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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 1 (as well as 2-11 due to their dependency) is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. The “well” recited in claim 1 is not disclosed in the drawings, nor in the specification, in a manner that would enable one skilled in the art to reproduce, or accurately obtain a perspective of this feature in relation to the device as a whole. Mainly, there does not seem to be a difference between the “well” of claim 1 and the “vapor chamber” of claim 1, nor is the difference disclosed.
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 1 (as well as 2-11 due their dependency) and 3 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitations of both a “well” and a “vapor chamber.” It is unclear in the claims or the specification how the two are separate entities. As a result, for examination purposes they will be treated as one entity.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the top cover" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, and 4-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 6,418,017 to Patel et al.
Patel discloses;
As to claim 1, an electronic device (10) comprising: a middle frame (12) extending along at least two opposed edges (see e.g. Fig. 1, 12 having two length wide edges and two width wide edges), the middle frame configured to provide mechanical support for the electronic device; a middle plate (20) affixed to the middle frame to define an inner layer of a chassis, the middle plate including a base member (Figure 4, portion of 20 below chamber 30) extending to a perimeter wall of the middle frame and including a well (30); and a vapor chamber (30) including the well and disposed inside the middle plate (Figure 4), the vapor chamber comprising: a first region (30a) proximate to a heat source and a second region (30c) spaced from the first region; and a coolant (36), which in a first mode of operation is configured to be evaporated at the first region by heat absorbed from the heat source, and which in a second mode of operation is configured to be condensed in the second region (col. 4, ll. 38-48, “Channel 30 has an evaporator section 30a, an adiabatic section 30b, and a condenser section 30c.”).
As to claim 2, the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the vapor chamber further comprises a coolant transmission material (32) positioned at least partially in the well that transmits, from the second region to the first region, the coolant that is condensed.
As to claim 4, the electronic device of claim 2, wherein the coolant transmission material is a wick (col. 6, ll. 36-37 “After channel 30 is provided, wick 32 is either inserted into channel 30 or is fabricated within channel 30.”)
As to claim 5, the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the middle plate comprises at least a top cover (portion of 20 above 30) and the base member configured to encase the vapor chamber.
As to claim 6, the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the vapor chamber further comprises: a vapor cavity (col. 4, ll. 41-42, “Channel 30 provides a cavity in the form of a channel for a heat pipe”) configured to transport, in the first mode, the evaporated coolant from the first region to the second region.
As to claim 7, the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the middle frame and middle plate form the chassis, the chassis being configured to encase at least a plurality of device components (col. 3, ll. 48-49, “various electronic components, none of which are illustrated, would be mounted to chassis member 12”).
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) 1-2 and 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 10,019,046 to Shen in view of US 6,418,017 to Patel et al.
As to claim 1, Shen discloses an electronic device (col. 1, ll. 9-12, “the present invention relates generally to a portable electronic apparatus”) comprising: a middle frame (10) extending along at least two opposed edges, the middle frame configured to provide mechanical support for the electronic device (col. 3, ll. 9-12, “the internal frame 10 is applied to an electronic apparatus for supporting and protecting various components in the electronic apparatus and enhancing the structural strength of the electronic apparatus”); a middle plate (11) affixed to the middle frame to define an inner layer of a chassis, the middle plate including a base member (Fig. 2B, portion of 11 below 116) extending to a perimeter wall of the middle frame and including a well (116); and a vapor chamber (116) including the well and disposed inside the middle plate. Shen further discloses a coolant (118).
Shen fails to disclose the vapor chamber comprising: a first region proximate to a heat source and a second region spaced from the first region; and a coolant, which in a first mode of operation is configured to be evaporated at the first region by heat absorbed from the heat source, and which in a second mode of operation is configured to be condensed in the second region.
Patel teaches a vapor chamber comprising: a first region (30a) proximate to a heat source and a second region (30c) spaced from the first region; and a coolant (36), which in a first mode of operation is configured to be evaporated at the first region by heat absorbed from the heat source, and which in a second mode of operation is configured to be condensed in the second region (col. 4, ll. 38-48, “Channel 30 has an evaporator section 30a, an adiabatic section 30b, and a condenser section 30c.”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to utilize the functionality of Patel’s vapor chamber in Shen’s application in order to cool heat generating components, as this is the commonly known functioning of a vapor chamber as is well known in the art and demonstrated by Patel.
As to claim 2, modified Shen discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the vapor chamber further comprises a coolant transmission material (117) positioned at least partially in the well that transmits, from the second region to the first region, the coolant (118) that is condensed.
As to claims 8 and 9, modified Shen discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the middle plate comprises a high-thermal-conductivity metal material (claim 8) and wherein the high-thermal-conductivity metal material is stainless steel or titanium. (col. 3, ll. 16-20, “The metal material is such as stainless steel, aluminum, aluminum-magnesium alloy, aluminum-titanium alloy, etc.”).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 10,019,046 to Shen in view of US 6,418,017 to Patel et al. further in view of US 2019/0335619 to Tseng et al.
As to claim 3, Shen in view of Patel teach the electronic device of claim 2.
Shen fails to disclose wherein the top cover includes a plurality of support pins configured to fixedly constrain the coolant transmission material. Tseng teaches a top cover (15) including a plurality of support pins (173) to fixedly constrain a coolant transmission material (17). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the cavity of Shen with support pins as taught by Tseng in order prevent the cavity from caving in on itself as taught by Tseng ([0032] “The main purpose of the support portions 173 is to support the base 11 and the upper lid 15.”)
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 10,019,046 to Shen in view of US 6,418,017 to Patel et al.
As to claim 10, Shen in view of Patel teach all the limitations of claim 1.
Shen fails to disclose wherein a total thickness of the middle plate is from 0.3 - 0.35mm.
It has been held that where the only difference between the prior art and the claims was a recitation of relative dimensions of the claimed device and a device having the claimed relative dimensions would not perform differently than the prior art device, the claimed device was not patentably distinct from the prior art device (In Gardner v. TEC Syst., Inc., 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984). Therefore, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the middle plate of Shen, to fall within the specified dimensions, as a choice in design to, e.g. minimize weight, the applicant offering no criticality to the claimed dimensions.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 10,019,046 to Shen in view of US 6,418,017 to Patel et al. further in view of US 2023/0213725 to Song et al.
As to claim 11, Shen in view of Patel teach the limitations of claim 1.
Shen fails to disclose wherein the middle frame and the middle plate are affixed together with a plastic via nano injection molding.
Song teaches (FIG. 7 also [0022]) using nano injection molding to form a plastic component (3) on a surface of a metal component (2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to form the element (13) of Shen, which fixes the middle frame to the middle plate, with a nano injection molding process as taught by Song as nano injection molding improves the strength of bonds between materials (see Song, [0022] “The nano-injection molding process improves the strength of bond between the mounting frame 3 and the holder 2.”)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2019/0391623 to Jiang et al. and US 2024/0318921 to Liu et al. disclosing a middle plate with vapor chamber.
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/JAMIL ALEXANDER DECKER/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/MANDEEP S BUTTAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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