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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: COOLER FOR POWER ELECTRONICS WITH A LAMINATED STRUCTURE COMPRISING A STACK OF PLANAR MEMBERS.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-15 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites “wherein a first outermost member at an end of the stack forms a first heat exchange surface for mounting a first power electronics baseplate, wherein a second outermost member is positioned at an opposite end of the stack, wherein a first plurality of the planar members adjacent the first outermost member have openings that form a first heat exchange space within the stack,…”, to avoid possible antecedent issue and for clarity and consistency, the limitations should be changed to read “wherein a first outermost member at an end of the stack of planar members forms a first heat exchange surface for mounting a first power electronics baseplate, wherein a second outermost member is positioned at an opposite end of the stack of planar members, wherein a first plurality of the stack of planar members adjacent the first outermost member have openings that form a first heat exchange space within the stack of planar members,…”.
Claim 2 recites “wherein a second plurality of the planar members adjacent the first plurality of the planar members have openings”, to avoid possible antecedent issue and for clarity and consistency, the limitations should be changed to read “wherein a second plurality of the stack of planar members adjacent the first plurality of the stack of planar members have openings”.
Claim 3 recites “along a flow direction in the heat exchange space,…”, to avoid possible antecedent issue and for clarity and consistency, the limitations should be changed to read “along a flow direction in the first heat exchange space,…”.
Claim 10 recites “further comprising structure inside the first heat exchange space, the structure separate from the planar members and including holes”, to avoid possible antecedent issue and for clarity and consistency, the limitations should be changed to read “further comprising a structure inside the first heat exchange space, the structure separate from the stack of planar members and including holes”.
Claim 14 recites “wherein at least some of the planar members have different thicknesses from each other”, to avoid possible antecedent issue and for clarity and consistency, the limitations should be changed to read “wherein at least some of the planar members of the stack of planar members have different thicknesses from each other”.
Claim 15 recites “the second outermost member have openings that form a second heat exchange space within the stack,…”, to avoid possible antecedent issue and for clarity and consistency, the limitations should be changed to read “the second outermost member have openings that form a second heat exchange space within the stack of planar members,…”.
Claims 2-15 are also objected to since they depend on Claim 1 and inherit the deficiency therein.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-10, 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Valenzuela (US 8,474,516 - hereinafter, "Valenzuela").
With respect to Claim 1, Valenzuela teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a below)
A cooler (10) for power electronics (electronic devices, in column 1, lines 21-22, “The use of heat exchangers for cooling a range of electronic devices is known in the art”), the cooler (10) comprising:
a laminated structure (12+14+15) having an inlet (18) and an outlet (16), the laminated structure (12+14+15) comprising a stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15, Cambridge Dictionary defines several definitions for “planar” and “member”, Cambridge Dictionary provides one of the several definitions of “planar” as “having a flat or level surface that continues in all directions” and “member” as “a part or organ of a body”, the bottom cover of (12) is a part of the body of (12) that has a flat surface that continues in all direction, thus the bottom cover of (12) can be considered a “planar member”),
wherein a first outermost member (15, see Figure 3a) at an end of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15) forms a first heat exchange surface (17) for mounting a first power electronics baseplate (electronic devices),
wherein a second outermost member (bottom cover of 12) is positioned at an opposite end of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15),
wherein a first plurality (plurality of the (28) that is adjacent to the first outermost member (15), see annotated Figure 3a below) of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15) adjacent the first outermost member (15) have openings (32+34) that form a first heat exchange space (30) within the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15), and
wherein the inlet (16) and the outlet (18) are coupled to the first heat exchange space (30).
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With respect to Claim 2, Valenzuela further teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a above)
wherein a second plurality (an other plurality of the (28) that is adjacent to the first plurality (plurality of the (28) that is adjacent to the first outermost member (15)) of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15)) of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15) adjacent the first plurality (plurality of the (28) that is adjacent to the first outermost member (15)) of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15) have openings (32+34) that form an inlet manifold (20+22) coupled to the inlet (16) and to the first heat exchange space (30), wherein a first aperture (32) is positioned between the inlet manifold (20+22) and the first heat exchange space (30).
With respect to Claim 3, Valenzuela further teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a above)
wherein the inlet manifold (20+22) has a first width (width of the inlet manifold (20)) along a flow direction (see Figure 4a) in the first heat exchange space (30), and wherein the first aperture (32) has a second width (width of the first aperture (32), see Figure 4a) smaller than the first width (width of the inlet manifold (20)).
With respect to Claim 4, Valenzuela further teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a above)
wherein the first aperture (32, see Figure 4a) is centered with regard to the inlet manifold (20+22).
With respect to Claim 5, Valenzuela further teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a above)
wherein the second plurality (an other plurality of the (28) that is adjacent to the first plurality of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15)) of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15) further form an outlet manifold (26) coupled to the outlet (18) and to the first heat exchange space (30), wherein the outlet manifold (26) is parallel (outlet manifold is parallel to an inlet manifold (20)) to the inlet manifold (20+22), wherein a second aperture (34) is positioned between the outlet manifold (26) and the first heat exchange space (30).
With respect to Claim 6, Valenzuela further teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a above)
wherein the second aperture (34) is not centered (34 are centered along the outlet arms, not centered to the outlet manifold (26)) with regard to the outlet manifold (26), and wherein the second aperture (34) is positioned away (spaced away from the inlet manifold (20) along the outlet arms) from the inlet manifold (20+22) with regard to the outlet manifold (26).
With respect to Claim 7, Valenzuela further teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a above)
wherein the outlet manifold (26) has a first width (width of the outlet manifold (26)) along a flow direction (see Figure 4a) in the first heat exchange space (30), and wherein the second aperture (34) has a second width (width of the first aperture (34), see Figure 4a) smaller than the first width (width of the outlet manifold (26)).
With respect to Claim 8, Valenzuela further teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a above)
wherein the inlet manifold (20+22) comprises a single inlet manifold arm (22).
With respect to Claim 9, Valenzuela further teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a above)
wherein the outlet manifold (26) comprises respective outlet manifold arms (24) on opposite sides (see annotated Figure 3a above) of the single inlet manifold arm (22).
With respect to Claim 10, Valenzuela further teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a above)
further comprising a structure (channel of (30)) inside the first heat exchange space (30), the structure (channel of (30)) separate from the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15) and including holes (32+34).
With respect to Claim 14, Valenzuela further teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a above)
wherein at least some of the planar members (12) of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15) have different thicknesses from each other.
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.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Valenzuela in view of CAMPBELL et al. (US 2016/0143189 – hereinafter, “Campbell”).
With respect to Claim 11, Valenzuela teaches the limitations of Claim 10 as per above, and Valenzuela further teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a above)
wherein the holes (32+34) are periodically spaced in the structure (see Figure 3a).
Valenzuela fails to specifically teach or suggest wherein each of the holes is aligned with a corresponding pin.
Campbell, however, teaches (in Figure 4D) wherein each of the holes (441+442) is aligned with a corresponding pin (423).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time before effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Campbell with Valenzuela, such that each of the holes is aligned with a corresponding pin as taught by Campbell since doing so would facilitate transfer of heat from one or more Valenzuela’s power electronic being cooled. (in paragraph [0011])
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Valenzuela in view of MacNEILL (US 2,686,154 – hereinafter, “MacNeill”).
With respect to Claim 12, Valenzuela teaches the limitations of Claim 1 as per above, but Valenzuela fails to specifically teach or suggest the limitations of Claim 12.
MacNeill, however, teaches (in Figure 3) a first opening (see Figure 3) in a first outermost member (39); and a first slot (see Figure 3, recess) at an edge (see Figure 3) of a planar member (31), the first slot (see Figure 3, recess) aligned with the first opening (see Figure 3), the first slot (see Figure 3, recess) configured for receiving a nut (68).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time before effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of MacNeill with Valenzuela, such that a first opening in a first outermost member; and a first slot at an edge of a planar member, the first slot aligned with the first opening, the first slot configured for receiving a nut as taught by MacNeill since doing so would allow Valenzuela’s planar members are pressed together and for tightened to provide a satisfactory end seal. (in column 6, lines 19-34)
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Valenzuela in view of Zhou et al. (US 9,980,415 – hereinafter, “Zhou”).
With respect to Claim 15, Valenzuela teaches the limitations of Claim 1 as per above, and Valenzuela further teaches (in Figure 3a, 4a and 8 and as shown in annotated Figure 3a above)
wherein a second plurality (an other plurality of the (28) that is adjacent to the first plurality of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15)) of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15) adjacent the second outermost member (bottom of ) have openings that form a second heat exchange space ((30) of the second heat exchange space within the second plurality of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15)) within the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15), and wherein the inlet (16) and the outlet (18) are also coupled to the second heat exchange space ((30) of the second heat exchange space within the second plurality of the stack of planar members (bottom cover of 12+14+15)).
Valenzuela fails to specifically teach or suggest wherein the cooler is a double cooler for the first power electronics baseplate and a second power electronics baseplate, wherein the second outermost member forms a second heat exchange surface for mounting the second power electronics baseplate.
Zhou, however, teaches (in Figure 2A) a cooler (101) is a double cooler (see Figure 2A) for a first power electronics baseplate (baseplate of (190A,190C,190E)) and a second power electronics baseplate (baseplate of (190B,190D,190F)), wherein an outermost member (170B,170D,170F) forms a heat exchange surface (surface of 170 where baseplates of (190) mounts) for mounting the second power electronics baseplate (baseplate of (190B,190D,190F)).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time before effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Zhou with Valenzuela, such that a cooler is a double cooler for a first power electronics baseplate and a second power electronics baseplate, wherein an outermost member forms a heat exchange surface for mounting the second power electronics baseplate as taught by Zhou since doing so would allow Valenzuela’s cooler to be configurable to provide targeted cooling to various arrangements of heat generating devices. (in column 4, line 42 to column 5, line 3)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 13 is 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.
With respect to Claim 13, the allowability resides in the overall structure of the device as recited in dependent Claim 13 and at least in part because Claim 13 recites
“wherein the first planar member abuts the first outermost member, the cooler further comprising: a second opening in the first outermost member; and a second slot at an edge of a second planar member that abuts the first planar member and is positioned opposite from the first outermost member, the second slot aligned with the second opening”.
The aforementioned limitations in combination with all remaining limitations of Claim 13 are believed to render said Claim 13 and all claims dependent therefrom patentable over the art of record.
While Valenzuela teaches many of the limitations of Claim 13 as the above rejection of Claim 12, neither Valenzuela nor Campbell nor MacNeill nor Zhou nor any other art of record – either alone or in combination – teach or suggest the above-mentioned limitations of Claim 13.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2018/0098459 to Chainer et al., which teaches a cold plate device, comprises a first stackable layer and a second stackable layer. The first stackable layer comprises a first channel formed within the first stackable layer. The first channel comprises a first channel width and the first channel receives a coolant fluid via an inlet port of the apparatus. The second stackable layer comprises a second channel that provides a path for the coolant fluid to flow between the first channel and an outlet port of the apparatus. A width of the second channel increases along a flow direction of the coolant fluid that flows between the inlet port and the outlet port.
US 9,878,893 to Chen, which teaches a heat-exchanger has a first/second guiding-channel, a first inlet/outlet communicated with two ends of the first guiding-channel, and a second inlet/outlet communicated with two ends of the second guiding-channel. The water flows into the heat-exchanger through the first inlet, and flows out of the heat-exchanger through the first outlet. Two ends of the heater are communicated with the first outlet and the second inlet, and the water flowed out of the first outlet is heated by the heater.
US 2006/0034052 to Chang et al., which teaches an electronic assembly with an integrated cooling system for dissipating heat. The electronic assembly comprises a base; and at least one electrical component attached to the base. The base defines an integrated cooling system having a fluid channel spanning within the base and at least one heat exchanger in heat communication with the fluid channel.
US 5,903,583 to Ullman et al., which teaches a cooling element is produced as a multilayer material or substrate made of several stacked layers joined by their flat sides. These layers consist partially of a metal and partially of an insulating material and/or of a material with a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than metal. At least some of the layers form a cooling plane. At least one cooling channel through which a cooling medium flows is formed in the plane of at least one layer of said cooling plane by at least one recess formed in said layer.
US 5,392,849 to Matsunaga et al., which teaches a layer-built heat exchanger has channels formed by dividers in a first-side plate and a second-side plate. A seal plate is interposed between the first- and second-side plates. The first-side plate and second-side plate are positioned relative to each other such that dividers of the second-side plate are in line with channels of the first-side plate, and dividers of the first-side plate are in line with the channels of the second-side plate, thus preventing deformation of the seal plate due to a high differential pressure between the coolants flowing through the channels of the first- and second-side plates.
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/S.N./Examiner , Art Unit 2841
/Jayprakash N Gandhi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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