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 .
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) 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ipposhi (US PGPub No. 2011/0179806).
Regarding claim 1, Ipposhi discloses a temperature measuring device (Figs. 1A and 1B) comprising:
a heat pipe (5, Figs. 1A and 1B) including a container (the pipe body of the heat pipe 5) that contains a working fluid (a working fluid in the pipe, see paragraph 0037);
a temperature sensor (7) that detects a temperature of a heat pipe (the temperature sensor 7 detects a temperature of the heat pipe 5 at left end of a radiator plate 4); and
a wire connected to the temperature sensor (a wire connects the temperature sensor 7 and a control 51), wherein
the heat pipe (5) receives heat from heat sources (the heat pipe 5 receives heat from heating elements 1),
the temperature sensor is disposed at a measuring position (the location of the temperature sensor 7 shown in Figs. 1A and 1B) offset from each of the heat sources in both a thickness direction of the heat pipe (a vertical offset between the heating elements 1 and the temperature sensor 7 in Fig. 1B) and a longitudinal direction of the heat pipe (a horizontal offset between heating elements 1 and the temperature sensor 7 in Fig. 1B) and measures a temperature of the heat pipe at the measuring position (the temperature sensor 7 measures a temperature of the heat pipe 5 at the location).
Regarding claim 2, Ipposhi in claim 1 further discloses an interface spreader plate (heat receiving plate 2) disposed between the heat sources and the heat pipe (see Fig. 1B), wherein the heat pipe has a flat shape (the heat pipe 5 has at least a flat rectangular shape shown in Fig. 1B), and the interface spreader plate extends in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the heat pipe (the heat receiving plate 2 has a horizontal extension orthogonal to the thickness or vertical direction of the heat pipe 5 in Fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 4, Ipposhi in claim 1 further discloses a height adjustment layer disposed between the heat sources and the heat pipe (a planar area of a heat receiving plate 2 between the heating elements 1 and the heat pipe 5, Fig. 1B, where the height of the heating elements 1 is adjusted by a thickness of the planar area), wherein the heat pipe has a flat shape (the heat pipe 5 has at least a flat rectangular shape shown in Fig. 1B), and
the height adjustment layer has a plate shape extending in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the heat pipe (the planar area has a plate shape and extends over the surface of the heating elements 1 orthogonal to the vertical direction of Fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 6, Ipposhi in claim 1 further discloses wherein
the temperature sensor is disposed at a condensation-side end portion of the heat pipe in the longitudinal direction of the heat pipe (the temperature sensor 7 is disposed at a portion of the heat pipe 5 within a radiator plate 4 extending in horizontal extension of the heat pipe 5 in Figs. 1A or 1B), and
vapor of the working fluid condenses at the condensation-side end portion (vapor of the working fluid condenses at the portion having endothermic surfaces of Peltier devices 3 attached to the radiator plate 4, Fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 7, Ipposhi in claim 1 further discloses a heat sink (heat receiving plate 2) disposed at a heat-sink-side end portion of the heat pipe in the longitudinal direction of the heat pipe (heat receiving plate 2 is disposed at a terminal left end of the heat pipe 5. The plate 2 extends in horizontal extension of the heat pipe 5 in Figs. 1A or 1B).
Regarding claim 9, Ipposhi in claim 1 further discloses wherein the temperature sensor detects a temperature change in one or more of the heat sources (the temperature sensor 7 inherently detects temperature changes in the heating elements 1 since they are thermally connected by the heat pipe 5).
Regarding claim 10, Ipposhi in claim 7 further discloses wherein
the temperature sensor is disposed at a condensation-side end portion of the heat pipe in the longitudinal direction of the heat pipe (please see claim 6 above), and
the heat sources are disposed between the heat-sink-side end portion and the condensation-side end portion in the longitudinal direction of the heat pipe (the heating elements 1 are disposed between the terminal left end of the heat pipe 5 and the portion with the radiator plate 4 in the horizontal direction of the heat pipe 5 in Figs. 1A and 1B).
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) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ipposhi (US PGPub No. 2011/0179806) in view of Dede (US PGPub No. 2011/0168223).
Regarding claim 3, Ipposhi in claim 1 further discloses wherein the heat pipe has a flat shape (the heat pipe 5 has at least a flat rectangular shape shown in Fig. 1B).
Ipposhi fails to disclose an insulating layer disposed between the heat sources and the heat pipe, and the insulating layer has a plate shape extending in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the heat pipe.
Dede discloses an insulating layer (insulation layer 13, Fig. 2) disposed between the heat source (top portion of a thermoelectric device 10 that receives heat from a power device 20, paragraph 0047) and the heat pipe (60), and the insulating layer has a plate shape extending in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the heat pipe (the insulation layer 13 is planar and extends over a surface orthogonal to a thickness of the heat pipe 60).
Therefore, the insulation layer 13 as taught by Dede may be placed between the heat pipe 5 and the heating elements 1 in Ipposhi.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided an insulating layer disposed between the heat sources and the heat pipe, and the insulating layer has a plate shape extending in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the heat pipe in Ipposhi as taught by Dede in order to prevent an electric current from flowing in an unintended electrical path (paragraph 0039 of Dede).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ipposhi (US PGPub No. 2011/0179806) in view of Ya’ary et al. (US PGPub No. 2021/0243904).
Regarding claim 5, Ipposhi in claim 1 fails to disclose wherein the wire is a flexible printed circuit (FPC).
Ya’ary teaches wherein circuit boards may be flexible printed circuits (paragraphs 0011 and 0032).
Therefore, the wire leading to the control circuit 51 may be a flexible printed circuit.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein the wire is a flexible printed circuit (FPC) in Ipposhi as taught by Ya’ary in order to achieve higher component density, as well as increase flexibility in design (paragraph 0018 of Ya’ary).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ipposhi (US PGPub No. 2011/0179806) in view of Hsieh (US PGPub No. 2014/0015106).
Regarding claim 8, Ipposhi in claim 1 fails to disclose a cold plate including an inlet for a coolant and an outlet for the coolant, wherein
the heat sources are disposed between the cold plate and the heat pipe.
Hsieh (Fig. 1A) discloses a cold plate (heat sink 126) including an inlet for a coolant and an outlet for the coolant (The heat transfer mechanisms occur through the convection of the surrounding air, paragraph 0024. Therefore, the convection of air in the heat sink 126 inherently has an inlet for the air drawn into the heat sink 126 and an outlet for the air to convect out of the fins of the heat sink 126), wherein
the heat sources (dies 118) are disposed between the cold plate and the heat pipe (the dies 118 are vertically disposed between the heat sink 126 and heat pipe 128).
Therefore, a heat sink 126 as taught by Hsieh may be added to top side of the heating elements 1 in Ipposhi to increase heat dissipation area in addition to the heat pipes 5.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided a cold plate including an inlet for a coolant and an outlet for the coolant, wherein the heat sources are disposed between the cold plate and the heat pipe in Ipposhi as taught by Hsieh in order to increase heat dissipation capacity by increasing the heat dissipation area.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/F.K.L/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/JOEL M ATTEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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