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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Information Disclosure Statement
For each of the pending applications (at the time of the submission of the Information Disclosure Sheet (IDS}} listed on the IDS dated 6/26/24, review is limited to the specification, the claims, and drawings of each of these listed applications. See MPEP 609 et seq.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I. Species A (claims 1-5, 7, 8, 10, 15, 16, and 18) in the reply filed on 3/23/26 is acknowledged.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Para. [0055], line 2, “180b” should be “182b”; and
Para. [0055], line 2, “180d” should be “182d”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 7 and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 7, lines 7, and 8; and Claim 15, lines 10 and 11-12, “each coupling block” should be “each of the coupling blocks”;
Claim 7, line 8; and Claim 15, line 12, “its respective cooling conduit” should be “the respective cooling conduit”;
Claim 7, line 9, “the cooling conduit” should be “the respective cooling conduit”;
Claim 7, line 9; and Claim 15, line 13, “a respective cooling position” should be “a respective one of the cooling position”; and
Claim 7, line 10; and Claim 15, line 14, “a respective access position” should be “a respective one of the access position”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2, 7, and 8 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 2, line 3 requires “a die attachment surface” and “a surface.” These appear to be the same element being claimed twice, since these appear to be the same surface. See Double inclusion, MPEP 2173.05(o). The Examiner understands as “a die attachment surface portion”;
Claim 2, lines 6-7 requires “a module attachment surface and line 3 requires “a surface.” These appear to be the same element being claimed twice, since these appear to be the same surface. See Double inclusion, MPEP 2173.05(o). The Examiner understands as “a module attachment surface portion”;
Claim 7, line 3 requires “multiple optical modules” and Claim 1, line 4 requires “an optical module.” Are the “multiple optical modules” in addition to the “optical module” or does the “multiple optical modules” include the “optical module”?
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 of this title, 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 1-5, 7, 8, 10, 15, 16, and 18 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lv (US 12,242,121) and Kobayashi (US 6,250,378).
Claims 1-5, 7, 8, 15, and 16
With respect to Claim 1, Lv teaches a cooling system, comprising: a cold plate (fig. 2, 1) thermally coupled to a main die (43), wherein the cold plate defines a fluid inlet (fig. 8, 7) and a fluid outlet (8) for receiving and releasing, respectively, a cooling fluid (col. 11, l. 37); and a cooling conduit (31) thermally coupling the cold plate to an optical module (44); wherein the cooling conduit is thermally coupled (see fig. 2) to the cold plate, and wherein the cold plate and the cooling conduit are configured to permit rotation (col. 8, l. 66) of the cooling conduit between a cooling position (fig. 4, 2 in horizonal “installation operation position” [col. 5, l. 4]) in which the cooling conduit is proximate the optical module and an access position (fig. 4, 2 in angled “maintenance operation position” [col. 5, ll. 4-5]) in which the cooling conduit is spaced from the optical module. Lv fails to disclose a coupling block. Kobayashi teaches a coupling block (fig. 4, 13) positioned on a thermal conductive block (2) and rotatably (fig. 4, rotation about 52) supporting the cooling conduit (3), wherein the coupling block thermally couples (see fig. 4) the cooling conduit to the thermal conductive block. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify system of Lv with the coupling block of Kobayashi for the purpose of having a hinge for transferring heat between the cooling conduit and the coupling block (col. 5, ll. 65-67). While Kobayashi fails to disclose a cold plate, the combination of Li and Kobayashi would use the cold plate of Lv instead of the thermal conductive block of Kobayashi.
With respect to Claim 15, Lv teaches an electronic module (figs. 3 and 4), comprising: a substrate (fig. 4, rectangular box under 43,44s) having a first surface (fig. 4, top of rectangular box under 43,44s) defining a central portion (fig. 4, portion under 43) and a peripheral portion (fig. 4, portion under 44); a main die (43) positioned on the central portion of the first surface; a plurality of optical modules (44s) positioned on the peripheral portion of the first surface; a cold plate (1) thermally coupled to the main die, wherein the cold plate defines a fluid inlet (fig. 8, 7) and a fluid outlet (fig. 8, 8) for receiving and releasing, respectively, a cooling fluid (col. 11, l. 37); multiple cooling conduits (31s) each thermally coupling the cold plate to an optical module (respective 44 on a side of 43) of the plurality of optical modules, wherein each respective cooling conduit is configured to permit rotation (col. 8, l. 66) of the respective cooling conduit between a respective cooling position (fig. 4, 2 in horizonal “installation operation position” [col. 5, l. 4]) in which the respective cooling conduit is proximate a respective optical module (respective 44) and a respective access position (fig. 4, 2 in angled “maintenance operation position” [col. 5, ll. 4-5]) in which the respective cooling conduit is spaced from the respective optical module. Lv fails to disclose multiple coupling blocks and specifically disclose a substrate. Kobayashi teaches a coupling block (fig. 4, 13) positioned on a thermal conductive block (2) and rotatably (fig. 4, rotation about 52) supporting the cooling conduit (3), wherein the coupling block thermally couples (see fig. 4) the cooling conduit to the thermal conductive block. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify system of Lv with the coupling block of Kobayashi for the purpose of having a hinge for transferring heat between the cooling conduit and the coupling block (col. 5, ll. 65-67). While Kobayashi fails to disclose a cold plate, the combination of Li and Kobayashi would use the cold plate of Lv instead of the thermal conductive block of Kobayashi. Lv and Kobayashi fail to disclose multiple coupling blocks. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to duplicate the coupling block of Kobayashi so that each of the cooling conduits has their own hinge joint to permit each of the cooling joints to rotate independently of others of the cooling conduits, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8. The combination of Lv and Kobayashi with duplication of parts allows for multiple coupling blocks positioned on the cold plate and rotatably supporting a respective cooling conduit of the multiple cooling conduits, wherein each coupling block thermally couples the respective cooling conduit to the cold plate, and wherein each coupling block and its respective cooling conduit are configured to permit rotation of the respective cooling conduit between a respective cooling position in which the respective cooling conduit is proximate a respective optical module and a respective access position in which the respective cooling conduit is spaced from the respective optical module. Official Notice is taken that a substrate is well-known in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify system of Lv and Kobayashi with a well-known substrate for the purpose of electrically and mechanically interconnecting the main die and optical module.
With respect to Claim 2, Lv teaches the cold plate is thermally coupled to a top die surface (fig. 3, top of 43) of the main die, wherein the top die surface is opposite a die attachment surface (fig. 3, surface that 43 is sitting on) positioned on a central portion (see fig. 3) of a surface (fig. 3, surface that 43 is sitting on, see 35 USC 112b rejection above) of a substrate (fig. 3, rectangular block under 43); and the cooling conduit, when in the cooling position, is thermally coupled to a top module surface (fig. 3, top of 44) of the optical module, wherein the top module surface of the optical module is opposite a module attachment surface positioned on a peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate. Lv and Kobayashi fail to specifically disclose a substrate. Official Notice is taken that a substrate is well-known in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify system of Lv and Kobayashi with a well-known substrate for the purpose of electrically and mechanically interconnecting the main die and optical module.
With respect to Claim 3, Lv further teaches a satellite plate (2) positioned over (see fig. 3) a top module surface of the optical module (claim 3), the satellite plate comprises a satellite support (2), wherein the cooling conduit comprises a heat pipe (31 and col. 5, l. 23), and wherein a portion (see fig. 2, 31 is inside of 2 so a portion is between top of 44 and top of 2) of the heat pipe is positioned between the top module surface and the satellite support (claim 4), .
With respect to Claim 5, Lv discloses the claimed invention including the cold plate comprises a pin-(see fig. 4, end of 31) and-socket structure (see fig. 4, hole of 2 that 31 is inserted into) configured to receive and rotatably (col. 7, ll. 13-14) support the heat pipe. Lv fails to disclose a coupling block. Kobayashi teaches the coupling block comprises a pin(fig. 2, end of 3) and-socket structure (fig. 4, hole in 13 for 3) configured to receive and rotatably (fig. 4, rotation about 52) support the heat pipe. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify system of Lv with the coupling block of Kobayashi for the purpose of having a hinge for transferring heat between the cooling conduit and the coupling block (col. 5, ll. 65-67). While Kobayashi fails to disclose a cold plate, the combination of Li and Kobayashi would use the cold plate of Lv instead of the thermal conductive block of Kobayashi.
With respect to Claim 7, Lv discloses the claimed invention including the cooling conduit comprises multiple cooling conduits (fig. 3, 3s including 31) each thermally coupling the cold plate to a respective optical module (respective 44, respective 44 on each side of 43) of multiple optical modules (one of 44s on each side of 43) positioned on a peripheral portion (see fig. 3, 44s surrounding 43) of a surface (fig. 4, top of rectangular block under 43,44s) of a substrate (fig. 3, rectangular block under 43,44s), wherein the cold plate and the cooling conduit are configured to permit rotation of the cooling conduit between a cooling position (fig. 4, 2 in horizonal “installation operation position” [col. 5, l. 4]) in which the cooling conduit is proximate the optical module and an access position (fig. 4, 2 in angled “maintenance operation position” [col. 5, ll. 4-5]) in which the cooling conduit is spaced from the optical module. Lv fails to disclose multiple coupling blocks. Kobayashi teaches the coupling block (!3) positioned on a thermal conductive block (2) and rotatably (fig. 4, rotation about 52) supporting the cooling conduit (3), wherein the coupling block thermally couples (see fig. 4) the cooling conduit to the thermal conductive block. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify system of Lv with the coupling block of Kobayashi for the purpose of having a hinge for transferring heat between the cooling conduit and the coupling block (col. 5, ll. 65-67). While Kobayashi fails to disclose a cold plate, the combination of Li and Kobayashi would use the cold plate of Lv instead of the thermal conductive block of Kobayashi. Lv and Kobayashi fail to disclose multiple coupling blocks. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to duplicate the coupling block of Kobayashi so that each of the cooling conduits has their own hinge joint to permit each of the cooling joints to rotate independently of others of the cooling conduits, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8. The combination of Lv and Kobayashi with duplication of parts allows for the cold plate to be rotatably supporting a respective cooling conduit of the multiple cooling conduits, wherein each coupling block thermally couples the respective cooling conduit to the cold plate, and wherein each coupling block and its respective cooling conduit are configured to permit rotation of the cooling conduit between a respective cooling position in which the respective cooling conduit is proximate the respective optical module and a respective access position in which the respective cooling conduit is spaced from the respective optical module.
With respect to Claims 8 and 16, Lv further teaches the multiple cooling conduits comprise heat pipes (see fig, 7,31-35 and col. 5, ll. 23-25) (claim 8) and the multiple cooling conduits comprise heat pipes (see fig, 7,31-35 and col. 5, ll. 23-25) configured to passively cool the plurality of optical modules (claim 16).
Claims 1, 10, 15, and 18
With respect to Claim 1, Lv teaches a cooling system, comprising: a cold plate (fig. 2, 1) thermally coupled to a main die (43), wherein the cold plate defines a fluid inlet (fig. 8, 7) and a fluid outlet (8) for receiving and releasing, respectively, a cooling fluid (col. 11, l. 37); and a cooling conduit (31) thermally coupling the cold plate to an optical module (44); wherein the cooling conduit is thermally coupled (see fig. 2) to the cold plate, and wherein the cold plate and the cooling conduit are configured to permit rotation of the cooling conduit between a cooling position (fig. 4, 2 in horizonal “installation operation position” [col. 5, l. 4]) in which the cooling conduit is proximate the optical module and an access position (fig. 4, 2 in angled “maintenance operation position” [col. 5, ll. 4-5]) in which the cooling conduit is spaced from the optical module. Lv fails to disclose a coupling block. Kobayashi teaches a coupling block (fig. 39A, 13) positioned on a thermal conductive block (2) and rotatably (fig. 39A, rotation about 52) supporting the cooling conduit (3), wherein the coupling block thermally couples (see fig. 39A) the cooling conduit to the thermal conductive block. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify system of Lv with the coupling block of Kobayashi for the purpose of having a hinge for transferring heat between the cooling conduit and the coupling block (col. 5, ll. 65-67). While Kobayashi fails to disclose a cold plate, the combination of Li and Kobayashi would use the cold plate of Lv instead of the thermal conductive block of Kobayashi.
With respect to Claim 15, Lv teaches an electronic module (figs. 3 and 4), comprising: a substrate (fig. 4, rectangular box under 43,44s) having a first surface (fig. 4, top of rectangular box under 43,44s) defining a central portion (fig. 4, portion under 43) and a peripheral portion (fig. 4, portion under 44); a main die (43) positioned on the central portion of the first surface; a plurality of optical modules (44s) positioned on the peripheral portion of the first surface; a cold plate (1) thermally coupled to the main die, wherein the cold plate defines a fluid inlet (fig. 8, 7) and a fluid outlet (fig. 8, 8) for receiving and releasing, respectively, a cooling fluid (col. 11, l. 37); multiple cooling conduits (31s) each thermally coupling the cold plate to an optical module (respective 44 on a side of 43) of the plurality of optical modules, wherein each respective cooling conduit is configured to permit rotation (col. 8, l. 66) of the respective cooling conduit between a respective cooling position (fig. 4, 2 in horizonal “installation operation position” [col. 5, l. 4]) in which the respective cooling conduit is proximate a respective optical module (respective 44) and a respective access position (fig. 4, 2 in angled “maintenance operation position” [col. 5, ll. 4-5]) in which the respective cooling conduit is spaced from the respective optical module. Lv fails to disclose multiple coupling blocks and specifically disclose a substrate. Kobayashi teaches a coupling block (fig. 39A, 13) positioned on a thermal conductive block (2) and rotatably (fig.39A, rotation about 52) supporting the cooling conduit (3), wherein the coupling block thermally couples (see fig. 39A) the cooling conduit to the thermal conductive block. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify system of Lv with the coupling block of Kobayashi for the purpose of having a hinge for transferring heat between the cooling conduit and the coupling block (col. 5, ll. 65-67). While Kobayashi fails to disclose a cold plate, the combination of Li and Kobayashi would use the cold plate of Lv instead of the thermal conductive block of Kobayashi. Lv and Kobayashi fail to disclose multiple coupling blocks. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to duplicate the coupling block of Kobayashi so that each of the cooling conduits has their own hinge joint to permit each of the cooling joints to rotate independently of others of the cooling conduits, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8. The combination of Lv and Kobayashi with duplication of parts allows for multiple coupling blocks positioned on the cold plate and rotatably supporting a respective cooling conduit of the multiple cooling conduits, wherein each coupling block thermally couples the respective cooling conduit to the cold plate, and wherein each coupling block and its respective cooling conduit are configured to permit rotation of the respective cooling conduit between a respective cooling position in which the respective cooling conduit is proximate a respective optical module and a respective access position in which the respective cooling conduit is spaced from the respective optical module. Official Notice is taken that a substrate is well-known in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify system of Lv and Kobayashi with a well-known substrate for the purpose of electrically and mechanically interconnecting the main die and optical module.
With respect to Claim 10, Lv fails to disclose the cooling conduit comprises a closed-loop thermosiphon. Kobayashi’s fig.39A teaches the cooling conduit comprises a closed-loop (see fig. 39A) thermosiphon (fig. 39A, 6 and col. 15, l. 49). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to have substituted the closed-loop thermosiphon of Kobayashi for the heat pipes of Lv for the purpose of using gravity of flow the liquid back to coupling block and “[d]ue to this, the vapor flow channel 81 and the liquid flow back channel 82 are separate, and there will be no flooding limit arising from the returning fluid blown away by the vapor. Under this configuration, the working fluid circulation is highly reliable and the heat transfer limit will be large” (col. 15, ll. 53-58).
With respect to Claim 18, Lv fails to disclose comprise closed-loop thermosiphons. Kobayashi’s fig.39A teaches the cooling conduit comprises a closed-loop (see fig. 39A) thermosiphon (fig. 39A, 6 and col. 15, l. 49). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to have substituted the closed-loop thermosiphon of Kobayashi for the heat pipes of Lv for the purpose of using gravity of flow the liquid back to coupling block and “[d]ue to this, the vapor flow channel 81 and the liquid flow back channel 82 are separate, and there will be no flooding limit arising from the returning fluid blown away by the vapor. Under this configuration, the working fluid circulation is highly reliable and the heat transfer limit will be large” (col. 15, ll. 53-58). Kobayashi fails to disclose closed-loop thermosiphons. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to duplicate the closed-loop thermosiphon of Kobayashi so that multiple closed-loop thermosiphon can increase the heat dissipation of electronic module, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8. The combination of Lv and Kobayashi would have a closed-loop thermosiphon oof each side of the main die.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 11,943,886, 2025/0102746 and 2026/0016648 discloses a cold plate on a main die of an optical system
US 2010/0000720 and 2024/0244800 discloses a cold plate on a main die with a heat pipe coupled to a peripheral component.
US 11,847,003 (fig. 1) discloses a coupling rotation to allow a rotation of a heat pipe.
US 6,366,460, 6,570,761, 7,477,515 and CN 218974879 disclose a coupling block that allows for a heat pipe to rotate.
US 11,109,515, 11,612,079 and 12,274,036 disclose heatsink/heat pipes cooling a main die and surrounding optical modules.
US 10,575,438 and 2025/0169030 disclose a plurality of satellite cold plates surrounding a main cold plate for cooling optical modules and a main die, respectively;
US 2024/0306287, 2024/0379084, 2024/0381582, 2024/0385400, 2024/0397604, 2025/0012986, 2025/0120052, 2025/0244807, 2025/0311084 and 2025/0318087 are publications of applications cited by Applicant on the IDS.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT J HOFFBERG whose telephone number is (571) 272-2761. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon - Fri 9 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 on (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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RJH 4/26/2026
/ROBERT J HOFFBERG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835
Prosecution Insights