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
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.
Claims 2, 3, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 are 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 2 recites “a plurality of heat pipes” in line 1, which is unclear whether this is referring the plurality of heat pipes of claim 1. For examining purposes the limitation will be interpreted as --the plurality of heat pipes--.
Claims 3, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 are rejected as they depend on claim 2.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hikichi et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020/0326131, “Hikichi”) in view of Wu (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0290450).
Regarding claim 1, Hikichi discloses a heat sink (figs 1, 2, 7A) comprising a heat pipe (11) having a heat receiving portion adapted to be thermally connected to a heat-generating element (100, 101), and a heat exchanging portion thermally connected to a heat dissipation portion (40) of the heat pipe,
wherein the heat pipe has an internal space communicating from the heat receiving portion to the heat dissipation portion, and filled with a working fluid (¶0038),
a section facing the heat-generating element of the heat receiving portion comprises a flat segment (see annotated fig 7A below) that is flat along an extending direction of the heat-generating element, and
a plurality of the heat pipes (11, 21) is provided and wherein heat transport characteristics of a first heat pipe (11) are different from heat transport characteristics of a second heat pipe (21, as the different shapes would change the heat transport characteristics).
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However, Hikichi does not explicitly disclose wherein the flat segment directly contacts the heat-generating element. Wu, however, disclose a heat sink (fig 4) wherein a flat segment (321) directly contacts a heat-generating element (C). Wu teaches that the configuration provides excellent heat dissipation (¶0020). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Hikichi to have the flat segment directly contact the heat-generating element such as taught by Wu, in order to provide excellent heat dissipation.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein a plurality of the heat pipes (11, 21) is provided, the plurality of the heat pipes include the first heat pipe (11) in which a sectional shape in a radial direction in the heat receiving portion is a first shape, and a second heat pipe (21) in which a sectional shape in a radial direction in the heat receiving portion is a second shape that is different from the first shape (fig 7A).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein the flat segment (see annotated fig 7A above) extends along a heat transport direction (see annotated fig 2 below) of the heat pipe and a radial direction (see annotated fig 7A below) of the heat pipe.
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Regarding claim 4, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein the flat segment (see annotated fig 7A above) extends along a heat transport direction (see annotated fig 2 above) of the heat pipe and a radial direction (see annotated fig 7A above) of the heat pipe.
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. The limitation of “wherein the flat segment has a cut portion that is cut” is considered a product-by-process limitation. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process." In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. The limitation of “wherein as a result of the cut portion extending to a corner portion in a radial direction of the heat pipe, at least a part of a rounded portion formed at the corner portion is cut” is considered a product-by-process limitation. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process." In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein the heat receiving portion has a flattened portion (see annotated fig 7A below) of which a sectional shape in an orthogonal direction to a heat transport direction (see annotated fig 2 above) of the heat pipe is a flattened shape, and which has a height direction and a thickness direction, and of the flattened portion, a section in the thickness direction has the flat segment (see annotated fig 7A below).
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Regarding claim 8, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. The limitation of “wherein the flat segment of the section in the thickness direction of the flattened portion has a cut portion that is cut” is a product-by-process limitation. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process." In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein a plurality of the heat pipes (11, 21) is provided, the plurality of the heat pipes is disposed along a radial direction of the heat pipes, and flat segments of the plurality of the heat pipes are disposed on a same plane in the heat receiving portions (see annotated fig 7A below).
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Regarding claim 10, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein a plurality of the heat pipes (11, 21) is provided, the plurality of the heat pipes is disposed along a radial direction of the heat pipes, and flat segments of the plurality of the heat pipes are disposed on a same plane, in the heat receiving portions (as evident in figure 1).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein a plurality of the heat pipes (11, 21) is provided, the plurality of the heat pipes is disposed along the radial direction of the heat pipes in the heat receiving portions, and the heat pipes which are adjacent directly contact each other in the heat receiving portions (as evident in figure 1).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein a plurality of the heat pipes (11, 21) is provided, the plurality of the heat pipes is disposed along the radial direction of the heat pipes in the heat receiving portions, and the heat pipes which are adjacent directly contact each other in the heat receiving portions (as evident figure 1).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi, as modified, further discloses wherein all of the flat segments of the plurality of the heat pipes directly contact the heat-generating element (such as taught by Wu, see fig 4).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi, as modified, further discloses wherein all of the flat segments of the plurality of the heat pipes directly contact the heat-generating element (such as taught by Wu, see fig 4).
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein the heat transport characteristics of the first heat pipe (11) are higher than the heat transport characteristics (at least the heat transport characteristic of removing heat from the sides of element 30) of the second heat pipe (21).
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein the heat transport characteristics (at least the heat transport characteristic of removing heat from the sides of element 30) of the first heat pipe (11) are higher than the heat transport characteristics of the second heat pipe (21).
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein a heat receiving portion of the first heat pipe (11) and a heat receiving portion of the second heat pipe (21) are disposed along a radial direction of the heat pipes, and the heat receiving portion of the first heat pipe is disposed in an outward direction relative to the heat receiving portion of the second heat pipe (see annotated fig 7A below).
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Regarding claim 18, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein a heat receiving portion of the first heat pipe (11) and a heat receiving portion of the second heat pipe (21) are disposed along a radial direction of the heat pipes, and the heat receiving portion of the first heat pipe is disposed in an outward direction relative to the heat receiving portion of the second heat pipe (see annotated fig 7A above).
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein the heat pipe has a bent portion (see annotated fig 1 below) that is bent in a direction away from the flat segment (see annotated fig 7A above), in a section that is other than the heat receiving portion and extends in a longitudinal direction of the heat pipe from the heat receiving portion (see annotated fig 1 below).
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Regarding claim 20, the combination of Hikichi and Wu discloses all previous claim limitations. Hikichi further discloses wherein the heat pipe has a bent portion (see annotated fig 1 above) that is bent in a direction away from the flat segment (see annotated fig 7A above), in a section that is other than the heat receiving portion and extends in a longitudinal direction of the heat pipe from the heat receiving portion (see annotated fig 1 above).
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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