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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I which includes claims 2-6, 11, 18, 20-22 and 26 (along with independent claims 1 and 19) in the reply filed on 7/01/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 7-1-, 12-17, 23-25 and 27-32 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/01/2026.
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) 1-5, 11, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2014/0321050 to Sato et al. in view of US 2009/0101308 to Hardesty and US 2018/0059744 to Brazel et al.
As to claim 1, Sato discloses a cooling system (fig. 2A/2B) for a multi-unit electronic apparatus stack (4) comprising a plurality of stacked electronic units (3), the cooling system comprising a plurality of unit cooling systems (fig. 3, 11) incorporated in each electronic unit, each unit cooling system comprising one or more fluid flow circuits (13/14) the circuit extending between a condenser end (15) and an evaporator end (12), the cooling system further comprising a stack cooling system (fig. 2A/2B, 5) comprising a principal condenser (6) and a fluid flow circuit (7/17) including a downcomer (17) and a riser (44) configured as a loop thermosyphon (LTS) cooling system, the riser comprising a riser pipe (7) extending vertically across a plurality of stacked electronic units (3), each of the unit cooling systems (11) comprising a thermal interface coupling (15) secured and thermally coupled to the riser pipe (7), the fluid flow circuits (13/14) of the unit cooling systems being independent from the fluid flow circuit of the stack cooling system. Sato is silent as to a pulsating heat pipe including a pipe having a plurality of channels therein arranged in a serpentine shape to form the pulsating heat pipe (PHP), the channels containing a coolant fluid. Hardesty teaches (fig. 6A-6C) a pulsating heat pipe including a pipe having a plurality of channels (244) therein arranged in a serpentine shape ([0047] l. 2) to form the pulsating heat pipe, the channels containing a coolant fluid (see Abstract l. 3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to substitute the fixed pipe system of Sato with the pulsating heat pipe of Hardesty to allow for more bends/turns, and the formation of more precise and mass production oriented fabrication process as taught by Hardesty ([0009]). Sato is also silent as to the thermal interface coupling (15) being clamped to the riser pipe (7). Brazel teaches (fig. 4) a pipe clamp (400), for securing a liquid cooling block (402), to a heat pipe (408). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify Sato with a pipe clamp as taught by Brazel to provide a removable coupling for the two heat transfer devices as taught by Brazel ([0024] l. 1).
As to claim 2, modified Sato discloses the cooling system according to the claim 1 wherein the riser pipe (7) comprises a rectangular cross-section (see e.g. fig. 7A/7B).
As to claim 3, modified Sato discloses the cooling system according to claim 2, wherein the riser pipe cross-section has length L to width W ratio L/W in a range of 30/1 to 3/1 (fig. 7B).
As to claim 4, modified Sato discloses the cooling system according to claim 2 wherein the riser pipe (7) has substantially flat opposed surfaces and the thermal interface coupling (15) comprises a flat surface for clamping against the flat surface of the riser pipe.
As to claim 5, modified Sato discloses the cooling system according to claim 1 wherein the riser pipe (7) comprises a plurality of channels (fig. 7B) in which the coolant fluid circulates.
As to claim 11, modified Sato discloses the cooling system according to claim 1 wherein the downcomer (17) of the stack cooling system comprises a single channel pipe ([0048] ll. 8, 17 is referred to as a “liquid pipe”).
As to claim 18, modified Sato disclose the cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the riser pipe (7) comprises a constant continuous geometry extending across the plurality of electronic units (fig. 2B) configured to allow the clamping of thermal interface couplings (15) of the unit cooling system (11) at any position along the riser pipe (7).
Claim(s) 19-22, and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2014/0321050 to Sato et al. in view of US 2018/0059744 to Brazel et al.
As to claim 19, Sato discloses a cooling system (fig. 2A/2B) for a multi-unit electronic apparatus stack (4) comprising a plurality of stacked electronic units (3), the cooling system comprising a plurality of unit cooling systems (fig. 3, 11) incorporated in each electronic unit, each unit cooling system (11) comprising one or more fluid flow circuits (13/14) configured as:- a thermosyphon (LTS) cooling system comprising pipes (13,14) extending between a condenser end (15) and an evaporator end (12); the cooling system further comprising a stack cooling system (fig. 2A/2B, 5) comprising a principal condenser (6) and a fluid flow circuit (7/17) including a downcomer (17) and a riser (44) configured as a loop thermosyphon (LTS) cooling system, the riser comprising a riser pipe (7) comprising a plurality of channels (fig. 7B), the riser pipe having a substantially constant outer profile extending vertically across a plurality of stacked electronic units (3), each of the unit cooling systems (11) comprising a thermal interface coupling (15), the fluid flow circuits (13/14) of the unit cooling systems being independent from the fluid flow circuit (7/17) of the stack cooling system (5). Sato fails to disclose the interface coupling configured to be releasably clamped and thermally coupled to the riser pipe (24). Brazel teaches (fig. 4) a pipe clamp 400, for securing a liquid cooling block 402, to a heat pipe 408. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify Sato with a pipe clamp as taught by Brazel to provide a removable coupling for the two heat transfer devices as taught by Brazel ([0024] l. 1).
As to claim 20, modified Sato discloses the cooling system according to the claim 19 wherein the riser pipe (7) comprises a rectangular cross-section (see e.g. fig. 7A/7B).
As to claim 21, modified Sato discloses the cooling system according to claim 20, wherein the riser pipe cross-section has length L to width W ratio L/W in a range of 30/1 to 3/1 (fig. 7B).
As to claim 22, modified Sato discloses the cooling system according to claim 20 wherein the riser pipe (7) has substantially flat opposed surfaces and the thermal interface coupling (15) comprises a flat surface for clamping against the flat surface of the riser pipe.
As to claim 26, modified Sato discloses the cooling system according to claim 19 wherein the downcomer (17) of the stack cooling system comprises a single channel pipe ([0048] ll. 8, 17 is referred to as a “liquid pipe”).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2014/0321050 to Sato et al. in view of US 2009/0101308 to Hardesty and US 2018/0059744 to Brazel et al. and further in view of US 2011/0198057 to Lange et al.
As to claim 6, modified Sato disclose all of the limitations of claim 5. Modified Sato fail to disclose wherein the riser pipe comprises a single outer wall and internal walls integrally formed with the outer wall separating adjacent channels of said plurality of channels. Parish teaches a heat transfer pipe (10) comprising a single outer wall (fig. 1A) and internal walls (100) integrally formed with the outer wall separating adjacent channels. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the flat heat pipe of Sato with walled channels as disclosed by Lange in order to increase the total surface area of the pipe, thus increasing heat exchange as is well known in the art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 7,012,807 to Chu et al., disclosing a flat pipe riser.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMIL ALEXANDER DECKER whose telephone number is (571)272-6578. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm Mon-Fri.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JAMIL ALEXANDER DECKER/
Examiner, Art Unit 2835
/Jayprakash N Gandhi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
Prosecution Insights