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 .
Email Communication
Applicant is encouraged to authorize the Examiner to communicate via email by filing form PTO/SB/439 either via USPS, Central Fax, or EFS-Web. See MPEP 502.01, 502, 502.05.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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)(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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fujiwara et al. (US 10,149,408 – hereinafter, “Fujiwara”).
With respect to claim 1, Fujiwara teaches (In Fig 10) a passive liquid recycle device (9A, 10A), adapted to be in communication with a two-phase immersion cooling device (1A), the passive liquid recycle device comprising: a housing (9A); and at least one bag (10A), accommodated in a volume variable manner in the housing, the bag being higher than the two-phase immersion cooling device (See Fig 10) and capable of passively receiving a gaseous coolant from the two-phase immersion cooling device and accordingly expanding, and contracting after the gaseous coolant condenses into a liquid coolant and returns to the two-phase immersion cooling device (Col. 3, ll. 22-36, Col. 6, ll. 46-64).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-4, 7-8, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsieh et al. (US 2025/0282541 – hereinafter, “Hsieh”) in view of Tian et al. (US 10,568,236 – hereinafter, “Tian”).
With respect to claim 1, Hsieh teaches (In Fig 1) a passive liquid recycle device (1), adapted to be in communication with a two-phase immersion cooling device (¶ 0016, “In this embodiment, the deformable container 12 may be connected to an airtight base 16 through a quick release connector 14, and the airtight base 16 may be connected to a cooling tank of an immersion cooling system (not shown) through a tube (not shown). In general, the cooling tank may store a cooling liquid (e.g. dielectric liquid) with a low boiling point. An electronic component (not shown) may be immersed in the cooling liquid”), the passive liquid recycle device comprising: a housing (10); and at least one bag (120), accommodated in a volume variable manner in the housing (See Fig 1), the bag being capable of passively receiving a gaseous coolant from the two-phase immersion cooling device and accordingly expanding, and contracting after the gaseous coolant condenses into a liquid coolant and returns to the two-phase immersion cooling device (¶ 0016, “The cooling liquid evaporates and changes into gas after absorbing the heat generated by the electronic component. The deformable container 12 is used to temporarily store the gas of the cooling liquid and control the pressure.”, ¶ 0026, “In this embodiment, a bottom 1206 of the bag body 120 may be inclined with respect to the first tube portion 1220 of the first connecting member 122 to help recover the liquid condensed from the gas of the cooling liquid.”).
Hsieh fails to specifically teach or suggest that the bag is higher than the two-phase immersion cooling device.
Tian, however, teaches a flexible membrane (20-2) which is higher than a two-phase immersion cooling device (10, see Fig 2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Tian with that of Hsieh, such that, in Hsieh, the bag is higher than the two-phase immersion cooling device, as taught by Tian, since doing so would locate the passive liquid recycling device of Hsieh to a position relative to the two-phase immersion cooling device that allow for the passive liquid recycling device to be relatively close to the cooling device while also being in the natural flow path of any vapor which would be emitted from the cooling device.
With respect to claim 2, Hsieh further teaches a communication pipe group (16), wherein the passive liquid recycle device (1) is in communication with the two-phase immersion cooling device via the communication pipe group (16 + tube, ¶ 0016, “and the airtight base 16 may be connected to a cooling tank of an immersion cooling system (not shown) through a tube (not shown).”).
With respect to claim 3, Hsieh further teaches that the communication pipe group has an outer pipe (“tube”) and a guide pipe (16), the outer pipe (“tube”) is in communication with an interior of a sealed chamber of the two-phase immersion cooling device (¶ 0016, “and the airtight base 16 may be connected to a cooling tank of an immersion cooling system (not shown) through a tube (not shown).”), and the guide pipe (16) is in communication with the outer pipe (“tube”) and an interior of the bag (120).
With respect to claim 4, Hsieh further teaches a plurality of bags (120) are provided (¶ 0017, “two deformable containers 12”), and the interiors of the plurality of bags are all in communication with the guide pipe (16 is connected to both bags).
With respect to claim 7, Hsieh further teaches that the housing (10) has therein at least one first hanging portion (100), and the bag (120) has at least one second hanging portion (1300), wherein the second hanging portion is detachably connected to the corresponding first hanging portion (¶ 0025).
With respect to claim 8, Hsieh further teaches that the first hanging portion is disposed on an inner side of a top surface of the housing (See Fig 1, top portion of 10 has 100), and the second hanging portion (1300) is disposed on a top end of the bag (See Fig 1, the top of 120 is connected to 10 via 100).
With respect to claim 10, Hsieh further teaches that the housing (10) has at least one pressure balance opening (Top opening between frame members. This opening allows the pressure to balance between inside the housing and outside the housing and is thus a pressure balance opening).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsieh in view of Tian and further in view of Tung et al. (US 11,262,135 – hereinafter, “Tung”).
With respect to claim 5, Hsieh as modified by Tian teaches the limitations of claim 3 as per above and Hsieh further teaches wherein the guide pipe (16) is obliquely disposed (See Fig 1).
Hsieh as modified by Tian fails to specifically teach or suggest a position thereof in communication with the outer pipe is lower than a position thereof in communication with the bag.
Tung, however, teaches (In Fig 2A) a guide pipe (150) which is in communication with a bellows (130) at a first position and in communication with a outer pipe (154) at a second position, the second position being lower than the first position (See Fig 2A).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Tung with that of Hsieh such that, in Hsieh, the outer pipe is connected to the guide pipe at a bottom of the guide pipe, whereby a position thereof in communication with the outer pipe is lower than a position thereof in communication with the bag, as taught by Tung, since doing so would allow for the condensate from the bag to flow to the cooling device via gravity.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsieh in view of Tian and further in view of Tung et al. (US 11,378,344 – hereinafter, “Tung-344”).
With respect to claim 6, Hsieh as modified by Tian teaches the limitations of claim 3 as per above and Hsieh further teaches that the guide pipe (16) is located within the housing.
Hsieh as modified by Tian fails to specifically teach or suggest that the outer pipe is at least partially located outside the housing.
Tung-344, however, teaches (In Fig 2) an outer pipe (200) located outside of a housing (351)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Tung with that of Hsieh such that, in Hsieh, the outer pipe is at least partially located outside of the housing, as taught by Tung-344, since doing so would allow for portions of the outer pipe to be easily accessible.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsieh in view of Tian and further in view of Maloney et al. (US 2016/0073547 – hereinafter, “Maloney”).
With respect to claim 9, Hsieh as modified by Tian teaches the limitations of claim 1 as per above but fails to specifically teach or suggest wherein the housing has a frame base and a plurality of door panels, and the plurality of door panels are openably coupled on different sides of the frame base.
Maloney, however, teaches (In Fig 10) wherein a housing (100) has a frame base and a plurality of door panels (142), and the plurality of door panels are openably coupled on different sides of the frame base.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Maloney with that of Hsieh such that, in Hsieh, the housing has a frame base and a plurality of door panels, and the plurality of door panels are openably coupled on different sides of the frame base, as taught by Maloney, since doing so would provide mechanical protection on two sides of the housing of Hsieh thus providing protection to the one or more bags hanging in the housing.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 12,408,299 to Li et al. which teaches an immersion cooling system and pressure adjust module;
CN 107978574 to Tong et al. which teaches an immersion cooling system with a variable volume storage container; and
US 4,639,251 to Kirkland which teaches a flexible collapsible container with openings (15, 17) which allows the container to be suspended.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZACHARY M PAPE whose telephone number is (571)272-2201. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9am - 6pm EST.
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/ZACHARY PAPE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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