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)(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 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tung, Kai-Yang et al. (TW 202402147 hereinafter “Tung”).
With respect to claim 1, Tung discloses a liquid cooling device (Fig. 2), comprising: a first cold plate (Fig. 2, 16a); a second cold plate (Fig. 2, 122), stacked on the first cold plate (Fig. 1, 122 is stacked on 16a); and two connection pipes, respectively disposed on opposite sides of the first cold plate and the second cold plate (Fig. 2, connecting pipes 162 and 126b), and protruding from the first cold plate and the second cold plate (Fig. 2, connecting pipes 164 and 126b), wherein the two connection pipes are connected to the first cold plate and the second cold plate (Fig. 2, connecting pipes 162 and 126 are thermally connected to both plates).
With respect to claim 2, Tung discloses the liquid cooling device according to claim 1 as discussed above. Tung also discloses wherein the first cold plate has a liquid inlet on a side of the first cold plate away from the two connection pipes (Fig. 2, inlet 162), and the second cold plate has a liquid outlet on a side of the second cold plate away from the two connection pipes (Fig. 2, outlet 126a).
With respect to claim 3, Tung discloses the liquid cooling device according to claim 2 as discussed above. Tung also discloses wherein the first cold plate has a first accommodation space (Fig. 5, space within 16), the first cold plate comprises a first partition located in the first accommodation space and dividing the first accommodation space into a first accommodation subspace and a second accommodation subspace (Fig. 5, partitions 168 divides the space into subspaces next to162 and 164), the first accommodation space has a flow distribution subspace connected to the liquid inlet (Fig. 5, 160), and the first accommodation subspace and the second accommodation subspace are in fluid communication with each other through the flow distribution subspace (Fig. 5).
With respect to claim 9, Tung discloses the liquid cooling device according to claim 1 as discussed above. Tung also discloses further comprising a condenser (Fig. 2, condenser 122), a plurality of thermosiphon pipes (Fig. 2, thermosiphons 126a, 126b, 146a, 146b) and two evaporators (Fig. 2, evaporators 124 and 122), wherein the condenser is disposed between the first cold plate and the second cold plate (Fig. 2, condenser in 122 is between the first cold plate 16a and the second cold plate on top of 122), the plurality of thermosiphon pipes are respectively connected to two opposite ends of the condenser, the two evaporators are respectively connected to one end of the plurality of thermosiphon pipes away from the condenser (Fig. 2, j126 and 126 are thermally connected to opposite ends of 122), and the two evaporators are configured to be thermally coupled to two heat sources (Fig. 2, 124 and 144 are capable of being coupled to heat sources).
With respect to claim 10, Tung discloses the liquid cooling device according to claim 1 as discussed above. Tung also discloses further comprising a plurality of external fins disposed on a side of the first cold plate away from the second cold plate (Fig. 2, fins 166).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8 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: The prior art does not anticipate nor render obvious the combination set forth in the independent claims, and specifically does not show "a plurality of first columnar fins and a plurality of first plate fins, wherein the plurality of first columnar fins are respectively located in the first accommodation subspace and the second accommodation subspace, the plurality of first plate fins are respectively located in the first accommodation subspace and the second accommodation subspace, and the plurality of first columnar fins are located closer to the first partition than the plurality of first plate fins." The closest prior art of record Tung discloses a plurality of channels within the plate to have the fluid flow through, but not the two different fins within the space with the exact location as claimed. Although it is well known to provide different fins or surface area for a desired heat transfer, there is no teaching in the prior art of record that would, reasonably and absent impermissible hindsight, motivate one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of the prior art to incorporate both the column and plate fins in the located of a liquid cooling device as claimed. Thus, for at least the foregoing reasons, the prior art of record neither anticipates nor rendered obvious the present invention as set forth in claim 4.
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 CLAIRE E ROJOHN III whose telephone number is (571)270-5431. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:00 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Len Tran can be reached at (571)272-1184. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CLAIRE E ROJOHN III/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
