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 Interpretation
It is noted that the term cascade heat exchanger” is used in the instant disclosure and claims in a manner contrary to the commonly-understood meaning of the term as it would have been recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was filed.
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As an example of the term’s conventional use, US Patent No. 3,733,845 to Lieberman, of which fig. 1 is shown above, teaches in col. 4, lines 35-65, the heat exchanger “12” as a “cascade heat exchanger” because its two flow paths are connected to and exchange heat between two separate refrigerant circuits (“high-temperature closed circuit 10” and “low temperature closed circuit 11”). The heat exchangers internal to each of these circuits, such as heat exchanger (17) which exchanges heat between a high-pressure line (16) and a low-pressure line (18) of the high-temperature closed circuit (10) or heat exchanger (30) which exchanges heat between a high-pressure line (25) and a low-pressure line (34) of the low-temperature closed circuit (11), are not called “cascade heat exchangers” because they exchange heat within a single circuit rather than between two circuits.
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In contrast, in the instant application, the cascade heat exchanger (108, shown in fig. 1 of the instant application, reproduced above) is referred to using this term even though it exchanges heat between two fluid lines (carrying streams C1 and C2 from the separator 106) of the single circuit of the HVACR system (100). This operation and connection of the heat exchanger is further detailed in ¶ 43 of the instant specification.
For purposes of examination, the term “cascade heat exchanger” has been given its broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification and has been interpreted as a refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger without requiring that the refrigerant in the flow paths of such a heat exchanger be contained within separate refrigerant circuits.
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.
(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.
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Claims 1-3, 6, 9-13, 16, 19, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by European Publication No. 4,261,475 to Hayasaka et al.
A copy of the Hayasaka reference was provided by applicant with the Information Disclosure Statement of 21 April 2026.
Hayasaka teaches limitations from claim 1 in fig. 6, shown above, and fig. 3, shown below, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) system (100B), comprising:
a compressor (1), a condenser (2), a liquid-vapor separator (7) having a vapor outlet (the upper right port of the separator 7, connecting to the pipe 9 as taught in ¶ 21) and a liquid outlet (the lower port of the separator 7, connecting to the pipe 8 as taught in ¶ 21), a cascade heat exchanger (economizer 12), an expander (capillary tube 22), and an evaporator (5) fluidly connected;
a modulator (either the flow rate regulation valve 13 taken alone or taken in combination with the solenoid valve 14) disposed downstream of the liquid outlet (the regulation valve 13 being disposed on the pipe 8 as shown in fig. 6); and
a controller (70) configured to:
determine an operation parameter of the system (including at least the degree of supercooling SC and the elapsed time T2 used to control the position of the valves 13 and 14 in the steps shown in fig. 3; although the method of fig. 3 is originally taught with regard to another embodiment of the invention of Hayasaka, it is also taught to be performed by the system of fig. 6 in ¶ 69), and
control the modulator (valves 13 and 14) to modulate a liquid flow from the liquid outlet based on the determined operation parameter (based on the method of fig. 3),
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wherein the expander (22) is disposed downstream of the liquid outlet (as shown in fig. 6), the cascade heat exchanger (specifically the lower pass of the heat exchanger 12) is disposed downstream of the vapor outlet (as shown in fig. 6), and the modulator (13) is disposed between the liquid outlet (between the separator 7 and the liquid pipe 8) and the vapor outlet (between the separator 7 and the vapor pipe 9) (specifically, the regulating valve 13 is disposed along pipe 8, prior to its joining with the vapor pipe 9 on which the solenoid valve 14 is disposed) and upstream of the cascade heat exchanger (upstream of the lower pass of the heat exchanger 12 as shown in fig. 6).
Hayasaka teaches limitations from claim 2 in fig. 6, shown above, and fig. 7, shown below, the HVACR system of claim 1, wherein the operation parameter is a compressor pressure ratio, the compressor pressure ratio being a ratio of a discharge pressure of the compressor to a suction pressure of the compressor (as taught in fig. 7, in addition to the supercooling degree used to control the regulating valve 13 as taught in fig. 3, a compression ratio is used I controlling the solenoid valve 24 as per steps S23 and S24 shown in fig. 7 and taught in ¶¶ 71-72, the compression ratio being a ratio of a P1 measured by a sensor 31 at the compressor outlet and a P3 measured by a sensor 34 at the compressor suction).
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Hayasaka teaches limitations from claim 3 in fig. 3, shown above, the HVACR system of claim 1, wherein the controller (70) is further configured to control the modulator (13) to decrease a portion of the liquid flow passing through the modulator (decreasing the opening of the valve 13 in step S4) when the operation parameter is above a first threshold (when the degree of supercooling SC is greater than the threshold Th2 in step S2 (following additional considerations in step S3) as shown in fig. 3.)
Hayasaka teaches limitations from claim 6 in fig. 3, shown above, the HVACR system of claim 1, wherein the controller (70) is further configured to control the modulator (13) to increase a portion of the liquid flow passing through the modulator (increasing the opening of the valve 13 in step S8) when the operation parameter is below a second threshold (when the degree of supercooling SC is not greater than the threshold Th1 in step S1 (following additional considerations in step S7) as shown in fig. 3.)
Hayasaka teaches limitations from claim 9 in figs. 6 and 7, shown above, the HVACR system of claim 1, wherein the operation parameter includes ambient temperature (measured by the sensor 35 as taught in ¶ 68 and used in control of the solenoid valve as the variable AT in step S22 of fig. 7.)
Hayasaka teaches limitations from claim 10 in figs. 6 and 7, shown above, the HVACR system of claim 9, wherein the operation parameter is determined based on the ambient temperature (AT, measured by sensor 35) and a temperature of a process fluid of the condenser (measured by sensor 32 and used in calculating the degree of supercooling SC used in steps S1 and S2 of fig. 3, as taught in ¶ 37).
Hayasaka teaches limitations from claim 11 in figs. 3 and 6, shown above, a method of operating a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) system (100B), the HVACR system including: a compressor (1), a condenser (2), a liquid-vapor separator (7) having a vapor outlet (the upper right port of the separator 7, connecting to the pipe 9 as taught in ¶ 21) and a liquid outlet (the lower port of the separator 7, connecting to the pipe 8 as taught in ¶ 21), a cascade heat exchanger (economizer 12), an expander (capillary tube 22), and an evaporator (5) fluidly connected; a modulator (either the flow rate regulation valve 13 taken alone or taken in combination with the solenoid valve 14) disposed downstream of the liquid outlet (the regulation valve 13 being disposed on the pipe 8 as shown in fig. 6); and a controller (70), the method comprising:
determining an operation parameter of the system (including at least the degree of supercooling SC and the elapsed time T2 used to control the position of the valves 13 and 14 in the steps shown in fig. 3; although the method of fig. 3 is originally taught with regard to another embodiment of the invention of Hayasaka, it is also taught to be performed by the system of fig. 6 in ¶ 69), and
controlling the modulator (valves 13 and 14) to modulate a liquid flow from the liquid outlet based on the determined operation parameter (based on the method of fig. 3),
wherein the expander (22) is disposed downstream of the liquid outlet (as shown in fig. 6), the cascade heat exchanger (specifically the lower pass of the heat exchanger 12) is disposed downstream of the vapor outlet (as shown in fig. 6), and the modulator (13) is disposed between the liquid outlet (between the separator 7 and the liquid pipe 8) and the vapor outlet (between the separator 7 and the vapor pipe 9) (specifically, the regulating valve 13 is disposed along pipe 8, prior to its joining with the vapor pipe 9 on which the solenoid valve 14 is disposed) and upstream of the cascade heat exchanger (upstream of the lower pass of the heat exchanger 12 as shown in fig. 6).
Regarding the limitations of claim 12, refer to the above rejection of claim 11 on which claim 12 depends and of claim 2 which presents equivalent limitations.
Regarding the limitations of claim 13, refer to the above rejection of claim 11 on which claim 13 depends and of claim 3 which presents equivalent limitations.
Regarding the limitations of claim 16, refer to the above rejection of claim 11 on which claim 16 depends and of claim 6 which presents equivalent limitations.
Regarding the limitations of claim 19, refer to the above rejection of claim 11 on which claim 19 depends and of claim 9 which presents equivalent limitations.
Regarding the limitations of claim 20, refer to the above rejection of claim 11 on which claim 20 depends and of claim 10 which presents equivalent limitations.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, 7, 8, 14, 15, 17 and 18 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.
Specifically, claims 4 and 14 respectively depend upon claims 3 and 13 and teach that, when the operation parameter is above the first threshold, “the expander is controlled to increase a portion of the liquid flow passing through the expander”. In contrast, claims 3 and 13 teach that when the parameter is above this threshold, the modulator is controlled “to decrease a portion of the liquid flow passing through the modulator”. Hayasaka does not teach or suggest an arrangement in which this value of an operating parameter can result in an increase in liquid flow through the expander but a decrease in liquid flow through the modulator and the prior art as a whole does not teach any such arranged which might be applied to modify the system of Hayasaka without relying on impermissible hindsight or changing the principle of operation of Hayasaka.
Claims 5 and 15 respectively depend upon claims 4 and 14 and thus include the same limitations discussed above.
Similarly, claims 7 and 17 respectively depend upon claims 6 and 16 and teach that when the operation parameter is below the second threshold the controller controls the expander “to decrease a portion of the liquid flow passing through the expander”, but claims 6 and 16 teach that under this condition, the modulator is controlled “to increase a portion of the liquid flow passing through the modulator”. As with claims 4 and 14, Hayasaka does not teach or suggest an arrangement in which such an increase in liquid flow through the modulator could coincide with a decrease in liquid flow through the expander and the prior art as a whole does not teach any such arranged which might be applied to modify the system of Hayasaka without relying on impermissible hindsight or changing the principle of operation of Hayasaka.
Claims 8 and 18 respectively depend upon claims 4 and 14 and thus include the same limitations discussed above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
WIPO Publication No. 2024/004558 A1 to Yoshida teaches in fig. 1, shown below, a refrigeration device having a plurality of compressors (12), a condenser (15), a liquid-vapor separator (flash tank 13) having a vapor outlet (at flash gas flow path 36) and a liquid outlet (at liquid injection flow path 35), an expansion valve (43) and an evaporator (16). Yoshida further teaches the system including a heat exchanger (17) exchanging heat between the liquid injection flow path (35) at the outlet of the separator (13) and a flow path at the outlet of the evaporator (16), an arrangement for an internal heat exchanger different from that of Hayasaka but still connected downstream of the liquid outlet of the separator in the manner recited in instant claim 1. Yoshida does not teach a modulator installed as claimed, in a position between the liquid outlet and vapor outlet and upstream of the internal heat exchanger or the control of such a modulator recited in the instant independent claims.
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WIPO Publication No. 2020/083823 A1 to Engen teaches in figs. 3 and 4, shown above, and in pg. 7, lines 33-37 and pg. 10, lines 18-34, a refrigeration system (1) having a compressor (4), a condenser (gas cooler 5), an expansion valve (19), a liquid-vapor separator (receiver tank 2) having a gas outlet (8) and a liquid outlet (7), and an evaporator (3) and teaches that the flow of gaseous and liquid refrigerant from the separator (2) may be controlled either by respective gas and liquid valves (21 and 25 as shown in fig. 3) or by a single three-way valve (22 as shown in fig. 4) disposed at the connection point of the gas line (20) and liquid line (15) which extend from the separator (2). Engen does not teach either such arrangement of valves (equivalent to the modulator of the instant claims) connecting to a cascade heat exchanger at its vapor outlet or to an expander at its gas outlet.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL C COMINGS whose telephone number is (571)270-7385. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jerry-Daryl Fletcher can be reached at (571)270-5054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL C COMINGS/ Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/ELIZABETH J MARTIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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