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
Newly submitted claims 1-2, 5-11, and 24-25 are directed to an invention that is independent or distinct from the invention originally claimed for the following reasons:
Restriction is required under 35 U.S.C. 121 and 372.
This application contains the following inventions or groups of inventions which are not so linked as to form a single general inventive concept under PCT Rule 13.1.
Group 1, claim(s) 12 and 14-23 (and all previous claims), drawn to a product/method detecting a color change of a pH indicator that changes color when the pH reaches an undesirable level.
Group 2, new claim(s) 1-2, 5-11, and 24-25, drawn to a method of detecting a characteristic of the dielectric fluid or of performance of the computer component.
The groups of inventions listed above do not relate to a single general inventive concept under PCT Rule 13.1 because, under PCT Rule 13.2, they lack the same or corresponding special technical features for the following reasons:
The new claims 1-2, 5-11, and 24-25 no longer require the special technical feature of detecting a color change of a pH indicator that changes color when the pH reaches an undesirable level.
Since applicant has received an action on the merits for the originally presented invention, this invention has been constructively elected by original presentation for prosecution on the merits. Accordingly, claims 1-2, 5-11, and 24-25 are withdrawn from consideration as being directed to a non-elected invention. See 37 CFR 1.142(b) and MPEP § 821.03.
To preserve a right to petition, the reply to this action must distinctly and specifically point out supposed errors in the restriction requirement. Otherwise, the election shall be treated as a final election without traverse. Traversal must be timely. Failure to timely traverse the requirement will result in the loss of right to petition under 37 CFR 1.144. If claims are subsequently added, applicant must indicate which of the subsequently added claims are readable upon the elected invention.
Should applicant traverse on the ground that the inventions are not patentably distinct, applicant should submit evidence or identify such evidence now of record showing the inventions to be obvious variants or clearly admit on the record that this is the case. In either instance, if the examiner finds one of the inventions unpatentable over the prior art, the evidence or admission may be used in a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) of the other invention.
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) 12 and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Enright (WO 2020102090 A1) alone.
As to claim 12, Enright discloses:
A system comprising:
a tank (similarly as 110, 142; Fig. 1; see par. 0304) configured to hold a thermally conductive dielectric fluid 140 (par. 0028-0033);
a rack 1160 (Fig. 21A-21B) with a rack mating element 1161 for connection with a chassis mating element 1151 of at least one of a plurality of chassis 1150;
a computer component (blade server within chassis; see par. 0124, 0197, 0201) coupled to at least one of the plurality of chassis1150 (see par. 0124, 0197, 0201), the computer component at least partially submerged within the dielectric fluid (as in Fig. 1);
a condenser 130 (Fig. 1) for condensing a gas phase of the dielectric fluid;
a robotic system 1100 (see par. 0057, 0304-0310; Fig. 20A-20B) configured to pick up the computer component by engaging the chassis, the robotic system comprising a plate 1110, a guide pin 1112 engageable with the chassis mating element 1151, and an activatable finger 1113 configured to interconnect the robotic system to the chassis (par. 0304);
In the current embodiment, Enright does not explicitly disclose:
a pH indicator that changes color when the pH reaches an undesirable level; and
a color detection sensor or a camera to detect a color change of the pH indicator.
However, Enright further discloses:
a pH indicator (par. 0283) that changes color when the pH reaches an undesirable level; and
a color detection sensor or a camera (par. 0283-0284) to detect a color change of the pH indicator;
in order to detect acidity changes after interaction with components of the tank, and trigger remedial action such as notifying a maintenance system or shutting down the system (par. 0283).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the related art(s) before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Enright as further suggested by Enright, e.g., providing:
a pH indicator that changes color when the pH reaches an undesirable level; and
a color detection sensor or a camera to detect a color change of the pH indicator;
in order to detect acidity changes after interaction with components of the tank, and trigger remedial action such as notifying a maintenance system or shutting down the system.
Additionally, all claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined/modified the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination/modification would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S.___, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
As to claim 14, Enright discloses:
wherein the system comprises a camera to detect a color change of the pH indicator (par. 0283-0284).
As to claim 15, Enright discloses:
wherein the camera is a pan-tilt-zoom camera (par. 0284).
As to claim 16, Enright does not explicitly disclose (in the current embodiment):
further comprising a filter.
However, Enright further discloses:
further comprising a filter (par. 0281-0288);
in order to remove contaminants, particles, substances, diluents or solutes from the dielectric fluid and maintain efficiency of heat transfer from the components to the fluid (par. 0281).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the related art(s) before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Enright as further suggested by Enright, e.g., providing:
further comprising a filter;
in order to remove contaminants, particles, substances, diluents or solutes from the dielectric fluid and maintain efficiency of heat transfer from the components to the fluid.
As to claim 17, Enright discloses:
wherein the filter comprises activated carbon (par. 0282).
As to claim 18, Enright discloses:
wherein the filter comprises activated aluminum (par. 0282).
As to claim 19, Enright discloses:
wherein the filter includes the pH indicator (par. 0283).
As to claim 20, Enright does not explicitly disclose (in the current embodiment):
further comprising a filter that includes the pH indicator and wherein the camera to detect the color change of the pH indicator is configured to view the filter.
However, Enright further discloses:
further comprising a filter (par. 0281-0288) that includes the pH indicator and wherein the camera to detect the color change of the pH indicator is configured to view the filter (par. 0283;
in order to remove contaminants, particles, substances, diluents or solutes from the dielectric fluid and maintain efficiency of heat transfer from the components to the fluid (par. 0281) and in order to detect acidity changes after interaction with components of the tank, and trigger remedial action such as notifying a maintenance system or shutting down the system (par. 0283).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the related art(s) before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Enright as further suggested by Enright, e.g., providing:
further comprising a filter that includes the pH indicator and wherein the camera to detect the color change of the pH indicator is configured to view the filter;
in order to remove contaminants, particles, substances, diluents or solutes from the dielectric fluid and maintain efficiency of heat transfer from the components to the fluid and in order to detect acidity changes after interaction with components of the tank, and trigger remedial action such as notifying a maintenance system or shutting down the system.
As to claim 21, Enright discloses:
further comprising a container comprising a glass shield wherein the container includes the pH indicator visible through the glass shield and wherein the camera to detect the color change of the pH indicator is configured to take a photo of the pH indicator (par. 0283).
As to claim 22, Enright discloses:
wherein the chassis comprises a backplane (see par. 0221, 0320, 0151, 0191) for receiving power from a rack, and the robot is configured to facilitate desired connection or disconnection between the backplane from the rack (see par. 0320, 0305);
As to claim 23, Enright discloses:
wherein the rack mating element includes a guide pin 1161 (Fig. 21A-21B) and the chassis mating element includes a mating hole 1151 engageable with the guide pin.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/18/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Enright Not Prior Art under 102(a)(2)
Applicant has suggested that Enright is not Prior Art under 102(a)(2), because of exception 102(b)(2)(C) (Remarks, p. 6-7).
In response, Examiner notes that Enright is prior art under 102(a)(1). The publication date is 5/22/2020 which is over a year before the earliest filing date 8/11/2021 of the present application.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACOB R CRUM whose telephone number is (571)270-7665. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached at (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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/JACOB R CRUM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835