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
1. 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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-7, 9-13, and 18-19, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by (Iyengar 2020/0100396).
Regarding Claim 1; Iyengar discloses a heat sink (300-Fig. 3A), comprising: a vapor chamber (a vapor chamber-350—para. 0070), comprising: a bottom portion; a top portion spaced from the bottom portion (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas a top portion of 350 contacts 328 via 320; and the top portion is spaced from a bottom portion of 350 which contacts 308 via 353); and a curved connector connecting the bottom portion and the top portion, wherein the bottom portion, the curved connector, and the top portion define a chamber (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas a side portion of 350 is depicts as curved between the bottom portion and the top portion) in which a working fluid is received (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas the interior of 350 defines a chamber having heat transfer fluid—as set forth by para. 0074); a plurality of fins extending between the bottom portion and the top portion (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas fins are disposed within 350 between the top and bottom portions, and para. 0074 further discloses fins within the chamber; NOTE: extending between alone does not necessitate contact or direct contact); a thermal interface material (TIM) layer disposed on the top portion; and a conducting cover contacting the TIM layer (whereas 320 defines a thermal interface material in contact with and between the top portion and a conducting cover defined by 322 including 328 thereof). Note: claim 1 is alternatively rejected below.
Regarding Claim 2; Iyengar discloses the heat sink of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fins are connected to the top portion at their respective top ends and to the bottom portion at their respective bottom ends (as depicted by Fig. 3A).
Regarding Claim 3; Iyengar discloses the heat sink of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fins connect to the top portion at their respective top ends and to a base of the heat sink at their respective bottom ends, wherein the base is arranged in thermal communication with the bottom portion (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas top ends of the fins contact and/or thermally contact an inner surface of the top portion, and the bottom ends of the fins thermally contact a base 308—as set forth by para. 0079). Note: direct or physical contact is not asserted between the fins and the base.
Regarding Claim 4; Iyengar discloses the heat sink of claim 1, wherein the TIM layer is disposed on a top planar surface of the top portion (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas 320 is dispose atop the top portion which defines a horizontally planar surface).
Regarding Claim 6; Iyengar discloses the heat sink of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion and the top portion are arranged parallel to one another (as depicted by Fig. 3A—a bottom portion is opposite to and parallel to the horizontally planar top portion).
Regarding Claim 7; Iyengar discloses the heat sink of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion and the top portion are vertically spaced from one another (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas the top and bottom portions are spaced by the fins disposed therebetween).
Regarding Claim 9; Iyengar discloses the heat sink of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion, the curved connector, and the top portion collectively form a C-shape as viewed along a side elevation view of the heat sink (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas the curved connector comprises atleast one C-shape at a side of the 350).
Regarding Claim 10; Iyengar discloses the heat sink of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion, the curved connector, and the top portion are formed as a single continuous component (as depicted by Fig. 3A).
Regarding Claim 11; Iyengar discloses the heat sink of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion, the top portion, and the curved connector collectively define the chamber as a continuous chamber (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas the interior of 350 defines a chamber having heat transfer fluid—as set forth by para. 0074).
Regarding Claim 12; the heat sink of claim 1, wherein the vapor chamber has a first side and a second side, and wherein the curved connector connects the bottom portion and the top portion at the first side, and wherein the vapor chamber has a second curved connector connecting the bottom portion and the top portion at the second side of the vapor chamber (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas the vapor chamber comprises the curved connector at a left side of the 350, and further comprises another curved connector between the bottom and top portions at the right side of the vapor chamber).
Regarding Claim 13; the heat sink of claim 12, wherein the bottom portion, the curved connector, the second curved connector, and the top portion wrap substantially around the plurality of fins as viewed along a side elevation view of the heat sink (as depicted by Fig. 3A).
Regarding Claim 18; Iyengar discloses an apparatus (as constituted by a server—as set forth by para. 0003), comprising: an integrated circuit (as constituted by a processor—as set forth by para.’s 0003, wherein para. 0070 discloses 316-Fig. 3A is an ASIC); a heat sink (300-Fig. 3A) arranged relative to the integrated circuit for providing cooling thereto, the heat sink comprising: a vapor chamber (a vapor chamber-350—para. 0070), comprising: a bottom portion; a top portion spaced from the bottom portion (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas a top portion of 350 contacts 328 via 320; and the top portion is spaced from a bottom portion of 350 which contacts 308 via 353); and a curved connector connecting the bottom portion and the top portion, wherein the bottom portion, the curved connector, and the top portion define a chamber (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas a side portion of 350 is depicts as curved between the bottom portion and the top portion) in which a working fluid is received (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas the interior of 350 defines a chamber having heat transfer fluid—as set forth by para. 0074); a plurality of fins extending between the bottom portion and the top portion (as depicted by Fig. 3A—whereas fins are disposed within 350 between the top and bottom portions, and para. 0074 further discloses fins within the chamber; NOTE: extending between alone does not necessitate contact or direct contact); a thermal interface material (TIM) layer disposed on the top portion; and a conducting cover contacting the TIM layer (whereas 320 defines a thermal interface material in contact with and between the top portion and a conducting cover defined by 322 including 328 thereof).
Regarding Claim 19; Iyengar discloses the apparatus of claim 18, further comprising: an additional heat sink thermally coupled with the conducting cover, and wherein the additional heat sink is an auxiliary heat sink (as depicted by Fig. 3A--whereas 336 constitutes an additional heat sink coupled to the cover 322 at 328 thereof).
Allowable Subject Matter
3. Claims 5, 8, and 14-17, are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding Claim 5; the already modified heat sink of claim 1, wherein the TIM layer is disposed on an external surface of the curved connector.
Regarding Claim 8; the heat sink of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion, the curved connector, and the top portion each have a same length extending along a first direction, and wherein an airflow passes through the plurality of fins along the first direction.
Regarding Claim 14; the heat sink of claim 12, wherein the top portion defines a gap between a first portion of the top portion connected to the curved connector and a second portion of the top portion connected to the second curved connector.
Regarding Claim 15; the heat sink of claim 1, further comprising: a fin array arranged within a volume defined between the curved connector and an end fin of the plurality of fins, the fin array includes a backbone and a plurality of fins extending from the backbone, and wherein the backbone contacts an internal surface the curved connector.
Regarding Claim 16; the heat sink of claim 1, wherein the curved connector defines a slot that extends from the bottom portion to the top portion and separates the curved connector into a first connector and a second connector both of which extend between and connect the bottom portion and the top portion and both of which define portions of the chamber.
Regarding Claim 17; the heat sink of claim 1, further comprising: a stacked fin array arranged having a plurality of fins contacting an external surface of the curved connector.
4. Claim 20 is hereby deemed as allowed, as constructively elected.
5. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance; whereas the underlined claim construction defines an inventive claim construction of which the combination of bolded claim limitations are not found in the prior art of record alone and/or in combination:
Regarding Claim 20; a method, comprising: providing an apparatus having an integrated circuit (IC) and a heat sink arranged relative to the IC for providing cooling thereto, the heat sink comprises: a vapor chamber having a bottom portion, a top portion spaced from the bottom portion, and a curved connector connecting the bottom portion and the top portion, wherein the bottom portion, the curved connector, and the top portion define a chamber in which a working fluid is received; a plurality of fins extending between the bottom portion and the top portion; a thermal interface material (TIM) layer disposed on at least one surface of the vapor chamber; and a conducting cover contacting the TIM layer; and cooling the IC during operation of the apparatus using the heat sink so that: i) heat is transferred to the plurality of fins at their respective top ends by the top portion and at their respective bottom ends by a base of the heat sink that is in thermal communication with the bottom portion; and ii) the bottom portion and the top portion operate substantially isothermally in such a way so as to provide an additional heat path for heat to be transferred from the top portion to the conducting cover by way of the TIM layer and from the conducting cover to one or more additional heat sinks. NOTE: the claim is herein allowed as constructively elected. Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 6845622 B2
Sauciuc; Ioan et al.
Fig. 1
US-20230397366-A1
OKADA; Naoya et al.
Fig.’s 2, and 6-7
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to COURTNEY SMITH whose telephone number is (571)272-9094. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5p.
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/COURTNEY L SMITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835