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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 1 (fig. 1 reading on claims 1-3 and 11-13) in the reply filed on 3/26/26 is acknowledged.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: page 9, line 30, :150alternates” should be “150 alternates”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-3 and 11-13 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 4; and Claim 11, line 4, “each server cluster” should be “each of the server clusters”;
Claim 1, line 9; and Claim 12, line 4, “the respective liquid cooling unit” should be “the at least one respective liquid cooling units”; and
Claim 13, line 3, “heat exchangers” should be “the heat exchangers”.
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 1-3 and 11-13 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, line 6 requires “a heat-generating component” and line 1 requires “heat-generating components.” Is “a heat-generating component” of line 6 part of or is addition to “heat-generating components” of line 1? and
Claim 11, line 6 requires “a heat-generating component” and line 1 requires “heat-generating components.” Is “a heat-generating component” of line 6 part of or is addition to “heat-generating components” of line 1?
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.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang (US 11,044,833).
Huang a liquid cooling arrangement (fig. 3) for cooling heat-generating components (fig, 3, components of 50,50’) of a datacenter server rack (5,5’), comprising: a liquid cooling loop (1,10,20,21,3,10’,20’,21’,3’,4,40) configured to convey a cooling liquid (see title); a plurality of server clusters (5,5’), each server cluster including a plurality of server assemblies (50 for 5;50’ for 5’) that incorporate at least one respective liquid cooling unit (21 for 50;21’ for 50’) configured to collect at least a portion of a thermal energy generated by a heat-generating component (components of 50; components of 50’) of the server assembly; and a pump (20) fluidly coupled to the liquid cooling units of the plurality of server clusters via the liquid cooling loop, the pump configured to convey the cooling liquid in the liquid cooling loop, wherein at least a portion of the liquid cooling loop comprises a serialized configuration (5,5’ serialized configuration) are in a that serially couples the server clusters.
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 1-3, 12, and 13 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (US 11,044,833) and Upadhya (US 2007/0227709).
With respect to Claim 1, Huang a liquid cooling arrangement (fig. 3) for cooling heat-generating components (fig, 3, components of 50,50’) of a datacenter server rack (5,5’), comprising: a liquid cooling loop (1,10,20,21,3,10’,20’,21’,3’,4,40) configured to convey a cooling liquid (see title); a plurality of server clusters (5,5’), each server cluster including a plurality of server assemblies (50 for 5;50’ for 5’) that incorporate at least one respective liquid cooling unit (21 for 50;21’ for 50’) configured to collect at least a portion of a thermal energy generated by a heat-generating component (components of 50; components of 50’) of the server assembly; and a pump (20) fluidly coupled to the liquid cooling units of the plurality of server clusters via the liquid cooling loop, a heat exchanger (4) fluidly connected to the liquid cooling units of the plurality of server clusters via the liquid cooling loop, the heat exchanger configured to receive the heated cooling liquid discharged from the respective liquid cooling units of the server assemblies and cool (col. 2, l. 51) the received heated cooling liquid; and a pump (20) fluidly coupled to the heat exchanger via the liquid cooling loop, the pump configured to convey the cooling liquid in the liquid cooling loop, wherein at least a portion of the liquid cooling loop comprises a serialized configuration (fig. 3, a portion that includes 5,5’ has a serialized configuration) are that serially couples (see fig. 3, 5 and 5’ are serially arranged) the server clusters. Huang fails to disclose a plurality of heat exchangers. Upadhya teaches a plurality of heat exchangers (160,165) fluidly connected to the liquid cooling units (figs. 1 and 1B, 120,130,140) via the liquid cooling loop (figs. 1 and 1B, 120/130/140,150,160/165 [see fig. 2, that 220/230/240 are serially connected]), the heat exchangers configured to receive (¶[0040], l. 11) the heated cooling liquid discharged from the respective liquid cooling units and cool the received heated cooling liquid; and a pump (150) fluidly coupled to the plurality of heat exchangers via the liquid cooling loop, the pump configured to convey the cooling liquid in the liquid cooling loop. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the heat exchangers of Upadhya for the heat exchanger of Huang for “[t]his particular configuration realizes certain efficiencies, such as smaller form factor, lower cost, and a common locus for heat rejection, which further reduces the size and number of fans, and the amount of air displacement needed to reject heat from the radiators” (¶[0040, ll. 7-11). When substituting the heat exchangers of Upadhya instead of heat exchanger of Huang, the substitution has the heat exchangers configured to receive the heated cooling liquid discharged from the respective liquid cooling units of the server assemblies.
With respect to Claim 2, Huang further teaches the liquid cooling units of the server assemblies of a same server cluster (see fig. 3, for 5, 21s are in parallel and for 5’, 21’ are in parallel) are fluidly connected in parallel to one another.
With respect to Claim 3, Huang discloses the claimed inventio including the server clusters are fluidly connected in series (fig. 3m 5 and 5’ are connected in series) with one another. Huang fails to disclose the heat exchangers are fluidly connected in parallel with one another. Upadhya teaches the heat exchangers are fluidly connected in parallel (see fig. 1B) with one another. . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the heat exchangers of Upadhya for the heat exchanger of Huang for “[t]his particular configuration realizes certain efficiencies, such as smaller form factor, lower cost, and a common locus for heat rejection, which further reduces the size and number of fans, and the amount of air displacement needed to reject heat from the radiators” (¶[0040, ll. 7-11).
With respect to Claims 12 and 13, Huang discloses the claimed invention except for a plurality of heat exchangers fluidly connected to the liquid cooling units of the plurality of server clusters via the liquid cooling loop, the heat exchangers configured to receive the heated cooling liquid discharged from the respective liquid cooling units of the server assemblies and cool the received heated cooling liquid (claim 12) and at least a portion of the liquid cooling loop comprises a serialized configuration that serially couples the server clusters and heat exchangers (claim 13). Upadhya teaches a plurality of heat exchangers (fig. 1B, 160,165) fluidly connected to the liquid cooling units (fig. 1, 120,130,140) via the liquid cooling loop (figs. 1 and 1B, 120/130/140,150,160/165 [see fig. 2, that 220/230/240 are serially connected]), the heat exchangers configured to receive the heated cooling liquid discharged from the respective liquid cooling units and cool the received (¶[0040], l. 11) heated cooling liquid (claim 12) and at least a portion of the liquid cooling loop comprises a serialized configuration (see figs 1 and 1B, 120/130/140 and 160/165 are in a serial configuration) that serially couples the respective liquid cooling units and heat exchangers (claim 13). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the heat exchangers of Upadhya for the heat exchanger of Huang for “[t]his particular configuration realizes certain efficiencies, such as smaller form factor, lower cost, and a common locus for heat rejection, which further reduces the size and number of fans, and the amount of air displacement needed to reject heat from the radiators” (¶[0040, ll. 7-11). When substituting the heat exchangers of Upadhya instead of heat exchanger of Huang, the substitution has the heat exchangers configured to receive the heated cooling liquid discharged from the respective liquid cooling units of the server assemblies/clusters and a serialized configuration that serially couples the server clusters and heat exchangers.
Conclusion
The art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 11,044,832 (fig. 3) discloses server clusters in a serial relationship.
US 6,182,743 (fig. 1), 7,088,585 (fig. 3), 7,318,322 (fig. 13), 9,769,954, 11,202,393 (fig. 3), 12,464,678 and 2021/0280925 disclose heat exchangers in parallel with one another.
US 12,389,567 (fig. 6) and 2025/0254843 (fig. 1) discloses heat exchanger in parallel with one another in another application of the assignee.
US 2025/0212370 (fig. 2), 2026/0040505 (fig. 2), 2026/0040486 (fig. 1), 2026/0040488 (fig. 2), 2026/004099 (fig. 1), 2026/0040490 (fig. 1) disclose server cluster in a serial configuration and heat exchangers in a parallel relationship in other applications of the assignee.
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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RJH 4/4/2026
/ROBERT J HOFFBERG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835