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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, “to cooperatively define the internal coolant passage with the core housing member” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 1-20, are 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.
Regarding claim(s) 1, 11, and 20; “gradually decreasing” is unclear; whereas i.e. Fig. 4 does not depict a gradual decrease of each successive projection in the downstream direction but rather an abrupt change in spacing between three different groups of projections, and thus gradually decreasing may be construed to read on varying claim constructions, as presented.
Regarding claim(s) 7 and 17; “a channel recessed thereon” is unclear; whereas it cannot be readily ascertained if a channel is the same structure as the coolant passage, if the coolant passage is deemed to include a recessed channel, if the channel is deemed to further include the coolant passage or if the channel and the coolant passage are intended as separate structures.
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(s) 1-4, 6-8,10-14, 16-18, and 20, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (Lee 20100172091).
Regarding Claim 1; Lee as best understood discloses a system for an electronics device (as constituted by an electronic vehicle control system having power chips in combination with a cooling apparatus in which the chips are operative to generate heat when a large current flow therethrough and the cooling apparatus is operative to use a circulating coolant employed for improving heat dissipation performance—as set forth by para. 0002) comprising: a thermal support structure with a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and an internal coolant passage extending in a downstream direction from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet (as depicted by Fig. 5(C)—whereas 11-15 constitutes a thermal support structure defining a base-11 coupled to fins-12 and a duct cover-13 and comprising a fluid inlet-14 coupling a coolant passage in a downstream direction to a fluid outlet-15—as set forth by para. 0042); the thermal support structure including an external support face that supports the electronics device and that is thermally coupled thereto (as depicted by Fig. 5(C)—whereas 11 has an exterior face which supports power semiconductor chips 16, each including an IGBT—para. 0043); and the thermal support structure including an internal face that partly defines the internal coolant passage, the internal face including a plurality of projections that project into the internal coolant passage and are configured for transfer of heat from the electronics device to a flow of coolant through the internal passage (as depicted by Fig. 5(C)—whereas projections-12 extend from an internal surface of the base-11 in to the coolant passage), the plurality of projections arranged into an array that extends along the downstream direction a spacing in the array between neighboring ones of the plurality of projections being non-uniform along the downstream direction, the spacing gradually decreasing along the downstream direction (as depicted by Fig. 5(A)—whereas in one construction atleast three groups of the neighboring projections are disposed along the downstream direction from left to right; and wherein a first set of neighboring projections in a first group at a left side of 11 comprises larger spacing between neighboring projections of the first set relative to a second set of neighboring projections in second group in a middle of 11 comprising medium spacing between neighboring projections in the second group; and in comparison thereto a third set of neighboring projections in a third group at a right side of 11 comprises a smaller spacing between neighboring projections of the third group OR otherwise as depicted by Fig. 5(B)— whereas in one construction atleast three groups of the neighboring projections are disposed along the downstream direction from left to right; and wherein atleast two neighboring projections in a first group at a left side of 11 in a downstream direction comprises larger spacing therebetween relative to a second set of neighboring projections in a second group in a middle of 11 comprising medium spacing therebetween atleast two neighboring projections in a downstream direction; and in comparison thereto atleast two neighboring projections in a third group at a right side of 11 comprises a smaller spacing therebetween in a downstream direction).
Regarding Claim 2; Lee discloses the system of claim 1, wherein individual ones of the plurality of projections extend, respectively, along a projection axis with a cross-section taken normal thereto, the cross-section being common to each of the plurality of projections (as depicted by Fig. 5(A) or 5(B)).
Regarding Claim 3; Lee discloses the system of claim 2, wherein the cross-section is rounded (as depicted by Fig. 5(A) or 5(B)).
Regarding Claim 4; Lee discloses the system of claim 3, wherein the cross-section is circular (as depicted by Fig. 5(A) or 5(B)).
Regarding Claim 6; Lee discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the array has a first zone with a first spacing, a second zone with a second spacing, and a third zone with a third spacing, the second zone disposed between the first zone and the third zone along the downstream direction, the second spacing being greater than the third spacing, and the first spacing being greater than the second spacing (as already set forth).
Regarding Claim 7; Lee discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the thermal support structure includes a core housing member with a channel recessed thereon; and wherein the thermal support structure further includes a thermal support member that is fixed to the core housing member and covers over the channel to cooperatively define the internal coolant passage with the core housing member (as depicted by Fig. 5(C)—whereas atleast an internal surface and side portion(s) extending transverse therefrom coupling to 14 and 15 defines a channel recess forming a part of and/or corresponding to the internal surface of 11 and other side portion(s) extending transverse therefrom and coupling to 14-15).
Regarding Claim 8; Lee discloses the system of claim 7, wherein the internal coolant passage is defined by a boundary surface of the core housing member the boundary surface extending along the downstream direction, and wherein the boundary surface is contoured (as constituted by the internal surface of 11 and other side portion(s) extending transverse therefrom and coupling to 14-15.
Regarding Claim 10; Lee discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the internal coolant passage has a length measured along the downstream direction, wherein the internal coolant passage has a width that is measured transverse to the downstream direction, and wherein the length is greater than the width (as depicted by Fig.’s 5(A)-5(C)—whereas the coolant passage length is greater than a width).
Regarding Claims 11-14, 16-18; the method steps are necessitated by the already disclosed structure of Lee 091’.
Regarding Claim 20; Lee discloses a inverter system comprising: a plurality of transistors (as constituted by an electronic vehicle control system having power chips/IGBTs in an inverter circuit in combination with a cooling apparatus in which the chips are operative to generate heat when a large current flow therethrough and the cooling apparatus is operative to use a circulating coolant employed for improving heat dissipation performance—as set forth by para. 0002); and a thermal support structure with a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and an internal coolant passage extending in a downstream direction from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet (as depicted by Fig. 5(C)—whereas 11-15 constitutes a thermal support structure defining a base-11 coupled to fins-12 and a duct cover-13 and comprising a fluid inlet-14 coupling a coolant passage in a downstream direction to a fluid outlet-15—as set forth by para. 0042), the thermal support structure including an external support face that supports the plurality of transistors and that is thermally coupled thereto (as depicted by Fig. 5(C)—whereas 11 has an exterior face which supports power semiconductor chips 16, each including an IGBT—para. 0043), the thermal support structure including an internal face that partly defines the internal coolant passage (as depicted by Fig. 5(C)—whereas projections-12 extend from an internal surface of the base-11 in to the coolant passage), the internal face including a plurality of projections that project into the internal coolant passage and that are configured for transfer of heat from the plurality of transistors to a flow of coolant through the internal passage, the plurality of projections arranged into an array that extends along the downstream direction, a spacing in the array between neighboring ones of the plurality of projections being non-uniform along the downstream direction, the spacing gradually decreasing along the downstream direction (as depicted by Fig. 5(A)—whereas in one construction atleast three groups of the neighboring projections are disposed along the downstream direction from left to right; and wherein a first set of neighboring projections in a first group at a left side of 11 comprises larger spacing between neighboring projections of the first set relative to a second set of neighboring projections in second group in a middle of 11 comprising medium spacing between neighboring projections in the second group; and in comparison thereto a third set of neighboring projections in a third group at a right side of 11 comprises a smaller spacing between neighboring projections of the third group OR otherwise as depicted by Fig. 5(B)— whereas in one construction atleast three groups of the neighboring projections are disposed along the downstream direction from left to right; and wherein atleast two neighboring projections in a first group at a left side of 11 in a downstream direction comprises larger spacing therebetween relative to a second set of neighboring projections in a second group in a middle of 11 comprising medium spacing therebetween atleast two neighboring projections in a downstream direction; and in comparison thereto atleast two neighboring projections in a third group at a right side of 11 comprises a smaller spacing therebetween in a downstream direction).
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) 5 and 15, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (Lee 20100172091) in view of (Lee 2024/0116356).
Regarding Claim 5; Lee discloses the system of claim 3, except, explicitly wherein the cross-section is ovate. However, Lee 356’ discloses a cross-section is ovate (as set forth by para 0034), and thus it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to modify the round cross-section as ovate so as to achieve a desired turbulence and/or heat dissipation effect on the coolant flowing through the passage, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Regarding Claim 15; the method steps are necessitated by the already modified structure of Lee 091’ and Lee 356’.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, and 19, 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. Regarding Claim 9; the system of claim 7, wherein the internal coolant passage is defined by a divider of the core housing member, the divider configured to divide the flow of coolant moving from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet into a first flow and a second flow. Regarding Claim 19; the method of claim 17, wherein the internal coolant passage is defined by a divider of the core housing member, the divider configured to divide the flow of coolant moving from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet into a first flow and a second flow.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20250374490 A1
LEE K et al.
Fig. 5
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/COURTNEY L SMITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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