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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/25/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
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.
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.
Claims 1-4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takayama et al. (US 2011/0173995) in view of Kanda (JP H01-244285) and Sakaguchi (JP 2005-138083).
Regarding claim 1, Takayama teaches pulse tube type refrigerators (Paragraph [0002]). The refrigerators include heat exchangers made by laminating a plurality of metal gauzes made form copper or copper alloy (“a wire mesh laminated porous material, wherein a plurality of wire meshes are provided”) (Paragraph [0047]; Fig. 3). The gauzes may be made from substantially the same size (“each of apertures and line diameters of the wire meshes being identical therebetween”) (Paragraph [0054]). The opening length of the gauzes is from 0.05 to 1.14 mm, overlapping with the instantly claimed range (Paragraph [0058]).
Takayama is silent with respect to the metal gauzes having an interval in between.
Kanda teaches a heat exchanger formed with first and second wire meshes which are provided with gaps (Paragraph [0001]; Fig. 4). The gaps are taught to prevent thermal contact between the wire meshes so that heat transfer is reduced in an axial direction (Paragraph [0001]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the invention to form the metal gauzes of Takayama such that they are provided with gaps in order to prevent thermal contact so that heat transfer is reduced in an axial direction as taught by Kanda.
Takayama is silent with respect to the metal gauzes being relatively rotated and laminated.
Sakaguchi teaches a wire mesh filter formed integrally by laminating two or more wire meshes wherein each mesh is laminated with a constant rotation angle in the planar rotation direction so that the mesh directions do not overlap continuously (Paragraph [0001]). This rotation allows for an excellent collection function (Paragraph [0012]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the invention to form the metal gauzes of Takayama such that they are rotated and laminated in order to increase the collection function as taught by Sakaguchi.
Regarding claim 2, Takayama teaches the heat exchangers as discussed above with respect to claim 1. As discussed above, Kanda provides motivation for having gaps between the metal gauzes of Takayama in order to prevent thermal contact between the wire meshes so that heat transfer is reduced in an axial direction.
Takayama and Kanda are silent with respect to the gaps being in a range from 0.5 mm or more and 0.6 mm or less.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the invention to optimize the gaps between the metal gauzes in order to reduce heat transfer in an axial direction as taught by Takayama and Kanda such that both inventions are directed to heat exchangers for refrigerators comprising wire meshes, as discussed above, and applicant’s invention is directed towards the same (Instant Specification, Paragraph [0002]). As such, the gaps having a range of 0.5 mm or more to 0.6 mm or less is well within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art in order to efficiently reduce heat transfer.
MPEP 2144.05(II): Generally, differences in concentration or temperature will not support the patentability of subject matter encompassed by the prior art unless there is evidence indicating such concentration or temperature is critical. "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
Regarding claim 3, Takayama teaches the heat exchangers as discussed above with respect to claim 1. As illustrated in figure 2, the heat exchangers are provided in a pipe body in an extension direction (Paragraphs [0044]-[0045]).
Regarding claim 4, Takayama teaches the heat exchangers as discussed above with respect to claim 2. As illustrated in figure 2, the heat exchangers are provided in a pipe body in an extension direction (Paragraphs [0044]-[0045]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL P DILLON whose telephone number is (571)270-5657. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri; 8 AM to 5 PM.
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/DANIEL P DILLON/Examiner, Art Unit 1783
/MARIA V EWALD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1783
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