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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PASCALE(US20200379247A1) in view of Ouyang(US20070139880A1).
[AltContent: textbox (Heat pipe bend 141B)]
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (First Portion)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Second Portion)][AltContent: textbox (Median 38M)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (GAP 140G)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: connector][AltContent: textbox (Transportation Portion 38T)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Fin Stack Portion 38FS)][AltContent: textbox (Stacked Direction 38S)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Substrate Portion 30’)]
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Regarding Claim 1, PASCALE teaches a heat exchange device, comprising: a fin stack (heat sink 34 and other related structures shown in fig. 5) including a plurality of fins, the plurality of fins defining a stacked direction (stacked direction 38S shown in annotated fig. 5); a plurality of heat pipes (comprising a heat pipe 32 shown in fig. 4) having a fin stack portion (fin stack portion 38FS shown in annotated fig. 5), a transportation portion (transportation portion 38T shown in annotated fig. 5), and a substrate portion (substrate portion at 30’ shown in annotated fig. 5), the transportation portion between the fin stack portion and the substrate portion, the fin stack portion coupled to each plurality of fins; and a thermally conductive substrate (30’ can be used, which is further adapted to dissipate the thermal energy of both heat sources 28 shown in fig. 5 para. 0065 As shown above Substrate portion is attached to the top surface of element 30’, the bottom is the opposite side of 30’) including a top surface and a bottom surface, the substrate portion coupled to the top surface.
Pascale teaches wherein the transportation portion (transportation portion 38T shown in annotated fig. 5) includes at least one bend (Heat pipe bend 141B shown in annotated fig. 5), the at least one bend defining a gap (GAP 140G shown in annotated fig. 5) between the fin stack and the top surface, and wherein a direction of the stacked direction is along a plane of the top surface (shown in annotated fig. 5).
Pascale does not teach the bottom surface configured to couple to at least one packaged integrated circuit,
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Ouyang teaches the bottom surface configured to couple to at least one packaged integrated circuit (a heat source such as a microprocessor 145 shown in annotated fig. 14 para. 0062). When combined the packaged integrated circuit of Ouyang would be in the claimed location. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of filing to modify PASCALE’s heat exchange device and Packaged IC of Ouyang, the motivation would be to greatly improve the reliability of the microprocessor (para. 0062).
Regarding Claim 2, PASCALE teaches the heat exchange device of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive substrate further includes a median (median 38M shown in annotated fig. 5 above), a first portion, and a second portion, the median defining the first portion on one side and the second portion on an opposite neighboring side, the substrate portion (30’ can be used, which is further adapted to dissipate the thermal energy of both heat sources 28 shown in fig. 5 para. 0065) coupled to the top surface in the first portion (The median defines the first portion on one side and the second portion on an opposite neighboring side, the substrate portion is coupled to the top surface in the first portion shown in annotated fig. 5).
Claim(s) 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PASCALE(US20200379247A1) in view of Ouyang(US20070139880A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lin(US20210327785A1).
Regarding claim 3, Lin teaches wherein the plurality of heat pipes comprises six plurality of heat pipes (the heat sink device 2 further includes at least a first cooling fin set 4 shown in fig. 1 para. 0023). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of filing to modify PASCALE’s heat exchange device to include the heat pipes of Lin, the motivation would be to improve the heat transfer away from the packaged integrated circuit (para. 0003).
Examiner further notes that this number of heat pipes is merely duplication of parts and it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to , since it has been held that mere duplication of essential working parts of a device involve only routine skill in the art. In re Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8. MPEP 2144.04 (VI) B.
Regarding claim 4, Lin teaches the heat exchange device of claim 3 wherein the substrate portion (substrate portion 30’ shown in annotated fig. 5) of each plurality of heat pipes is coupled to the top surface in two groups of three plurality of heat pipes (the heat sink device 2 further includes at least a first cooling fin set 4 shown in fig. 1 para. 0023) each two groups arranged in a staggered pitch arrangement (shown in fig. 1).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PASCALE(US20200379247A1) in view of Ouyang(US20070139880A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Li(US7914152B2).
Regarding claim 5, Li teaches wherein the plurality of fins comprises fifteen plurality of fins (a fin set 330 thermally positioned on the heat pipe 320 shown in fig. 3). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of filing to modify PASCALE’s heat exchange device to include the fins of Li, the motivation would be to improve the heat dissipated from the heat pipe (Abstract).
Examiner further notes that this number of fins is merely duplication of parts and it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to , since it has been held that mere duplication of essential working parts of a device involve only routine skill in the art. In re Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8. MPEP 2144.04 (VI) B.
Claim(s) 6-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PASCALE(US20200379247A1) in view of Ouyang(US20070139880A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of LIN(US20210215437A1).
Regarding claim 6, LIN teaches wherein each plurality of fins includes a perimeter portion and a chamber portion (wick structure having triangular, rectangular, or trapezoidal cross-sectional geometries, is formed on the inner surface of the channels 816 shown in fig. 9A para. 0114), the chamber portion including a vapor chamber (the working fluid to vapor and the vapor expands within the heat exchanger fin 851 shown in fig. 9A para. 0100), the perimeter portion surrounding a perimeter of the chamber portion (an outer surface 801 of the first metal sheet 820 shown in fig. 9A para. 0093). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of filing to modify PASCALE’s heat exchange device to include the vapor chamber of LIN, the motivation would be to improve the heat dissipated from the fin (Background).
Regarding claim 7, PASCALE teaches wherein each plurality of fins further includes a plurality of transport through holes, the fin stack portion respectively coupled to each plurality of fins through each plurality of transport through holes, and wherein the chamber portion comprises two chamber portions, the plurality of transport through holes between each two chamber portions (the respective second end regions 42. 42’ of the first and second heat pipe shown in fig. 5 para. 0072). When combined the transport through holes of PASCALE would be in the claimed location. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of filing to modify LIN’s heat exchanger fin and transport holes of PASCALE’s, the motivation would be to improve the heat dissipated from the fin (para. Background).
Regarding claim 8, LIN teaches the heat exchange device of claim 6, wherein the chamber portion includes a plurality of airflow through holes, whereby air flows through each plurality of airflow through holes (the fin body 815 of each heat exchanger fin 851 includes a plurality of airflow through holes 814 formed through the fin body 815 shown in fig. 8 para. 0093).
Regarding claim 9, LIN teaches the heat exchange device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of airflow through holes is arranged in a staggered pitch arrangement (The airflow through holes 814 are generally circular-shaped and arranged in a staggered configuration shown in fig. 8 para. 0093).
Regarding claim 10, LIN teaches the heat exchange device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of airflow through holes includes a hexagonal shape (However, the shape and size of the holes 814 is not limited to any particular shape and size. For instance, the holes 814 can be polygonal shape. The holes 814 can be arranged in any desired configuration (staggered or non-staggered) and the separation (pitch) between adjacent holes 814 can be varied (increased or decreased) as required by application and design shown in fig. 8 para. 0093).
Claim(s) 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PASCALE(US20200379247A1) in view of Ouyang(US20070139880A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of LIN(US20210215437A1) and Li(US7914152B2).
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Regarding claim 11, Li teaches the heat exchange device of claim 8, wherein each plurality of fins further includes a first perimeter side (First Spacer Side 1S shown in annotated fig. 5), a second perimeter side (First Spacer Side 2S shown in annotated fig. 5), at least a first spacer, and at least a second spacer, the first perimeter side opposite the second perimeter side, the at least a first spacer perpendicularly extending from a corner of the first perimeter side, the at least a second spacer perpendicularly extending from a corner of the second perimeter side, the at least a first spacer and the at least a second spacer defining a spacer gap (Spacer Gap G shown in fig. 5) between each neighboring plurality of fins. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of filing to modify PASCALE’s heat exchange device to include the spacer of Li, the motivation would be to improve the reliability of heat dissipated from the fin (para. 12).
Regarding claim 12, Li teaches the heat exchange device of claim 11, wherein the at least a first spacer comprises two at least a first spacer, and the at least a second spacer comprises two at least a second spacer, a second at least a first spacer perpendicularly extending from a corner of the first perimeter side opposing the at least a first spacer (2nd First Spacer 1S2 shown in annotated fig. 5), a second at least a second spacer perpendicularly extending from a corner of the second perimeter side opposing the at least a second spacer (2nd First Spacer 2S2 shown in annotated fig. 5).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENRY F CANOVA whose telephone number is (571)-272-5795. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 8-5 and Friday 8-10 and 2-4.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jianying Atkisson be reached on (571) 270-7740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HENRY FRANCIS CANOVA/Examiner, Art Unit 3763 /JOEL M ATTEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763