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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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 1-2, 4-5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mochizuki et al. (US Patent No.: 5,694,295 hereinafter “Mochizuki”) in view of Lofland et al. (US Patent No.: 6,577,504 hereinafter “Lofland”).
With respect to claim 1, Mochizuki discloses a heat sink, configured to be thermally coupled to a heat source (Figs. 9 and 15, are coupled to heat source 16), the heat sink comprising: a thermally conductive base (Fig. 15, base 42), having a first surface, a second surface, a guiding surface (See figure 15 below), wherein the second surface faces away from the first surface (Fig. 15 below, second surface faces up and first surface faces down), two opposite sides of the guiding surface are connected to the first surface and the second surface (See figure below), respectively, the guiding surface is not perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface (See figure below).
Mochizuki does not disclose an accommodating recess that is located at the first surface and an inner annular side surface which surround and form the accommodating recess the thermally conductive base has an inner bottom surface, the inner annular side surface is connected to a periphery of the inner bottom surface, the accommodating recess is configured to accommodate the heat source, and the inner bottom surface is configured to be thermally coupled to the heat source.
Lofland teaches an accommodating recess that is located at bottom surface of the heat sink with an inner bottom and side surface for a heat source (Fig. 3, heat sink 100 has bottom surface located on 202 and an accommodating recess 104 for CPU 206 with side surfaces 218). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the bottom surface of Lofland with an accommodating recess for the CPU as taught by Lofland to aid in accommodating taller components (Col. 3, lines 1-10).
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With respect to claim 2, Mochizuki and Lofland teach the heat sink according to claim 1 as discussed above. Mochizuki also discloses further comprising a plurality of heat dissipation structures (Fig. 15, fins 41), wherein the plurality of heat dissipation structures protrude from the second surface of the thermally conductive base (Fig. 15, fins 41 are on second surface as shown in the figure above).
With respect to claim 4, Mochizuki and Lofland teach the heat sink according to claim 1 as discussed above. Mochizuki also discloses wherein the guiding surface is a flat surface (See figure above. The guiding surface is flat), and an angle between the guiding surface and the first surface is an acute angle (See Fig. above. An angle between the guiding surface and first surface is an acute angle).
With respect to claim 5, Mochizuki and Lofland teach the heat sink according to claim 4 as discussed above. Mochizuki also discloses wherein the angle between the guiding surface and the first surface is greater than 0 degrees, and is smaller than or equal to 45 degrees (See figure below).
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With respect to claim 7, Mochizuki and Lofland teach the heat sink according to claim 1 as discussed above. Lofland also teaches the inner annular side surface has a plurality of flat portions and a plurality of curved portions (Fig. 1, flat surface on sidewalls of 116 and curved portions around 122 on the corners), the plurality of curved portions are located at corners of the accommodating recess (Fig. 1, curved portions around 122 are at the corners), respectively, the plurality of flat portions are connected to the plurality of curved portions (Fig. 1, flat sidewalls are connected to curved portions around 122), respectively, and the plurality of flat portions and the plurality of curved portions together surround the accommodating recess (Fig. 1, sidewalls all surround accommodating portion in 116).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mochizuki et al. (US Patent No.: 5,694,295 hereinafter “Mochizuki”) in view of Lofland et al. (US Patent No.: 6,577,504 hereinafter “Lofland”) and further in view of Goodson et al. (US Publication No.: 2004/0112585 hereinafter “Goodson”).
With respect to claim 3, Mochizuki and Lofland teach the heat sink according to claim 2 as discussed above. Mochizuki does not disclose wherein the plurality of heat dissipation structures are rectangular pillars.
Goodson teaches heat dissipating structures that are rectangular pillars (Fig. 3b-3D, 134, 132 and Para 0039-0044). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the cylindrical pillars of Mochizuki with rectangular pillars as taught by Goodson to have a desired fluid flow pattern and heat transfer (Para 0039-0044).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mochizuki et al. (US Patent No.: 5,694,295 hereinafter “Mochizuki”) in view of Lofland et al. (US Patent No.: 6,577,504 hereinafter “Lofland”) and further in view of Kozyra (US Publication No.: 2002/0121365).
With respect to claim 6, Mochizuki and Lofland teach the heat sink according to claim 1 as discussed above. Mochizuki does not disclose wherein the guiding surface is a curved surface.
Kozyra teaches a beveled or curved side surface (Fig. 4, 28 and Para 0031). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the flat guiding surface of Mochizuki to be curved as taught by Kozyra to help reduce weight without reducing heat transfer (Para 0031).
Claims 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mochizuki et al. (US Patent No.: 5,694,295 hereinafter “Mochizuki”) in view of Lofland et al. (US Patent No.: 6,577,504 hereinafter “Lofland”) and further in view of Zhang et al. (US Publication No.: 2005/0042897 hereinafter “Zhang”).
With respect to claims 8-9, Mochizuki and Lofland teach the heat sink according to claim 1 as discussed above. Mochizuki and Lofland do not disclose wherein the thermally conductive base further has a first side surface and a first through hole, two opposite sides of the first side surface are connected to the first surface and the second surface, respectively, the first side surface and the guiding surface are located on different sides of the thermally conductive base, respectively, and the first through hole is connected to the first side surface and the inner annular side surface (as per claim 8), wherein the thermally conductive base further has a second side surface and a second through hole, two opposite sides of the second side surface are connected to the first surface and the second surface, respectively, the first side surface, the second side surface and the guiding surface are located on different sides of the thermally conductive base, respectively, and the second through hole is connected to the second side surface and the inner annular side surface (as per claim 9).
Zhang teaches a thermally conductive base with two through holes that are connected with an inner annual side surface (Fig, two through holes 264 on opposite sides of the base extend to an inner annual side surfaces). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the base of Lofland with two through holes as taught by Zhang to aid in facilitating placement of the CPU (Para 0024 & 0027).
With respect to claim 10, Mochizuki, Lofland and Zhang teach the heat sink according to claim 9 as discussed above. Mochizuki also discloses wherein the first side surface and the guiding surface are located on two adjacent sides of the thermally conductive base, respectively (Fig. 2, side surface and guide surfaces 12c are on two adjacent sides).
With respect to claim 11, Mochizuki, Lofland and Zhang teach the heat sink according to claim 9 as discussed above. Mochizuki also discloses wherein the second side surface and the guiding surface are located on two opposite sides of the thermally conductive base, respectively (Fig. 2, second side surface and guide surfaces 12c are on two opposite sides).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CLAIRE E ROJOHN III whose telephone number is (571)270-5431. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:00 M-F.
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/CLAIRE E ROJOHN III/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763