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) 1-6 and 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (Korean Patent Publication KR200437768Y1).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a plate heat exchanger comprising a plate package of permanently joined heat transfer plates (10a, 10b), wherein
each of a first heat transfer plate and an adjoining second heat transfer plate of the plate package comprises a first end portion, a centre portion and a second end portion arranged in succession along a longitudinal axis of the respective heat transfer plate, the first end portion being provided with at least one porthole (12, 14, 70, 75), the second end portion being provided with at least one porthole, and the centre portion comprising a heat transfer area provided with a heat transfer pattern, wherein
the heat transfer pattern comprises ridges (50) and groove portions (50), top portions of the ridges extending in a first plane and bottom portions of the groove portions extending in a second plane (see annotated fig 5 below), which first and second planes are parallel to each other and form outer limits of the heat transfer pattern in a direction perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, wherein
the ridges are interrupted by intermediate sections (51) extending at a different level than the first plane and/or the groove portions are interrupted by intermediate sections (52) extending at a different level than the second plane, and wherein
the ridges extend along a number of ridge lines and the groove portions extend along a number of groove lines (see annotated fig 4 below), the ridge lines and the groove lines being arranged alternatingly and extending in parallel, wherein
in the heat transfer area, the first heat transfer plate is permanently joined to the second heat transfer plate in a number of joints along the ridge lines of the first heat transfer plate and the groove lines of the second heat transfer plate (see page 2, lines 55-57).
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However, Kim does not explicitly disclose for each joint of the number of joints a quotient between a circumference, O, of the joint and an area, A, of the joint is O/A≥2.6 mm-1. However, since Kim teaches joints (see page 2, lines 55-57) the circumference and area of the joints are considered result-effective variables, i.e. variables which achieve a recognized result. In this case the recognized result is the shape and size of the joints would determine the strength of the connection of the plates and thus determine the reliability of the heat exchanger. It would have not have been inventive to determine the optimal shape and size of the joint and it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Kim to determine the optimal joint via routine experimentation such that for each joint of the number of joints a quotient between a circumference, O, of the joint and an area, A, of the joint is O/A≥2.6 mm-1.
Regarding claim 2, Kim, as modified, discloses all previous claim limitations. Kim further discloses wherein each joint of the number of joints has a length, L (see annotated fig 4 below), along the ridge lines of the first heat transfer plate and the groove lines of the second heat transfer plate, which length, L, is longer than a width, W (see annotated fig 4 below), of each joint across the ridge lines of the first heat transfer plate and the groove lines of the second heat transfer plate.
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Regarding claim 3, Kim, as modified, discloses all previous claim limitations. Kim further discloses wherein each joint of the number of joints has a width, W, across the ridge lines of the first heat transfer plate and the groove lines of the second heat transfer plate (see annotated fig 4 below). However, Kim does not explicitly disclose, which width, W, is within a range of 0.4≤W≤0.8 mm. However, since Kim teaches joints (see page 2, lines 55-57) the width of the joints are considered result-effective variables, i.e. variables which achieve a recognized result. In this case the recognized result is the width of the joints would determine the strength of the connection of the plates and thus determine the reliability of the heat exchanger. It would have not have been inventive to determine the optimal width of the joints and it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Kim to determine the optimal joint via routine experimentation such which width, W, is within a range of 0.4≤W≤0.8 mm.
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Regarding claim 4, Kim, as modified, discloses all previous claim limitations. Kim further discloses wherein in the heat transfer area, the first heat transfer plate is permanently joined to the second heat transfer plate only along the ridge lines of the first heat transfer plate and the groove lines of the second heat transfer plate (see annotated fig 4 below, see page 2, lines 55-57).
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Regarding claim 5, Kim, as modified, discloses all previous claim limitations. Kim further discloses wherein the first and second heat transfer plate are of a same kind, and wherein in the plate package, the second heat transfer plate is rotated in parallel with the first and second planes 180 degrees in relation to the first heat transfer plate (as evident in figures 3 as shown below).
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Regarding claim 6, Kim, as modified, discloses all previous claim limitations. Kim further discloses wherein a portion of each intermediate section (51) of the ridges (50) extends at a level of the second plane (see annotated fig 6 below).
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Regarding claim 8, Kim, as modified, discloses all previous claim limitations. Kim further discloses wherein in the first end portion the first and second heat transfer plate are joined by a first series of joints arranged at least partially circumferentially around the at least one porthole of the first end portion (see annotated fig 7 below), wherein in the second end portion the first and second heat transfer plate are joined by a second series of joints arranged at least partially circumferentially around the at least one porthole of the second end portion )see annotated fig 7 below), and wherein the heat transfer pattern of the centre portion (see annotated fig 7 below) is arranged immediately adjacent to, and extending between, the first and second series of joints.
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Regarding claim 9, Kim, as modified, discloses all previous claim limitations. Kim further discloses wherein the ridge lines and the groove lines extend along straight lines, and wherein the ridge lines and the groove lines extend at one or more angle/s (α) within a range of 0-90 degrees to the longitudinal axis (LA) (see annotated fig 4 below).
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Regarding claim 10, Kim, as modified, discloses all previous claim limitations. Kim further discloses wherein the ridge lines and the groove lines extend along zigzag lines (see annotated fig 5 below).
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Regarding claim 11, Kim, as modified, discloses all previous claim limitations. Kim further discloses wherein the intermediate sections (51, 52) of the ridges and/or the intermediate sections of the groove portions are arranged at portions of the zigzag lines where they change direction (see annotated fig 5 above).
Claim(s) 1 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0118548, “Han”).
Regarding claim 1, Han discloses a plate heat exchanger comprising a plate package of permanently joined heat transfer plates (11, 12, figs 1-3) wherein
each of a first heat transfer plate (11) and an adjoining second heat transfer plate (12) of the plate package comprises a first end portion, a centre portion and a second end portion (see annotated fig 2 below) arranged in succession along a longitudinal axis of the respective heat transfer plate, the first end portion being provided with at least one porthole (23), the second end portion being provided with at least one porthole (23), and the centre portion comprising a heat transfer area provided with a heat transfer pattern, wherein
the heat transfer pattern comprises ridges (13a) and groove portions (13b), top portions of the ridges extending in a first plane and bottom portions of the groove portions extending in a second plane (see annotated fig 3 below), which first and second planes are parallel to each other and form outer limits of the heat transfer pattern in a direction perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, wherein
the ridges are interrupted by intermediate sections (21a) extending at a different level than the first plane;
the ridges extend along a number of ridge lines and the groove portions extend along a number of groove lines (see annotated fig 2 below), the ridge lines and the groove lines being arranged alternatingly and extending in parallel, wherein
in the heat transfer area, the first heat transfer plate is permanently joined to the second heat transfer plate in a number of joints along the ridge lines of the first heat transfer plate and the groove lines of the second heat transfer plate (¶0054).
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However, Han does not explicitly disclose for each joint of the number of joints a quotient between a circumference, O, of the joint and an area, A, of the joint is O/A≥2.6 mm-1. However, since Kim teaches joints (see page 2, lines 55-57) the circumference and area of the joints are considered result-effective variables, i.e. variables which achieve a recognized result. In this case the recognized result is the shape and size of the joints would determine the strength of the connection of the plates and thus determine the reliability of the heat exchanger. It would have not have been inventive to determine the optimal shape and size of the joint and it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Han to determine the optimal joint via routine experimentation such that for each joint of the number of joints a quotient between a circumference, O, of the joint and an area, A, of the joint is O/A≥2.6 mm-1.
Regarding claim 7, Han further discloses wherein the top portions of the ridges are broader in the first plane than the bottom portions of the groove portions are in the second plane, or the bottom portions of the groove portions are broader in the second plane than the top portions of the ridges are in the first plane (see annotated fig 3 below).
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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) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sjodin et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0044309, “Sjodin”).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses all previous claim limitations. However, Kim does not explicitly disclose wherein the permanently joined heat transfer plates, are joined by joints comprising at least 50 wt % metal of the same kind as a metal of the heat transfer plates. Sjodin, however, discloses a heat exchanger wherein the permanently joined heat transfer plates, are joined by joints comprising at least 50 wt % metal of the same kind (copper, see ¶0032) as a metal of the heat transfer plates (as the plates comprise the brazing layer). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Kim to provide the joint material of Sjodin in order to provide a reliable connection between the plates.
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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