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) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Yoshida (US4854380A).
Regarding claim 1, Yoshida discloses a heat exchanger (see Fig. 1/8) for a vehicle (radiator in…automobiles – Col. 9, lines 0-15), comprising: a plurality of tubes (2) arranged in a first direction that is a vehicle up-down direction or a vehicle width direction (the radiator of Yoshida is capable of being oriented in such a manner), the tubes making a fin space (see space between tubes 2) between other adjacent tubes; and a plurality of fins (fins of heat transfer unit 1 in direction A) arranged in a second direction that is the vehicle width direction or the vehicle up-down direction in the fin space, the fins each extending in a vehicle front-rear direction and making an air guide passage between adjacent other fins, wherein at least one of the fins is shaped to be locally away from the other adjacent fins in a course of extending in the vehicle front-rear direction such that a dimension of the air guide passage in the second direction locally increases (see shape of passage 5, which alternates between a pipe portion and an expanded portion).
Regarding claim 2, Yoshida discloses the limitations of claim 1, and Yoshida further discloses the fins are shaped to be periodically undulated (see shape of 1 in Fig. 1/8) in the second direction in a course of extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and shaped and arranged to be a mirror image in the second direction with respect to the other adjacent fins; and the air guide passage has a shape in which a pipe portion and an expansion chamber (see shape of passage 5, which alternates between a pipe portion and an expanded portion) with a larger dimension in the second direction than the pipe portion are alternately arranged in the vehicle front-rear direction.
Regarding claim 3, Yoshida discloses the limitations of claim 2, and Yoshida further discloses a portion of the fins is inclined (see inclination of 1 in Fig. 1) with respect to the front-rear direction and the second direction such that the dimension of the expansion chamber in the second direction continuously varies at both end portions of the expansion chamber in the front-rear direction.
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) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshida (US4854380A) in view of Goering (US20110240267A1).
Regarding claim 4, Yoshida teaches the limitations of claim 2, and Yoshida further teaches the air guide passage includes a plurality of the expansion chambers (see expansion chambers of passage 5) in the front-rear direction; and the fins (1) are arranged at equal intervals in the second direction at a front end of the heat exchanger, however, does not teach wherein a plurality of types of the expansion chambers with different dimensions in the front-rear direction.
Goering teaches (see Fig. 10) wherein a plurality of types of the expansion chambers (6) with different dimensions in the front-rear direction (see Fig. 10 & ¶[0044]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yoshida to include the different dimensions of Goering, in order to tailor the turbulence to the location of heat transfer (¶[0053-0055]).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshida (US4854380A) in view of Salzer (DE19740114A1).
Regarding claim 5, Yoshida teaches the limitations of claim 2, and Yoshida does not teach the heat exchanger is disposed as inclined such that an upper end of the heat exchanger is located on a rear side of the vehicle with respect to a lower end of the heat exchanger; the tubes are disposed in such a posture that an upper surface of the tubes is parallel to the vehicle front-rear direction and inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the heat exchanger; the fins include a plurality of beads that extends in a direction parallel to the vehicle up-down direction; and the beads locally increase the dimension of the air guide passage in the second direction.
Salzer teaches the heat exchanger (see Fig. 4) is disposed as inclined such that an upper end of the heat exchanger is located on a rear side of the vehicle with respect to a lower end of the heat exchanger; the tubes (2) are disposed in such a posture that an upper surface of the tubes is parallel to the vehicle front-rear direction and inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the heat exchanger; the fins (3) include a plurality of beads (5) that extends in a direction parallel to the vehicle up-down direction; and the beads locally increase the dimension of the air guide passage in the second direction.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yoshida to include the inclined configuration of Salzer, in order to accommodate for limited space conditions while maintaining flow rate (Page 3 of translation).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC S RUPPERT whose telephone number is (571)272-9911. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm.
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/ERIC S RUPPERT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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