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.
Claims 19-20 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 19, line 4 recites “a fan motor” and line 5 recites “a fan motor”. Are these fan motors one and the same or different? Examiner requests clarification and will assume that they are the same for purposes of this examination.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 7-8, 10-12, 15-17 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mathews (US 3,384,165).
Claim 1: Mathews discloses a heat rejection fan assembly (Figs. 1-20) comprising a set of fan blades (15) a fan motor (27/28) coupled to the set of fan blades via a motor shaft (note shaft between 28 and 15 in Fig. 4) and configured to cause the set of fan blades to cause a first air volume to move through a heat exchanger (as can be appreciated from Fig. 2), and move the first air volume through a shroud opening (note opening of 14 in Fig. 4); and a fan motor cooling sub-system (26/29) configured to cool the fan motor (Fig. 4).
Claim 2: Mathews further discloses that the fan motor cooling sub-system comprises a coolant entry duct (either the entry portions of 26 or 29) configured to selectively cause a second air volume to contact the fan motor (Fig. 4).
Claim 3: Mathews further discloses that the second air volume is not moved through the heat exchanger (Fig. 4).
Claim 4: Mathews further discloses that the fan motor cooling sub-system further comprises a coolant exit duct (note top end of 29) configured to direct the second air volume away from the fan motor (Fig. 4).
Claim 7: Mathews further discloses that the coolant entry duct includes one or more inlets (note two ends of 26), wherein the one or more inlets include one or more inlets that face away from the heat exchanger (Examiner notes that the heat exchanger face in the radially inside direction while the inlets face in the radially outside direction).
Claim 8: Mathews further discloses that one or the one or more inlets are positioned orthogonal to the motor shaft (Fig. 4).
Claim 10: Mathews discloses a heat rejection unit (Figs. 1-20) comprising a shroud (14) comprising a shroud opening (Fig. 2); a heat rejection coil (10/11) disposed within the shroud; and a heat rejection fan assembly (15/27/28), the heat rejection fan assembly comprising a set of fan blades (15); a fan motor (27/28) coupled to the set of fan blades via a motor shaft (note shaft between 28 and 15 in Fig. 4) and configured to cause the set of fan blades to cause a first air volume to move through a heat rejection coil (as can be appreciated from Fig. 2), and move the first air volume through a shroud opening (note opening of 14 in Fig. 4); and a fan motor cooling sub-system (26/29) configured to cool the fan motor (Fig. 4).
Claim 11: Mathews further discloses that the fan motor cooling sub-system comprises a coolant entry duct (26) configured to selectively cause a second air volume to contact the fan motor (Fig. 4).
Claim 12: Mathews further discloses that the fan motor cooling sub-system further comprises a coolant exit duct (note top end of 29) configured to direct the second air volume away from the fan motor (Fig. 4).
Claim 15: Mathews further discloses that the second air volume is not moved through the heat exchanger (Fig. 4).
Claim 16: Mathews further discloses that the coolant entry duct includes one or more inlets (note two ends of 26), wherein the one or more inlets include one or more inlets that face away from the heat rejection coil (Examiner notes that the heat exchanger face in the radially inside direction while the inlets face in the radially outside direction).
Claim 17: Mathews further discloses that one or the one or more inlets are positioned orthogonal to the motor shaft (Fig. 4).
Claim 19: Mathews discloses a fan motor cooling sub-system for a heat rejection fan assembly (Figs. 1-20), wherein the heat rejection fan assembly is configured to cause a first air volume to move through a heat exchanger (as can be appreciated from Fig. 2), the fan motor cooling sub-system comprising a coolant entry duct (26) fluidly couplable to a fan motor (27/28) comprising a second air volume outlet (note air outlet of 29) disposed near the fan motor; and a second air volume inlet (note inlets of 26) disposed at a second air volume (Fig. 4), wherein the second air volume moves from the second air volume inlet to the second air volume outlet and cools the fan motor (Fig. 4).
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) 5 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mathews (US 3,384,165) in view of Kanninen (EP2824332A1).
Claims 5 and 13: Mathews discloses the previous limitations. Mathews is not explicit about a cooling duct fan disposed within the coolant entry duct and configured to force the second air volume against the fan motor. However, Kanninen teaches a fan arrangement which utilizes a cooling duct fan (40) disposed within the coolant entry duct (Fig. 3). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to a skilled artisan to utilize a cooling duck fan as taught by Kanninen into the apparatus of Mathews in order to actively move more air to cool the motor, preventing it from overheating. As modified into Mathews, this arrangement from Kanninen would be configured to force the second air volume against the fan motor.
Claim(s) 6 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mathews (US 3,384,165) in view of Kanninen (EP2824332A1).
Claims 6 and 14: Mathews discloses the previous limitations. Mathews further discloses that the set of fan blades comprises a hub (note center of 15) but is not explicit about , wherein the hub comprises a set of cooling fins configured to direct the second air volume through the shroud opening. However, DE8525254 teaches a fan arrangement (Figs. 3 and 6) in which its hub (1) comprises a set of cooling fins (2) configured to direct a second air volume through a shroud opening (Fig. 3). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to a skilled artisan to utilize a hub arrangement as taught by ‘254 into the apparatus of Mathews in order to actively move more air to cool the motor, preventing it from overheating.
Claim(s) 9 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mathews (US 3,384,165) in view of Liang (CN206608374U).
Claims 9 and 18: Mathews discloses the previous limitations. Mathews is not explicit about a heat sink; coolant lines thermally coupled to the heat sink and a pump configured to circulate the coolant through the coolant lines. However, Liang teaches a fan arrangement which utilizes a heat sink (1/5/3) and coolant lines (2/4/6) thermally coupled to the heat sink (Fig. 1); and a pump (see paragraph 15) configured to circulate the coolant through the coolant lines (Fig. 1). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to a skilled artisan to utilize a heat sink arrangement as taught by Liang into the apparatus of Mathews in order to cool the motor more effectively, preventing it from overheating.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN C ZOLLINGER whose telephone number is (571)270-7815. The examiner can normally be reached Generally M-F 9-4 EST.
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/NATHAN C ZOLLINGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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