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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 12-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 3/25/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 3/25/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (CN115038303A) via its English language equivalent (US20250120051), in view of FOR1 (CN109475064A).
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a coolant distribution device (see Fig. 1-8), comprising: a housing (cabinet 2) having at least one opening (opening 221); a heat exchanger (heat exchanger 32) disposed in the housing; a first inlet port (inlet 311); a first outlet port (outlet 312), wherein the first inlet port and the first outlet port are connected to the heat exchanger; at least one pump assembly (driving assembly 331 & 332) disposed in the housing, wherein a part (see front part thereof) of the at least one pump assembly passes through the at least one opening and is exposed from the housing, and the at least one pump assembly is interconnected with the first inlet port and the heat exchanger (¶[0021]); and a first power connector (electrical connectors 336) disposed on the housing.
Wang is silent to wherein the first power connector is configured to receive direct current (DC) power.
FOR1 teaches the first power connector is configured to receive direct current (DC) power (via wire socket 3 & Page 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang to include wherein the power connector receives direct current power as taught by FOR1, in order to provide a direct current powered pump which can be operated with increased efficiency and can be accurately and quickly controlled (Page 1).
Regarding claim 7, Wang teaches the limitations of claim 1, and Wang further teaches wherein the at least one pump assembly includes a handle (335), and the handle is exposed from the housing.
Regarding claim 8, Wang teaches the limitations of claim 1, and Wang further teaches a quantity of the at least one pump assembly is two (331 & 332).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (CN115038303A) via its English language equivalent (US20250120051), in view of FOR1 (CN109475064A), and Varela (US20210352830A1).
Regarding claim 6, Wang teaches the limitations of claim 1, and Wang does not teach comprising at least one guiding structure disposed on the housing, wherein the at least one pump assembly includes a matching member, and the at least one pump assembly is disposed at the at least one guiding structure through the matching member.
Varela teaches (Fig. 29-31) at least one guiding structure (925) disposed on the housing, wherein the at least one pump assembly includes a matching member (973), and the at least one pump assembly is disposed at the at least one guiding structure through the matching member.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang to include guiding structure of Varela, in order to align the pump when inserted to the couplers (¶[0113]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 9-11 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC S RUPPERT whose telephone number is (571)272-9911. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm.
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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.
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/ERIC S RUPPERT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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