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.
Claim 2 is 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 “the items” in line 3, which lacks proper antecedent basis. For examining purposes the limitation will be interpreted as referring to the “ventilation unit” of claim 5.
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, 3-7, 10, 11, and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kaplan et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0338230, “Kaplan”).
Regarding claim 1, Kaplan discloses a cooling device for at least a datacenter computer server (figs 1-6), wherein said device comprises:
a phase-change material (within 114) configured to exchange heat with at least one of the components of said server (of 104);
at least one heat exchanger (127, 128) connected to a heat transfer fluid circuit (110);
said device being configured, on one hand, to cool at least one component of said server by storing heat generated by said component in the phase-change material and, on the other hand, to release the heat stored in the phase-change material via said heat exchanger (¶0016-0018).
Regarding claim 3, Kaplan further discloses an electronic monitoring unit (138) configured to monitor the release of the heat stored in the phase-change material (¶0022).
Regarding claim 4, Kaplan further discloses that the heat transfer fluid circuit is thermally coupled to heat pump type circuit (108, ¶0016).
Regarding claim 5, Kaplan further discloses wherein the device comprises a ventilation unit (106) configured to circulate an air flow through said server (of 104) to the phase-change material (of 114, as the air is circulated, see ¶0026).
Regarding claim 6, Kaplan further discloses that the ventilation unit (106) is located in order to suck air out of the server (if 104, as air circulated and thus is sucked out of the server, see ¶0026).
Regarding claim 7, Kaplan further discloses that the air flow from the ventilation unit (106) is directed to at least a cooling unit1 comprising said heat exchanger (127, 128) and said phase-change material (of 114, see fig 1).
Regarding claim 10, Kaplan further discloses that the heat transfer fluid circuit is configured so that the heat transfer fluid flows through the heat exchanger upward (as some fluid must flow upward in order to allow for heat exchange with the PCM, as shown below in annotated 2 below).
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Regarding claim 11, Kaplan further discloses that the device comprises a heat conduction item (128) that links at least one of the components of said server (of 104) to the phase-change material (of 114).
Regarding claim 13, Kaplan further discloses a Datacenter comprising at least one server with a cooling device according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1).
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaplan as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kwon (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0188484).
Regarding claim 2, Kaplan discloses all previous claim limitations. However, Kaplan does not explicitly disclose that the device comprises at least one renewable electrical energy source configured to power the items of said device. Kwon, however, discloses a cooling device wherein the device comprises at least one renewable electrical energy source (1, “solar”, ¶0052-0053) configured to power the items of said device (5, ¶0052-0053). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Kaplan to provide the renewable electrical energy source of Kwon in order to power the items while not impacting the grid.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaplan as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Goenka (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0087316).
Regarding claim 8, Kaplan discloses all previous claim limitations. Kaplan further discloses that the heat exchanger of the cooling unit (127, 128, phase-change material of 114, see fig 1), comprises: a first structure (127) where a conduit is designed for the heat transfer fluid of the heat transfer fluid circuit; second structure around the first structure and being configured to cool (by heat transfer to the phase-change material) the air flow from the ventilation unit (as there must be a second structure to allow for heat exchange between the air and phase change material and fluid).
However, Kaplan does not explicitly disclose a said first and second structures being configured so that there is a gap between said structures that define a housing where said phase-change material is positioned. Goenka, however, discloses a cooling device (figs 2 and 3) wherein a first (92, ¶0037) and second structure (84, ¶0036) are configured so that there is a gap between said structures that define a housing (94, ¶0037) where said phase-change material is positioned. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Kaplan to provide the structures of Goenka in order to provide efficient heat exchange between the air, phase change material, and fluid.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaplan as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Ross et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0347499, “Ross”).
Regarding claim 9, Kaplan discloses all previous claim limitations. However, Kaplan dose not explicitly disclose wherein the air flow from the ventilation unit is directed through the cooling unit downward. Ross, however, discloses a cooling device (fig 5) wherein air flow from a ventilation unit (see annotated fig 5 below) is directed through a cooling unit (524) downward. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Kaplan to have the air flow be directed downward through the cooling unit such as taught by Ross in order to allow for the optimal positioning of the elements.
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Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaplan as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Heiland et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0205822, “Heiland”).
Regarding claim 12, Kaplan discloses all previous claim limitations. However, Kaplan dose not explicitly disclose that the heat conduction item further comprises a Peltier thermoelectric module. Heiland, however, disclose a cooling device (fig 50) wherein a heat conduction item comprises a Peltier thermoelectric module (66). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Kaplan to provide the Peltier thermoelectric module of Heiland in order to provide additional cooling for the data center.
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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/HARRY E ARANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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