or parallel configurations in server cooling applications (see Gao [0040-0041]) depending on needs. Further It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the parallel configuration of Verzijl with a series configuration in order to prioritize the cooling of certain racks over others as taught by Gao ([0041]).
Verzijl in view of Zhou fail to disclose wherein the air-to-liquid heat exchangers are connected in series with one another. Examiner takes notice that to isolate the air-to-liquid heat exchangers to their own series line to improve the thermal conductivity therein by keeping the medium temperature of the coolant to a minimum would require only routine skill in the art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2023/0389242 to Thiagarajan et al. which contains a hybrid cooling system including immersion cooling. US 2018/0098464 to Ishinabe contains a hybrid immersion cooling system.
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/JAMIL ALEXANDER DECKER/Examiner, Art Unit 2835
/ROBERT J HOFFBERG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835