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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 15-20, drawn to a temperature control plate, classified in H05K7/2039 in the reply filed on 8 July, 2026 is acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 15 November, 2024, 18 April, 2025, 25 August, 2025, and 11 November, 2025 is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the "second plate element" must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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) 15-18 are rejected under U.S.C. § 102 (a) (2) as being anticipated by MENDLER et al. (DE- 19805439-A1-Published 12 August, 1999).
As to claim 15, MENDLER discloses a temperature control plate for the temperature control of electronic components or batteries, the temperature control plate comprising: a plate body which has a first plate element (5) and a second plate element; at least one connecting piece for a temperature control fluid, wherein the at least one connecting piece joins together the first plate element and the second plate element, the at least one connecting piece has an outer flange (8) and a plug-in section, wherein the outer flange abuts an outside of the first plate element, and the plug-in section is positioned in a mounting opening of the first plate element which comprises an end section of the plug-in section, wherein the mounting opening is arranged in a formation in the first plate element, wherein a circumferential edge of the mounting opening is displaced in relation to a plate plane of the first plate element and the end section comprises an inner flange (11), wherein an annular groove is between the outer flange and the inner flange and the circumferential edge is accommodated in the annular groove (See Annotated Figure MENDLER).
[AltContent: textbox (Inner Flange ends are substantially flush with an adjacent inner surface of the first plate element)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (End section)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Depth of the formation is greater than or equal to the wall thickness of the
Inner Flange)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Mounting opening)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (First plate element and second plate element )][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Annular Groove)][AltContent: textbox (Connecting piece)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Plug-in section)][AltContent: textbox (Circumferential edge)][AltContent: textbox (Outer Flange)][AltContent: arrow]
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Annotated Figure (MENDLER)
As to claim 16, MENDLER teaches the limitations of claim 15, MENDLER further teaches the temperature control plate, wherein the inner flange has a wall thickness and the formation has a depth, wherein the depth of the formation is dimensioned to be greater than or equal to the wall thickness of the inner flange (See Annotated Figure MENDLER).
As to claim 17, MENDLER teaches the limitations of claim 15, MENDLER further teaches the temperature control plate, wherein the formation is geometrically dimensioned so the inner flange (11) is accommodated therein and ends of the inner flange are substantially flush with an adjacent inner surface of the first plate element (5) (See Annotated Figure MENDLER).
As to claim 18, MENDLER teaches the limitations of claim 15, MENDLER further teaches the temperature control plate, wherein a solder material (12) is incorporated between the outer flange (8) and the first plate element (5) (Paragraph 23) (See Annotated Figure MENDLER).
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) 19 is/are rejected under U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over MENDLER et al. (DE- 19805439-A1-Published 12 August, 1999), and LECOESTER et al. (US-20180238481-A1-published 23 August,2018).
As to claim 19, MENDLER teaches the limitations of claim 18, MENDLER, however does not teach the temperature control plate, wherein the solder material is arranged in a receptacle in the outer flange.
LECOESTER, however teaches the solder material arranged in a receptacle in the outer flange (Paragraph 57). The solder material after cooling binds the two complementary surfaces to one another.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified MENDLER with the teachings of LECOESTER to incorporate a solder material that is arranged in a receptacle in the outer flange in order to bind the connecting piece to the plate body.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over MENDLER et al. (DE- 19805439-A1-Published 12 August, 1999), and BAI et al. (US-20170104500-A1-published 13 April,2017).
As to claim 20, MENDLER teaches the limitations of claim 15, MENDLER, however does not teach the temperature control plate, wherein the first plate element and the second plate element or the at least one connecting piece comprises a light metal material.
BAI, however teaches a temperature control plate, wherein the body, cover, and the panels are made out of light metal material (Paragraph 15). The light metal material reduces weight while keeping up with the cooling requirements (Paragraph 13).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified MENDLER with the teachings of LECOESTER to incorporate light metal material in order to reduce the weight of the temperature control plate.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BIGYAN BHATTACHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8767. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 AM - 5 PM.
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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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/BIGYAN BHATTACHAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3763 /LEN TRAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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