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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-6, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bonnin et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,769,954).
Regarding claim 1, Bonnin et al. disclose a liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-2), comprising: a chassis (35a) including a front panel (panel with front grill 36a, Fig. 2), a bottom panel (Fig. 2), a back panel (panel with back grill 37a, Fig. 2), a chassis height (Fig. 2), and a chassis width (Fig. 2), the bottom panel (Fig. 2) including a front side edge and a back side edge (Fig. 2), the front panel perpendicularly extends from the front side edge (Fig. 2), the back panel perpendicularly extends from the back side edge (Fig. 2), the front panel, the bottom panel, and the back panel define an interior space (Fig. 2) therewithin, the chassis height is a height (Fig. 2) of the chassis (35a) and defines a vertical position (Fig. 2) of the chassis, the chassis width is a width (Fig. 2) of the chassis (35a); a pump assembly including a pump (22a), a pump pipe system (pipes/hoes, Fig. 2), and a liquid connector system (couplings 50a & 51a, Fig. 2), the pump pipe system (Fig. 2) fluidly coupled to the pump (22a) at a first end (Column 7 lines 48-53), and the pump pipe system (Fig. 2) fluidly coupled to the liquid connector system at a second end (Column 8 lines 4-26), the second end opposite the first end (Column 7 lines 10-18, Fig. 2), the pump (22a) and the pump pipe system disposed in the interior space (Fig. 2), the liquid connector system (Couplings 50a & 51a, Fig. 2) coupled to the back panel (Fig. 2) and enabled for a cooling fluid to flow therethrough; and a filter device (32a, Column 7 lines 19-24), the filter device (32a) fluidly coupled between the pump pipe system and the liquid connector system (Fig. 2), the filter device (32a) enabled to mechanically remove solid particles from the cooling fluid flowing through the liquid pump unit (14a); and wherein, the liquid pump unit (14a) and the liquid connector system (Fig. 2) are vertically disposed (Fig. 2), but lacks disclosure wherein the chassis height is greater than the chassis width.
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify size of the chassis to have a height greater than the width, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Regarding claim 2, Bonnin et al. disclose the liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-2), wherein the liquid connector system (Couplings 50a & 51a, Fig. 2) comprises an inlet connector and an outlet connector (Column 8 lines 4-26), the inlet connector and the outlet connector are vertically disposed (Fig. 2), the inlet connector disposed between the outlet connector and the back side edge (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Bonnin et al. disclose the liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-2), wherein the pump pipe system comprises an inlet pipe (Fig. 2) and an outlet pipe (Fig. 2), and wherein the pump (22a) comprise a pump inlet (at 38a, Fig. 2) and a pump outlet (at 39a), the inlet pipe fluidly coupled to the filter device (32a) at a lower pipe inlet end (Fig. 2) and fluidly coupled to the pump inlet at a lower pipe outlet end (Fig. 2), the outlet pipe fluidly coupled to the pump outlet (at 39a) at an upper pipe inlet end (Fig. 2) and fluidly coupled to the outlet connector at an upper pipe outlet end (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Bonnin et al. disclose the liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-2), wherein the filter device (32a) comprises an inlet end (Fig. 2), a body (Fig. 2), a liquid filter (within the filter), and an outlet end (Fig 2), the body (Fig. 2) respectively coupled between the outlet end and the inlet end (Fig. 2), the filter device (32a) fluidly coupled to the inlet connector (at 31a, Fig. 2) at the inlet end and fluidly coupled to the inlet pipe at the outlet end (Fig. 2), but lacks disclosure of the liquid filter removably coupled in the body.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the filter device of Bonnin et al. to have a filter device with a removably coupled filter, since the Examiner takes Official Notice of the equivalence of a filter device with a removable filter element and the filter device of Bonnin et al. for their use in the liquid filtering art and the selection of any of these known equivalents to enable removable liquid filtration would be within the level of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 5, Bonnin et al. disclose the liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-2), further comprising a check valve (40a), the check valve (40a) fluidly coupled (Column 7 line 66-Column 8 line 3) between the outlet pipe and the outlet connector (Fig.2 ), the check valve (40a) enabled to prevent backflow of the cooling fluid back through the outlet pipe (Column 7 line 66-Column 8 line 3).
Regarding claim 6, Bonnin et al. disclose the liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-2), wherein the pump pipe system comprises an inlet pipe (Fig. 2) and an outlet pipe (Fig. 2), and wherein the pump (22a) comprise a pump inlet (at 38a, Fig. 2)and a pump outlet (at 39a, Fig. 2), the outlet pipe fluidly coupled to the pump outlet (Fig. 2) at an upper pipe inlet end (Fig. 2), the inlet pipe fluidly coupled to the inlet connector (Fig. 2) at a lower pipe inlet end (Fig. 2) and fluidly coupled to the pump inlet (at 38a, Fig. 2) at a lower pipe outlet end (Fig. 2), but lacks disclosure wherein the outlet pipe is fluidly coupled to the filter device at an upper pipe outlet end.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to rearrange the location of the filter device of Bonnin et al. to be coupled to the outlet pipe instead of the inlet pipe, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding claim 7, Bonnin et al. disclose the liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-2), wherein the filter device (32a) comprises an inlet end (Fig. 2), a body (Fig. 2), a liquid filter (within the filter), and an outlet end (Fig 2), the body (Fig. 2) respectively coupled between the outlet end and the inlet end (Fig. 2), the filter device (32a) fluidly coupled to the outlet pipe (modified above by rearranging) at the outlet end and fluidly coupled to the outlet connector at the inlet end (modified above by rearranging), but lacks disclosure of the liquid filter removably coupled in the body.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the filter device of Bonnin et al. to have a filter device with a removably coupled filter, since the Examiner takes Official Notice of the equivalence of a filter device with a removable filter element and the filter device of Bonnin et al. for their use in the liquid filtering art and the selection of any of these known equivalents to enable removable liquid filtration would be within the level of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 8, further comprising a check valve (40a), the check valve (40a) enabled to prevent backflow of the cooling fluid back through the outlet pipe (Column 7 line 66-Column 8 line 3), but lacks disclosure wherein the check valve is fluidly coupled between the inlet pipe and the inlet connector.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to rearrange the location of the check valve of Bonnin et al. to be coupled to the inlet pipe instead of the outlet pipe, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Claims 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bonnin et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,769,954) in view of Varela Benitez et al. (Pub. No. US 2021/0352830).
Regarding claim 9, Bonnin et al. disclose the essential features of the claimed invention but lack disclosure of a cover panel, a handle, and a plurality of mounting components, the cover panel removably coupled to the front panel, the bottom panel, and the back panel, the cover panel further defining the interior space, the handle coupled to the front panel, the plurality of mounting components coupled to the back panel and enabled for fastening of the liquid pump unit.
Varela Benitez et al. teach a liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-33) comprising a chassis (Fig. 6) having a front panel (505), bottom panel (Figs. 5-6), a back panel (515), and a cover panel removably coupled to the chassis (paragraph 104) and defining an interior space (Fig. 5), the front panel (505) include handles (Fig. 6), and the back panel (515) has plurality of mounting components (coupling 516 & 517, Fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the chassis of Bonnin et al. with a chassis as taught by Varela Benitez et al., for the advantage of mounting the pumping unit in a server rack type (paragraph 103).
Regarding claim 10, Bonnin et al. disclose the liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-2), further comprising a liquid pump driver (42a) and an electrical connector (at 46a, Column 9 lines 1-3), the electrical connector (at 46a) coupled to the back panel (Fig. 2), the liquid pump driver (23a or 42a) coupled to the cover panel (modified above), the liquid pump driver (23a or 42a) electrically coupled to the pump (Column 5 lines 59-61) and the electrical connector (46a) to drive the pump (Column 9 lines 1-3) to transport the cooling fluid through the liquid pump unit (14a).
Claim 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bonnin et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,769,954) in view of James et al. (Pub. No. US 2023/0323882).
Regarding claim 12, Bonnin et al. disclose the essential features of the claimed invention but lacks disclosure wherein the filter device is a Y-strainer, the Y-strainer being horizontally disposed.
James et al. teach a pump unit (Figs. 1-9) having a filter device (166) fluidly coupled to a pump (130), wherein the filter device (166) is a Y-Strainer (paragraph 33), and the Y-strainer (166) is horizontally disposed (Figs. 3-4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the filter device of Bonnin et al. with a Y-strainer filter device as taught by James et al., since they are considered art recognized equivalents in the art of filters, that perform the same function of filtering fluid flow.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Novotny et al. (U.S. Patent No. 8,297,069) disclose a liquid pump unit having a chassis with a similar pump assembly.
Lin et al. (Pub. No. US 2023/0059922) disclose a similar liquid pump unit having a chassis with a handle in the front panel and mounting components in the rear panel.
Lu (Pub. No. US 2024/0044529) disclose a similar liquid pump unit having a chassis with a width larger than the height of the chassis.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Reinaldo Sanchez-Medina, telephone number 571-270-5168, fax number 571-270-6168. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (7:30AM-4:00PM EST).
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/REINALDO SANCHEZ-MEDINA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753