DETAILED ACTION
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(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wainwright (US 1,743,989).
Regarding claim 20, Wainwright teaches a method of: flowing a fluid through upstream sections (14) of first conduits in heat exchange relationship with one or more second conduits (defined by the shell of 10), flows of the fluid in the upstream sections of the first conduits have boundary layer flows and core flows (inherent in flow through tubes); mixing the boundary layer flows with the core flows by combining the flows exiting the upstream sections (14) of the first conduits into a combined flow in a mixing chamber (18); flowing a portion of the combined flow between fins (21) extending along the mixing chamber; and separating the combined flow into downstream sections of the first conduits (14’) downstream of the mixing chamber.
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, 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, 9-10, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wainwright (US 1,743,989) in view of Koeune (US 2022/0082332).
Regarding claim 1, Wainwright teaches a system comprising: a heat exchanger for exchanging heat with a fluid, the heat exchanger having a housing (10) defining first inlet and outlet (12, 29) and second inlet and outlet (30, 31); first conduits (14, 14’) within the housing fluidly connecting the first inlet and outlet (Fig. 1); one or more second conduits (defined by 10; Fig. 1) within the housing fluidly connecting the second inlet and outlet (Fig. 1) and in heat exchange relationship with the first conduits (see Fig. 1); a mixing chamber (18) intersecting two or more of the first conduits and separating the first conduits into upstream (14) and downstream (14’) sections relative to flow from the first inlet to first outlet (Fig. 1), the mixing chamber having a peripheral wall extending around a mixing volume (external walls defining sides of 18; Fig. 1) and a central axis (up-down in Fig. 1); and fins protruding from the peripheral wall into the mixing volume (21), extending in a direction having an axial component relative to the central axis (Fig. 1), and defining flow passages interspaced between the fins (see flow lines in Fig. 1).
Wainwright does not specify the use in an aerospace application.
Koeune teaches that it is old and well-known to use conduit in tank style heat exchangers (50) for cooling an aircraft component (e.g. 22, 26) via a fluid (oil) cooled by the heat exchanger.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time of filing to utilize the device of Wainwright for cooling aerospace components, as taught by Koeune, as Wainwright has left the specific applications of his device to one of ordinary skill.
Regarding claim 10, Wainwright teaches a system comprising: a heat exchanger for exchanging heat with a fluid, the heat exchanger having a housing (10) defining first inlet and outlet (12, 29) and second inlet and outlet (30, 31); first conduits (14, 14’) within the housing fluidly connecting the first inlet and outlet (Fig. 1); one or more second conduits (defined by 10; Fig. 1) within the housing fluidly connecting the second inlet and outlet (Fig. 1) and in heat exchange relationship with the first conduits (see Fig. 1); a mixing chamber (18) intersecting two or more of the first conduits and separating the first conduits into upstream (14) and downstream (14’) sections relative to flow from the first inlet to first outlet (Fig. 1), the mixing chamber having a peripheral wall extending around a mixing volume (external walls defining sides of 18; Fig. 1) and a central axis (up-down in Fig. 1); and fins protruding from the peripheral wall into the mixing volume (21), extending in a direction having an axial component relative to the central axis (Fig. 1), and defining flow passages interspaced between the fins (see flow lines in Fig. 1).
Wainwright does not specify the use in an aerospace application.
Koeune teaches that it is old and well-known to use conduit in tank style heat exchangers (50) for cooling an aircraft component (e.g. 22, 26) via a fluid (oil) cooled by the heat exchanger; the fluid (oil) has a circuit extending from a fluid reservoir (36) to components of the aircraft engine (22, 26) and back to the reservoir (see Fig. 1); a source (46) of a second fluid; first and second conduits in communication with the first and second fluids (50; Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time of filing to utilize the device of Wainwright for cooling aerospace components, as taught by Koeune, as Wainwright has left the specific applications of his device to one of ordinary skill.
Regarding claims 9 and 19, while Wainwright only teaches a single mixing chamber, it would have been an obvious duplication of parts to provide multiple mixing chambers in the device in order to extend its length to enable longer run heat exchanger designs depending on the thermal exchange requirements of a particular application.
Claim(s) 8 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wainwright in view of Koeune and Jasper (US 2022/0064020).
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Wainwright teaches that the mixing chamber comprises an upstream wall (connected to 14; Fig. 1) secured to the peripheral wall (Fig. 1) and the upstream sections of the first conduits (14; Fig. 1) defining apertures fluidly connected to a respective one of the upstream sections of the first conduits, the apertures have inlets and outlets at upstream and downstream faces (Fig. 1).
Wainwright does not specify a circumferential offset between the inlets and outlets of the wall apertures.
Jasper teaches that it is old and well-known to provide apertures which are offset circumferentially (Fig. 4; 16 with apertures 22 and 24) in order to induce mixing in a fluid flowing therethrough.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the offset apertures of Jasper to the device of Wainwright in order to further induce mixing in the mixing chamber.
Claim(s) 7 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wainwright in view of Koeune and McNamara (US 6,016,799).
Regarding claims 7 and 17, Wainwright does not specify the “elbow”.
McNamara teaches that mixing chambers may be located in a straight line with the flow of a fluid (Fig. 8; e.g. 40, 53) or be provided at an “elbow” where the fluid changes directions (e.g. 34; Fig. 8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time of filing to form the device of Wainwright, as modified, with the elbow configuration of McNamara, in order to allow for a more compact or shorter design.
Claim(s) 4 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wainwright in view of Koeune and Pyza (US 2015/0253086).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, it is unclear from Wainwright whether or not the fins extend the full axial length of the mixing chamber.
Pyza teaches that it is old and well-known to provide a mixing chamber with fins (20, 21) which extend its full axial length (see Fig. 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the device of Wainwright with full axial length fins to promote mixing across the entire chamber, as taught by Pyza.
Claim(s) 2-3, 5-6, 11-12, and 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wainwright in view of Koeune and Hellat (US 4,695,225).
Regarding claims 2-3, 5-6, 11-12, and 14, Wainwright does not teach the constructional details of the mixing chamber.
Hellat teaches that it is old and well-known to produce turbulence in a mixing chamber (see Fig. 5) with fins (4) having a central section devoid of fins (3), per claims 2 and 11; the fins extend helicoidally around the central axis (Fig. 5), per claims 3 and 12; the peripheral wall defines a convergent section in which a flow circulating area of the mixing volume decreases in a direction extending from the first inlet to the first outlet (from right-left in Fig. 5; element 10 decreases the area), per claims 5 and 14; the flow circulating area decreases to a reduced flow circulating area in the convergent section (peak of 10; Fig. 5) at a central section defined by the peripheral wall (by 10) to form the reduced flow circulating area and a diverging section (downstream of the peak of 10; Fig. 5) where the flow circulating area increases, per claim 6.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the mixing chamber of Wainwright with the converging structure, central fin section, and helical fins, as taught by Hellat, in order to increase mixing with decreased pressure drop, as taught by Hellat.
Regarding claims 15-16, Wainwright teaches that the mixing chamber has upstream and downstream walls (connected to 14 and 14’, respectively) connected via the peripheral wall (see Fig. 1) with a mixing volume (18) defined between them. Wainwright does not teach the converging section.
Hellat teaches that it is old and well-known to produce turbulence in a mixing chamber (see Fig. 5) wherein the peripheral wall defines a convergent section in which a flow circulating area of the mixing volume decreases in a direction extending from the first inlet to the first outlet (from right-left in Fig. 5; element 10 decreases the area) to a reduced flow circulating area in the convergent section (peak of 10; Fig. 5) at a central section defined by the peripheral wall (by 10) to form the reduced flow circulating area and with a greater flow area both upstream and downstream of the convergent section (see Fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the mixing chamber of Wainwright with the converging structure, as taught by Hellat, in order to increase mixing with decreased pressure drop, as taught by Hellat.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Devon Lane whose telephone number is (571)270-1858. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th, 9-4.
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/DEVON LANE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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