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 Objections
Claim 38 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 38, line 2, “of the electrical” should be changed to – of the inner or outer conductor of the electrical--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 24-38, 40-42 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van Swearingen (U. S. 2013/0038410) in view of CN 211670026.
Regarding claim 24, Van Swearingen, see figures 1-43, discloses an electrical interconnect for use at cryogenic temperatures, wherein the electrical interconnect comprises: an inner electrical conductor 5, an electrically insulating layer 30 that substantially surrounds the inner electrical conductor 5, an outer electrical conductor 25 substantially co-axial with the inner electrical conductor 5, and a heat transfer element 32, wherein the heat transfer element 32 comprises an electrically insulating material , wherein the heat transfer element 32 comprises a thermal conductivity which is larger than a thermal conductivity of the electrically insulating layer 30 , wherein the heat transfer element 32 is arranged in an opening in the insulating layer 30 and is configured for thermally connecting the inner electrical conductor 5 with the outer electrical conductor 25. Van Swearingen discloses the claimed invention except for the electrical interconnect further comprises a thermal interface material, wherein the thermal interface material is located between the heat transfer element and the inner electrical conductor. CN discloses the electrical interconnect further comprises a thermal interface material at 5. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Van Swearingen to provide such feature as taught by CN so as to provide for better heat transfer.
Regarding claim 25, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the claimed invention except for the heat transfer element has a cylindrical shape, preferably a circle-cylindrical shape. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Van Swearingen and CN to provide such features so as to provide for better heat transfer.
Regarding claim 26, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the claimed invention except for a center line of the cylindrically shaped heat transfer element is oriented substantially perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the inner electrical conductor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Van Swearingen and CN to provide such features so as to provide for better heat transfer.
Regarding claim 27, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the claimed invention except for the thermal interface material is also located between the heat transfer element and the outer electrical conductor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Van Swearingen and CN to provide such features so as to provide for better heat transfer.
Regarding claim 28, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the claimed invention except for the thermal interface material is a thermally conductive adhesive, or wherein the thermal interface material is a metal-filled epoxy, or wherein the thermal interface material is a silver-filled epoxy. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Van Swearingen and CN to provide such features so as to provide for better heat transfer.
Regarding claim 29, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the claimed invention except for the thermal interface material is a metal-filled epoxy, wherein the amount of metal/silver in said metal-filled epoxy is larger than 70%. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Van Swearingen and CN to provide such features so as to provide for better heat transfer.
Regarding claim 30, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the heat transfer element 32 extends a first distance along a perpendicular direction, wherein said perpendicular direction is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the inner electrical conductor 5, wherein the first distance is greater than or substantially equal to a thickness of the insulating layer 30.
Regarding claim 31, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the first distance is smaller than or substantially equal to a sum of the thickness of the insulating layer 30 and a thickness of the outer electrical conductor 25.
Regarding claim 32, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the claimed invention except for the heat transfer element is fabricated from an aluminum oxide-based material. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Van Swearingen and CN to provide such features so as to provide for better heat transfer.
Regarding claim 33, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the claimed invention except for the heat transfer element is fabricated from a single crystal sapphire material. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Van Swearingen and CN to provide such features so as to provide for better heat transfer.
Regarding claim 34, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the claimed invention except for the outer electrical conductor comprises CuNi or stainless steel, and/or wherein the inner electrical conductor comprises CuNi or silver plated CuNi, and/or wherein the isolating layer comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (PFTE). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Van Swearingen and CN to provide such features so as to provide for better heat transfer.
Regarding claim 35, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the electrical interconnect comprises a heat transfer surface 32, wherein said heat transfer surface 32 comprises a part of the outer electrical conductor 25, the heat transfer element 32 and/or the thermal interface material, wherein said heat transfer surface 32 is configured to be thermally connectable with a heatsink or a cooling medium.
Regarding claim 36, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the claimed invention except for the electrical interconnect is a coax cable, or a SMA, SMP, MCX or MMCX type connector. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Van Swearingen and CN to provide such features so as to provide for better heat transfer.
Regarding claim 37, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the electrical interconnect comprises two or more heat transfer elements at 32 see figure 41.
Regarding claim 38, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the two or more heat transfer elements 32, see figure 41 are arranged along a circumference of the electrical interconnect, and/or wherein the two or more heat transfer elements 32 are arranged spaced apart in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the electrical interconnect.
Regarding claim 40, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the method comprises the steps of: providing an electrical interconnect which comprises an inner electrical conductor 5, an electrically insulating layer 30 that substantially surrounds the inner electrical conductor 5, an outer electrical conductor 25 substantially co-axial with the inner electrical conductor 5, and an opening, wherein the opening extends through the insulating layer 30, and wherein the opening extends from the outer electrical conductor 25 to at least the inner electrical conductor 5, disposing a heat transfer element 32 in the opening and thermally connecting the heat transfer element 32 with the inner electrical conductor 5 and with the outer electrical conductor 25 in order to thermally bridge the outer electrical conductor 25 with the inner electrical conductor 5 of the electrical interconnect, wherein the heat transfer element 32 comprises an electrically insulating material, wherein the heat transfer element 32 comprises a thermal conductivity which is larger than a thermal conductivity of the electrically insulating layer 30.
Regarding claim 41, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the claimed invention except for the method further comprises the step of: applying a first thermal interface material between the inner electrical conductor and the heat transfer element, wherein the step of applying a first thermal interface material is performed before the step of disposing the heat transfer element within the opening, wherein the first thermal interface material is a thermally conductive adhesive, or wherein the first thermal interface material is a metal-filled epoxy, or wherein first thermal interface material is a silver-filled epoxy. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Van Swearingen and CN to provide such features so as to provide for better heat transfer.
Regarding claim 42, Van Swearingen and CN disclose the claimed invention except for the method further comprises the step of: applying a second thermal interface material between the heat transfer element and the outer electrical conductor, wherein the step of applying the second thermal interface material is performed after disposing the heat transfer element within the opening, wherein the first thermal interface material is a thermally conductive adhesive, or wherein the first thermal interface material is a metal-filled epoxy, or wherein first thermal interface material is a silver-filled epoxy. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Van Swearingen and CN to provide such features so as to provide for better heat transfer.
Claims 39 and 43 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.
None of the references discloses the cooling system comprises an electrical interconnect and a cryocooler, wherein the cryocooler comprises a heatsink, wherein the cryocooler is configured for actively cooling said heatsink, wherein the heatsink is configured to be placed in thermal contact with the outer electrical conductor of the electrical interconnect, via the outer electrical conductor and/or the heat transfer element, wherein the method comprises the step of providing a heatsink or a cooling medium in thermal contact with the outer electrical conductor and/or the heat transfer element.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONG K DINH whose telephone number is (571)272-2090. The examiner can normally be reached M-F from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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/PHUONG K DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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