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DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 04/25/2024 has been fully considered and is attached hereto.
Claim Objections
Claim 18 is objected to because of the following lack of antecedent informalities:
● In Claim 18, Line 2, “outlets” should be changed to read - - the outlets - -.
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.
Claims 1-14, 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
With respect to Claims 1-14 and 17-20, The term "proximate" in claims 1, 17 and 19 is a relative term which renders the claims indefinite. The term "proximate" is not defined by the claims, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, a term of degree lacking objective boundaries, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Examiner suggest that the phrase “proximate” be excluded from the claims language. See; MPEP 2173.05(b)(III)).
Claims 2-14, 18 and 20 are derived from Claims 1, 17 and 19, and are rejected for the same reason.
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 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Ehlen (US 2019/0124785) in view of Shearman et al (US 11,303,106).
Regarding Claim 15, Ehlen (In Figs 5, 7) discloses a method comprising:
operating a set of air movers (122) to create airflow from a front of the chassis (106) to a back of the chassis (106), (Fig 7), further wherein the set of air movers (122) are located at a back side of the chassis (106), (Fig 7); and
channeling air from a volume (volume in front and in between 122) within the chassis (106), (Fig 7), wherein the volume (volume in front and in between 122) is located between a first air mover (122) of the set of air movers (122/122) and a second air mover (122) of the set of air movers (122/122), including moving the air from the volume (volume in front and in between 122) to intakes of the set of air movers (122/122), (Fig 7), further wherein the volume (volume in front and in between 122) is located between the intakes of the set of air movers (122/122) and the back of the chassis (106), (Fig 7), however Ehlen does not disclose generating heat in a chassis that is plugged into a busbar of a computing rack; wherein the back of the chassis includes a power connector that is plugged into the busbar.
Instead, Shearman (In Figs 1-2) teaches generating heat in a chassis (10) that is plugged into a busbar (14) of a computing rack (12); wherein the back of the chassis (10) includes a power connector (22), (Col 7, II. 27-31) that is plugged into the busbar (14), (Fig 2).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Ehlen with Shearman with generating heat in a chassis that is plugged into a busbar of a computing rack and the back of the chassis including a power connector that is plugged into the busbar to benefit from providing electrical power to communication system which demand in increased power which results in greater power densities within new generations of network communication systems (Shearman, Col 1, II. 26-31).
Regarding Claim 16, Ehlen discloses the limitations of Claim 15, however Ehlen (In Figs 5, 7) further discloses wherein the method further comprising: removing at least some of the heat from the volume (volume in front and in between 122), (Fig 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1-14, 17-18 and 19 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), and claim objection set forth in this office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
With respect to Claims 1-2, 17-18 and 19, the allowability resides in the overall structure of the device as recited in independent Claims 1, 17 and 19, and at least in part because Claims 1, 17 and 19 recite, “a ventilation channel device having an inlet disposed between the first length and the second side and having an outlet disposed between the intake and the first side”, in Claim 1, “an air channel device, wherein the first inlet and the second inlet are proximate the power connector, to outlets of the air channel device, and further wherein the outlets of the air channel device are disposed between the intakes and a front side of the chassis” in Claim 17, and “a U-shaped ventilation channel device having a first air inlet and a second air inlet proximate the power connector, a first air outlet proximate a first intake of the first air mover, and a second air outlet proximate a second air intake of the second air mover” in Claim 19.
The aforementioned limitation in combination with all remaining limitations of Claims 1, 17 and 19 are believed to render said Claims 1, 17 and 19 and all Claims dependent therefrom (Claims 2-14, 18 and 20) patentable over the art of record.
The closest art of record is believed to be that of Ehlen (US 2019/0124785 – hereafter “Ehlen”).
While Ehlen Fig 7, teaches many of limitations of Claim 15, however neither Ehlen nor any other art of record, either alone or in a combination, teach or suggest above-mentioned limitations of Claim 1, 17 and 19.
Any comment 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 submission should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance”.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure; Air Flow Arrangement in a Wireless Audio Transceiver Housing US 2023/0108011, Enclosure for Containing one or more electronic Devices and Cooling Module US 2008/0218949, Faceplate for a Computing Device US 2016/0077556, Server having an Air Flow Guide Device US 2002/0054479. Other pertinent art made of record are on form PTO-892 notice of reference cited.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMIR JALALI whose telephone number is (303)297-4308. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm, Mountain Time. 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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/AMIR A JALALI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835