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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 7-8, 10-12 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Montes Monteserin (US 11856727 B2).
As to Claim 1, Montes Monteserin discloses:
An immersion-type liquid-cooling device (cooling system 1, see Figs. 1-15) comprising:
a cooling tank (cooling bath tank 3) adapted to accommodate a main cooling liquid in a sealed manner so as to immerse, in the main cooling liquid, an electronic device (computing devices 6) to be cooled (col. 8, Lines 1-3 “The embodiments of the cooling system 1 described below include a cooling unit 5 and a computing device 6 arranged inside a cooling bath tank 3”; Lines 28-31 “the lid 2 is arranged to protect the computing devices 6, the cooling unit 5 and the cooling fluid from damage and hazards outside the cooling system 1”);
a main heat dissipation apparatus (cooling unit 5) attached to the cooling tank 3 (see col. 8, Lines 1-3, cooling unit 5 in tank 3) and comprising an inner cavity (compartments within casing 7) enclosed by a housing (casing 7) and a main circulating component (pumps 11) and a heat exchanger (heat exchanger 24) accommodated in the inner cavity (pumps 11 and 24 disposed within compartments of 5), wherein the inner cavity is in communication with the cooling tank 3 in a sealed manner (col. 12, Lines 7-13 “The cooling fluid then flows out of the second sub-compartment 7a2 through two drain valves 33 arranged in the lower portion of the casing 7 towards the distribution volume 17. The cooling fluid then enters the region of the first sub-tank 3a through outlets 18 to cool the computing device 6 arranged in this region”), and the main circulating component 11 is adapted to circulate the main cooling liquid between the cooling tank 3 and an exterior of the heat exchanger 24 (col. 11-12, Lines 65-67 and 1-3 “the cooling fluid is aspirated by a fluid pump 11 and pumped into the heat exchanger 24. Once inside the heat exchanger 24, the cooling fluid flows through a first circuit to be cooled by a refrigerant fluid flowing through a second circuit of the heat exchanger 24”); and
a cold source interface (duct 25) coupled to the main heat dissipation apparatus 5 and configured to allow an auxiliary cooling liquid to circulate between an external cold source and an interior of the heat exchanger 24 such that the auxiliary cooling liquid exchanges heat with the main cooling liquid at the heat exchanger 24 (col. 10, Lines 3-12 “The second compartment 7b of the casing 7 extends outside said casing 7 of the cooling unit 5 via a duct 25 positioned above one of the cooling-fluid inlets 19 of the first sub-compartment 7a1. This duct 25 contains a first pipe 26 that can for example be connected to a refrigerant fluid installation to convey said refrigerant fluid to the second circuit of the heat exchanger 24…this duct contains a second pipe 27 coming from the heat exchanger 24 to convey the refrigerant fluid to, for example, a refrigerant fluid installation to be cooled again (see FIG. 6)”);
wherein the main heat dissipation apparatus 5 further comprises a liquid occupied block (region including deflector 31; wherein deflector 31 is of a block shape and the cooling fluid occupies its surfaces within region 7a2) arranged in the inner cavity (deflector 31 arranged in region 7a2, col. 10, Lines 58-61 “the second sub-compartment 7a2 of the first compartment 7a has a deflector 31 to guide the cooling fluid to the portions of the fluid pump 11 inserted in the second sub-compartment 7a2”).
As to Claim 2, Montes Monteserin discloses:
wherein the main heat dissipation apparatus 5 is detachably attached to the cooling tank 3 (col. 11, Lines 1-4 “These drain valves 33 are used to drain the cooling fluid from the inside of the casing 7 of the cooling unit 5 when said unit is removed from the first sub-tank 3a”).
As to Claim 3, Montes Monteserin discloses:
further comprising:
a holder (outer frame of tank 3) adapted to carry the cooling tank 3 and the main heat dissipation apparatus 5.
As to Claim 7, Montes Monteserin discloses:
further comprising:
a plurality of inlet 19 and outlet 33 through holes arranged between the cooling tank 3 and the inner cavity of the main heat dissipation apparatus 5 for circulating the main cooling liquid between the cooling tank 3 and the exterior of the heat exchanger 24 (col. 9, Lines 44-46 “This cooling unit 5 has inlets 19 arranged in the upper portion of the casing 7 to enable the cooling fluid to enter said casing 7”; col. 10, Lines 65-67 “The casing 7 includes two drain valves 33 in the lower portion thereof that are in fluid communication with the distribution volume 17 when the cooling unit 5 is immersed in the cooling bath tank 3”).
As to Claim 8, Montes Monteserin discloses:
wherein the cooling tank 3 is set with a plurality of standards (3 has size based on size of 5 and 6), and cooling tanks 3 with the plurality of standards differ in depth and/or in size in the extension direction (capable of having different depth and/or size in extension direction), and
the holder (outer frame of tank 3) adapted to accommodate a cooling tank 3 with at least one of the plurality of standards (outer frame of tank 3 is adapted to the size of tank 3).
As to Claim 10, Montes Monteserin discloses:
wherein the main heat dissipation apparatus 5 is set with a plurality of standards (5 cools cooling fluid), and main heat dissipation apparatuses 5 with the plurality of standards have different circulating heat dissipation capacities (capable of having different standards), and
the holder (outer frame of tank 3) is adapted to accommodate the main heat dissipation apparatus 5 with at least one of the plurality of standards (outer frame of tank 3 houses unit 5).
As to Claim 11, Montes Monteserin discloses:
further comprising a lid (lid 2) coupled to the cooling tank 3 to seal a top opening of the cooling tank 3 (col. 8, Lines 22-31 “The lid 2 is articulated on one of the external longitudinal walls of the cooling bath tank 3 to enable the user to use two handles 4 arranged on the perimeter of the lid 2 to rotate the lid 2 to access the inside of the cooling bath tank 3. Furthermore, the lid 2 has a lock 10 to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the inside of the tank 3. Furthermore, the lid 2 is arranged to protect the computing devices 6, the cooling unit 5 and the cooling fluid from damage and hazards outside the cooling system 1”).
As to Claim 12, Montes Monteserin discloses:
wherein the lid 2 is coupled to the cooling tank 3 by a hinge in a rotatable manner (col. 8, Lines 22-31 “The lid 2 is articulated on one of the external longitudinal walls of the cooling bath tank 3 to enable the user to use two handles 4 arranged on the perimeter of the lid 2 to rotate the lid 2 to access the inside of the cooling bath tank 3. Furthermore, the lid 2 has a lock 10 to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the inside of the tank 3. Furthermore, the lid 2 is arranged to protect the computing devices 6, the cooling unit 5 and the cooling fluid from damage and hazards outside the cooling system 1”).
As to Claim 15, Montes Monteserin discloses:
wherein the cold source interface 25 is at least partially arranged on the housing 7 (25 is connected to casing 7).
As to Claim 16, Montes Monteserin discloses:
An immersion-type liquid-cooling system (cooling system 1, see Figs. 1-15) comprising:
at least one immersion-type liquid-cooling device (device within system 1) comprising:
a cooling tank (cooling bath tank 3) adapted to accommodate a main cooling liquid in a sealed manner so as to immerse, in the main cooling liquid, an electronic device (computing devices 6) to be cooled (col. 8, Lines 1-3 “The embodiments of the cooling system 1 described below include a cooling unit 5 and a computing device 6 arranged inside a cooling bath tank 3”; Lines 28-31 “the lid 2 is arranged to protect the computing devices 6, the cooling unit 5 and the cooling fluid from damage and hazards outside the cooling system 1”);
a main heat dissipation apparatus (cooling unit 5) attached to the cooling tank 3 (see col. 8, Lines 1-3, cooling unit 5 in tank 3) and comprising an inner cavity (compartments within casing 7) enclosed by a housing (casing 7) and a main circulating component (pumps 11) and a heat exchanger (heat exchanger 24) accommodated in the inner cavity (pumps 11 and 24 disposed within compartments of 5), wherein the inner cavity is in communication with the cooling tank 3 in a sealed manner (col. 12, Lines 7-13 “The cooling fluid then flows out of the second sub-compartment 7a2 through two drain valves 33 arranged in the lower portion of the casing 7 towards the distribution volume 17. The cooling fluid then enters the region of the first sub-tank 3a through outlets 18 to cool the computing device 6 arranged in this region”), and the main circulating component 11 is adapted to circulate the main cooling liquid between the cooling tank 3and an exterior of the heat exchanger 24 (col. 11-12, Lines 65-67 and 1-3 “the cooling fluid is aspirated by a fluid pump 11 and pumped into the heat exchanger 24. Once inside the heat exchanger 24, the cooling fluid flows through a first circuit to be cooled by a refrigerant fluid flowing through a second circuit of the heat exchanger 24”); and
a cold source interface (duct 25) coupled to the main heat dissipation apparatus 5 and configured to allow an auxiliary cooling liquid to circulate between an external cold source and an interior of the heat exchanger 24 such that the auxiliary cooling liquid exchanges heat with the main cooling liquid at the heat exchanger (col. 10, Lines 3-12 “The second compartment 7b of the casing 7 extends outside said casing 7 of the cooling unit 5 via a duct 25 positioned above one of the cooling-fluid inlets 19 of the first sub-compartment 7a1. This duct 25 contains a first pipe 26 that can for example be connected to a refrigerant fluid installation to convey said refrigerant fluid to the second circuit of the heat exchanger 24…this duct contains a second pipe 27 coming from the heat exchanger 24 to convey the refrigerant fluid to, for example, a refrigerant fluid installation to be cooled again (see FIG. 6)”); and
an auxiliary cooling apparatus (refrigerant fluid installation) coupled to the cold source interface 25 of the at least one immersion-type liquid-cooling device and adapted to circulate the auxiliary cooling liquid between the external cold source and the interior of the heat exchanger 24 (col. 10, Lines 6-12 “This duct 25 contains a first pipe 26 that can for example be connected to a refrigerant fluid installation to convey said refrigerant fluid to the second circuit of the heat exchanger 24. Furthermore, this duct contains a second pipe 27 coming from the heat exchanger 24 to convey the refrigerant fluid to, for example, a refrigerant fluid installation to be cooled again (see FIG. 6)”);
wherein the main heat dissipation apparatus 5 further comprises a liquid occupied block (region including deflector 31; wherein deflector 31 is of a block shape and the cooling fluid occupies its surfaces within region 7a2) arranged in the inner cavity (deflector 31 arranged in region 7a2, col. 10, Lines 58-61 “the second sub-compartment 7a2 of the first compartment 7a has a deflector 31 to guide the cooling fluid to the portions of the fluid pump 11 inserted in the second sub-compartment 7a2”).
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.
Claims 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Montes Monteserin (US 11856727 B2) alone.
As to Claim 4, Montes Monteserin discloses:
wherein the one or more electronic devices 6 are arranged in the cooling tank 3 along an extension direction (direction in which devices 6 are arranged, see Fig. 2).
Montes Monteserin does not explicitly disclose:
a size of the immersion-type liquid-cooling device in the extension direction is not greater than 1.5 times a size of a height of the immersion-type liquid-cooling device.
However, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to provide a size of the immersion-type liquid-cooling device in the extension direction is not greater than 1.5 times a size of a height of the immersion-type liquid-cooling device, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
As to Claim 5, the obvious modification of Montes Monteserin in view of Montes Monteserin discloses:
wherein the size of the immersion-type liquid-cooling device 1 in the extension direction is less than the size of the height of the immersion-type liquid-cooling device 1 (see change in size case law in rejection of claim 4 above).
As to Claim 6, the obvious modification of Montes Monteserin in view of Montes Monteserin discloses:
wherein the size of the immersion-type liquid-cooling device 1 in the extension direction is less than a size of one half of the height of the immersion-type liquid-cooling device 1 (see change in size case law in rejection of claim 4 above).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Montes Monteserin (US 11856727 B2) as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Enright (US 20200093037 A1).
As to Claim 9, Montes Monteserin does not disclose:
further comprising a lifting bracket coupled to the holder and adapted to support at least one of the cooling tank and the main heat dissipation apparatus.
However, Enright discloses:
further comprising a lifting bracket (210, Fig. 4) coupled to the holder (structure of vessel 110; 110 within 210) and adapted to support at least one of the cooling tank and the main heat dissipation apparatus (110 corresponds to tank 3 of Montes Monteserin, wherein tank 3 holds cooling unit 5; Par. 0081 “The super structure 210 is typically fabricated from metal components and may be skid mounted or configured to be handled with a forklift, hoist, or crane”);
in order to facilitate the shipping or transportation of the structure (Par. 0081).
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 Montes Monteserin as further suggested by Enright e.g., providing:
further comprising a lifting bracket coupled to the holder and adapted to support at least one of the cooling tank and the main heat dissipation apparatus;
in order to facilitate the shipping or transportation of the structure.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Montes Monteserin (US 11856727 B2) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Gao (US 20230089909 A1).
As to Claim 14, Montes Monteserin does not disclose:
wherein the cold source interface comprises at least two sets of cold source interfaces.
However, Gao discloses:
wherein the cold source interface comprises at least two sets of cold source interfaces (Par. 0023 “The two sections are configured to nest together when assembled to the rack, thereby providing redundant supply and return for cooling fluids”);
in order to provide full redundancy for avoiding interruption in case of failure or service (Par. 0020).
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 Montes Monteserin as further suggested by Gao e.g., providing:
wherein the cold source interface comprises at least two sets of cold source interfaces;
in order to provide full redundancy for avoiding interruption in case of failure or service.
Claims 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Montes Monteserin (US 11856727 B2) as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of Gao (US 20230100743 A1).
As to Claim 17, Montes Monteserin does not disclose:
wherein the at least one immersion-type liquid-cooling device comprises a plurality of immersion-type liquid-cooling devices, and the immersion-type liquid-cooling system further comprises a plurality of reserved interfaces adapted to be coupled to the cold source interface.
However, Gao discloses:
wherein the at least one immersion-type liquid-cooling device comprises a plurality of immersion-type liquid-cooling devices (tanks 200A-200F; see Fig. 2), and the immersion-type liquid-cooling system further comprises a plurality of reserved interfaces (supply and return connections 212,213) adapted to be coupled to the cold source interface (cooling unit 105, corresponds to 25 of Montes Monteserin);
in order to provide cooling to a plurality of heat-generating information technology (Par. 0017).
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 Montes Monteserin as further suggested by Gao e.g., providing:
wherein the at least one immersion-type liquid-cooling device comprises a plurality of immersion-type liquid-cooling devices, and the immersion-type liquid-cooling system further comprises a plurality of reserved interfaces adapted to be coupled to the cold source interface;
in order to provide cooling to a plurality of electronic devices.
As to Claim 18, the obvious modification of Montes Monteserin in view of Gao discloses:
further comprising:
a base (floor of room 500 of Fig. 5) comprising a plurality of accommodating portions provided at predetermined positions for providing the plurality of immersion-type liquid-cooling devices (area on floor of room 500 where each tank 200 is disposed in row 520; Par. 0032 “The immersion cooling systems 200 on each side of a plurality of cooling units 105, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 can also be an IT tank row 520”), the plurality of accommodating portions corresponding to the plurality of reserved interfaces 212,213 (112,113 of Fig. 5 connect with 212,213; Par. 0032 “Coolant unit row 525 can be the coolant unit 105A or 105B of FIG. 4, or the plurality of coolant units 105A-105C as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3”; Gao).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Montes Monteserin (US 11856727 B2) as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of Miyazaki (US 20190357385 A1).
As to Claim 19, Montes Monteserin discloses:
wherein the main cooling liquid comprises a dielectric fluid (col. 8, Lines 6-7 “The cooling fluid used in these embodiments is a dielectric fluid”).
Montes Monteserin does not disclose:
wherein the main cooling liquid comprises a fluorinated liquid or a mineral oil; and/or
the auxiliary cooling liquid comprises deionized water.
However, Miyazaki discloses:
wherein the main cooling liquid comprises a fluorinated liquid (Par. 0039 “Refrigerant 140 such as fluorinated inert liquid is stored in a tank main body 111 of the immersion tank 110, and the electronic apparatus 200 are immersed in the refrigerant 140 stored in the tank main body 111”) or a mineral oil; and/or
the auxiliary cooling liquid comprises deionized water;
in order to provide a cooling liquid with a high heat transport efficiency and an insulating property (Par. 0037).
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 Montes Monteserin as further suggested by Miyazaki e.g., providing:
wherein the main cooling liquid comprises a fluorinated liquid;
in order to provide a cooling liquid with a high heat transport efficiency and an insulating property.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Montes Monteserin (US 11856727 B2) in view of Gao (US 20230100743 A1).
As to Claim 20, Montes Monteserin discloses:
a cooling tank (cooling bath tank 3) adapted to accommodate a main cooling liquid in a sealed manner so as to immerse, in the main cooling liquid, an electronic device (computing devices 6) to be cooled (col. 8, Lines 1-3 “The embodiments of the cooling system 1 described below include a cooling unit 5 and a computing device 6 arranged inside a cooling bath tank 3”; Lines 28-31 “the lid 2 is arranged to protect the computing devices 6, the cooling unit 5 and the cooling fluid from damage and hazards outside the cooling system 1”);
a main heat dissipation apparatus (cooling unit 5) attached to the cooling tank 3 (see col. 8, Lines 1-3, cooling unit 5 in tank 3) and comprising an inner cavity (compartments within casing 7) enclosed by a housing (casing 7) and a main circulating component (pumps 11) and a heat exchanger (heat exchanger 24) accommodated in the inner cavity (pumps 11 and 24 disposed within compartments of 5), wherein the inner cavity is in communication with the cooling tank 3 in a sealed manner (col. 12, Lines 7-13 “The cooling fluid then flows out of the second sub-compartment 7a2 through two drain valves 33 arranged in the lower portion of the casing 7 towards the distribution volume 17. The cooling fluid then enters the region of the first sub-tank 3a through outlets 18 to cool the computing device 6 arranged in this region”), and the main circulating component 11 is adapted to circulate the main cooling liquid between the cooling tank 3 and an exterior of the heat exchanger 24 (col. 11-12, Lines 65-67 and 1-3 “the cooling fluid is aspirated by a fluid pump 11 and pumped into the heat exchanger 24. Once inside the heat exchanger 24, the cooling fluid flows through a first circuit to be cooled by a refrigerant fluid flowing through a second circuit of the heat exchanger 24”); and
a cold source interface (duct 25) coupled to the main heat dissipation apparatus 5 and configured to allow an auxiliary cooling liquid to circulate between an external cold source and an interior of the heat exchanger 24 such that the auxiliary cooling liquid exchanges heat with the main cooling liquid at the heat exchanger 24 (col. 10, Lines 3-12 “The second compartment 7b of the casing 7 extends outside said casing 7 of the cooling unit 5 via a duct 25 positioned above one of the cooling-fluid inlets 19 of the first sub-compartment 7a1. This duct 25 contains a first pipe 26 that can for example be connected to a refrigerant fluid installation to convey said refrigerant fluid to the second circuit of the heat exchanger 24…this duct contains a second pipe 27 coming from the heat exchanger 24 to convey the refrigerant fluid to, for example, a refrigerant fluid installation to be cooled again (see FIG. 6)”);
wherein the main heat dissipation apparatus 5 further comprises a liquid occupied block (region including deflector 31; wherein deflector 31 is of a block shape and the cooling fluid occupies its surfaces within region 7a2) arranged in the inner cavity (deflector 31 arranged in region 7a2, col. 10, Lines 58-61 “the second sub-compartment 7a2 of the first compartment 7a has a deflector 31 to guide the cooling fluid to the portions of the fluid pump 11 inserted in the second sub-compartment 7a2”).
Montes Monteserin does not disclose:
An immersion-type liquid-cooling system for a large-scale cluster deployment comprising:
a base comprising a plurality of accommodating portions provided at predetermined positions;
a plurality of reserved interfaces corresponding to positions of the plurality of accommodating portions;
an auxiliary cooling apparatus configured between the plurality of reserved interfaces and an external cold source; and
a plurality of immersion-type liquid-cooling devices arranged in the accommodating portions,
wherein cold source interfaces of the immersion-type liquid-cooling devices are coupled to the plurality of reserved interfaces.
However, Gao discloses:
An immersion-type liquid-cooling system for a large-scale cluster deployment (data center 500 comprising IT tank rows 520; Fig. 5) comprising:
a base (floor of room 500 of Fig. 5) comprising a plurality of accommodating portions provided at predetermined positions (area on floor of room 500 where each tank 200 is disposed in row 520; Par. 0032 “The immersion cooling systems 200 on each side of a plurality of cooling units 105, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 can also be an IT tank row 520”);
a plurality of reserved interfaces (supply and return connections 212,213) corresponding to positions of the plurality of accommodating portions (112,113 of Fig. 5 connect with 212,213; Par. 0032 “Coolant unit row 525 can be the coolant unit 105A or 105B of FIG. 4, or the plurality of coolant units 105A-105C as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3”; Gao).;
an auxiliary cooling apparatus (supply and return lines 114) configured between the plurality of reserved interfaces 212,213 and an external cold source (cooling unit 120); and
a plurality of immersion-type liquid-cooling devices (tanks 200A-200F; see Fig. 2) arranged in the accommodating portions (Par. 0032 “The immersion cooling systems 200 on each side of a plurality of cooling units 105, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 can also be an IT tank row 520”),
wherein cold source interfaces (112,113; correspond to 25 of Montes Monteserin) of the immersion-type liquid-cooling devices are coupled to the plurality of reserved interfaces 212,213);
in order to provide cooling to a plurality of heat-generating information technology (Par. 0017).
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 Montes Monteserin as further suggested by Gao e.g., providing:
An immersion-type liquid-cooling system for a large-scale cluster deployment comprising:
a base comprising a plurality of accommodating portions provided at predetermined positions;
a plurality of reserved interfaces corresponding to positions of the plurality of accommodating portions;
an auxiliary cooling apparatus configured between the plurality of reserved interfaces and an external cold source; and
a plurality of immersion-type liquid-cooling devices arranged in the accommodating portions,
wherein cold source interfaces of the immersion-type liquid-cooling devices are coupled to the plurality of reserved interfaces;
in order to provide cooling to a plurality of electronic devices.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07/15/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant suggests Montes Monteserin does not disclose the amended limitation of claim 1 and “the applied references do not disclose or render obvious the combination recited ion claim 1 comprising these features” (Remarks, Pg. 8). Additionally, Applicant states “Although the limitation "liquid occupied block" does not explicitly recite a functional limitation, a person having ordinary skill in the art would naturally understand "a liquid occupied block" to mean a filler element for occupying volume of cooling liquid and reducing the amount of cooling liquid required, rather than broadly encompassing any object disposed within a cavity.” (Remarks, Pg. 9).
In response, Examiner notes that the deflector 31 of Montes Monteserin is of a block shape and its surfaces are occupied by the cooling fluid. The Examiner also notes that the claim limitations do not include any details regarding a “filler element” for reducing the amount of cooling liquid required and therefore one of ordinary skill in the art could interpret “a liquid occupied block” as being a block-like structure within a fluid/liquid.
Examiner also wants to note that, although not relied upon in the rejection above, Chiu (US 20230161392 A1) discloses the functionality of filler blocks in Par. 0041 “Filler blocks 162a act to occupy volume in the tank of the immersion cooling system for which first assembly 110a is intended. By occupying volume in the tank, filler blocks 162a decrease the total amount of liquid needed to fill the tank to an intended fill level. Filler blocks 162a may therefore reduce the inefficiencies associated with immersion cooling of relatively small components 114a, which may take up so little space in the tank that more liquid is needed to fill the tank than for effective cooling”.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW S MUIR whose telephone number is (571)270-1329. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm.
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.
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/MATTHEW SINCLAIR MUIR/ Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/Jayprakash N Gandhi/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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