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 § 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) 1-11, 14, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okazaki (Japanese Patent Publication JP2013139971A) in view of Cho et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0126141, “Cho”).
Regarding claim 1, Okazaki discloses a heat exchanger, comprising:
a first header (3) having
a first bent section (see annotated fig 1 below), and
a first linear section (see annotated fig 1 below) extending from the first bent section;
a second header (4) having
a second bent section (see annotated fig 1 below) bent in a same direction as the first bent section, and opposed to the first bent section, and
a second linear section (see annotated fig 1 below) extending from the second bent section;
first heat transfer pipes (1, see annotated fig 1 below) arranged along the first bent section and connecting the first bent section and the second bent section;
second heat transfer pipes (1, see annotated fig 1 below) arranged along the first linear section and connecting the first linear section and the second linear section; and
fins (2) to transfer heat from the first heat transfer pipes and the second heat transfer pipes, the fins each being disposed between adjacent two of the first heat transfer pipes or between adjacent two of the second heat transfer pipes, wherein
at least one fin of the fins has a weak portion (14, fig 4), the weak portion of each of the at least one fin having a lower rigidity than other portions of the fin (¶0018), the weak portion being more readily deformed than the other portions in response to a change in a distance between the adjacent two of the first heat transfer pipes (¶0018-0020).
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However, Okazaki does not explicitly disclose at least one of the second heat transfer pipes is warped so as to be in a shape of a convex curve oriented toward the first bent section and the second bent section. Cho, however, discloses a heat exchanger (fig 8) wherein heat transfer pipes (208) are warped so as to be in a shape of a convex curve (214a, 214b). Cho teaches that the concave curves reduce thermal stress on the heat exchanger (¶0016). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Okazaki to provide the concave curves of Cho on the second heat transfer pipes in order to reduce thermal stress. This would result in the second heat transfer pipe having a convex curved oriented toward the first bent section and the second bent section.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. Okazaki further discloses wherein each of the fins (2) has a plate segment extending from one to the other of the adjacent two of the first heat transfer pipes (1), and the weak portion (14) is disposed in a part encompassing at least one of an end face of the plate segment that faces an inner side of bending of the first bent section, or an end face that faces an outer side of bending of the first bent section (see annotated fig 4b below).
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Regarding claim 3, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. Okazaki further discloses wherein the weak portion (14) has a fin-bent portion formed by bending the plate segment so as to protrude from one main surface of the plate segment (see annotated fig 4b below).
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Regarding claim 4, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. Okazaki further discloses wherein the one main surface (see annotated fig 4b above) of the plate segment faces a gravity direction, and the fin-bent portion (14) protrudes in the gravity direction (see annotated fig 4a below).
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Regarding claim 5, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. Okazaki, in another embodiment (fig 6) further discloses wherein the weak portion (15) has a first notch cut out (15), toward a central part of the plate segment (see annotated fig 6 below), from one of the end face of the plate segment that faces the inner side of bending of the first bent section, or the end face that faces the outer side of bending of the first bent section (see annotated fig 6 below).
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Regarding claim 6, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. Okazaki further discloses wherein each of the first notches (15) has a triangular shape (fig 6) when viewed in a direction orthogonal to main surfaces of the plate segment.
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. Okazaki further discloses wherein the weak portion (15) has the first notch, and a second notch cut out, toward the central part of the plate segment (see annotated fig 6 above), from the other of the end face of the plate segment that faces the inner side of bending of the first bent section, or the end face that faces the outer side of bending of the first bent section (see annotated fig 6 above).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. Okazaki further discloses wherein the weak portion (14) has a first thin portion (see annotated fig 5c below, as the bending of the plate would thin the portion) at a position adjoining the end face that faces the outer side of bending of the first bent section (fig 5c), the first thin portion having a smaller thickness than other portions of the plate segment.
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Regarding claim 9, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. Okazaki further discloses wherein the first thin portion has, when viewed in a direction orthogonal to main surfaces of the plate segment, a triangular shape having a vertex (see annotated fig 5c below) located adjacent to a central part of the plate segment, and an opposite side of the vertex located at the end face of the plate segment (fig 5c).
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Regarding claim 10, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. Okazaki further discloses wherein the weak portion has the first thin portion (14), and a second thin portion (14) at a position adjoining the other of the end face of the plate segment that faces the inner side of bending of the first bent section (such as shown in fig 4), the second thin portion having a smaller thickness than other portions of the plate segment (as the bending of the plate would thin the portion).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. Okazaki further discloses wherein each of the fins (2) has a plate segment having a shape of corrugation between one and another of the adjacent two of the first heat transfer pipes (1), and the weak portion (14) is disposed in the plate segment and has warped portions making a width of mountain portions or valley portions of the corrugation larger than a half of a wavelength of the corrugation (see annotated fig 4a below).
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Regarding claim 14, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. Okazaki further discloses wherein the fins (2) include first fins each having the weak portion (14), and second fins each not having the weak portion (as the weak portions are only applied to areas that are bent, see ¶0020).
Regarding claim 18, Okazaki discloses a method of fabricating a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
building a semifinished heat exchanger including
a first header (3) having a first linear pipe section (see annotated fig 1 below),
a second header (4) having a second linear pipe section (see annotated fig 1 below) in parallel to the first linear pipe section,
heat transfer pipes (1) arranged along the first linear pipe section and connecting the first linear pipe section and the second linear pipe section (fig 1), and
fins (2) to transfer heat from the heat transfer pipes, the fins each being disposed between adjacent two of the heat transfer pipes (fig 1), at least one fin of the fins having a weak portion (14, fig 4), the weak portion of each of the at least one fin having a lower rigidity than other portions of the fin (¶0018-0020), the weak portion being more readily deformed than the other portions in response to a change in a distance between the adjacent two of the heat transfer pipes (¶0018-0020); and
producing a heat exchanger including the first header having a first bent section and a first linear section extending from the first bent section and the second header having a second bent section bent in a same direction as the first bent section and opposed to the first bent section and a second linear section extending from the second bent section, the heat exchanger being produced by bending, in a same direction, the first linear pipe section of the first header included in the semifinished heat exchanger and the second linear pipe section of the second header included in the semifinished heat exchanger (such as shown in fig 1), wherein
in the producing of the heat exchanger, the bending of the first linear pipe section of the first header and the second linear pipe section of the second header changes the distance between the adjacent two of the heat transfer pipes and deforms the weak portion (¶0017),
the heat transfer pipes include heat transfer pipes connecting the first linear section and the second linear section (fig 1).
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However, Okazaki does not explicitly disclose at least one of the heat transfer pipes connecting the first linear section and the second linear section is warped so as to be in a shape of a convex curve oriented toward the first bent section and the second bent section. Cho, however, discloses a heat exchanger (fig 8) wherein heat transfer pipes (208) are warped so as to be in a shape of a convex curve (214a, 214b). Cho teaches that the concave curves reduce thermal stress on the heat exchanger (¶0016). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Okazaki to provide the concave curves of Cho on the second heat transfer pipes in order to reduce thermal stress. This would result in the second heat transfer pipe having a convex curved oriented toward the first bent section and the second bent section.
Claim(s) 1 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al. (Chinese Patent Publication CN104567507A, “Wu”) in view of Cho et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0126141, “Cho”).
Regarding claim 1, Wu discloses a heat exchanger (fig 3), comprising:
a first header (20) having a first bent section (21, see annotated fig 3 below), and
a first linear section (see annotated fig 3 below) extending from the first bent section;
a second header (20) having
a second bent section (21, see annotated fig 3 below) bent in a same direction as the first bent section, and opposed to the first bent section, and
a second linear section (see annotated fig 3 below) extending from the second bent section;
first heat transfer pipes (40, see annotated fig 3 below) arranged along the first bent section and connecting the first bent section and the second bent section;
second heat transfer pipes (40, see annotated fig 3 below) arranged along the first linear section and connecting the first linear section and the second linear section; and
fins (10) to transfer heat from the first heat transfer pipes and the second heat transfer pipes, the fins each being disposed between adjacent two of the first heat transfer pipes or between adjacent two of the second heat transfer pipes (fig 3), wherein
at least one fin of the fins has a weak portion (200), the weak portion of each of the at least one fin having a lower rigidity than other portions of the fin, the weak portion being more readily deformed than the other portions in response to a change in a distance between the adjacent two of the first heat transfer pipes (page 3, lines 43-48).
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However, Wu does not explicitly disclose wherein at least one of the second heat transfer pipes is warped so as to be in a shape of a convex curve oriented toward the first bent section and the second bent section. Cho, however, discloses a heat exchanger (fig 8) wherein heat transfer pipes (208) are warped so as to be in a shape of a convex curve (214a, 214b). Cho teaches that the concave curves reduce thermal stress on the heat exchanger (¶0016). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Wu to provide the concave curves of Cho on the second heat transfer pipes in order to reduce thermal stress. This would result in the second heat transfer pipe having a convex curved oriented toward the first bent section and the second bent section.
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Wu and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. Wu further discloses wherein all of the fins have the weak portion (200, as they allow for different bending of the heat exchanger, see page 3, lines 43-48).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okazaki and Cho as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Katsumaru et al. (PCT Publication WO2020234931A1, “Katsumaru”).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. However, they do not explicitly disclose wherein the fins protrude further than the first heat transfer pipes, toward at least one of an inner side or an outer side of bending of the first bent section. Katsumaru, however, discloses a heat exchanger (fig 7) wherein fins (41) protrude further than the first heat transfer pipes (of bent portion 7), toward an outer side of bending of the first bent section. Katsumaru teaches that by having fins protruding at the bending area buckling of the fins can be prevented. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Okazaki to have the first fins protrude as taught by Katsumaru in order to prevent buckling of the fins.
Claim(s) 15 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okazaki and Cho as applied to claim 14 above, and further in view of Hiraide et al. (Japanese Patent Publication JP2002243381A, “Hiraide”).
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. However, they do not explicitly disclose wherein the first fins and the second fins are alternately arranged in gaps between the first heat transfer pipes, the gaps being aligned in an arrangement direction of the first heat transfer pipes. Hiraide, however, discloses a heat exchanger (fig 7) wherein first fins (3’) and second fins (3) are alternately arranged in gaps between first heat transfer pipes (2), the gaps being aligned in an arrangement direction of the first heat transfer pipes (fig 7). Hiraide teaches that the strain due to bending is concentrated on the first fins and allows for the second fins to avoid buckling (¶0039). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Okazaki to have the first and second fins alternately arranged as taught by Hiraide in order to avoid buckling in second fins which would not require the weak portion, thus reduce manufacturing complexity.
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Okazaki and Cho discloses all previous claim limitations. However, they do not explicitly disclose wherein the second fins are arranged in gaps between the first heat transfer pipes, the gaps being aligned in an arrangement direction of the first heat transfer pipes, the second fins constituting fin arrays successively aligned in the arrangement direction of the first heat transfer pipes, each of the fin arrays including two or more of the second fins successively aligned in the arrangement direction, and the first fins are each disposed between adjacent two of the fin arrays. However, Hiraide discloses a heat exchanger (fig 7) disclose wherein second fins (3) are arranged in gaps between first heat transfer pipes (2), the gaps being aligned in an arrangement direction of the first heat transfer pipes, the second fins constituting fin arrays successively aligned in the arrangement direction of the first heat transfer pipes, each of the fin arrays including two or more of the second fins successively aligned in the arrangement direction, and first fins (3’) are each disposed between adjacent two of the fin arrays (fig 7). Hiraide teaches that the strain due to bending is concentrated on the first fins and allows for the second fins to avoid buckling (¶0039). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Okazaki to have the first and second fins alternately arranged as taught by Hiraide in order to avoid buckling in second fins which would not require the weak portion, thus reduce manufacturing complexity.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARRY E ARANT whose telephone number is (571)272-1105. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10-6 ET.
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/HARRY E ARANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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