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 § 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.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ueki et al. (JP 11223479) in view of Yamamoto et al. (US 2002/0056542).
Reg. Cl. 1, Ueki et al. discloses; A large-volume vapor chamber heat pipe,
comprising: a body provided with an accommodation cavity formed by two main cavity walls arranged oppositely; and connecting columns (120, 121, 122, 420, 421) disposed on the body, wherein each of the connecting columns comprises a column section and two bearing sections, the two bearing sections are connected to both ends of the column section respectively, the column section and the bearing sections are positioned between the two main cavity walls, the two bearing sections abut against the two main cavity waits respectively (Figs. 1 and 5).
Ueki et al.'s fails to disclose the following limitations. However, Yamamoto et al.
teaches the use of well-known heat conductive studs placed within vapor chambers having a cross-sectional area of the column section perpendicular to a central axis of the respective connecting column is less than a cross-sectional area of each of the bearing sections perpendicular to the central axis of the respective connecting column.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Ueki et al.'s vapor chamber heat pipe with Yamamoto et al.'s teachings of a cross-sectional area of the column section perpendicular to a central axis of the respective connecting column is less than a cross-sectional area of each of the bearing sections perpendicular to the central axis of the respective connecting column. Doing so would provide an alternative heat conductive stud/support structure based on a particular design characteristic for efficiently cooling heat generated devices.
Reg. Cl. 2, Ueki et al. fails to disclose; however, Yamamoto et al teaches wherein
the bearing sections and the column section are all in a cylindrical shape, a diameter of the column section is smaller than a diameter of each of the bearing sections, and central axes of the bearing sections are coaxially arranged with a central axis of the column (Fig. 5E).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Ueki et al.'s vapor chamber heat pipe with Yamamoto et al.'s teachings of the bearing sections and the column section are all in a cylindrical shape, a diameter of the column section is smaller than a diameter of each of the bearing sections, and central axes of the bearing sections are coaxially arranged with a central axis of the column. Doing so would provide an alternative heat conductive stud/support structure based on a particular design characteristic for efficiently cooling heat generated devices.
Reg. Cl. 3, Ueki et al. fails to disclose; however, Yamamoto et al teaches
stud/support having a diameter for the bearing sections and column, respectively.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ueki et al.’s vapor chamber heat pipe with the studs/supports of Yamamoto et al. wherein the diameter of each of the bearing sections is A that satisfies A greater or equal to 1mm, and the diameter of the column section is B that satisfies B greater or equal to O.5 mm because a person of ordinary skill has good reason to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp. If this leads to the anticipated success, it is likely the product not of innovation but of ordinary skill and common sense (see MPEP 2141, III.(E)). Doing so would provide the proper dimensions based on a particular design cooling needs.
Reg. Cls. 4 and 5, Ueki et al. discloses a stud/support having bearing sections
and a column. Ueki et al. fails to disclose; wherein a dimension of each of the bearing sections along a direction of the central axis of the respective connecting column is C that satisfies C greater than 0.2mm, and a dimension of the column section along the direction of the central axis of the respective connecting column is D, wherein D>O.2 (2*C+D).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ueki et al.’s vapor chamber heat pipe with the studs/supports wherein a dimension of each of the bearing sections along a direction of the central axis of the respective connecting column is C that satisfies C greater than 0.2mm, and a dimension of the column section along the direction of the central axis of the respective connecting column is D, wherein D>O.2 (2*C+D) because a person of ordinary skill has good reason to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp. If this leads to the anticipated success, it is likely the product not of innovation but of ordinary skill and common sense (see MPEP 2141, III.(E)). Doing so would provide the proper dimensions based on a particular design cooling needs.
Reg. Cl. 6, Ueki et al. discloses; wherein each of the main cavity walls is provided with mounting through holes, each of the connecting columns further comprises two plugging sections, the two plugging sections are connected respectively to the two bearing sections at a side away from the column section, the plugging sections are inserted into the mounting through holes respectively, and the plugging sections are connected to the body through welding (Figs. 1 and 5).
Reg. Cls. 7 and 8, Ueki et al. discloses plugging and bearing sections, and each
of the bearing sections is larger than each of the plugging sections and each of the mounting through holes, central axes of the plugging sections are coaxially arranged with central axes of the bearing sections, and wherein ends of the plugging sections away from the accommodation cavity are exposed from the body.
Ueki et al. fails to disclose; however, Yamamoto et al teaches studs/supports
having a bearing cylindrical shape with a diameter, respectively.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Ueki et al.'s vapor chamber heat pipe with Yamamoto et al.'s teachings of the bearing sections and the column section having a cylindrical shape with a diameter, wherein the plugging sections and the bearing sections are in a cylindrical shape, a diameter of each of the bearing sections is larger than a diameter of each of the plugging sections and a diameter of each of the mounting through holes, central axes of the plugging sections are coaxially arranged with central axes of the bearing sections, wherein ends of the plugging sections away from the accommodation cavity are exposed from the body.
Doing so would provide a vapor chamber heat pipe with heat conductive stud/support structure brazed to conductive plates for efficiently cooling heat generated devices, as discloses by Yamamoto et al.
Reg. Cl. 9, Ueki et al. fails to disclose; however, Yamamoto et al teaches wherein
the body comprises two component plates, a groove is disposed on one side of each of the component plates, the two component plates are overlapped and connected through welding, openings of the two grooves are aligned to form the accommodation cavity, bottom walls of the grooves form the main cavity walls that are parallel to each other ([0009]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Ueki et al.'s vapor chamber heat pipe with Yamamoto et al.'s teachings of the body comprises two component plates, a groove is disposed on one side of each of the component plates, the two component plates are overlapped and connected through welding, openings of the two grooves are aligned to form the accommodation cavity, bottom walls of the grooves form the main cavity walls that are parallel to each other. Doing so would provide a flat type heat pipe which is easy to produce, superior in heat conductivity, and adapted to cool heat generating electronic components.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US patent 10,458,718, and JP2014163615.
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/TERRELL L MCKINNON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3632
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