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 § 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9, 11, 12-16, 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (CN220230196).
Regarding claim 1,
Wang teaches a hollow pipe cooling device (see par. 3), comprising: a covering member 1 comprising a top cover 11 and a bottom cover 12, wherein the top cover and the bottom cover are combined together to form an accommodation space 13 therebetween, wherein the top cover comprises at least one top cover opening 111, and the least one top cover opening runs through the top cover in a first direction and is in communication with the accommodation space (see Fig. 5); a spacer member (e.g. the spacer member comprising support columns 121) disposed in the accommodation space, wherein the spacer member has a top surface (not labeled, wherein said spacer member further comprises a bulge, not labeled, see Fig. 5), and the top surface is partially exposed to the at least one top cover opening (see col 6); and at least one hollow pipe 2, wherein each of the at least one hollow pipe 2 comprises a surrounding wall part 212 and a closed end part 23, wherein a first end of the surrounding wall part is connected with the closed end part, a second end of the surrounding wall part is an opened end part 22, a heat dissipation space is defined by the surrounding wall part and the closed end part collaboratively (not labeled, see Fig. 5), and the opened end part is used as an entrance/exit of the heat dissipation space (see Fig. 5), wherein a hollow pipe wick structure 3 is formed on an inner wall of the surrounding wall part, and the opened end part is aligned with the corresponding top cover opening and contacted with the spacer member (see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 2,
Wang teaches wherein the hollow pipe cooling device further comprises a top wick structure 6, and the top wick structure is disposed on a surface of the top cover facing the accommodation space (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 3,
Wang teaches wherein the spacer member is contacted with the top wick structure (see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 4,
Wang teaches wherein the top wick structure is a grooved structure, a copper powder sintered structure, a woven mesh structure or a composite structure (see par. 49).
Regarding claim 5,
Wang teaches wherein the hollow pipe cooling device further comprises a bottom wick (e.g. the bottom layer of element 6, see Fig. 6) 6 structure disposed on a surface of the bottom cover facing the accommodation space (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 6,
Wang teaches wherein the spacer member is contacted with the bottom wick structure (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 7,
Wang teaches wherein the bottom wick structure is a grooved structure, a copper powder sintered structure, a woven mesh structure or a composite structure (see par. 49).
Regarding claim 9,
Wang teaches wherein the spacer member is a convex structure, a battlement structure, a sawtooth structure or a columnar structure (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 11,
Wang wherein the spacer member comprises a plurality of support structures 121, and the plurality of support structures are in a parallel arrangement, a mesh arrangement or a radial arrangement.
Regarding claims 12-16, 18-20,
The subject matter of claims 12-16, 18-20 is directed towards essentially the same subject matter as claims 1-4, 6, 9, 11 and has been addressed in the rejection of claims 1-4, 6, 9, 11.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 8, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Chen (CN212253782).
Regarding claim 8,
Wang does not teach wherein the bottom cover comprises a first area, a second area and a third area, wherein the second area is arranged around the first area, the second area and the first area are located at different horizontal planes, the third area is connected with the second area and the first area, and the third area is arranged between the second area and the first area.
Chen, directed to a heat pipe cooling device, teaches wherein a (grooved) bottom cover 4 comprises a first area, a second area and a third area (not labeled, See Fig. 1), wherein the second area is arranged around the first area, the second area and the first area are located at different horizontal planes (see Fig. 1), the third area is connected with the second area and the first area, and the third area is arranged between the second area and the first area (see Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify Wang by Chen with the motivation of, for example, providing a space (e.g. a groove) for a heat exchange fluid (e.g. a liquid heat exchange fluid) to collect.
Regarding claim 17,
The subject matter of claim 17 is directed towards essentially the same subject matter as claim 8 and has been addressed in the rejection of claim 8.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang.
Regarding claim 10,
Wang does not teach wherein the spacer member is a copper powder sintered structure, a woven mesh structure or a composite structure.
Since it has been held that the selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supports a prima facie obviousness determination (see MPEP 2144.07), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify Wang and arrive at the claimed invention in order to provide a known material with advantageous properties such as high thermal conductivity, ductility, and corrosion resistance.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Tan, Lin, Jia teach hollow pipe cooling structures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVE S TANENBAUM whose telephone number is (313)446-6522. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 11 AM - 7 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Frantz Jules can be reached at (571) 272-6681. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Steve S TANENBAUM/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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