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 § 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chen (US 2024/0153845).Re claim 1: Chen discloses A liquid cooling system (4 + 32 + 3 in fig. 3; para. 0031), configured to accommodate a first cooling fluid (‘cold liquid fluid’ in para. 0032) and a second cooling fluid (‘working fluid’ in para. 0028) and be thermally coupled to a heat source (2 in fig. 3; para. 0027) and comprising: a cooling chamber (4 + 32 in fig. 3; para. 0031), configured to accommodate the first cooling fluid (para. 0032); and a three-dimensional heat transmission apparatus (3 in fig. 3; para. 0027), disposed in the cooling chamber (fig. 3) and configured to accommodate the second cooling fluid (para. 0028), wherein the three-dimensional heat transmission apparatus comprises a vapor chamber (3111 in fig. 3; para. 0027) and at least one heat pipe (312 in fig. 3; para. 0027), the vapor chamber is configured to be thermally coupled to the heat source via the cooling chamber (3111 is thermally coupled to 2 via 32 of the cooling chamber in fig. 3), and the at least one heat pipe is disposed on the vapor chamber (312 is disposed on 3111 in fig. 3).Re claim 10: Chen discloses an electronic device (everything in fig. 3), configured to accommodate a first cooling fluid (‘cold liquid fluid’ in para. 0032) and a second cooling fluid (‘working fluid’ in para. 0028) and comprising: a heat source (2 in fig. 3; para. 0027); and a liquid cooling system (4 + 32 + 3 in fig. 3; para. 0031), comprising: a cooling chamber (4 + 32 in fig. 3; para. 0031), configured to accommodate the first cooling fluid (para. 0032); and a three-dimensional heat transmission apparatus (3 in fig. 3; para. 0027), disposed in the cooling chamber (fig. 3) and configured to accommodate the second cooling fluid (para. 0028), wherein the three-dimensional heat transmission apparatus comprises a vapor chamber (3111 in fig. 3; para. 0027) and at least one heat pipe (312 in fig. 3; para. 0027), the vapor chamber is configured to be thermally coupled to the heat source via the cooling chamber (3111 is thermally coupled to 2 via 32 of the cooling chamber in fig. 3), and the at least one heat pipe is disposed on the vapor chamber (312 is disposed on 3111 in fig. 3). Re claim 2: Chen discloses wherein the cooling chamber has an accommodating space (43 in fig. 3), a liquid inlet (41 in fig. 3) and a liquid outlet (42 in fig. 3), the three-dimensional heat transmission apparatus is located in the accommodating space (fig. 3), and the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are in fluid communication with the accommodating space (fig. 3).Re claim 4: Chen discloses further comprising a plurality of fins (6’s in fig. 3), wherein the plurality of fins are disposed on the at least one heat pipe of the three-dimensional heat transmission apparatus (fig. 3).Re claim 7: Chen discloses wherein the at least one heat pipe is a round pipe (312 is round in fig. 3).Re claim 9: Chen discloses wherein the three-dimensional heat transmission apparatus comprises a plurality of heat pipes (fig. 7), and the plurality of heat pipes are arranged in an array (fig. 7).
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 3, 5, 6, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 2024/0153845).Re claim 3: Chen discloses wherein the cooling chamber comprises a chamber body (body of 4 in fig. 3) and a top plate (top plate of 4 in fig. 3), the top plate is disposed on a side of the chamber body farthest away from the three-dimensional heat transmission apparatus (the top plate is disposed the top side that’s farthest away from 3 in fig. 3), the chamber body and the top plate together surround and form the accommodating space (fig. 3). Chen does not explicitly disclose the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are located on the top plate. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the liquid cooling system of Chen wherein the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are located on the top plate in order to make use of natural convection to allow for passive cooling, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.Re claim 5: Chen does not explicitly disclose wherein a thickness of each of the plurality of fins is 0.2 millimeters. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the liquid cooling system of Chen wherein a thickness of each of the plurality of fins is 0.2 millimeters in order to maximize surface area and fin density, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).Re claim 6: Chen does not explicitly disclose wherein a distance between two of the plurality of fins that are adjacent to each other is 0.3 millimeters. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the liquid cooling system of Chen wherein a distance between two of the plurality of fins that are adjacent to each other is 0.3 millimeters in order to maximize fin density, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.Re claim 8: Chen does not explicitly disclose wherein a radius of the at least one heat pipe is 2 millimeters. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the liquid cooling system of Chen wherein a radius of the at least one heat pipe is 2 millimeters in order to maximize fin density, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2005/0173098 – is considered pertinent because this reference describes a vapor chamber with fins.
US 2024/0172396 – is considered pertinent because this reference describes heat pipes with fins.
US 2008/0230208 – is considered pertinent because this reference describes a cold plate assembly with an inlet and an outlet.
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/ZHENGFU J FENG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835 December 9, 2025
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