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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A, figs. 1-8 and claims 1-11 and 14-16 in the reply filed on 5/20/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 12-13 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/20/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The term “each of the multiple rows of the piercing components respectively corresponding to each of the multiple groups of the cooling structures.” in claim 5 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “respectively corresponding to” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. It is unclear as to what “respectively corresponding to” means and if it is defining a heat transfer relationship or a location or something else.
The non-application of prior art against claims 5-8 should not be construed as an indication of allowable subject matter, but rather as an indicator of the extent to which the claims are indefinite such that determination of patentability is precluded at this time.
Claims 6-8 are rejected as being dependent from claim 5.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 9-10 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tochiyama et al. (US Publication No.: 2020/0286812 hereinafter “Tochiyama”).
With respect to claim 1, Tochiyama discloses a liquid cooling device (Fig. 6) comprising: a thermal conduction base (Figs. 6-7, base 4) having a liquid storage space (Fig. 6, space within walls 7 for liquid) and a thermal contact surface (Fig. 4, bottom of 4 is capable of being in thermal contact), the thermal contact surface facing away from the liquid storage space (Fig. 6, bottom of 4 is away from the chamber); a thermal conduction cover configured on the thermal conduction base (Fig. 6, cover 1), the thermal conduction cover covering the liquid storage space (Fig. 6, 1 covers storage space within 4); and at least one piercing component configured in the liquid storage space, the at least one piercing component comprising at least one protruding structure facing toward the thermal contact surface (Figs. 6-7, piercing components 2 and 11 faces towards the bottom of 4).
With respect to claim 2, Tochiyama discloses the liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1 as discussed above. Tochiyama also discloses further comprising multiple cooling structures (Fig. 6, multiple cooling structures 9a, 9b and 9c), the thermal conduction base having a bottom surface (Fig. 6, bottom surface 8), the bottom surface being located in the liquid storage space and facing away from the thermal contact surface (Fig. 6, 8 is on opposite side of the bottom of 4), and the cooling structures protruding from the bottom surface (Figs. 6-7, 9a-9c protrude from 8).
With respect to claim 3, Tochiyama discloses the liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 2 as discussed above. Tochiyama also discloses wherein the bottom surface comprises a first surface part and two second surface parts, the two second surface parts being respectively connected to two opposite sides of the first surface part, the first surface part being closer to the thermal contact surface than the two second surface parts, and the cooling structures protruding from the first surface part (See figure below).
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With respect to claim 4, Tochiyama discloses the liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 2 as discussed above. Tochiyama also discloses wherein each of the cooling structures comprises a square post shape (Fig. 7, 9a, 9b and 9c are a square post shape).
With respect to claim 9, Tochiyama discloses the liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 2 as discussed above. Tochiyama also discloses wherein a portion of the protruding structures of the at least one piercing component overlaps a portion of the cooling structures (Fig. 7, piercing component 11 overlaps 9a, 9b, 9c and Fig. 12 2 overlaps 9b).
With respect to claim 10, Tochiyama discloses the liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1 as discussed above. Tochiyama also discloses wherein the protruding structure comprises a truncated cone shape or a cone shape (Figs. 3a-5 piercing structures 2 can be truncated cone shape).
With respect to claim 16, Tochiyama discloses the liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1 as discussed above. Tochiyama also discloses wherein the at least one piercing component comprise multiple protruding structures, each of the multiple protruding structures facing toward the thermal contact surface (Fig. 6, multiple protruding structures 2).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 11 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tochiyama et al. (US Publication No.: 2020/0286812 hereinafter “Tochiyama”) in view of Olesen et al. (US Publication No.: 2016/0109190 hereinafter “Olesen”).
With respect to claim 11, Tochiyama discloses the liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 10 as discussed above. Tochiyama does not disclose wherein the protruding structure comprises a truncated pyramid shape or a pyramid shape.
Olesen teaches a protrusion that is pyramid shape (Fig. 5, 8). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the cone shape protruding structure of Tochiyama to a pyramid shape as taught by Tochiyama to increase the surface area and heat transfer (Para 0065).
With respect to claim 15, Tochiyama discloses the liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1 as discussed above. Tochiyama also discloses wherein the thermal conduction cover comprise an access ports in communication with the liquid storage space (Fig. 8, port for 6a).
Tochiyama does not disclose two ports on the thermal conduction cover.
Oleseen teaches two ports on a top thermal conduction cover (Fig. 12, ports 6 and 7 on cover 2). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the side port 5 of Tochiyama to be on the top cover as taught by Oleseen to have a desired fluid flow path and since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tochiyama et al. (US Publication No.: 2020/0286812 hereinafter “Tochiyama”) in view of Lewis et al. (US Publication No.: 2020/0300563 hereinafter “Lewis”).
With respect to claim 14, Tochiyama discloses the liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 10 as discussed above. Tochiyama does not disclose further comprising a capillary structure sintered to the bottom surface of the thermal conduction base.
Lewis teaches a capillary structure sintered to a bottom surface of a thermal conduction base (Para 0075-0078, 0111-0112 and Fig. 14a, 405 and 420). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the base of Tochiyama with a capillary structure as taught by Lewis to enhance capillary pumping force and heat transfer (Para 0112).
The non-application of prior art against claims 5-8 should not be construed as an indication of allowable subject matter, but rather as an indicator of the extent to which the claims are indefinite such that determination of patentability is precluded at this time.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CLAIRE E ROJOHN III whose telephone number is (571)270-5431. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:00 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Len Tran can be reached at (571)272-1184. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CLAIRE E ROJOHN III/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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