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, 6, 9-11, 16, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Teraki (JP2016125734A).
Regarding claim 1/11, Teraki discloses a thermal cooling system (see Fig. 5/7), comprising: a cold plate (40 & 72) defining a channel (see channel defines by grooves G1 & G2); a pipe (pipe 10) extending through the channel; a layer of compressible thermal interface material (thermal interface grease 99) extending around a perimeter of the pipe; and a heat spreader (jacket 40) configured to absorb heat generated by one or more heat sources/a printed circuit board (heat generating component 20 & printed circuit board – Page 1), the heat spreader further configured to transfer at least a portion of the absorbed heat to the pipe via the layer of compressible TIM.
Regarding claim 6/16, Teraki discloses the limitations of claim 1/11, and Teraki further discloses the heat spreader is thermally coupled to the one or more heat sources via one or more layers of TIM (Page 5).
Regarding claims 9-10, 19-20, Teraki discloses the limitations of claim 1/11, and Teraki further discloses the heat spreader comprises a metal wherein the metal comprises aluminum (aluminum – Page 5).
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) 2/12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teraki (JP2016125734A) in view of Jeong (WO2018066771A1).
Regarding claim 2/12, Teraki teaches the limitations of claim 1/11, and Teraki does not teach wherein the heat spreader comprises: a first portion that is thermally coupled to a first printed circuit board assembly (PCBA); and a second portion that is thermally coupled to a second PCBA, the second portion being in contact with the first portion.
Jeong teaches (see Fig. 10-17) the heat spreader comprises: a first portion (130) that is thermally coupled to a first printed circuit board assembly (300); and a second portion (140) that is thermally coupled to a second PCBA (300), the second portion being in contact with the first portion.
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 Teraki to include the two sided cold plate configuration of Jeong, in order to cool multiple PCBs (Page 7).
Claim(s) 3-4, 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teraki (JP2016125734A) in view of Lodahl (DE2556239A).
Regarding claim 3/13, Teraki teaches the limitations of claim 1/11, and Teraki does not teach the heat spreader comprises: a first portion that is thermally coupled to a first PCBA; and a second portion that is thermally coupled to a second PCBA, the second portion positioned relative to the first portion such that a gap is defined between the first portion and the second portion.
Lodahl teaches (see Fig. 1-3) the heat spreader (clamp parts 2 & 3) comprises: a first portion (2) that is thermally coupled to a first PCBA (electrical components 1); and a second portion (3) that is thermally coupled to a second PCBA (opposite electrical components), the second portion positioned relative to the first portion such that a gap is defined between the first portion and the second portion.
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 Teraki to include the two-sided cold plate for multiple PCBs in light of the teachings of Lodahl, in order to cool a plurality of components (Page 1).
Regarding claim 4/14, Teraki teaches the limitations of claim 3/13, and Teraki as modified further teaches a portion of the layer of compressible TIM (99) is configured to flow into the gap when a force is applied (via 80) to the first portion of the heat spreader or the second portion of the heat spreader.
Claim(s) 5, 7-8, 15, 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teraki (JP2016125734A) in view of Lodahl (DE2556239A) and Demange (US20140233174A1).
Regarding claim 5/15, Teraki teaches the limitations of claim 3/13, and Teraki does not teach a width of the gap is about 0.25 millimeters to about 1.25 millimeters.
Demange teaches a width of the gap is about 0.25 millimeters to about 1.25 millimeters (see overlapping range of 0.1-0.5 mm - ¶[0092]).
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 Teraki to include the gap dimension of Demange, in order to optimize contact and heat transfer (¶[0092]).
Regarding claim 7-8/17-18, Teraki teaches the limitations of claim 6/16, and Teraki does not teach the layer of compressible TIM extending around the perimeter of the pipe is thicker than each of the one or more layers of TIM, herein a thickness of the layer of compressible TIM is about 0.2 millimeters to about 2 millimeters.
Demange teaches the layer of compressible TIM extending around the perimeter of the pipe is thicker than each of the one or more layers of TIM, herein a thickness of the layer of compressible TIM is about 0.2 millimeters to about 2 millimeters (see layers 37 & 38 and see thickness ranges of ¶[0091-0092]).
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 Teraki to include the gap dimension of Demange, in order to optimize contact and heat transfer (¶[0092]) and since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.05(II).
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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