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, 4, 7, 8, 10 and 11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lyon (US PGPub No. 2012/0152498, cited previously) alone.
Regarding claim 1, Lyon discloses a liquid cooling device (Figs. 2-4), comprising:
a bottom plate (heat spreader plate 102);
a cooling fin assembly disposed on the bottom plate (fins defining fluidic channels 103), comprising:
a plurality of first cooling fins (fins on left side of a center C and axis x, Fig. 2), wherein each of the plurality of first cooling fins has a first front end, a first rear end (two opposite ends 103a), and a first top (top wall 110), the first top connects the first front end and the first rear end (the top wall 110 connects the two opposite ends 103a);
a plurality of second cooling fins (fins on right side of the center C and axis x, Fig. 2), wherein each of the plurality of second cooling fins has a second front end, a second rear end (two opposite ends 103a), and a second top (top wall 110), the second top connects the second front end and the second rear end (the top wall 110 connects the two opposite ends 103a); and
at least one third cooling fin (a fin at the center C and axis x, Fig. 2) disposed between the plurality of first cooling fins and the plurality of second cooling fins (see Figs. 2 and 3), wherein the third cooling fin has a third front end, a third rear end (two opposite ends 103a), a third top (top wall 110), a first lateral side (left vertical side of the fin), and a second lateral side (right vertical side of the fin), and the first lateral side and the second lateral side are arranged in two opposite sides of the third top (the left and right vertical sides are opposite sides of the top wall 110 s) and both connect the third front end and the third rear end (the left and right vertical sides connect to the ends 103a of the fin), and the first lateral side faces the plurality of first cooling fins (the left vertical side faces the fins on left side of the center C), the second lateral side faces the plurality of second cooling fins (the right vertical side faces the fins on right side of the center C); and
a base (housing 109) covering on the cooling fin assembly and the bottom plate (covering the plate 102 and the fins, see Figs. 3 and 4), and having an inlet (fluid inlet opening 114), two outlets (two outlet openings 124), a liquid inlet recess (a u-shape area where fluid F enters the opening 114), a liquid outlet recess (u-shape areas where the fluid F exits the openings 124) and a flow-limiting structure (seal 130), the inlet is disposed in the liquid inlet recess (inside the u-shape area where fluid F enters) and faces the first top (the inlet opening 114 faces the top wall 110 of the fins on left side of the center C), and the two outlets are disposed in the liquid outlet recess (inside the u-shape areas where fluid F exits) and faces the second top (the outlet openings 124 face the top wall 110 of the fins on right side of the center C), and the flow-limiting structure is arranged around the periphery of the inlet to block the inlet and the two outlets (the seal 130 is arranged around the inlet opening 114 and outlet openings 124 to block a direct fluid flow between them).
Lyon (Figs. 2-4) fails to disclose wherein the liquid inlet recess includes a guiding slope connected to the inlet.
Lyon (Fig. 19) discloses wherein the liquid inlet recess (365) includes a guiding slope (334) connected to the inlet (361).
Therefore, the opening 114 within the u-shape area where fluid F enters in Figs. 2-4 may include a guiding slope as taught by the embodiment of Fig. 19.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein the liquid inlet recess includes a guiding slope connected to the inlet in Lyon together with a recessed groove 325 provided to each fin in order to provide a smooth and continuous flow transition (paragraph 0116).
Regarding claim 4, Lyon as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein the guiding slope is a portion of a bottom surface of the liquid inlet recess (the guiding slope 334 is at the inlet opening 114 which is a bottom portion of the u-shape area where fluid F enters).
Regarding claim 7, Lyon as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein the plurality of first cooling fins has a first arrangement density, the plurality of second cooling fins has a second arrangement density, and the first arrangement density is the same as the second arrangement density (the fins on left and right sides of the center C have the same density).
Regarding claim 8, Lyon as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein each of the first cooling fins (the fins on left side of the center fin), each of the second cooling fins (the fins on right side of the center fin) and the third cooling fin of the cooling fin (the center fin) assembly are sheet structures (a sheet structure, Fig. 2) with the same size (all fins have the same overall size see Figs. 2-4).
Lyon fails to explicitly disclose sheet metal structures.
Examiner takes official notice that heat transfer fins are commonly made of metal having a greater heat conductivity.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have provided sheet metal structures in Lyon in order to increase thermal conductivity for more efficient heat transfer.
Regarding claim 10, Lyon as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein a height of the third cooling fin is greater than the height of each first cooling fin and the height of each second cooling fin (a height away from the groove 325 of the center fin is greater than a height at the groove 325 of the fins other than the center fin).
Regarding claim 11, Lyon as modified in claim 1 further discloses wherein a length of the third cooling fin is greater than the length of each first cooling fin and the length of each second cooling fin (a length away from the groove 325 of the center fin is greater than a length at the groove 325 of the fins other than the center fin).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lyon (US PGPub No. 2012/0152498) in view of Zhou (US PGPub No. 2021/0239310).
Regarding claim 6, Lyon as modified in claim 1 fails to disclose wherein the plurality of first cooling fins has a first arrangement density, the plurality of second cooling fins has a second arrangement density, and the first arrangement density is greater than the second arrangement density.
Zhou (Figs. 4A and 4B) discloses wherein the plurality of first cooling fins has a first arrangement density (fins 430 on left side of the center notch 118 has greater density), the plurality of second cooling fins has a second arrangement density (fins 430 on right side of the center notch 118 has less density), and the first arrangement density is greater than the second arrangement density (see Figs. 4A and 4B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein the plurality of first cooling fins has a first arrangement density, the plurality of second cooling fins has a second arrangement density, and the first arrangement density is greater than the second arrangement density in Lyon as taught by Zhou in order to tailor heat removal of non-uniform heat flux heat-generating devices by varying fin density (paragraph 0028).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lyon (US PGPub No. 2012/0152498) in view of Lee (US PGPub No. 2022/0316817).
Regarding claim 9, Lyon fails to disclose wherein a thickness of the third cooling fin is greater than the thickness of each first cooling fin and the thickness of each second cooling fin.
Lee discloses a thickness of the third cooling fin (a thickness of stop section 15, which is also a fin structure) is greater than the thickness of each first cooling fin and the thickness of each second cooling fin (the thickness of the stop section 15 is greater than the thickness of adjacent fins 18 and 137, Fig. 1C).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have provided wherein a thickness of the third cooling fin is greater than the thickness of each first cooling fin and the thickness of each second cooling fin in Lyon as taught by Lee in order to increase a strength of the partition plate 150. Also, the thickness increase of the plate is a mere change in size and is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 4 and 6-11 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument (Lyon, US PGPub No. 2012/0152498).
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks, with respect to claims 12-15 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of the claims 12-15 has been withdrawn.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-15 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 12 requires “wherein a group of the plurality of second cooling fins, the third cooling fin, the plurality of first cooling fins, the third cooling fin, and another group of the plurality of second cooling fins are arranged in sequence and parallelly, when a working fluid flows in from the inlet, it flows to the first top of the center of the plurality of first cooling fins along a Z-axis direction, then flows to two ends of the plurality of first cooling fins along a X-axis direction, and flows to two sides of the two groups of the second cooling fins along a Y-axis direction, finally flows to the two outlets through the center of the two groups of the second cooling fins along the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction, so as to form a three axial circulation path of the Z- axis direction, the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction”.
Lin, in previous rejection, fails to disclose a base having two outlets as now required in claim 12. Further, Lyon only discloses a fluid inlet that supplies the fluid at a center of all of the fins on the plate 102. The fluid then flows laterally though the microchannels 103 between the fins towards ends 103a away from the center. Therefore, the single pass of the fluid in the channels 103 in Lyon fails to disclose or make obvious at least the recitation of claim 12 “and (the working fluid) flows to two sides of the two groups of the second cooling fins along a Y-axis direction, finally flows to the two outlets through the center of the two groups of the second cooling fins along the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction” that requires a first pass through the first fins and a second pass through the second fins.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/JIANYING C ATKISSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/F.K.L/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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