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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 10 - 22 are under consideration in this Office Action.
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 10 - 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mitle et al., US 2021/0153394.
In re Claim 10, Mitle discloses a hybrid heat sink, comprising: a pulsating heat pipe 3; and a liquid cooling unit 9 including a cover, wherein the pulsating heat pipe 3 ([0016]) and the liquid cooling unit 9 are arranged in layers on top of one another (Fig. 2), wherein the pulsating heat pipe 3 is located between a heat source 1 and the liquid cooling unit 9, and wherein the pulsating heat pipe 3 is integrated in the cover 12 of the liquid cooling unit 9 (Figs. 1-10; [0013 – 0068]).
In re Claim 11, Mitle discloses the hybrid heat sink of claim 10, wherein the pulsating heat pipe 3 is integrated in a base plate 2 of the heat source 1 (Fig. 2).
In re Claim 12, Mitle discloses the hybrid heat sink of claim 10, wherein the liquid cooling unit 9 is embodied as a water cooling system ([0048]).
In re Claim 13, Mitle discloses the hybrid heat sink of claim 10, wherein at least one of the layers of the pulsating heat pipe 3 and the layer of the liquid cooling unit 9 has flat, planar layers (Fig. 2).
In re Claim 14, Mitle discloses the hybrid heat sink of claim 10, wherein at least one of the layer of the pulsating heat pipe 3 and the layer of the liquid cooling unit 9 has curved layers (Fig. 4).
In re Claim 15, Mitle discloses a power semiconductor unit 2 (Fig. 7), comprising: a hybrid heat sink (12, 18) comprising a pulsating heat pipe 3 and a liquid cooling unit 9 which includes a cover (10, 11), wherein the pulsating heat pipe 3 and the liquid cooling unit 9 are arranged in layers on top of one another, with the pulsating heat pipe 3 being integrated in the cover 12 of the liquid cooling unit 9; and a power semiconductor module 1 thermically conductively connected to the hybrid heat sink (12, 18) in such a way that the pulsating heat pipe 3 is located between the power semiconductor module 6 and the liquid cooling unit 9 so that heat generated by power loss of the power semiconductor module 1 is distributed over a large area via the pulsating heat pipe 3 and is dissipated via a liquid circuit 9 (Figs. 1-10; [0013 – 0068]).
In re Claim 16, Mitle discloses the power semiconductor unit of claim 15, wherein the liquid circuit 9 is a water circuit ([0048]).
In re Claim 17, Mitle discloses the power semiconductor unit of claim 15, wherein the pulsating heat pipe 3 is integrated in a base plate 11 of the power semiconductor module 1 (Fig. 7).
In re Claim 18, Mitle discloses the power semiconductor unit of claim 15, wherein the liquid cooling unit 9 is embodied as a water cooling system ([0048]).
In re Claim 19, Mitle discloses the power semiconductor unit of claim 15, wherein at least one of the layer of the pulsating heat pipe 3 and the layer of the liquid cooling unit 9 has flat, planar layers (Fig. 2).
In re Claim 20, Mitle discloses the power semiconductor unit of claim 15, wherein at least one of the layers of the pulsating heat pipe 3 and the layer of the liquid cooling unit 9 has curved layers (Fig. 4).
In re Claim 21, Mitle discloses a power converter, comprising: a hybrid heat sink comprising a pulsating heat pipe 3 and a liquid cooling unit 9 including a cover 12, wherein the pulsating heat pipe 3 and the liquid cooling unit 9 are arranged in layers on top of one another, wherein the pulsating heat pipe 3 is located between a heat source 1 and the liquid cooling unit 9, and wherein the pulsating heat pipe 3 integrated in the cover of the liquid cooling unit 9; or the power semiconductor unit6 as set forth in claim 15 (Figs. 1-10; [0013 – 0068]).
In re Claim 22, Mitle discloses a method for producing a hybrid heat sink, comprising: arranging a pulsating heat pipe 3 and a liquid cooling unit 9 in layers on top of one another; locating the pulsating heat pipe 3 between a heat source 1 and the liquid cooling unit 9 by designing ([0016]) channels of the liquid cooling unit 9 with inlets and outlets in a thermally conductive material block 12, designing closed channels for the pulsating heat pipe 3 in a cover 12 of the liquid cooling unit 9, filling liquid into the channels of the cover to establish functionality of the pulsating heat pipe 3, and assembling the material block and the cover (Figs. 1-10; [0013 – 0068]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NIKOLAY K YUSHIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7885. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (7-7 PST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yara B. Green can be reached at 5712703075. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NIKOLAY K YUSHIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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