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 .
DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 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.
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 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 of this title, 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, 5-6, 7-8, 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Landon (US 20120026668) in view of Gao (US 20230057545).
Regarding claim 1, Landon disclosed A multi-node server, (abstract, see also fig 1-6) comprising: a server chassis (at least fig 1, 10); a main circuit board disposed in the server chassis (at least fig 4, 32), the main circuit board having a first node area and a second node area (at least fig 4, two node areas on left and right hand side; no label); a power delivery circuit board disposed vertically on the main circuit board (paragraph [31]-[32], Examiner consider, at least, the connector provided power to the 26), a first side of the power delivery circuit board (at least fig 4, the power delivery circuit board has a first side and 2nd side) and a signal transfer module including a signal transfer circuit board (at least fig 4, the signal transfer module including a signal transfer circuit board with 36, 40; see also paragraph [31]-[32]), a first signal connector, and a second signal connector (at least fig 4, 36/40; see also paragraph [31]-[32]), the signal transfer circuit board being disposed in a direction parallel to the main circuit board (at least fig 4, in a left and right direction), and the signal transfer circuit board electrically connecting the first signal connector to the second signal connector (see also paragraph [31]-[32], [34]-[35]).
Landon lacks teaching: a first side of the power delivery circuit board having a first power input connector and a second power input connector; a second side of the power delivery circuit board has a first power output connector and a second power output connector, the second side facing the first side, the first power output connector facing the first node area, and the second power output connector facing the second node area.
Gao teaches a chassis structure comprising: a first side of the power delivery circuit board having a first power input connector (at least fig 2D, with inlet 214) and a second power input connector (at least fig 2D or fig 4, the power input connected to the power clip 212); a second side of the power delivery circuit board has a first power output connector (paragraph [50]-[57]) and a second power output connector (paragraph [50]-[57]), the second side facing the first side (at least fig 2D, fig 4, Examiner consider the second side is the side facing the first side).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, or at the time of the invention was made, to include this feature (power circuit board with first side and 2nd side) and modify to previous discussed structure (modified to the portion with the first and second node areas; with changing location of the power delivery circuit board) so as to have (London in view of Geo): the first power output connector facing the first node area (see fig 2D, fig 4, modified to London), and the second power output connector facing the second node area (see fig 2D, fig 4, modified to London).
The motivation to modify the previous discussed structure with the current feature is to reduce the space and/or provide power to each node of the modified structure.
Regarding claim 5, modified London further disclosed the power delivery circuit board is located between the first signal connector and the second signal connector (at least Geo’s fig 2D, Examiner consider the power delivery circuit board is the board area between 214, so after modified to London’s structure, it will between the first signal connector and the second signal connector ).
Regarding claim 6, modified London further disclosed the first power input connector faces away from the first node area and is configured to be connected to a first power supply, and the second power input connector faces away from the second node area and is configured to be connected to a second power supply (at least Geo’s fig 2D, see also paragraph [63]-[65]).
Regarding claim 7, modified London further disclosed the second side of the power delivery circuit board further includes a first identification connector and a second identification connector (at least Geo’s fig 2D and fig 3, Examiner consider a specific connectors design are a first and a second identification connector).
Regarding claim 8, modified London further disclosed the second side of the power delivery circuit board further includes a first alignment device and a second alignment device (at least Geo’s fig 2D and fig 3, Examiner consider a specific connectors design includes a first alignment device and a second alignment device to allow user to align and make a connection).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Landon (US 20120026668) in view of Gao (US 20230057545) further in view of Sun (US 20200363844).
With regard claim 11, the primary art and/or the modified structure discussed in the preceding claim disclosed all the subject matter except for an air deflector located on an outside of the first power input connector and the second power input connector, the air deflector including a curved portion and a pair of side panels, and the pair of side panels being connected to two sides of the curved portion.
Sun further teaches: an air deflector (at least fig 6, 213 and second hole in the second subboard) located on an outside of the first power input connector and the second power input connector, the air deflector including a curved portion (at least fig 6, 213, Examiner consider, at least from top/bottom curved to the front panel is the curved portion) and a pair of side panels (at least fig 6, two side panels on both side of 213 and/or the second subboard), and the pair of side panels being connected to two sides of the curved portion (at least fig 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to include this feature (air deflector as discussed above) and modify to previous discussed structure (modified to an outside of the first/second power input connectors) so as to further remove more heat from the first/second nodes of the modified structure.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims, 2, 9-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
With respect to claim 2, the allowability resides in the overall structure of the device as recited in this independent claim and at least in part because the prior art does not teach or suggest a structure comprising: the signal transfer circuit board has a middle section, a first adapter, and a second adapter, the middle section connecting the first adapter to the second adapter, a width of the middle section being smaller than a width of the first adapter and the second adapter to form a ventilation recess, a width of the ventilation recess corresponding to the first power input connector and the second power input connector, as set forth in the combination of the independent claims.
With respect to claim 9, the allowability resides in the overall structure of the device as recited in this independent claim and at least in part because the prior art does not teach or suggest a structure comprising: the first identification connector is located between the first alignment device and the first power input connector, and wherein the second identification connector is located between the second alignment device and the second power input connector, as set forth in the combination of the independent claims.
With respect to claim 10, the allowability resides in the overall structure of the device as recited in this independent claim and at least in part because the prior art does not teach or suggest a structure comprising: the power delivery circuit board has a top edge formed by a middle fixing portion, a first side fixing portion, and a second side fixing portion, and the middle fixing portion is located between the first side fixing portion and the second side fixing portion, so as to form a ventilation recess on each side of the middle fixing portion, as set forth in the combination of the independent claims.
The aforementioned limitations in combination with all remaining limitations of independent claim are believed to render said independent claims and all claims dependent therefrom patentable over the art of record.
The closest prior art, Landon (US 20120026668) in view of Gao (US 20230057545) further in view of Sun (US 20200363844), discloses a similar structure but does not configure to have the above limitations. The above prior art thus fails to anticipate or render the above portions obvious, either singularly or in combination with other references.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
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 JERRY WU whose telephone number is (571)270-5420. The examiner can normally be reached on PHP: M-Th: 8:30-12:30; 2:30-8:30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani Hayman can be reached on 571.270.5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JERRY WU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841