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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1–12 are pending and have been examined. Claims 1–4, 6 and 11 are rejected. Claims 5, 7–10 and 12 are objected to.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informality. Claim 10 recites "a cold end of a semiconductor chilling plate," introducing a semiconductor chilling plate that is not tied to any element previously recited in claims 1, 2 and 6–9. Claim 10 depends from claim 9, not from claim 4, where the cooling element is recited as comprising a semiconductor chilling plate. For examination, the recited semiconductor chilling plate is treated as part of the cooling element of claim 2. Applicant may wish to amend claim 10 to recite "wherein the cooling element comprises a semiconductor chilling plate, and the wireless charging module is positioned at a cold end of the semiconductor chilling plate," consistent with applicant's specification, ¶0028 and ¶0035. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
During examination, claims are given their broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification. See MPEP § 2111.
The preamble recitation "a cooler" states an intended use. A device that performs the recited cooling and has the recited structure meets the preamble regardless of any additional function it performs. See MPEP § 2111.02.
"Conductive piece" (claims 4 and 5): the claims do not state what the piece conducts. Applicant's specification describes the conductive piece as crafted from thermally conductive silicone material that facilitates heat exchange between the electronic device and the chilling plate (¶0030). Silicone is an electrical insulator. Accordingly, "conductive piece" is construed as a thermally conductive member; a plate of thermally conductive rubber or silicone meets the term.
"The connecting piece is mounted on one side of the housing" (claim 1): applicant's specification places its connecting piece within the bottom housing (¶0033, ¶0036). The limitation is therefore met by a connecting member carried on, or inside and adjacent to, one side of the housing.
"The power supply interface is provided and exposed on the housing" (claim 1) is construed as a power port accessible at the housing for connection to an external supply; the claim does not require any particular protrusion.
"Facing" (claim 4) recites orientation, not contact. A cold end directed toward the conductive piece faces it even where another member lies between them.
Functional language (e.g., "for magnetic attraction to an external structure," claim 3) is given weight as a capability of the recited structure. See MPEP § 2114.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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.
Claims 1, 2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zeng (US 11,317,544 B1).
Claim 1
Regarding claim 1, Zeng discloses a cooler (wireless charging assembly 400 integrating the wireless charging connector and the cooling connector in a single shell, FIG. 7, col. 12, ll. 53–67; the cooling connector alone achieves active temperature lowering of the mobile terminal, col. 13, ll. 36–39), comprising:
a housing (first protection shell 110, FIG. 7, col. 12, ll. 58–60);
a control circuit board (second printed circuit board 240, which controls the wireless charging module, the semiconductor cooling sheet and the fan simultaneously, FIG. 7, col. 13, ll. 14–19);
a cooling component (semiconductor cooling sheet 220 and heat dissipation module 230 comprising fan 232 and fins 231, FIGS. 5 and 7, col. 11, ll. 30–43);
a connecting piece (first mated mounting ring 140, a permanent magnet ring, FIG. 7, col. 9, l. 65 – col. 10, l. 3);
and a power supply interface (second power interface 243, FIG. 5, col. 10, ll. 33–38);
wherein the control circuit board and the cooling component are provided within the housing, and the cooling component is connected to the control circuit board (sheet 220 is embedded in and electrically connected to board 240, col. 11, ll. 18–21; fan 232 is electrically connected to board 240, col. 11, ll. 40–43; all arranged within shell 110, FIG. 7, col. 12, ll. 58–67);
and wherein the power supply interface is electrically connected to the control circuit board (interface 243 is arranged on board 240 and supplies power to sheet 220 and module 230 through board 240, col. 10, ll. 33–38), the power supply interface is provided and exposed on the housing (interface 243 connects to an external power source, col. 10, ll. 33–36, and is arranged on the shell so as to couple with touch switch 520 on the inner wall of assembly hole 510 when the shell is inserted, FIG. 11, col. 16, ll. 33–47), and the connecting piece is mounted on one side of the housing (ring 140 is sleeved on embossed engaging portion 111 arranged above shell 110, FIG. 4, col. 9, ll. 53–61, and may be arranged inside or outside the shell, col. 12, ll. 49–52).
Claim 2
Regarding claim 2, Zeng further discloses that the cooling component comprises a cooling element and a fan module (semiconductor cooling sheet 220; heat dissipation module 230 with fan 232, FIG. 7), and the cooling element and the fan module are both provided within the housing and electrically connected to the control circuit board (col. 11, ll. 18–21 and 40–43; col. 12, ll. 58–67); and wherein the cooling element is adjacently positioned to the fan module (the hot end of sheet 220 sticks to heat dissipation module 230, col. 9, ll. 44–52).
Claim 4
Regarding claim 4, Zeng further discloses that the cooling component further comprises a conductive piece (cold conduction plate 260, made of a non-metallic heat conductor including heat conduction rubber, FIG. 7, col. 13, ll. 9–14; see Claim Interpretation); and wherein the cooling element comprises a semiconductor chilling plate, and a hot end of the semiconductor chilling plate facing the fan module and a cold end of the semiconductor chilling plate facing the conductive piece (in the FIG. 7 embodiment, heat conduction plate 270 is at the end of board 240 connecting with heat dissipation module 230, and cold conduction plate 260 is on the opposite side, col. 12, l. 63 – col. 13, l. 14; the hot end of sheet 220 sticks to module 230 and the cold end faces away from it, col. 9, ll. 44–52).
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 103
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; and (4) considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1 (1966).
Claim 3 — Zeng
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeng (US 11,317,544 B1).
Zeng discloses the cooler of claim 2 as set forth above. Zeng further discloses that the connecting piece is a permanent magnet ring 140 mounted on one side of the housing, which engages the mobile terminal to position and fix it (col. 9, l. 65 – col. 10, l. 3), i.e., mounted on one side of the housing for magnetic attraction to an external structure. Zeng does not expressly disclose that the connecting piece comprises a plurality of magnets. Zeng, however, already uses more than one permanent magnet ring for magnetic fixation in the same assembly (second mated mounting ring 250, col. 11, ll. 61–67; enhanced sticker 550, col. 17, ll. 24–32). Providing Zeng's magnet ring as a plurality of magnets would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date, as mere duplication of parts producing no new or unexpected result; the plurality of magnets performs the same magnetic attachment function as the single ring. See MPEP § 2144.04(VI)(B); In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669 (CCPA 1960).
Claims 1 and 6 — Zeng in view of Liu
Liu (CN 210868559 U) is published in Chinese. Citations to Liu are to the pages of the English translation of record (pages 9–13 of the copy provided). A copy of the translation is attached.
Claims 1 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeng (US 11,317,544 B1) in view of Liu (CN 210868559 U). As to claim 1, this rejection is made in the alternative to the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) set forth above.
Claim 1 (alternative)
Zeng discloses the cooler of claim 1 as set forth in the anticipation rejection above. To the extent Zeng is not considered to expressly disclose that the power supply interface is provided and exposed on the housing, Liu teaches a mobile phone cooler whose power connector 9 is fixed on the circuit board and exposed through a socket 24 in the housing (p. 12). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to expose Zeng's power interface 243 through the housing as in Liu, so that a power plug may be connected directly to supply the cooler (p. 12).
Claim 6
Zeng discloses the cooler of claim 2 as set forth above. Zeng further discloses that the fan module comprises a fan (fan 232, FIG. 7), and that the fan is electrically connected to the control circuit board (col. 11, ll. 40–43). Zeng does not expressly disclose a fan support frame … fixedly connected to the housing or a mounting position … provided on one side of the fan support frame, and the fan … securely fixed to the mounting position and positioned proximate to the cooling element.
Liu teaches a mobile phone cooler in which a heat dissipation aluminum block 5 is mounted within housing 2 by a first screw. The upper side of the block forms a recess 53 matched to the outline of fan 1; the fan is located and fixed in the recess, with screws passing through the fan's corners into the housing (p. 11; FIGS. 2–3). The semiconductor refrigerator 4 is held in a containing cavity on the underside of the same block (p. 11). Liu's block 5 is thus a fan support frame fixedly connected to the housing, and recess 53 is a mounting position on one side of it at which the fan is secured adjacent the cooling element.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to mount Zeng's fan on a support frame fixed within the housing, having a recess on one side receiving the fan, as taught by Liu. Liu states that seating the fan in the recess makes the fit compact, reduces the occupied space and thickness, and improves the fixing stability of the fan (p. 11).
Claim 11 — Zeng in view of Zhao
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeng (US 11,317,544 B1) in view of Zhao (US 2018/0359351 A1).
Zeng discloses the cooler of claim 1 as set forth above. Zeng further discloses that power interface 243 is arranged on control board 240 and, when the housing is inserted into a support assembly, couples with a touch switch 520 of that assembly to supply power (col. 10, ll. 33–38; col. 16, ll. 33–47). Zeng does not expressly disclose that an electronic contact pin is disposed on the control circuit board and one end of the electronic contact pin protrudes outside the housing.
Zhao teaches a detachable mobile-device accessory (back cover 200) having its own control circuitry (MCU and battery management chip 21, ¶0043). A plurality of pogo pins on the accessory make elastic contact with corresponding contact points of the device when the accessory is installed (FIG. 6, ¶0053–0054). Each pin is a spring probe (¶0037), and power is supplied to the accessory through one of the pins (power supply pin Pin7, FIG. 4, ¶0047).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to implement Zeng's insertion-activated power connection as spring contact pins disposed on control board 240 and projecting from the housing, as taught by Zhao. Zhao uses such pins so that an attached accessory is connected and supplied simply by installing it, providing a simple and effective connection between device and accessory (¶0035–0036).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 7–10 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, and, as to claim 10 and claim 12, upon correction of the objection to claim 10 set forth above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 11,539,824 – split mobile phone radiator
US 2018/0262038 - method for managing thermal requirements at wireless power system
US 2010/0270188 - combined carrying, cooling and support device for portable electronic unit
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHENGFU J FENG whose telephone number is (571) 272-2949. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 900am-530pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JAYPRAKASH GANDHI can be reached at (571) 272-3740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZHENGFU J FENG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835 September 30, 2026
