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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01/14/2026.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/09/2024 was filed on the filing date of the instant application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 03/10/2025 and 05/14/2025 were filed after the filing date of the instant application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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 4-5 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.
The recitation of “…enable a powering of a compressor…” (claim 4, line 4) is unclear. The recitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear if the compressor from the recitation above is the same compressor compressing and delivering the refrigerant to the first condenser coil previously disclosed in line 1 of the same claim. After reviewing Applicant’s disclosure, more specifically, figure 4, and par. 44, a compressor (110) within the chiller system is powered or unpowered. For examination purposes, the recitation has been considered as --…enable a powering of the compressor…--.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5 and 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kopko (US 2019/0186801) in view of Ueda (US 2011/0120162).
Regarding claim 1, Kopko discloses a chiller system, comprising:
a first condenser coil (72);
a second condenser coil (92);
a first subcooler coil (56);
a second subcooler coil (97); and
a control system (comprising controller 78) configured to:
cause, in response to a mechanical-cooling operation of the chiller system (refer to par. 25, wherein chiller system 12 includes the control system configured to determine whether (and how) to operate a mechanical cooling system and/or a free cooling system based on a temperature of ambient air and/or a cooling load demand), a refrigerant to flow through the first condenser coil and the second condenser coil in parallel (refer to fig. 4, and par. 40, wherein the refrigerant 76 flowing through the first condenser coil and refrigerant 94 flowing through the second condenser coil may be the same fluid and both have the capability of flowing through both condensers in parallel by means of the operation of compressors 70 and 91 directing the fluid in parallel to each other based on readings from sensors 85, 87, 99, 100); and
cause, in response to a free-cooling operation of the chiller system (refer to par. 25, wherein chiller system 12 includes the control system configured to determine whether (and how) to operate a mechanical cooling system and/or a free cooling system based on a temperature of ambient air and/or a cooling load demand), a refrigerant (refrigerant 58) to flow through the first subcooler coil and the second subcooler coil in parallel (when adjusting three-way valve to flow refrigerant through free cooling system 52).
While Kopko discloses the chiller system including a refrigerant flowing through the first condenser coil and the second condenser coil in parallel, Kopko fails to explicitly disclose the same refrigerant flowing through each of the condensers and subcoolers in response to the mechanical-cooling operation and the free-cooling operation such that in the mechanical-cooling operation the refrigerant flows through the first subcooler coil and the second subcooler coil in series.
However, Ueda teaches that it is known in the art of refrigeration, to provide a chiller system, wherein in response to a mechanical-cooling operation, a refrigerant flows through the systems condenser (62), and then through a first subcooler coil (63) and a second condenser coil (67) in series, in order to enhance the performance of the chiller system (refer to par. 5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Kopko such that the same refrigerant flows through each of the condensers and subcoolers in response to the mechanical-cooling operation and the free-cooling operation such that in the mechanical-cooling operation the refrigerant flows through the first subcooler coil and the second subcooler coil in series, in order to simplify and enhance the performance of the chiller system in view of the teachings by Ueda along with the knowledge generally available to one having ordinary skill in the art of refrigeration.
Regarding claim 2, Kopko as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 1. Further, Kopko as modified discloses a first fan (60) associated with the first condenser coil (72) and the first subcooler coil (56); and a second fan (98) associated with the second condenser coil (92) and the second subcooler coil (97).
Regarding claim 3, Kopko as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 1. Further, Kopko as modified discloses wherein the control system is configured to cause, in response to a hybrid-cooling operation of the chiller system (refer to par. 36, wherein when a cooling load demand exceeds an amount that the free cooling system 52 may provide alone, the free cooling system 52 and the mechanical cooling system 54 may operate simultaneously (e.g., a hybrid cooling mode)), the refrigerant to flow through the first subcooler coil and the second subcooler coil in series (63 and 67 as taught by Ueda).
Regarding claim 4, Kopko as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 3. Further, Kopko as modified discloses a compressor (70) configured to compress the refrigerant and deliver the refrigerant to the first condenser coil (72), wherein the control system is configured to: enable a powering of the compressor in response to the mechanical-cooling operation and the hybrid-cooling operation (since the compressor operates in both modes); and block a powering of the compressor in response to the free-cooling operation (refer to par. 20, wherein the free-cooling operation operates with a maximum fan speed before supplying power to the compressor of the mechanical cooling system because it is believed that the fans of the free cooling system consume less power than the compressor of the mechanical cooling system).
Regarding claim 5, Kopko as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 4. Further, Kopko as modified discloses wherein the compressor (70) is positioned between the first condenser coil (72) and an evaporator (66) relative to a flow of the refrigerant.
Regarding claim 11, Kopko as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 1. Further, Kopko as modified discloses a sensor configured to detect a parameter of the chiller system (refer to par. 38, wherein the chiller system 12 includes one or more sensors that may monitor the operating conditions of the refrigeration system 12, such as a return cooling fluid temperature sensor 81, a supply cooling fluid temperature sensor 83, a suction pressure sensor 85, a discharge pressure sensor 87, and/or an ambient temperature sensor 89), wherein the control system (78) is configured to select the mechanical-cooling operation or the free-cooling operation based at least in part on the parameter (refer to par. 25, wherein chiller system 12 includes the control system configured to determine whether (and how) to operate a mechanical cooling system and/or a free cooling system based on a temperature of ambient air and/or a cooling load demand).
Regarding claim 12, Kopko as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 11. Further, Kopko as modified discloses wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor (refer to pressure sensors 85 and 99).
Regarding claim 13, Kopko as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 11. Further, Kopko as modified discloses wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor (refer to temperature sensor 83).
Regarding claim 14, Kopko as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 1. Further, Kopko as modified discloses an evaporator (66) configured to establish a heat exchange relationship between the refrigerant and a conditioning fluid (conditioning fluid from load 62).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANA M VAZQUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0611. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7-4.
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/ANA M VAZQUEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763