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, 24, 4-6, 9, 14-16, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xiang et al. (European Patent Publication EP4102169A1, “Xiang”).
Regarding claim 1, Xiang discloses a fin (figs 1-4) comprising:
a corrugated plate (11, 12) having a first side and a second side opposing the first side (see annotate fig 4 below), the corrugated plate having a plurality of folds (11, 12) that includes alternative peaks and valleys relative to the first side of the corrugated plate (see annotated fig 4 below);
one (20, 40) of a plurality of elliptical collar bases protruding from the first side of the corrugated plate; and
a first airfoil (31, see annotated fig 2 below) and a second airfoil (31, see annotated fig 2 below) extending between a major axis and a minor axis of (see annotated fig 2 below), and curving around, the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases, wherein
the first airfoil is disposed in a first quadrant for the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases (see annotated fig 2 below), and
the second airfoil is disposed in a second quadrant for the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases (see annotated fig 2 below), the second quadrant being adjacent to the first quadrant at the major axis.
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Regarding claim 2, Xiang further discloses wherein the one (20, 40) of the plurality of elliptical collar bases embosses into the second side and protrudes from the first side over one of the peaks (see annotated fig 4 below).
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Regarding claim 4, Xiang further discloses wherein a transitioning side (see annotated fig 2 below) connects the one (20, 40) of the plurality of elliptical collar bases to the corrugated plate (11, 12).
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Regarding claim 5, Xiang further discloses wherein the transitioning side (see annotated fig 4 above) wedges (at least between convex parts 31) outwardly from the one (20, 40) of the plurality of elliptical collar bases to the first side of the corrugated plate (11, 12).
Regarding claim 6, Haussmann further discloses wherein the one (20, 40) of the plurality of elliptical collar bases is centered over one of the peaks (see annotated fig 2 below).
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Regarding claim 9, Xiang further discloses wherein the first airfoil comprises a trailing end (see annotated fig 2 below) extended toward the major axis of the one (20, 40) of the plurality of elliptical collar bases and a leading end (see annotated fig 2 below) extended toward the minor axis of the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases.
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Regarding claim 14, Xiang discloses a fin-and-tube heat exchanger (figs 1-4) comprising:
a plurality of heat transfer tubes (for tube holes 20) extending through a plurality of fins, wherein one of the plurality of fins comprise:
a corrugated plate (11, 12) having a first side and a second side opposing the first side (see annotate fig 4 below), the corrugated plate having a plurality of folds (11, 12) that includes alternative peaks and valleys relative to the first side of the corrugated plate (see annotated fig 4 below);
one (40) of a plurality of elliptical collar bases protruding from the first side of the corrugated plate; and
a first airfoil (31, see annotated fig 2 below) and a second airfoil (31, see annotated fig 2 below) extending between a major axis and a minor axis of (see annotated fig 2 below), and curving around, the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases, wherein
the first airfoil is disposed in a first quadrant for the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases (see annotated fig 2 below), and
the second airfoil is disposed in a second quadrant for the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases (see annotated fig 2 below), the second quadrant being adjacent to the first quadrant at the major axis.
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Regarding claim 15, Xiang further discloses wherein the one (40) of the plurality of elliptical collar bases embosses into the second side and protrudes from the first side over one of the peaks (see annotated fig 3 below), and the first airfoil embosses into the first side and protrudes from the second side of the corrugated plate (see annotated fig 4 above).
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Regarding clam 16, Xiang further discloses wherein the one of the plurality of fins further comprises a fin collar (20) connected to the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases (40), and an external surface of one of the heat transfer tubes is contacted with the fin collar.
Regarding claim 18, Xiang further discloses wherein a transitioning side connects the one (40) of the plurality of elliptical collar bases to the corrugated plate, and the transitioning side wedges outwardly from the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases to the first side of the corrugated plate (see annotated fig 2 below).
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Claim(s) 1, 3, 7, 12-14, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Haussmann (U.S. Patent No. 4,923,002).
Regarding claim 1, Haussmann discloses a fin (figs 4 and 5) comprising:
a corrugated plate (1) having a first side and a second side opposing the first side (see annotated fig 5 below), the corrugated plate having a plurality of folds (fig 4) that includes alternative peaks and valleys relative to the first side of the corrugated plate (see annotated fig 5 bleow);
one (see annotated fig 4 below) of a plurality of elliptical collar bases protruding from the first side of the corrugated plate; and
a first airfoil and a second airfoil extending between a major axis and a minor axis of (see annotated fig 4 below), and curving around, the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases, wherein
the first airfoil is disposed in a first quadrant for the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases (see annotated fig 4 below), and
the second airfoil is disposed in a second quadrant for the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases, the second quadrant being adjacent to the first quadrant at the major axis (see annotated fig 4 below).
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Regarding claim 3, Haussmann further discloses wherein the one (see annotated fig 4 above) of the plurality of elliptical collar bases extends across three adjacent folds (see annotated fig 5 below) on the corrugated plate and within five adjacent folds on the corrugated plate.
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Regarding claim 7, Haussmann further discloses wherein the one (see annotated fig 5 below) of the plurality of elliptical collar bases is flush with the one of the peaks (see annotated fig 5 below).
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Regarding claim 12, Hausmann further discloses wherein the first airfoil embosses into the first side and protrudes from the second side of the corrugated plate (see annotated fig 5 above).
Regarding claim 13, Hausmann further discloses wherein the fin further includes a rippled edge (see annotated fig 4 below).
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Regarding claim 14, Haussmann discloses a fin-and-tube heat exchanger (figs 4 and 5) comprising:
a plurality of heat transfer tubes (14) extending through a plurality of fins, wherein one of the plurality of fins comprise:
a corrugated plate (1) having a first side and a second side opposing the first side (see annotated fig 5 below), the corrugated plate having a plurality of folds (fig 4) that includes alternative peaks and valleys relative to the first side of the corrugated plate (see annotated fig 5 bleow);
one (see annotated fig 4 below) of a plurality of elliptical collar bases protruding from the first side of the corrugated plate; and
a first airfoil and a second airfoil extending between a major axis and a minor axis of (see annotated fig 4 below), and curving around, the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases, wherein
the first airfoil is disposed in a first quadrant for the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases (see annotated fig 4 below), and
the second airfoil is disposed in a second quadrant for the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases, the second quadrant being adjacent to the first quadrant at the major axis (see annotated fig 4 below).
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Regarding claim 19, Haussmann further discloses wherein the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases is centered over one of the peaks (see annotated fig 4 below), and the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases is flush with the one of the peaks (see annotated fig 5 above).
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Regarding claim 20, Haussmann further discloses wherein the one of the plurality of fins has a leading edge and a trailing edge (see annotated fig 4 below), and a rippled edge is disposed on one or both of the leading edge and the trailing edge (due to the corrugations).
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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) 1, 8, 10-11, 14, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Junkers (Great Britain Patent 332,455) in view of Haussmann (U.S. Patent No. 4,923,002).
Regarding claim 1, Junkers discloses a fin (figs 1-3) comprising:
a plate (2) having a first side and a second side opposing the first side (see annotated fig 2 below);
one of a plurality of elliptical collar bases (see annotated fig 2 below) protruding from the first side of the plate; and
a first airfoil and a second airfoil extending between a major axis and a minor axis of (see annotated fig 1 below), and curving around, the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases, wherein
the first airfoil is disposed in a first quadrant for the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases (see annotated fig 1 below), and
the second airfoil is disposed in a second quadrant for the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases, the second quadrant being adjacent to the first quadrant at the major axis (see annotated fig 1 below).
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However, Junkers does not explicitly disclose wherein the plate being corrugated, the corrugated plate having a plurality of folds that includes alternative peaks and valleys relative to the first side of the corrugated plate. Haussmann, however, discloses a fin (fig 4) which is a corrugated plate, the corrugated plate having a plurality of folds that includes alternative peaks (5) and valleys (11) relative to a first side of the corrugated plate. Haussmann teaches that the corrugations break up the boundary layer allowing for greater heat transfer efficiency (col 3, lines 41-60). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Junkers to provide the corrugations of Haussmann in order to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the device.
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Junkers and Haussmann discloses all previous claim limitations. Junkers, as modified, further discloses wherein the first airfoil extends across one of the valleys (as evident in figure 4 of Haussmann) in a trailing area (see annotated fig 1 below of Junker) of the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases.
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Regarding claim 10, the combination of Junkers and Haussmann discloses all previous claim limitations. Junkers further discloses wherein a leading end of the first airfoil is disposed further away from the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases than a trailing end of the first airfoil (see annotated fig 1 below).
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Regarding claim 11, the combination of Junkers and Haussmann discloses all previous claim limitations. Junkers, as modified, further discloses wherein the first airfoil (see annotated fig 1 above, Junkers) is extended within three adjacent folds of the corrugated plate (see annotated fig 4 below, Haussmann).
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Regarding claim 14, Junkers discloses a fin-and-tube heat exchanger (figs 1-3) comprising:
a plurality of heat transfer tubes extending through a plurality of fins, wherein one of the plurality of fins comprise:
a plate (2) having a first side and a second side opposing the first side (see annotated fig 2 below);
one of a plurality of elliptical collar bases (see annotated fig 2 below) protruding from the first side of the plate; and
a first airfoil and a second airfoil extending between a major axis and a minor axis of (see annotated fig 1 below), and curving around, the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases, wherein
the first airfoil is disposed in a first quadrant for the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases (see annotated fig 1 below), and
the second airfoil is disposed in a second quadrant for the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases, the second quadrant being adjacent to the first quadrant at the major axis (see annotated fig 1 below).
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However, Junkers does not explicitly disclose wherein the plate being corrugated, the corrugated plate having a plurality of folds that includes alternative peaks and valleys relative to the first side of the corrugated plate. Haussmann, however, discloses a fin (fig 4) which is a corrugated plate, the corrugated plate having a plurality of folds that includes alternative peaks (5) and valleys (11) relative to a first side of the corrugated plate. Haussmann teaches that the corrugations break up the boundary layer allowing for greater heat transfer efficiency (col 3, lines 41-60). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Junkers to provide the corrugations of Haussmann in order to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the device.
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Junkers and Haussmann discloses all previous claim limitations. Junkers, as modified, further discloses wherein the first airfoil extends across one of the valleys in a trailing area of the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases (as evident in figure 4 of Hausmann), and a leading end of the first airfoil is disposed further away from the one of the plurality of elliptical collar bases than a trailing end of the first airfoil (see annotated fig 1 below of Junkers).
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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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