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 § 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(s) 1-6 and 8-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakajima (2013/0223007) in further view of Inoue (6,311,767).
Regarding Claim 1: Nakajima teaches an electronic device comprising: a housing (fig. 1) having an exhaust surface (area near 14 in fig. 1) including an exhaust port (14); a blower (23) that is arranged inside the housing (fig. 2) and sends air from an inside of the housing to an outside of the housing via the exhaust port (fig. 2); an exhaust portion (area where the fins are located in fig. 2) arranged inside the housing (fig. 2) and having an exhaust path for guiding the air sent from the blower toward the exhaust port along an air blowing direction intersecting the exhaust surface (fig. 2); and a fin (27) arranged in the exhaust path (fig. 2) and having a plurality of plate members (fig. 2), wherein each of the plurality of plate members is arranged along the air blowing direction (fig. 2); wherein the exhaust path extends in a direction away from an intersection surface as the exhaust path approaches the exhaust surface (figs. 9), but lacks a specific teaching of the exhaust path being inclined with respect to the exhaust surface.
Inoue teaches a cooling apparatus fan (10) for a computer including a housing (74) having an intersection surface (corner of 74 in fig. 6), wherein an exhaust path (70) being inclined (figs. 5-6) with respect to the exhaust surface (fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the apparatus of Nakajima by having the exhaust path being inclined with respect to the exhaust surface as disclosed by Inoue in order to allow for a better disbursement of the are from the electronic device which increasing airflow away from the electronic device and in turn improves the overall heat dissipation of the apparatus which decreases the chances of damage to the device requiring repair or replacement of internal components.
Regarding Claim 2: Nakajima teaches a heat pipe (25) extending along an arrangement direction of the plurality of plate members (figs. 2), wherein at least a part of the heat pipe overlaps the fin (figs. 2) when viewed along a thickness direction of the housing (figs. 2).
Regarding Claim 3: Nakajima teaches a structure (side wall portions next to the fins shown in fig. 9) arranged inside the housing (fig. 9), wherein the structure is arranged in a second region which is placed in an arrangement direction of the plurality of plate members to the fin (fig. 9).
Regarding Claim 4: Nakajima teaches the housing includes a corner formed by the exhaust surface and the intersection surface intersecting the exhaust surface (corner portion formed by structure wall and the exhaust wall shown in fig. 9), at least two among the blower, the exhaust portion, or the fin are arranged nearby the corner (fig. 9), and the second region is partitioned by the exhaust surface, the intersection surface, and the fin (fig. 9).
Regarding Claim 5: Nakajima teaches the structure is a protection member that protects the corner (fig. 9 protecting the structure from debris).
Regarding Claim 6: Nakajima teaches the heat pipe has a rectangular or rounded rectangular cross section (fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 8: Nakajima teaches the blower has an air suction port (the air is in-taken through the top of the fan) on a plane that intersects with the exhaust surface and the intersection surface (figs. 9).
Regarding Claim 9: Nakajima teaches the heat pipe includes: a pipe body (figs. 2) connected to the fin (figs. 2), and a distal end (figs. 2) provided at one end of the pipe body in the arrangement direction (figs. 2) and arranged in a first region adjacent to the fin in the arrangement direction (figs. 2).
Regarding Claim 10: Nakajima teaches the first region is a region that does not overlap the fin when viewed along a thickness direction of the housing (figs. 2).
Regarding Claim 11: Nakajima teaches the heat pipe includes: a pipe body (figs. 2) connected to the fin (figs. 2), and a distal end (figs. 2) provided at one end of the pipe body in the arrangement direction (figs. 2) and arranged in a first region adjacent to the fin in the arrangement direction (figs. 2).
Regarding Claim 12: Nakajima teaches the first region is a region that does not overlap the fin when viewed along a thickness direction of the housing (figs. 2).
Regarding Claim 13: Nakajima teaches the first region is located between the second region and the fin (figs. 2).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-6 and 8-13 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art cited in the notice of references but not relied upon for the rejections all relate as teaching portable electronic devices including internal cooling apparatus with having fans, heat pipes, and heat sinks including fins in order to cool processors of the electronic device.
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 ANTHONY MICHAEL HAUGHTON whose telephone number is (571)272-9087. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5p.
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, Imani Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. 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.
/ANTHONY M HAUGHTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841