1DETAILED 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 § 102
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 1-3, 8 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Szostek (US 20190335621 A1).
As to Claim 1, Szostek discloses:
An audio amplifier (multimedia control unit 10) for automotive applications (Par. 0027 “an exemplary embodiment of a multimedia electronic control unit 10 provided to be mounted in a motor vehicle is represented”; Par. 0003 “Each electronic module is generally dedicated to a multimedia function such as compression or decompression of the sound, compression or decompression of video films, amplification of the sound, reception and processing of the signals of a navigation system, reception and demodulation of radio signals, of wireless communication interface between the vehicle and portable equipment, of interface telephony, etc.”), comprising:
- a bottom wall (22 of Fig. 3);
- a shell (first metal part 40), connected to the bottom wall 22 to form a housing space therebetween (space provided within 40 and 22), the housing space being a closed space (inside of casing closed from outside at least in part), wherein the shell 40 includes a cooling plate (metal heat dissipation device 44) parallel to the bottom wall 22 (44 parallel to 22) and having an inside face (lower face of 44), facing towards the housing space (lower face of 44 faces inside of casing), and an outside face (upper face of 44) opposite the inside face (upper and lower faces of 44 are opposite), the cooling plate 44 being provided with a finned portion 102, projecting from the outside face (Par. 0049 “The first section 94 comprises a plurality of vertical cooling fins 102 directed upwards and each extending along the longitudinal axis L over the entire length of the first section 94”), and a plurality of studs 156 jutting from the inside face into the housing space towards the bottom wall 22 (Par. 0074 “the lower face of the first section 94 includes generally rectangular flat cooling surfaces 156 slightly raised with respect to the surface of the first section 94 so as to form protrusions on the lower face of the first section 94”);
- an electronic card 48, positioned in the housing space and including a plurality of electronic components (Par. 0054 “the first printed circuit board 46 and the second printed circuit board 48 include both on their top face and on their bottom face, electronic components 116, 118, 120, 122 connected together by conductive tracks. Some components or some conductive tracks, in particular the tracks conductive of high currents, may form heat generating areas 124, 126, 128, 130, 132, i.e. areas generating heat during operation of the module of the multimedia control unit 10”), positioned on the card 48 so that the studs 156 of the plurality of studs of the cooling plate 44 are abutted thereagainst (Par. 0074 “These flat cooling surfaces 156 allow heat generating areas 130, 132 of the second printed circuit board 48 to abut on the heat dissipation device 44”), the electronic card 48 being configured to amplify an audio signal (see Par. 0054 and Par. 0003; board 48 produces heat during operation of multimedia control unit wherein multimedia control unit can amplify sound);
- a lid 24, fixed to the shell 40 and positioned parallel to the bottom wall 22 so that the finned portion 102 is interposed between the lid 24 and the outside face of the cooling plate (upper face of 44) to define a duct system (24 is connected to 40 and parallel to 22; fins 102 are disposed between 24 and upper face of 44 and air flows through fins 102);
- a fan 36, mounted between the lid 24 and the outside face of the cooling plate (upper face of 44; fan 36 disposed between 24 and upper face of 44), to generate an air flow through the duct system (Par. 0032 “a fan 36 is disposed in the control unit 10 to improve the air flow and more particularly to promote the extraction of hot air”).
As to Claim 2, Szostek discloses:
wherein the studs 156 of the plurality of studs are located at the finned portion 102 of the cooling plate 44 (cooling surfaces 156 disposed below fins 102 on 44).
As to Claim 3, Szostek discloses:
wherein the shell 40 includes a lateral wall 14,16,18,20 having a front face (face of 20) and the amplifier 10 comprises one or more electrical connectors 26, mounted on the front face 20 of the lateral wall 14,16,18,20 and connected to the electronic card 48 (Par. 0030 “The front facade 20 and the rear facade 18 include multiple connectors 26 allowing the multimedia control unit 10 to be electrically connected to other electronic equipment of the vehicle”; electronics are connected within 10 and therefore connectors 26 are at least in part connected to 48).
As to Claim 8, Szostek discloses:
wherein the shell 40 is made from a heat conductive metallic material and is a monolithic structure (Par. 0036 “The first metal part 40, made in one piece, brings together the upper facade 24, the front facade 20, the right lateral facade 14 and the left lateral facade 16”).
As to Claim 10, Szostek discloses:
wherein the shell 40 comprises a group of fastening studs 154,155 projecting from the inside face into the housing space (project from lower face of 44, Figs. 6-7), towards the bottom wall 22, and configured to fasten the electronic card 48 to the shell 40 by means of fastening screws (Par. 0072 “the lower face of the plate 76 is adapted to receive the second printed circuit board 48. The lower face of the plate 76 is equipped with several fastening studs 154, 155 for the second printed circuit board 48”; “All the fastening studs 154, 155 are of hollow cylindrical shape, the recess being a screw thread. The second printed circuit board 48 is therefore provided to be in abutment by screwing against the protruding lower face of the first section of the plate 94”).
As to Claim 11, Szostek discloses:
A method for cooling an audio amplifier (multimedia control unit 10; Par. 0027 “an exemplary embodiment of a multimedia electronic control unit 10 provided to be mounted in a motor vehicle is represented”; Par. 0003 “Each electronic module is generally dedicated to a multimedia function such as compression or decompression of the sound, compression or decompression of video films, amplification of the sound, reception and processing of the signals of a navigation system, reception and demodulation of radio signals, of wireless communication interface between the vehicle and portable equipment, of interface telephony, etc.”), comprising the following steps:
- providing a bottom wall (22 of Fig. 3) and a shell (first metal part 40), connected to the bottom wall 22 to form a housing space therebetween (space provided within 40 and 22), the housing space being a closed space (inside of casing closed from outside at least in part), wherein the shell 40 includes a cooling plate (metal heat dissipation device 44) parallel to the bottom wall 22 (44 parallel to 22) and having an inside face (lower face of 44), facing towards the housing space (lower face of 44 faces inside of casing), and an outside face (upper face of 44) opposite the inside face (upper and lower faces of 44 are opposite), the cooling plate 44 being provided with a finned portion 102 projecting from the outside face (Par. 0049 “The first section 94 comprises a plurality of vertical cooling fins 102 directed upwards and each extending along the longitudinal axis L over the entire length of the first section 94”) and a plurality of studs 156 jutting from the inside face into the housing space towards the bottom wall 22 (Par. 0074 “the lower face of the first section 94 includes generally rectangular flat cooling surfaces 156 slightly raised with respect to the surface of the first section 94 so as to form protrusions on the lower face of the first section 94”);
- providing an electronic card 48, positioned in the housing space and including a plurality of electronic components (Par. 0054 “the first printed circuit board 46 and the second printed circuit board 48 include both on their top face and on their bottom face, electronic components 116, 118, 120, 122 connected together by conductive tracks. Some components or some conductive tracks, in particular the tracks conductive of high currents, may form heat generating areas 124, 126, 128, 130, 132, i.e. areas generating heat during operation of the module of the multimedia control unit 10”), positioned on the card 48 so that the studs 156 of the plurality of studs of the cooling plate 44 are abutted thereagainst (Par. 0074 “These flat cooling surfaces 156 allow heat generating areas 130, 132 of the second printed circuit board 48 to abut on the heat dissipation device 44”), the electronic card 48 being configured to process an audio signal (see Par. 0054 and Par. 0003; board 48 produces heat during operation of multimedia control unit wherein multimedia control unit can amplify sound);
- providing a lid 24, fixed to the shell 40 and positioned parallel to the bottom wall 22 so that the finned portion 102 is interposed between the lid 24 and the outside face of the cooling plate (upper face of 44) to define a duct system (24 is connected to 40 and parallel to 22; fins 102 are disposed between 24 and upper face of 44 and air flows through fins 102);
- via a fan 36 which is mounted between the lid 24 and the outside face of the cooling plate (upper face of 44; fan 36 disposed between 24 and upper face of 44), generating an air flow through the duct system (Par. 0032 “a fan 36 is disposed in the control unit 10 to improve the air flow and more particularly to promote the extraction of hot air”).
As to Claim 12, Szostek discloses:
wherein the studs 156 of the plurality of studs are located at the finned portion 102 of the cooling plate 44 (cooling surfaces 156 disposed below fins 102 on 44).
As to Claim 13, Szostek discloses:
wherein the shell 40 includes a lateral wall 14,16,18,20 having a front face 16 which defines an outlet opening 34 (Par. 0032 “The second opening group 34 is provided to extract hot air from the control unit 10”), the method comprising a step of causing air to flow between the finned portion 102 and the outlet opening 34 through the fan 36, which is mounted between the finned portion 102 and the outlet opening 34 (fan 36 disposed between 102 and 34; Par. 0032 “a fan 36 is disposed in the control unit 10 to improve the air flow and more particularly to promote the extraction of hot air. The impeller vanes of the fan 36 are arranged directly facing the second opening group 34”; Par. 0033 “The first opening group 32 is provided to introduce fresh air into the control unit 10 for cooling purposes”).
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.
Claims 9 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Szostek (US 20190335621 A1) as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Setele (US 20230371197 A1).
As to Claims 9 and 15, Szostek discloses:
wherein the electronic components 118, 130,132 abutted against the studs 156 of the plurality of studs (156 abuts components and heat generating areas).
Szostek does not disclose:
wherein the electronic components include power switches and/or integrated electronic power components.
However, Setele discloses:
wherein the electronic components include power switches and/or integrated electronic power components (Fig. 4A, Par. 0045 “The power regulators 340 are configured to provide stable power to the components in the electronics box 220 for optimum operation and the power amplifiers 350 are configured to respond to a small input signal and delivers a larger output signal that contains the features of the input signal”);
in order to provide power within the electronics box (Par. 0045).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the related art(s) before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Szostek as further suggested by Setele e.g., providing:
wherein the electronic components include power switches and/or integrated electronic power components;
in order to provide power within the electronics box.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 and 14 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 a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As to claims 4-7 and 14, the allowability resides in the overall structure and functionality of the device/entirety of the method as recited in the dependent claims 4, 6 and 14, including all of the limitations of their base claims and intervening claims, and at least in part, because claims 4, 6 and 14 recite the following limitations:
“wherein the front face of the lateral wall defines an outlet opening which is in fluid communication with the duct system, the fan being mounted between the finned portion and the outlet opening.” – claim 4;
“wherein the lateral wall of the shell has a first side face and a second side face and a rear face, opposite the front face, and the duct system has a plurality of inlet holes, located on the first side face, on the second side face and on the rear face.” – claim 6;
“wherein the lateral wall of the shell has a first side face and a second side face and a rear face, opposite the front face, and the duct system has a plurality of inlet holes, located on the first side face, on the second side face and on the rear face, and wherein the outlet opening is located at a central position of the front face and the duct system includes a plurality of outwardly radiating ducts to put the outlet opening and the inlet holes of the duct system in fluid communication with each other.” – claim 14.
Teranishi (US 20240268060 A1) and Teranishi (WO 2024135032 A1) disclose an electronic control device with a plurality of fins and a fan, however do not disclose the claimed configuration of the openings in the shell.
Takeuchi (US 20230040072 A1) discloses a cooling structure for an electrical apparatus, however do not disclose the claimed configuration of the openings in the shell.
The aforementioned limitations in combination with all remaining limitations of claims 4, 6 and 14, are believed to render said claims 4, 6 and 14 and all claims dependent therefrom allowable over the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination.
Further, Examiner has not identified any double patenting issues.
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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW S MUIR whose telephone number is (571)270-1329. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached at 571-272-3740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW SINCLAIR MUIR/ Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/Jayprakash N Gandhi/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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