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
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-6, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Calderone (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2019/0039440).
Regarding claim 1, Calderone discloses a manifold fluid module (figs 12-15) comprising:
a manifold plate (702) having therein a plurality of fluid flow paths through which fluids having different temperatures move (¶0062-0065); and
a heat transfer inhibitor (see annotated fig 12 below) provided between a high-temperature fluid flow path and a low-temperature fluid flow path to block heat transfer from a flow path, through which a high-temperature fluid moves, to a flow path through which the low-temperature fluid moves (as the refrigerant and coolant operate at different temperatures),
wherein the high-temperature fluid flow path and the low-temperature fluid flow path are connected by a connection part (730).
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Regarding claim 2, Calderone further discloses wherein the connection part (730) connects parts of the manifold plate separated by the heat transfer inhibitor (see annotated fig 12 above), and the fluid moves to the connection part (730).
Regarding claim 5, Calderone further discloses a first heat exchanger (706a) coupled to the manifold plate (702) and configured to allow a first fluid and a second fluid to exchange heat with each other; and a second heat exchanger (706b) coupled to the manifold plate and configured to allow the first fluid, which is discharged from the first heat exchanger, to exchange heat with the second fluid (¶0062-0065).
Regarding claim 6, Calderone further discloses wherein the manifold plate (702) comprises: a main plate (702b) having therein the plurality of fluid flow paths; and a bottom plate (702a) coupled to one surface of the main plate and configured to cover the fluid flow path.
Regarding claim 16, Calderone further discloses wherein the manifold plate (702) has an opening portion (728) formed in a portion where the second heat exchanger (706b) is disposed, and the heat transfer inhibitor comprises a first heat transfer inhibitor and a second heat transfer inhibitor respectively formed above and below the opening portion (see annotated fig 13 below).
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Calderone alone.
Regarding claim 3, Calderone further discloses wherein in a thermal management system comprising a compressor (704), a plurality of heat exchangers (706a, 706b), and an expansion valve (for the evaporators 706a, 706b), at least one heat exchanger, and the expansion valve are coupled to the manifold plate (702).
Calderone does not explicitly disclose a plurality of valves. However, the Examiner takes Official Notice that providing valves in a cooling system is old and well known in the art of cooling systems and it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Calderone to provide valves in order to optimally channel the coolant. This would result in at least one valve be coupled to the manifold plate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-15 and 17 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARRY E ARANT whose telephone number is (571)272-1105. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10-6 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jianying Atkisson can be reached at (571)270-7740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HARRY E ARANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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