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 § 112
1. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(B) CONCLUSION. — The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 16, calls for the limitation of "a temperature sensor and/or a flow sensor connected to the main cooling circuit" in lines 5-6. It is unclear which of these limitations is the Applicant claiming; a temperature sensor and a flow sensor connected to the main cooling circuit; or a temperature sensor or a flow sensor connected to the main cooling circuit. As best understood, for the purposes of examination, the limitation “and/or” has been interpreted as “or”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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 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 of this title, 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.
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.
Claims 1-3, 7, 9-11 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BELLINO et al (U.S. PG Pub No.: 2021/0023908 A1), hereinafter referred to as BELLINO et al ‘908, in view of Lo et al (U.S. PG Pub No.: 2022/0007550 A1), hereinafter referred to as Lo et al ‘550.
Regarding claim 1, BELLINO et al ‘908 disclose a cooling system (100) for cooling a vehicle component (106), wherein the cooling system comprises a main cooling circuit (32) connected to the vehicle component and a temporary cooling circuit (30) connected to the vehicle component, wherein the cooling system is configured for being operated in a normal operational state (206) by means of the main cooling circuit, or in a redundant operational state (214) by means of the temporary cooling circuit, wherein the cooling system comprises a valve unit (160), wherein the main cooling circuit is connected to the vehicle component via the valve unit in the normal operational state, and wherein the temporary cooling circuit is connected to the vehicle component via the valve unit in the redundant operational state, wherein the cooling system is configured for activating the temporary cooling circuit for cooling the vehicle component in the redundant operational state wherein the valve unit comprises a first outlet flow port (166) and a first inlet flow port (150a) connected to the vehicle component, wherein the valve unit comprises a second inlet flow port (166a) and a second outlet flow port (170) connected to the main cooling circuit {as shown in annotated Figs. 2 and 3: ¶¶ [0016-0017], [0032-0035], [0037-0038], [0041], [0047-0049], [0051], [0054] and [0056-0057]}.
However, BELLINO et al ‘908 fail to explicitly disclose the limitations of malfunction of the main cooling circuit; and wherein the valve unit comprises a third inlet flow port and a third outlet flow port connected to the temporary cooling circuit.
Lo et al ‘550 teach: the concept of malfunction of the main cooling circuit {see ¶¶ [0060], wherein a leak or blockage constitute malfunction}; and wherein the valve unit (232) comprises a third inlet flow port (228) and a third outlet flow port (234) connected to the temporary cooling circuit (408) {as shown in Fig. 4: ¶ [0045]}.
Since all claimed elements were known in the art at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify BELLINO et al ‘908 valve unit by the valve unit of Lo et al ‘550 wherein the valve unit comprises a third inlet flow port and a third outlet flow port connected to the temporary cooling circuit, in order to facilitate mitigation of an emergency response control and the possibility of adding additional temporary cooling circuits for cooling more vehicle components.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the BELLINO et al ‘908 in view of Lo et al ‘550 to obtain the invention as specified in claim 1.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of BELLINO et al ‘908 and Lo et al ‘550 disclose and teach the cooling system according to claim 1, BELLINO et al ‘908 disclose wherein the valve unit is adapted to disconnect the temporary cooling circuit from fluid communication with the vehicle component in the normal operational state, and wherein the valve unit is adapted to disconnect the main cooling circuit from fluid communication with the vehicle component in the redundant operational state {see Fig. 3: ¶¶ [0047-0057]}.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of BELLINO et al ‘908 and Lo et al ‘550 disclose and teach the cooling system according to claim 1, BELLINO et al ‘908 disclose wherein the cooling system comprises a further cooling circuit (31) connected to the vehicle component and to the valve unit, wherein each one of the main cooling circuit and the temporary cooling circuit is connectable to the vehicle component via the valve unit and the further cooling circuit {as shown in annotated Fig. 2: ¶¶ [0024-0025]}.
Regarding claim 7, the combination of BELLINO et al ‘908 and Lo et al ‘550 disclose and teach the cooling system according to claim 1, BELLINO et al ‘908 disclose wherein the cooling system comprises at least one sensor (130) configured for detecting the malfunction of the main cooling circuit {see Fig. 2: ¶¶ [0003], [0027], [0038] and [0042]}.
Regarding claim 9, the combination of BELLINO et al ‘908 and Lo et al ‘550 disclose and teach the cooling system according to claim 1, BELLINO et al ‘908 as modified by Lo et al ‘550 further teach the limitation of wherein the temporary cooling circuit comprises a storage unit (218) configured for holding a volume of heat transfer fluid, wherein the volume of heat transfer fluid is arranged as a thermal buffer for cooling the vehicle component in the redundant operational state {see Abstract and ¶¶ [0024], [0048]}.
Regarding claim 10, the combination of BELLINO et al ‘908 and Lo et al ‘550 disclose and teach the cooling system according to claim 9, BELLINO et al ‘908 disclose wherein the temporary cooling circuit comprises a pump (102) {see Fig. 2: ¶ [0018]}; and BELLINO et al ‘908 as modified by Lo et al ‘550 further teach the limitation of the pump (210) for circulating heat transfer fluid in the temporary cooling circuit (410) to the vehicle component and through the storage unit (218) in the redundant operational state, wherein the cooling system is configured for activating the pump upon detection of the malfunction of the main cooling circuit {as shown in Figs. 2A and 3-4: ¶¶ [0043], [0048], [0054] and [0060]}.
Regarding claim 11, the combination of BELLINO et al ‘908 and Lo et al ‘550 disclose and teach the cooling system according to claim 1, BELLINO et al ‘908 disclose wherein in the normal operational state the main cooling circuit is fully separated from the temporary cooling circuit by the valve unit, and wherein in the redundant operational state the temporary cooling circuit is fully separated from the main cooling circuit by the valve unit {as shown in Fig. 2: ¶ [0017]}.
Regarding claim 20, the combination of BELLINO et al ‘908 and Lo et al ‘550 disclose and teach a vehicle (10) comprising the cooling system (100) for cooling the vehicle component according to claim 1 {see BELLINO et al ‘908 – Figs. 1-2: ¶¶ [0011] and [0015]}.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BELLINO et al ‘908 and Lo et al ‘550 as applied to claim 7 above, further in view of HOSONO et al (English Translated Japanese Publication No.: JP2017141776 A), hereinafter referred to as HOSONO et al ‘776.
Regarding claim 8, the combination of BELLINO et al ‘908 and Lo et al ‘550 disclose and teach the cooling system according to claim 7, BELLINO et al ‘908 as modified by Lo et al ‘550 further teach the limitations of wherein the malfunction of the main cooling circuit is a leakage of heat transfer fluid from the main cooling circuit {see ¶¶ [0020], [0058] and [0060]}’
However, the combination of BELLINO et al ‘908 and Lo et al ‘550 fail to disclose the limitations of wherein the at least one sensor is a pressure sensor, a flow sensor connected to the main cooling circuit, wherein the at least one sensor is configured for detecting the leakage or blockage of the main cooling circuit.
HOSONO et al ‘776 teach: the concept of the at least one sensor is a pressure sensor (31/32), a flow sensor (34) connected to the main cooling circuit, wherein the at least one sensor is configured for detecting the leakage or blockage of the main cooling circuit {see Abstract}.
Since all claimed elements were known in the art at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify BELLINO et al ‘908 as modified by Lo et al ‘550 sensors in view of HOSONO et al ‘776 to include the use of at least one sensor is a pressure sensor, a flow sensor connected to the main cooling circuit, wherein the at least one sensor is configured for detecting the leakage or blockage of the main cooling circuit, in order to accurately detect an abnormality in the system regardless of an operating state of the vehicle the cooling system {HOSONO et al ‘776 – Abstract}.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the BELLINO et al ‘908 as modified by Lo et al ‘550 in view of HOSONO et al ‘776 to obtain the invention as specified in claim 8.
Allowable Subject Matter
3 Claims 13-15 and 17-19 are allowed.
Claims 4-6 and 12 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.
Conclusion
4. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US-20150258875-A1 to Enomoto; Norihiko.
US-20150217622-A1 to Enomoto; Norihiko
US-20050000473-A1 to Ap, Ngy Srun.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMMANUEL E DUKE whose telephone number is (571)270-5290. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday; 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday thru Friday; 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, FRANTZ JULES can be reached on (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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/EMMANUEL E DUKE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
07/04/2026
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