DETAILED ACTIONNotice 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 Objections
Claims 15, 16, 18, and 19 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 15, a stray space appears before the final period (“through the duct .”).
Regarding claim 16, “located closer to the trailing end of the housing that the at least one outlet” should apparently read “than the at least one outlet.”
Regarding claim 18, “extending between a leading end an a trailing end” should apparently read “and a trailing end.”
Regarding claim 19, “closer to the trailing end of said housing that the at least one outlet” should apparently read “than the at least one outlet.”
Appropriate correction is required. For purposes of examination, claims 16 and 19 are interpreted as reciting “than.”
Claim Interpretation
The following claim interpretations are made of record under the broadest reasonable interpretation standard. See MPEP 2111.
Regarding “an upper housing” (claims 1, 15, 18), the claim language does not recite any structural limitation distinguishing the upper housing from an upper wall portion of the housing beyond its position and its cooperation with the cooling structure to define the electronics enclosure. Claim 15 recites “coupling an upper housing to the cooling structure to define an electronics enclosure,” confirming that the upper housing is a component joined to the cooling structure such that the two “form a housing,” without limitation as to the manner of coupling or the point of manufacture at which the components are joined. The broadest reasonable interpretation of “an upper housing” therefore encompasses an upper wall or skin portion of a housing that, together with a lower cooling structure, defines an enclosure for the electronics assembly, whether the upper housing is separately fabricated and attached or integrally formed with the remainder of the housing. This interpretation is consistent with the specification, which describes housing 102 comprising radome 104 and lower housing 106, the lower housing including cooling structure 402 in which the inlet, outlet, and duct are defined (specification, [0024]). Under this interpretation, the upper skin of the wing 1 of Wetzel, together with the lower inlet-defining structure of the wing enclosing components 2, constitutes an upper housing and a cooling structure defining an electronics enclosure as claimed.
Regarding “wherein an electronics assembly is disposed in the electronics enclosure” (claim 18), this wherein clause is interpreted as positively reciting the electronics assembly as an element of the claimed combination, and the grounds of rejection herein treat it accordingly; the rejections therefore do not rest on an intended-use interpretation.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 6, 7, 11-13, 15, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Benvenisti et al. (WO 2022/013322 A1, hereinafter “Benvenisti”).
Regarding claim 1, Benvenisti discloses a thermal management system comprising: a housing extending between a leading end and a trailing end (PM-ABR 10, extending between leading edge LE and trailing edge TE, Figs. 01b, 05a; p. 5, lines 25-27; mounted to airplane fuselage 99 via Common-Adaptor-Plate 18, p. 6, lines 8-9), said housing comprising: a cooling structure defining at least one inlet, at least one outlet, and a duct coupled in flow communication between the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet (air-cooling duct including Inlet-Section 12 with entrance of cold air at the LE, Main-Section 14, and Outlet-Section 16 where the air exhausts from the ACD, with channel 220 extending from inlet 220a to outlet 220b, p. 5, lines 28-30; p. 6, lines 2-4; Fig. 05a), wherein said cooling structure is configured to generate a fluid flow from the at least one inlet to the at least one outlet through the duct in response to said housing moving through a fluid (entrance of cold air “to allow ‘air-breathing’” created at the LE “facing the high-speed air,” p. 5, lines 28-30; airflow a-b-c-d through channel 220 induced at platform velocity Vx, Figs. 03b, 05b; natural heat-evacuation method, p. 7, lines 30-31); and an upper housing, said upper housing and said cooling structure defining an electronics enclosure (canopy 101 disposed over the Main-Section 14, wherein the FPAs, T-An, and R-An “are located inside a thin, wide and long closed-cavity, isolated from the ambient atmosphere,” p. 5, lines 31-33; p. 6, lines 10-12; Figs. 06a, 06b); and an electronics assembly disposed in the electronics enclosure of said housing in contact with said cooling structure (R-An 600R and T-An 600T thermally attached to the heat spreader HSP 400, p. 7, lines 24-28; heat sinks 500 disposed within channel 220, Figs. 04d, 06c, 07a), wherein said cooling structure is configured to transfer heat generated by said electronics assembly to the fluid moving through the duct to cool said electronics assembly (thermal connecting/bonding techniques applied to avoid thermal resistance such that heat flux “will efficiently convey the thermal-energy towards the ACD,” p. 7, lines 28-31; exhaust air temperature larger than incoming air temperature, p. 6, lines 3-5).Regarding claim 6, Benvenisti discloses wherein said cooling structure comprises a plurality of cooling fins extending into the duct (heat sinks 500 comprising a plurality of fins disposed within channel 220, Figs. 04b, 04d, 06c, 07a; vertical dividers within the ACD from the inlet, through the HEX, to the outlet, p. 12, lines 20-23; HEX cooling channels partially occupying the area of the heat generating areas, p. 12, lines 25-27; the various heat-emitted FPAs thermally attached to the HSP 400 with heat sinks located within the air-cooling duct, p. 7, lines 24-28).Regarding claim 7, Benvenisti discloses wherein the electronics enclosure is disposed between said upper housing and the duct defined by said cooling structure (the FPAs, T-An, and R-An located inside the closed-cavity of the Main-Section beneath canopy 101, p. 5, lines 31-33; p. 6, lines 10-12; bypass duct created below the ACD 200, having height h1, “thus a thin duct exists,” [p. 11], lines 9-10; multi-channel ACD divisions disposed under the Satcom Antenna, p. 12, lines 22-24; Figs. 06b, 06d, 07b, 07c, 08b).
Regarding claim 11, Benvenisti discloses wherein the fluid is air (naturally cool air collected by the inlet across the canopy when flying; entrance of cold-air at the LE “to allow ‘air-breathing’” of the ACD, p. 5, lines 28-30; air-cooling duct 220, Fig. 05b).
Regarding claim 12, Benvenisti discloses wherein said housing is attached to an exterior surface of an aircraft (PM-ABR mounted on the rear side of an airplane fuselage, p. 5, lines 8-9; Common-Adaptor-Plate 18 connecting the PM-ABR to the airplane fuselage 99, p. 6, lines 8-9; CAP 18 connected to the fuselage structure by 4-7 connectors, p. 6, lines 17-19; mounted on narrow-body and wide-body passenger aircraft including Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 families, p. 5, lines 20-24; Figs. 01a-1, 01c(b)).
Regarding claim 13, Benvenisti discloses wherein said electronics assembly comprises at least one of a transmitter array and/or a receiver array (the T-An 600T and the R-An 600R — transmitting and receiving antennas of the SATCOM system — thermally attached to the HSP 400, p. 7, lines 24-28; SATCOM FPAs, p. 7, lines 21-25; Figs. 01e, 04d).
Regarding claim 15, Benvenisti discloses a method for manufacturing a thermal management system, the method comprising: forming a cooling structure that defines at least one inlet, at least one outlet, and a duct coupled in flow communication between the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet, wherein the cooling structure is configured to generate a fluid flow from the at least one inlet to the at least one outlet through the duct in response to moving through a fluid, as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above (ACD with Inlet-Section 12, Outlet-Section 16, and channel 220, p. 5, lines 28-30; p. 6, lines 2-4); positioning an electronics assembly in contact with the cooling structure, wherein the cooling structure is configured to transfer heat generated by the electronics assembly to the fluid moving through the duct (R-An 600R and T-An 600T thermally attached to HSP 400 by thermal connecting/bonding/contacting techniques, p. 7, lines 24-29); and coupling an upper housing to the cooling structure to define an electronics enclosure, wherein the electronics assembly is disposed in the electronics enclosure, wherein the upper housing and cooling structure form a housing extending between a leading end and a trailing end, and wherein the cooling structure is configured to cause the fluid to move through the duct (canopy 101 disposed over the closed-cavity of Main-Section 14 containing the FPAs, p. 5, lines 31-33; p. 6, lines 10-12; PM-ABR 10 extending between LE and TE, Fig. 05a). The assembly of Benvenisti’s disclosed structure necessarily comprises forming the cooling structure, positioning the electronics assembly in thermal contact therewith, and coupling the canopy thereto; Benvenisti expressly describes the bonding and contacting steps by which the heat-emitting elements are attached (p. 7, lines 28-29).
Regarding claim 18, Benvenisti discloses a housing for a thermal management system, said housing extending between a leading end and a trailing end and comprising: a cooling structure defining at least one inlet, at least one outlet, and a duct coupled in flow communication between the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet, wherein said cooling structure is configured to generate a fluid flow from the at least one inlet to the at least one outlet through the duct in response to said housing moving through a fluid; and an upper housing, said upper housing and said cooling structure defining an electronics enclosure, wherein an electronics assembly is disposed in the electronics enclosure of the housing in contact with said cooling structure, and wherein said cooling structure is configured to transfer heat generated by the electronics assembly to the fluid moving through the duct to cool the electronics assembly, all as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above (PM-ABR 10 with ACD sections 12/16 and channel 220, canopy 101, closed-cavity Main-Section 14, antennas 600R/600T thermally attached to HSP 400; p. 5, lines 28-33; p. 6, lines 2-12; p. 7, lines 24-31; Figs. 05a, 06d).
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.
Claims 1, 6, 7, 11, 12, 15, and 18 are additionally rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wetzel (US 2015/0232191 A1, hereinafter “Wetzel”) in view of Kimura et al. (US 2017/0027088 A1, hereinafter “Kimura”).
Regarding claim 1, Wetzel discloses a thermal management system comprising: a housing extending between a leading end and a trailing end (wing 1 having a front side and a trailing region, Fig. 1; [0022]), said housing comprising: a cooling structure defining at least one inlet, at least one outlet, and a duct coupled in flow communication between the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet (air inlet 11, air outlet 12, and the interior flow path within wing 1 through which cooling air flow 4 passes, Fig. 1; [0020]), wherein said cooling structure is configured to generate a fluid flow from the at least one inlet to the at least one outlet through the duct in response to said housing moving through a fluid (“The outer flow 3 which flows past the wing 1 brings about a pressure difference between the air inlet 11 and the air outlet 12 in such a manner that a cooling air flow 4 is formed within the wing 1,” [0020]); and an upper housing, said upper housing and said cooling structure defining an electronics enclosure (upper skin of wing 1 and the lower inlet-defining structure together enclosing components 2, Fig. 1; [0009]; see Claim Interpretation, above); and an electronics assembly disposed in the electronics enclosure of said housing (electrical or electronic components which require cooling accommodated within the wing, [0009]; components 2, Fig. 1). Wetzel does not disclose said electronics assembly in contact with said cooling structure, wherein said cooling structure is configured to transfer heat generated by said electronics assembly to the fluid moving through the duct to cool said electronics assembly. Kimura discloses an electronics assembly in contact with a cooling structure, wherein the cooling structure is configured to transfer heat generated by the electronics assembly to fluid moving through a duct to cool the electronics assembly (heat exchanger “thermally in contact with the electronic device and exposed to the ram air channel so as to radiate heat to a ram air,” [0014]; devices 11 thermally in contact with thermal conductors 21 extending to and exposed to ram air channel 13, Fig. 3; [0026]-[0027]; partition wall 15 constituting part of the heat transfer path from the devices to the ram air channel, Fig. 3; [0030]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to dispose the electronic components of Wetzel in contact with the duct-defining structure via thermal conductors as taught by Kimura, so that heat generated by the components is radiated to the air moving through the channel and “does not cause notable temperature rise in the respective devices” (Kimura, [0031]), while preserving Wetzel’s expressly stated benefits of omitting fans — reliability, low weight, and low production costs (Wetzel, [0008]).Regarding claim 6, Wetzel in view of Kimura teaches wherein said cooling structure comprises a plurality of cooling fins extending into the duct (Kimura: each thermal conductor 21 has “a tip with a structure that increases its surface area, such as a plurality of fins,” the tips exposed to the flow of the ram air in ram air channel 13, [0027]; Fig. 3).Regarding claim 7, Wetzel in view of Kimura teaches wherein the electronics enclosure is disposed between said upper housing and the duct defined by said cooling structure (Wetzel: components 2 disposed within wing 1 above air inlet 11 located at the lower side of the wing 1, with the cooling air flow path entering from below the components, Fig. 1; [0020]; see Claim Interpretation, above).Regarding claim 11, Wetzel in view of Kimura teaches wherein the fluid is air (Wetzel: cooling air flow 4 formed within the wing by the pressure difference brought about by the outer flow of air, [0020]; Kimura: ram air Ar flowing through ram air channel 13, [0025], [0027]).Regarding claim 12, Wetzel in view of Kimura teaches wherein said housing is attached to an exterior surface of an aircraft (Wetzel: the device for cooling arranged in one or more wings of an aircraft, the wing accommodating the electrical or electronic components, [0008]-[0009]; Fig. 1).Regarding claim 15, Wetzel in view of Kimura teaches the method substantially as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above, the combination rendering obvious forming the cooling structure, positioning the electronic components in contact therewith via thermal conductors (Kimura, [0026]-[0027]), and enclosing the components within the wing structure (Wetzel, [0009], [0020]), the ordinary assembly of the taught system comprising the claimed forming, positioning, and coupling steps.Regarding claim 18, Wetzel in view of Kimura teaches the housing substantially as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above, the wherein clauses reciting the electronics assembly and heat transfer being taught by the combination for the same reasons stated therein (Wetzel, [0009], [0020]; Kimura, [0014], [0026]-[0027], [0030]).
Claims 2, 9, 10, 16, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Benvenisti as applied to claims 1, 15, and 18 above, and further in view of Wetzel.
Regarding claim 2, Benvenisti discloses the thermal management system of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein the at least one inlet is located closer to the trailing end of said housing than the at least one outlet. Wetzel discloses that the locations of an air inlet and an air outlet on a housing moving through a fluid are selected according to the pressure values at the respective fitting locations (“it is possible to read off the pressure values for the fitting locations of the air inlet 11 and air outlet 12 with respect to the wing 1. The difference of the pressure values for the air inlet 11 and air outlet 12 constitutes the pressure difference which results in the formation of a cooling air flow 4,” [0021]; Fig. 2), and discloses alternative arrangements of the air inlet and the air outlet at differing positions on the housing (alternative arrangement of the air inlet and outlet, [0019]; Fig. 4; front-side inlet placement, [0022]; Fig. 3; additional inlets and outlets positioned to increase the cooling air flow, [0020]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to position the at least one inlet of Benvenisti closer to the trailing end of the housing than the at least one outlet, since Wetzel establishes that inlet and outlet placement on a housing moving through a fluid is a result-effective variable governed by the local surface pressure distribution during movement ([0021]), and selecting the fitting locations of the inlet and outlet according to the pressure values at those locations to form the cooling air flow would have been a matter of routine optimization yielding predictable results. See MPEP 2144.05(II). Moreover, applicant’s own specification describes the relative placement of the inlet and outlet in permissive terms, providing that the inlet and outlet “may each either be located near leading end 108 or trailing end 110” (specification, [0023]), and thus does not attribute criticality to the claimed arrangement.Regarding claim 9, Benvenisti discloses the thermal management system of claim 1, and further discloses split inlet/outlet and central inlet/outlet configurations formed in the top surface of the canopy, with multi-channel ACD divisions under the Satcom antenna (p. 12, lines 20-24; Fig. 03J, section and top views), but does not expressly disclose wherein the at least one inlet is disposed on an upper surface of said cooling structure. Wetzel discloses that the fitting locations of an air inlet and an air outlet on a housing moving through a fluid are selected according to the pressure values at the respective locations, the difference of the pressure values at the selected fitting locations forming the cooling air flow ([0021]; Fig. 2), and further discloses positioning the air inlet at alternative surfaces of the housing (air inlet 11 at the front side of the wing in addition to the lower side, [0022]; Fig. 3; alternative arrangements of the air inlet and outlet, [0019]; Fig. 4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to dispose the at least one inlet of Benvenisti on an upper surface of the cooling structure, in accordance with Benvenisti’s own top-surface split and central inlet/outlet configurations (Fig. 03J) and Wetzel’s teaching that inlet placement on a housing moving through a fluid is a result-effective variable governed by the local surface pressure distribution, such that selecting the inlet fitting location according to the pressure values at that location would have been a matter of routine optimization yielding predictable results ([0021]). See MPEP 2144.05(II). Moreover, applicant’s own specification describes the claimed placement in permissive terms, providing that “[i]n certain embodiments, inlet 114 is located on an upper surface of housing 102, adjacent to radome 104” (specification, [0023]), among several alternative placements, and thus does not attribute criticality to the claimed location.
Regarding claim 10, Benvenisti discloses the thermal management system of claim 1, including split and central inlet/outlet configurations at differing positions on the canopy (p. 12, lines 20-24; Fig. 03J), but does not disclose wherein the at least one outlet is disposed on a side-facing surface of said cooling structure. Wetzel discloses that the fitting locations of an air inlet and an air outlet on a housing moving through a fluid are selected according to the pressure values at the respective locations, the difference of the pressure values at the selected fitting locations forming the cooling air flow ([0021]; Fig. 2), and further discloses arranging the air outlet at alternative positions on the housing (air outlet 12 at the upper side, [0020]; Fig. 1; air outlet 12 at the trailing region, [0019]; Fig. 4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to dispose the at least one outlet of Benvenisti on a side-facing surface of the cooling structure, since Wetzel establishes that outlet placement on a housing moving through a fluid is a result-effective variable governed by the local surface pressure distribution, and selecting the outlet fitting location according to the pressure values at that location — including a side surface exhibiting suitable pressure — would have been a matter of routine optimization yielding predictable results ([0021]). See MPEP 2144.05(II). Moreover, applicant’s own specification describes the claimed placement in permissive terms, providing that “outlet 116 is located on a side-facing surface of housing 102” only “[i]n certain embodiments” among several disclosed alternatives (specification, [0023]), and thus does not attribute criticality to the claimed location.Regarding claim 16, Benvenisti in view of Wetzel teaches wherein the at least one inlet is located closer to the trailing end of the housing than the at least one outlet, as set forth in the rejection of claim 2 above, the same routine-optimization rationale applying to the method of claim 15.Regarding claim 19, Benvenisti in view of Wetzel teaches wherein the at least one inlet is located closer to the trailing end of said housing than the at least one outlet, as set forth in the rejection of claim 2 above, the same rationale applying to the housing of claim 18.
Claims 3, 4, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Benvenisti as applied to claims 1 and 18 above, and further in view of Bouras (US 2018/0092252 A1, hereinafter “Bouras”).
Regarding claim 3, Benvenisti discloses the thermal management system of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein said cooling structure further comprises a phase change thermal storage material configured to store heat generated by said electronics assembly by changing from a solid phase to a liquid phase. Bouras discloses a cooling structure comprising a phase change thermal storage material configured to store heat by changing from a solid phase to a liquid phase (phase change material 18 sealed within hollow portion 16 of pins 12 of heat sink 10, [0013]-[0014], Fig. 3; the phase change material comprising paraffin wax, wherein “the phase change material 18 absorbs the thermal energy and changes phase at a constant temperature” during a transient event and “the latent heat is rejected as the phase change material 18 reverts back to its original state,” [0015]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to integrate a phase change material into the heat sinks of Benvenisti as taught by Bouras, in order to “absorb transient thermal loads without a spike in the device temperature,” improving over conventional solid heat sinks “which lack latent heat storage and would experience sensible heating during the peak thermal load” (Bouras, [0015], [0018]).Regarding claim 4, Benvenisti in view of Bouras teaches wherein said phase change thermal storage material comprises a paraffin wax material (“The phase change material 18 comprises paraffin wax in some embodiments,” Bouras, [0015]).Regarding claim 20, Benvenisti in view of Bouras teaches wherein said cooling structure further comprises a phase change thermal storage material configured to store heat generated by the electronics assembly by changing from a solid phase to a liquid phase, as set forth in the rejection of claim 3 above (Bouras, [0013]-[0015]), the same rationale applying to the housing of claim 18.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Benvenisti in view of Bouras as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Nguyen et al. (US 2014/0268579 A1, hereinafter “Nguyen”).
Regarding claim 5, Benvenisti in view of Bouras teaches the thermal management system of claim 3, wherein the phase change material comprises paraffin wax (Bouras, [0015]), but does not expressly disclose wherein said phase change thermal storage material has a melting point in a range from 50 degrees Celsius to 75 degrees Celsius. Nguyen discloses a paraffin-based phase change material for use in electronic devices having a melting point in the claimed range (phase change material having “a melting point of approximately 51 degree C. or 60 degree C.,” [0051]; constructed from 60% to 90% by weight of paraffin, [0053]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ a paraffin phase change material having a melting point of approximately 51 or 60 degrees Celsius, as taught by Nguyen, as the phase change material of Benvenisti in view of Bouras, as this amounts to the selection of a known paraffin phase change material recognized as suitable for absorbing heat from electronic components, yielding predictable results; Nguyen further teaches that a material flowing at such a phase change temperature conforms to component surfaces and performs “as a highly efficient thermal transfer material” (Nguyen, [0051]-[0052]).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Benvenisti as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Bleday et al. (US 3,925,783, hereinafter “Bleday”).Regarding claim 8, Benvenisti discloses the thermal management system of claim 1, including canopy 101 at least partly made of RF-transparent material (p. 6, lines 10-12), but does not disclose wherein said upper housing comprises thermal insulation. Bleday discloses an upper housing comprising thermal insulation (heat shield 16 disposed between antenna 12 and the inner forward wall 18 of radome 10, Fig. 1; the heat shield consisting of several thin layers 20 of lightweight, heat reflective material which also provides an electromagnetic window for rf transmission, col. 2, lines 12-19; thin layers 20 constructed of titanium dioxide epoxy filled paper spaced apart by spacers 22, col. 2, lines 20-23, Figs. 1, 6; the heat shield formed as planar, hemispherical, conical, or hyperbolic shapes, or any combination suitably formed for structural compliance within the system, col. 2, lines 24-29, Figs. 2-5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the canopy of Benvenisti with a thermal insulation heat shield as taught by Bleday, in order to prevent high temperatures emanating from the inner wall of the radome from damaging the temperature-sensitive antenna, while the heat shield’s electromagnetic window preserves rf transmission through the radome (Bleday, col. 2, lines 12-19), consistent with Benvenisti’s requirement of an RF-transparent canopy; Bleday’s structurally compliant shield shapes (col. 2, lines 24-29) further permit conformance to Benvenisti’s low-profile canopy geometry.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Benvenisti as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Plechinger et al. (US 2021/0211990 A1, hereinafter “Plechinger”).
Regarding claim 14, Benvenisti discloses the thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the electronics assembly comprises SATCOM transmitting and receiving antennas (p. 7, lines 24-28) and wherein the cooling structure transfers heat to naturally cool air collected when the platform is flying (p. 5, lines 28-30), but does not disclose wherein said electronics assembly is configured to operate in a low power mode when said housing is not moving through the fluid. Plechinger discloses a vehicle-mounted communication assembly configured to operate in a low power mode when the vehicle is not moving (the V2X system “converted from normal operation (active mode, moving vehicle, regular transmitting of V2X messages…) to standby mode,” the switching including “the recognition of the vehicle status (e.g., ignition off, standstill) as well as switching to a reception mode/personal mode/standby mode to reduce power consumption,” [0103]; transmitter 12 “operated in the standby mode in a power-saving manner” and converted to the first mode when the vehicle is not parked, [0102]; the control module designed “to detect the parked state of the vehicle 100 on the basis of information relating to… a standstill of the vehicle 100,” [0109]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the SATCOM electronics of Benvenisti to operate in a low power mode when the housing is not moving through the fluid, as taught by Plechinger, in order to reduce the power consumption of the transmitter, which “has a particularly high power consumption” (Plechinger, [0102]), when the vehicle is stationary; such operation is furthermore particularly applicable to Benvenisti, whose air-breathing duct collects cooling air when the platform is flying (Benvenisti, p. 5, lines 28-30), such that operating the electronics at reduced power when stationary corresponds to the reduced cooling capacity then available.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Benvenisti in view of Wetzel as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of Bouras.
Regarding claim 17, Benvenisti in view of Wetzel and further in view of Bouras teaches wherein the cooling structure includes a phase change thermal storage material configured to store heat generated by the electronics assembly by changing from a solid phase to a liquid phase, as set forth in the rejection of claim 3 above (Bouras, [0013]-[0015]), the same rationale applying to the method of claim 16.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 4,674,704 – direct air cooling system for airborne electronics.
US 2018/0018004 - embedded computing system
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHENGFU J FENG whose telephone number is (571)272-2949. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 900am-530pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JAYPRAKASH GANDHI can be reached at (571) 272-3740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZHENGFU J FENG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835 July 23, 2026
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