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 § 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.
Claims 1-6, 8-9, and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by GAO US 2022/0287208 A1.
GAO teaches:
1. A manifold liquid drainage system comprising:
a first liquid drain body comprising a first hollow flow channel [Fig. 1 131 and 132] and a plurality of first openings; [Fig. 1 openings to multiple 101 and 102] and
a manifold assembly [Fig. 2 201] fixed to at least one of the first openings and fluidly-communicably connected to the first hollow flow channel, wherein the manifold assembly comprises:
a pipe connected to one of the first openings; [Fig. 2 225]
a quick release joint; [para. 0023, “In another embodiment, each server chassis is coupled to the cooling liquid manifold through a quick-release coupling assembly having a server liquid intake connector and a server liquid outlet connector coupled to a flexible hose to distribute the cooling liquid to the processors.”]
an electronic flow valve installed between the pipe and the quick release joint; [valve 573] and
a control circuit board [controller 562] configured to control the electronic flow valve to regulate a liquid flow through the pipe. [para. 0053, “The second rack secondary condenser valve 573 opens to supply cooling fluid to the primary loop of the secondary condenser of the second rack 563, enabling the secondary cooling loop to enhance the cooling capacity of the primary cooling loop of the second rack 563.”]
GAO teaches:
2. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 1, wherein the manifold assembly further comprises a sensing device installed on one side of the pipe. [pressure sensors 541 and 581]
GAO teaches:
3. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 2, wherein the sensing device is configured to monitor changes of the liquid flow in the pipe and generate a sensing signal, wherein the control circuit board is configured to receive the sensing signal and control the electronic flow valve to regulate the liquid flow through the pipe based on the sensing signal. [para. 0054, “The controller 562 controls the amount of power flowing to the primary loop of the secondary condenser of the first rack 561 or the second rack 563 to change the volumetric flow rate of the cooling liquid through the first rack secondary condenser valve 533 or the second rack secondary condenser valve 573 to regulate individually the cooling capacity of the secondary cooling loop of each rack in response to the vapor pressure measured at the designated locations (e.g., first rack pressure sensor 541 or second rack pressure sensor 583) in the respective rack.”]
GAO teaches:
4. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 2, wherein the sensing device further comprises a liquid sensor installed on a first side of the pipe. [pressure sensors 541 and 581]
GAO teaches:
5. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 4, wherein the liquid sensor is a pressure sensor or flow rate sensor. [pressure sensors 541 and 581]
GAO teaches:
6. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 4, wherein the liquid sensor is configured to sense a pressure or a flow rate of the liquid flow in the pipe, the control circuit board is configured to close the electronic flow valve corresponding to a sudden change when the liquid sensor senses the sudden change in the pressure or the flow rate. [para. 0054]
GAO teaches:
8. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 4, wherein the sensing device further comprises a temperature sensor installed on a second side of the pipe, the first side and the second side are two opposite sides of the pipe. [para. 0034; “temperature sensors”]
GAO teaches:
9. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 8, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to sense a temperature reading of the liquid flow in the pipe, and the control circuit board is used to control a flow rate of the corresponding electronic flow valve based on a relationship between a current reading of the temperature of the liquid flow of the temperature sensor and a temperature predetermined value. [para. 0034]
GAO teaches:
13. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 2, wherein the control circuit board is electrically connected to the electronic flow valve and the sensing device. [Fig. 4]
GAO teaches:
14. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 1 further comprising a second liquid drain body, wherein the first liquid drain body and the second liquid drain body are arranged vertically in parallel. [Fig. 2]
GAO teaches:
15. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 14, wherein the second liquid drain body comprises a second hollow flow channel and a plurality of second openings. [Fig. 2]
GAO teaches:
16. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 15, wherein the manifold assembly is fixed to at least one of the second openings and fluidly-communicably connected to the second hollow flow channel. [Fig. 2]
GAO teaches:
17. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 16 further comprising a plurality of devices to be cooled, each device to be cooled includes a cooling flow channel, the cooling flow channel is fluidly-communicably connected to the manifold assembly on the first liquid drain body and the second liquid drain body. [Fig. 2]
Regarding method claims 18-20, these method claims recite the steps for executing the apparatus functionality recited above in corresponding claims above and are rejected on the same grounds and rationale as above.
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 7 and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GAO US 2022/0287208 A1 in view of Doughty et al. US 2012/0318368 A1.
GAO does not teach the following limitations, however, Doughty teaches:
7. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 4, wherein the liquid sensor is configured to sense a pressure or a flow rate of the liquid flow in the pipe, the control circuit board is configured to control a flow rate of the corresponding electronic flow valve based on a relationship between a current reading of the pressure or the flow rate of the liquid sensor and an average reading of the pressure or the flow rate of the liquid sensor. [para. 0023, “If two valid sensor signals are detected, control system 50 compares the rate of change of the output of these sensors to stored values for operation of system 10 to look for output levels below normal at step 154.”]
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Doughty with those of GAO. A person having ordinary skill would have been motivated to combine the teachings because Doughty teaches that prestored values which indicate abnormal operation can be compared to sense pressure readings to determine a leak. (See para. 00222-0025).
Doughty teaches:
10. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 2, wherein the sensing device further comprises a liquid leakage detector disposed on the pipe. [Fig. 2 110; pressure signals used for leak detection]
Doughty teaches:
11. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 10, wherein the liquid leakage detector is a resistor or a capacitor. [Fig. 2 pressure sensors contain basic components]
Doughty teaches:
12. The manifold liquid drainage system of claim 10, wherein the control circuit board is configured to close the electronic flow valve corresponding to a water leakage condition when the liquid leakage detector detects the water leakage condition. [para. 0029, isolation of leak and segregation as “corrective action”]
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
CAMPELL et al. US 2011/0056674 A1 – discloses a liquid cooled electronic rack. Para. 0053 discloses electrically actuated shut off valve 970 for automated shut off based on failures.
NICEWONGER US 2011/0313576 A1 – discloses liquid cooled electronic chassis. Discloses actuators and fluid sensors for control.
Heiland et al. US 2013/0205822 A1 – discloses liquid cooling for computing system using two cooling circuits.
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/GARY COLLINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2115
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