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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The recitation of “the refrigerant pipe is inserted into a hole formed in the first plate” (claim 3, line 2) is unclear. The recitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear if the hole from the recitation above is the same as the one previously disclosed in claim 1 (line 9). For examination purposes, the recitation has been considered as --the refrigerant pipe is inserted into the hole formed in the first plate--.
The recitation of “the second plate is provided with an opening” (claim 3, line 3) is unclear. The recitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear if the opening from the recitation above is the same as the one previously disclosed in claim 1 (line 10). For examination purposes, the recitation has been considered as --the second plate is provided with the opening--.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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(s) 1, 3, 8 and 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakadeguchi (EP 1087191 A1, as previously presented).
Regarding claim 1, Nakadeguchi discloses a refrigerant flow path module provided with a refrigerant flow path inside (refer to fig.1), the refrigerant flow path module comprising:
a first plate (1);
a second plate (2) that is overlapped on the first plate;
a refrigerant pipe (31, 32) that contains copper (refer to par. 60, wherein the pipe material is formed from copper or copper alloys) and is attached to the first plate (31, 32);
a brazing material that contains copper (refer to par. 77, wherein copper or copper alloys is used as the brazing material) and joins facing surfaces of the first plate and the second plate to each other (refer to par.51, wherein the joining section of the first plate 1 and the second plate 2 are joined by torch brazing); and
a storage (17, 18, figs. 5-6) that stores the brazing material in excess, wherein
the refrigerant pipe (31, 32) is inserted into a hole (11) formed in the first plate (refer to at least figs.1 and 5),
the second plate (2) is provided with an opening (23) that communicates with the refrigerant pipe and constitutes the flow path (refer to the solid lined arrows as in fig. 1),
the hole (11) is disposed inside the opening as viewed in a stacking direction of the first plate and the second plate (refer to figs.1 and 5), and
the storage (17, 18, figs. 5-6) is formed at a boundary portion between an inner peripheral surface of the opening and a plate surface of the first plate (1) facing the second plate (refer to fig.5 and par.48, wherein the molten brazing material enters the joining section 55 between the refrigerant supply tube 31 and the through hole 12 and the joining section 55 between the distributing tube 32 and the through hole 11 by capillary force; the brazing material enters the braze stopping section 17 at the head end suddenly loses the capillary force by the wide clearance at the braze stopping section 17 and the further entry of the brazing material is stopped, therefore, since the brazing material enters portion 17 and is stopped due to the loss of capillary force by the wide clearance at the portion 17, portion 17 is being considered as a storage capable of storing the brazing material in excess).
Regarding claim 3, Nakadeguchi meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 1. Further, Nakadeguchi discloses wherein the refrigerant pipe (31, 32) is inserted into the hole (11) formed in the first plate (1), the second plate (2) is provided with the opening (23) that communicates with the refrigerant pipe and constitutes the flow path (refer to the solid lined arrows as in fig. 1), the hole is disposed inside the opening (23) as viewed in the stacking direction of the first plate and the second plate, and the storage (17, 18) includes a groove disposed away from the hole radially outward and formed in a portion of the plate surface of the first plate facing the second plate, the portion facing the flow path (refer to fig. 5-6).
Regarding claim 8, Nakadeguchi discloses a refrigerant flow path module provided with a refrigerant flow path inside (refer to fig.1), the refrigerant flow path module comprising:
a first plate (1);
a second plate (2) that is overlapped on the first plate;
a refrigerant pipe (31, 32) that contains copper (refer to par. 60, wherein the pipe material is formed from copper or copper alloys) and is attached to the first plate (31, 32);
a brazing material that contains copper (refer to par. 77, wherein copper or copper alloys is used as the brazing material) and joins facing surfaces of the first plate and the second plate to each other; and
a storage (17, 18, figs. 5-6) that stores the brazing material in excess (refer to fig.5 and par.48, wherein the molten brazing material enters the joining section 55 between the refrigerant supply tube 31 and the through hole 12 and the joining section 55 between the distributing tube 32 and the through hole 11 by capillary force; the brazing material enters the braze stopping section 17 at the head end suddenly loses the capillary force by the wide clearance at the braze stopping section 17 and the further entry of the brazing material is stopped, therefore, since the brazing material enters portion 17 and is stopped due to the loss of capillary force by the wide clearance at the portion 17, portion 17 is being considered as a storage capable of storing the brazing material in excess),
wherein the refrigerant pipe (31, 32) is inserted into a hole (11) formed in the first plate (refer to at least figs.1 and 5),
the second plate (2) is provided with an opening (23) that communicates with the refrigerant pipe and constitutes the flow path (refer to the solid lined arrows as in fig. 1),
a chamfered portion (refer to chamfer portion 18 as in fig.6) is formed at a boundary between an inner peripheral surface of the opening (23) in the second plate (2) and a plate surface of the second plate facing the first plate, and
the storage includes the chamfered portion (refer to fig.6).
Regarding claim 10, Nakadeguchi meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 1. Further, Nakadeguchi discloses wherein a chamfered portion (18) is formed at a boundary between an outer peripheral surface of the first plate and a plate surface of the first plate facing the second plate (refer to fig. 6), and the storage includes the chamfered portion.
Regarding claim 11, Nakadeguchi discloses an air conditioner (refer to fig. 18) comprising the refrigerant flow path module according to claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5 and 9 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.
Claims 6-7 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 09/17/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues in page 8 of the remarks that Nakadeguchi fails to disclose the claimed storage, which stores the excess brazing material that joins the first plate and the second plate and is formed at the boundary portion between the inner peripheral surface of the opening and the plate surface of the first plate facing the second plate. This argument has been considered but is not persuasive.
Nakadeguchi discloses in par.51 that the joining sections of each plate are joined by torch brazing. Further, as can be seen from figs.5-6, Nakadeguchi discloses that the portions 17 and 18 which are formed at a boundary portion between an inner peripheral surface of the opening and a plate surface of the first plate facing the second plate (see below), are being considered as storage, since according to par.48, the molten brazing material enters the joining section 55 between the refrigerant supply tube 31 and the through hole 12 and the joining section 55 between the distributing tube 32 and the through hole 11 by capillary force; the brazing material enters the braze stopping section 17 at the head end suddenly loses the capillary force by the wide clearance at the braze stopping section 17 and the further entry of the brazing material is stopped, therefore, since the brazing material enters portion 17 and is stopped due to the loss of capillary force by the wide clearance at the portion 17, portion 17 is being considered as a storage capable of storing the brazing material in excess. Therefore, Nakadeguchi discloses the claimed storage.
PNG
media_image1.png
504
560
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Applicant argues in page 9 of the remarks that Nakadeguchi fails to disclose wherein the chamfered portion is formed at a boundary between an inner peripheral surface of the opening in the second plate and a plate surface of the second plate facing the first plate. This argument has been considered but is not persuasive.
As can be seen from fig.6 below, the chamfered portion (18) is formed at a boundary between an inner peripheral surface of the opening in the second plate and a plate surface of the second plate facing the first plate (see below).
PNG
media_image2.png
395
464
media_image2.png
Greyscale
For at least the reasons disclosed above, claims 1, 3, 8 and 10-11 remain rejected.
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 ANA M VAZQUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0611. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7-4.
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, Len Tran can be reached at 571-272-1184. 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.
/ANA M VAZQUEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
Prosecution Insights