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
This action is responsive to the amendment filed August 1, 2026. Claims 2 and 3 have been canceled; claims 1, 4–7 and 9 have been amended. Claims 1 and 4–12 are pending. Claims 1 and 4–10 are rejected; claims 11 and 12 remain objected to.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed August 1, 2026 with respect to the rejection of claim 1 under 35 U.S.C. 103 over Chen (US 2023/0068535) in view of Shaw (US 2022/0201902) have been fully considered. Because claim 1 has been amended to incorporate the limitations of original claims 2 and 3, the rejection of claims 1 and 10 over Chen in view of Shaw alone is withdrawn as moot, and a rejection over Chen in view of Shaw and Fullager (US 4,168,626) is set forth below. Applicant's remaining arguments are not persuasive for the following reasons.
Applicant argues that Shaw's inlet manifold 108a is a pipe or conduit rather than a coolant-storing water separator having an accommodating cavity, that Shaw's sensor 136a is not accommodated in a detection hole in communication with such a cavity, and that Fullager does not disclose a water separator provided with an accommodating cavity. These arguments address the references individually, whereas the rejection is based on the combination. See MPEP 2145(IV). The water separator provided with an accommodating cavity is taught by Chen, whose cool rack manifold 130 receives cooled cooling liquid and distributes it through conveyance sections 174d, 174e, 174i to the thermal contact structures 112a, 112b, 112i (Chen ¶0030–0031); the interior of the manifold 130 through which the cooling liquid passes is an accommodating cavity. Shaw is relied upon only for locating a supply temperature sensor at the inlet manifold, and Fullager is relied upon only for the detection hole and the probe structure accommodated in it. No single reference is required to disclose every feature of the claim.
Applicant's characterization of the claimed water separator as a "coolant-storing" structure is not commensurate with the claim language, which recites only that the water separator is "configured to accommodate a coolant." Applicant's own specification describes the water separator 110 as a flow-through distribution structure: coolant is delivered into the water separator 110 by a pump and the water separator 110 delivers the coolant to the liquid cooling plates 130 through the water outlet pipes 120 (specification ¶0037–0038, ¶0046; FIGS. 4–5). A manifold that receives coolant and distributes it to cooling plates, as in Chen, therefore "accommodates" coolant in the same sense as applicant's water separator. See MPEP 2111.
With respect to the newly added limitation that "the detection head is in contact with the coolant and detects the temperature of the coolant in the accommodating cavity," applicant argues only that Shaw does not teach it. As set forth below, this limitation is taught by Fullager, whose probe is mounted by screwing its mounting body into a threaded aperture in a wall of an enclosure so that the sheath, carrying the sensor at its closed end, extends into the enclosure and into the fluid region to be measured (Fullager col. 1, ll. 6–16; col. 2, ll. 17–21; col. 3, ll. 29–39; claim 6). Applicant has not addressed the examiner's reasons for combining the references.
Correction of the Record
The non-final Office action mailed June 1, 2026 identified Shaw's temperature sensor as element "132a." Shaw's element 132a is the supply pressure sensor; the supply temperature sensor at the inlet manifold 108a is element 136a (Shaw ¶0033), which is the element applicant's remarks correctly identified and addressed. The same action also referred to "Shao" in two places, which should read "Shaw," and identified Chen's pipes connecting the cool rack manifold 130 to the cooling plates as "172, 174"; the sections running from the cool rack manifold 130 are 174d, 174e, 174i (Chen ¶0031). These were typographical errors with no substantive effect on the grounds of rejection, which are restated below with the corrected designations.
Claim Interpretation
The term "accommodating cavity" is given its broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification as any interior space of the water separator that receives the coolant. The specification uses "stored" (¶0043) and "diverts"/"delivers" (¶0038, ¶0046) for the same cavity 100A, and the claim recites only that the water separator is "configured to accommodate" the coolant. The term does not require a reservoir, a tank, or any storage function beyond containing coolant that flows through it.
The term "detection head" is interpreted in light of the specification and drawings as the sensing end of the temperature sensor, which is drawn as an encapsulated tip 221 carried on the data transmission line 222 (FIG. 3; ¶0040). "In contact with the coolant" is accordingly read as being met where the sensing end of the sensor, including any sheath or encapsulation forming part of that end, is immersed in or wetted by the coolant in the cavity. Claim 1 does not require a bare sensing element.
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 1, 4, 6, 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 2023/0068535) in view of Shaw (US 2022/0201902), and further in view of Fullager (US 4,168,626).
Re claim 1:
Chen discloses a cooling mechanism (everything in fig. 1), comprising: a liquid cooling assembly comprising a water separator (130 in fig. 1), a water outlet pipe (174d, 174e, 174i in fig. 1), and a liquid cooling plate (112's in fig. 1) connected to the water separator through the water outlet pipe (fig. 1), and the water separator being configured to accommodate a coolant ("cooling liquid" in para. 0030).
Chen does not explicitly disclose a liquid inlet detection assembly provided on the water separator and configured to detect an inflow temperature of the coolant flowing into the water separator.
Shaw discloses a liquid inlet detection assembly (136a in fig. 1) provided on the water separator (108a in fig. 1) and configured to detect an inflow temperature (para. 0033) of the coolant flowing into the water separator (fig. 1).
Thus it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention wherein a liquid inlet detection assembly provided on the water separator and configured to detect an inflow temperature of the coolant flowing into the water separator, in order to monitor the temperature of the coolant being supplied to the cooling plates.
Chen discloses the water separator is provided with an accommodating cavity (interior of cool rack manifold 130 in FIGS. 1-2).
Chen in view of Shaw does not explicitly disclose a detection hole in communication with the accommodating cavity, the liquid inlet detection assembly is accommodated in the detection hole.
Fullager discloses a detection hole (hole in 4 in fig. 1) in communication with the accommodating cavity (cavity of the enclosure mentioned in the background), the liquid inlet detection assembly (1 in fig. 1) is accommodated in the detection hole (fig. 1).
Thus it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to disclose a detection hole in communication with the accommodating cavity, the liquid inlet detection assembly is accommodated in the detection hole as taught by Fullager, in order to mount the sensor at the coolant boundary.
Fullager discloses the liquid inlet detection assembly comprises a connection column (4 and 6 in fig. 1) and a temperature sensor (1 in fig. 1), the water separator is provided with a connection portion at an end thereof connected to the connection column, the connection column is provided with a connection channel extending axially therethrough (bore 13 of body 4 and bore 16 of plug 6), the temperature sensor comprises a detection head (sensor 1 at the closed end 10 of sheath 3) and a data transmission line (leads 18 / extension leads 23), the detection head is provided at an end of the connection portion, and the data transmission line extends through the connection channel and is connected to the detection head (the sensor is inserted through the bore into the sheath, and the leads from the sensor extend through the bore of the body to extension leads).
Fullager further discloses that the detection head is in contact with the coolant and detects the temperature of the coolant in the accommodating cavity: the mounting body 4 is screwed into a correspondingly tapered threaded aperture provided in the wall of an enclosure "so that the sheath 3 extends into the enclosure for sensing the temperature inside," with the sensor 1 located in the sheath 3 adjacent its closed end 10 (Fullager col. 3, ll. 22–24 and 29–39; col. 1, ll. 6–16; col. 2, ll. 17–21; claim 6). When the probe is mounted in the detection hole of Chen's cool rack manifold 130 as set forth above, the sheathed sensing end of the probe extends into the interior of the manifold and is in contact with the cooling liquid flowing through it, and detects the temperature of that cooling liquid.
Thus it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to mount the sensor so that the detection head extends into and is in contact with the coolant in the accommodating cavity, as taught by Fullager, in order to sense the temperature of the coolant inside the water separator directly rather than the temperature of its wall (Fullager col. 3, ll. 33–37).
Re claim 4:
Fullager discloses waterproof glue filling a gap between an inner wall of the connecting channel and the data transmission line (the end portion of the bore is filled with potting material so as to securely hold the leads and the sensor in place; col. 4, ll. 2–6).
Re claim 6:
Fullager discloses an external thread on an outer side wall of the connection portion engaged with an internal thread on an inner wall of the detection hole (a pair of tapered threads on the mounting body for securing the probe in a correspondingly tapered threaded aperture in an enclosure wall; Fullager claim 6; col. 3, ll. 29–39).
Re claim 9:
Chen discloses the water separator is further provided with a plurality of water outlets in communication with the accommodating cavity, and a plurality of water outlet pipes connected to the plurality of water outlets in a one-to-one correspondence (the cool rack manifold is connected to all of the computing devices via the conveyance system to supply coolant to each thermal contact structure; conveyance sections 174d/174e/174i in FIGS. 1-2; para. 0031).
Thus it would have been obvious to provide the sensor-mounting structure of claims 4 and 6 as taught by Fullager and the plural one-to-one outlets/pipes of claim 9 as taught by Chen, in order to retain and seal the sensor and to feed multiple cooling plates.
Re claim 10:
Chen discloses a computing device (110's in fig. 1), comprising the cooling mechanism according to claim 1.
Claims 5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 2023/0068535) in view of Shaw (US 2022/0201902) and Fullager (US 4,168,626), and further in view of Glozman (US 7,026,909).
Re claim 5:
Chen/Shaw/Fullager does not explicitly disclose the sealing ring.
Glozman discloses the liquid inlet detection assembly further comprises a sealing ring (O-ring 45 in FIGS. 1-2), with the connection column further comprising a mounting portion connected to an end of the connection portion away from the water separator, the sealing ring sleeved on the connection portion and abutting to form a seal (an elastomeric O-ring placed to form a radial seal, the leads being held in the bore with rigid epoxy potting material 44; col. 4, ll. 49–60 and 61–66).
Thus it would have been obvious to add Glozman's O-ring 45 sleeved on the connection portion, abutting the mounting portion end surface and the water separator, in order to provide a fluid-tight seal.
Re claim 8:
Fullager discloses a cross-section of the mounting portion perpendicular to an axis thereof is hexagonal (a hexagon formation on the mounting body between the opposed tapered threads; Fullager claim 7; col. 3, ll. 31–33).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 2023/0068535) in view of Shaw (US 2022/0201902) and Fullager (US 4,168,626), and further in view of Attlesey (US 7,911,793).
Re claim 7:
Chen/Shaw/Fullager does not explicitly disclose a quick-release connecting member at the detection hole.
Attlesey discloses quick-release connecting members in a liquid-cooling system (quick-disconnect valves 52 on the inlet/outlet manifolds 53a, 53b that engage and disengage to allow tool-less change-out; FIG. 3; col. 5, ll. 57–66; col. 6, ll. 1–8).
Thus it would have been obvious to provide the detection hole with a quick-release connecting member to which the connection portion is detachably connected, as taught by Attlesey, in order to permit easy replacement of the sensor.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11 and 12 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record does not teach or suggest, in combination with the remaining limitations of claims 1 and 10, a computing device comprising a computer case accommodating the computing mechanism, an adapter plate, a motherboard and the cooling mechanism, the computer case being provided with a liquid inlet pipe in communication with the accommodating cavity of the water separator, the adapter plate being provided on the motherboard and electrically connected to the liquid inlet detection assembly, and the motherboard comprising a baseboard management controller configured to acquire a detection signal from the liquid inlet detection assembly, as recited in claim 11.
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 Examiner Zhengfu J. Feng, whose telephone number is 571-272-2949. The examiner can normally be reached Mon – Fri 10AM -6PM. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, JAYPRAKASH GANDHI, can be reached at 571-272-3740. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center.
/ZHENGFU J FENG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
October 12, 2026
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