Office Action 2: Notice of Allowance (2025-08-27)

CLAIMS:
AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS

This listing of claims will replace all prior versions and listings of claims in the application:

1\. (Currently Amended) An internal combustion engine powered system comprising:an engine;
an auxiliary device coupled to the engine;
a first stage turbocharger coupled to the engine;
an air driver;
a radiator;
a first stage air-to-air cooler fluidly coupled to the first stage turbocharger to receive a first charge air therefrom, the first stage air-to-air cooler arranged to direct the first charge air along a first direction from an inlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler to an outlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler;
a second stage turbocharger fluidly coupled to the first stage air-to-air cooler; and a second stage air-to-air cooler fluidly coupled to the second stage turbocharger to receive a second charge air therefrom, the second stage air-to-air cooler being separate from the first stage air-to-air cooler and arranged to direct the second charge air along a second direction from an inlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler to an outlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler, the second direction being different from the first direction, the first stage air-to-air cooler and the second stage air-to-air cooler together surrounding the radiator on at least two sides, the air driver positioned axially between (i) the engine, and (ii) the first stage air-to-air cooler, the second stage air-to-air cooler, and the radiator.
2\. (Original) The internal combustion engine powered system of claim 1, wherein the first direction extends in a vertical direction between a lower end of the engine and an upper end of the engine.
3\. (Original) The internal combustion engine powered system of claim 2, wherein the engine further comprises an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold spaced apart from the intake manifold, the second direction extending parallel to a reference line representing a shortest distance between the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold.

4\. (Currently Amended) The internal combustion engine powered system of The internal combustion engine powered system of
wherein the first stage air-to-air cooler and the second stage air-to-air cooler are spaced apart from the engine by a substantially equivalent distance along a rotational axis of a driveshaft of the engine.
5\. (Currently Amended) The internal combustion engine powered system of The internal combustion engine powered system of
 wherein the air driver is coupled to the engine and powered by the engine, the first stage air-to-air cooler and the second stage air-to-air cooler each disposed in a parallel flow arrangement relative to the air driver.
6\. (Original) The internal combustion engine powered system of claim 1, further comprising:
a first conduit fluidly coupling the first stage turbocharger to the first stage air-to- air cooler;
a second conduit fluidly coupling the first stage air-to-air cooler to the second stage turbocharger;
a third conduit fluidly coupling the second stage turbocharger to the second stage air-to-air cooler; and
a fourth conduit extending away from the outlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler, the first conduit, the second conduit, the third conduit, and the fourth conduit each extending parallel to one another at a location adjacent to the first stage air-to-air cooler and the second stage air-to-air cooler.
7\. (Original) The internal combustion engine powered system of claim 1, wherein the second stage air-to-air cooler forms an air conduit for the second charge air that directs the second charge air from a hot side of the engine to a cold side of the engine at lower temperature than the hot side.
8\. (Original) The internal combustion engine powered system of claim 1, wherein the outlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler is disposed on an opposite side of the engine as each of the inlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler, and both the inlet and outlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler.

9\. (Canceled)

10\. (Currently Amended) A charge air cooler assembly for air cooling, comprising:a radiator;
an air driver;
a first stage air-to-air cooler configured to receive first charge air, the first stage air-to-air cooler arranged to direct the first charge air along a first direction from an inlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler to an outlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler; and
a second stage air-to-air cooler configured to receive second charge air, the second stage air-to-air cooler being separate from the first stage air-to-air cooler and arranged to direct the second charge air away from the first stage air-to-air cooler along a second direction from an inlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler to an outlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler, the second direction being different from the first direction, the first stage air-to-air cooler and the second stage air-to-air cooler together surrounding the radiator on at least two sides, the air driver positioned axially behind each of the first stage air-to-air cooler, the second stage air- to-air cooler, and the radiator.

11\. (Original) The charge air cooler assembly of claim 10, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

12\. (Original) The charge air cooler assembly of claim 10, wherein the first direction is a vertical direction so that the outlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler is disposed vertically above the inlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler.

13\. (Original) The charge air cooler assembly of claim 10, wherein the second direction is a horizontal direction.

14\. (Original) The charge air cooler assembly of claim 10, wherein the inlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler is disposed adjacent to the outlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler, and wherein the outlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler is spaced horizontally apart from both the inlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler and the outlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler.

15\. (Original) The charge air cooler assembly of claim 10, wherein the inlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler, the outlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler, and the outlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler are each disposed vertically above the inlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler.

16\. (Original) The charge air cooler assembly of claim 10, wherein the first stage air- to-air cooler extends along a same reference plane as the second stage air-to-air cooler.

17\. (Original) The charge air cooler assembly of claim 10, wherein the first stage air- to-air cooler includes a first plurality of tubes extending along the first direction, and the second stage air-to-air cooler includes a second plurality of tubes extending along the second direction.

18\. (Currently Amended) A method of cooling charge air for an internal combusting engine system, comprising:compressing air using a first stage turbocharger to produce a first charge air;
cooling the first charge air by passing the first charge air through a first stage air- to-air cooler that is disposed on a first side of a radiator, by passing the first charge air along a first direction through the first stage air-to-air cooler;
compressing the first charge air using a second stage turbocharger to produce a second charge air; and
cooling the second charge air by passing the second charge air through a second stage air-to-air cooler that is separate from the first stage air-to-air cooler and that is disposed on a second side of the radiator, by passing the second charge air away from the first stage air- to-air cooler along a second direction that is different from the first direction, the cooling comprising providing air to the first stage air-to-air cooler and the second stage air-to-air cooler from an air driver positioned axially between (i) the internal combustion engine, and (ii) the first stage air-to-air cooler, the second stage air-to-air cooler, and the radiator.

19\. (Original) The method of claim 18, wherein passing the first charge air through the first stage air-to-air cooler includes passing the first charge air through a plurality of tubes of the first stage air-to-air cooler that extend in a vertical direction.

20\. (Original) The method of claim 18, wherein passing the second charge air through the second stage air-to-air cooler along the second direction includes directing the second charge air away from the first stage air-to-air cooler in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

OFFICE 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 .
EXAMINER'S AMENDMENT
An examiner’s amendment to the record appears below. Should the changes and/or additions be unacceptable to applicant, an amendment may be filed as provided by 37 CFR 1.312. To ensure consideration of such an amendment, it MUST be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee.
Authorization for this examiner’s amendment was given in an interview with Kyle Rule on August 18, 2025.
The application has been amended as follows:
In the claim set of 8/12/2025, please amend Claim 18, Line 1 to read:
A method of cooling charge air for an internal  combustion…
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art does not teach the features of the first stage air-to-air cooler and the second stage air-to-air cooler together surrounding the radiator on at least two sides, the air driver positioned axially between (i) the engine, and (ii) the first stage air-to-air cooler, the second stage air-to-air cooler, and the radiator, as is present in some form in all claims, in conjunction with the rest of the structure recited.
The closest art of record is Roithinger (DE 10309808), who teaches a radial fan as mapped in the rejection of 5/12/2025. Roithinger does not teach the air driver positioned axially between (i) the engine, and (ii) the first stage air-to-air cooler, the second stage air-to-air cooler, and the radiator, and it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Roithinger without fundamentally changing the principal operation of Roithinger. Another Roithinger reference (US 6782849) teaches the above feature, but fails to teach the first stage air-to-air cooler and the second stage air-to-air cooler together surrounding the radiator on at least two sides. As such, the claimed invention as a whole is not known in the art and it would not have been obvious to modify any of these references to yield the claimed invention without improper hindsight reasoning from applicant’s disclosure.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Inquiries

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKSApplicant respectfully requests reconsideration of the present application in view of the foregoing amendments and the reasons that follow.Claims 1, 4, 5, 10, and 18 are amended without the addition of new matter. No claims are added. Claim 9 is canceled. These amendments are made without prejudice or disclaimer.Support for the amendments to the claims can be found throughout the application as originally filed, including-but not limited to claims 5 and 9.Upon entry of the amendments, claims 1-8 and 10-20 will remain pending in the present application.I.    Statement of Substance of Examiner Interview Applicant thanks Primary Examiner Dounis for the courtesies extended during a telephone interview conducted on August 7, 2025 with Applicant's Representatives, Attorneys Kiri Lee Sharon and Kyle C. Rule. During the Interview, Applicant's representatives discussed proposed amendments to certain claims. The Examiner indicated that amending the independent claims to clarify the axial position of the air driver relative to the engine and coolers would overcome the current rejections. The amendments to the independent claims are in keeping with those suggested by the Examiner.Applicant thanks the Examiner for his time and thoughtful consideration.II.   Claim Obiections The Office Action objects to claim 4 due to an informality. By this Response, claim 4 is amended as suggested by the Examiner and to correct a typographical error. Withdrawal of the objection to claim 4 in view of this amendment is respectfully requested.III. Claim Reiections under 35 U.S.C. § 102 Claims 1-20 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102 as allegedly anticipated by DE 10309808 ("Roithinger").Without conceding the propriety of the rejection, and in the interest of advancing prosecution, Applicant has amended claim 1 as follows (with emphasis added):1.    An internal combustion engine powered system comprising:an engine;an auxiliary device coupled to the engine;a first stage turbocharger coupled to the engine;an air driver;a radiator;a first stage air-to-air cooler fluidly coupled to the first stage turbocharger to receive a first charge air therefrom, the first stage air-to-air cooler arranged to direct the first charge air along a first direction from an inlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler to an outlet of the first stage air-to-air cooler;a second stage turbocharger fluidly coupled to the first stage air-to-air cooler; and a second stage air-to-air cooler fluidly coupled to the second stage turbocharger to receive a second charge air therefrom, the second stage air-to-air cooler being separate from the first stage air-to-air cooler and arranged to direct the second charge air along a second direction from an inlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler to an outlet of the second stage air-to-air cooler, the second direction being different from the first direction, the first stage air-to-air cooler and the second stage air-to-air cooler together surrounding the radiator on at least two sides, the air driver positioned axially between (i) the engine, and (ii) the first stage air- to-air cooler, the second stage air-to-air cooler, and the radiator.The Office Action compares the claimed air driver to a fan (17) in Roithinger, and compares the claimed radiator and coolers to radiators (14, 15) and charge-air cooler (10, 11) in Roithinger, respectively. However, Roithinger does not disclose, teach, or suggest "the first stage air-to-air cooler and the second stage air-to-air cooler together surrounding the radiator on at least two sides," much less "the air driver positioned axially between (i) the engine, and (ii) the first stage air-to-air cooler, the second stage air-to-air cooler, and the radiator," as recited in amended claim 1. Rather, as shown in FIG. 1 of Roithinger (below), the radiators (14, 15) and cooler (10, 11) in Roithinger are arranged to surround the fan (17), and are located at the same axial position as the fan (17).Additionally, the cooler sections (10, 11) in Roithinger do not "surround the radiator on at least two sides" as recited in amended claim 1. Rather, as shown above, each of the cooler sections (10, 11) in Roithinger is spaced apart from a single side of the alleged radiator (10, 11) and does not extend over multiple sides.For at least the reasons above, amended claim 1 is patentable over Roithinger.Independent claims 10 and 18 are amended in a similar manner as claim 1 and should therefore be patentable for at least the reasons described above. Claims 2-8, 11-17, 19, and 20 are patentable by virtue of their dependence on one of claims 1, 10, and 18, as well as for their further patentable features. Applicant therefore respectfully requests reconsideration and withdrawal of the rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 102.IV.    Conclusion Applicant believes that the present application is now in condition for allowance.Favorable reconsideration of the application is respectfully requested.The Examiner is invited to contact the undersigned to advance the prosecution of the present application.Respectfully submitted, Date: August 12, 2025


CITED REFERENCE SUMMARIES: Ref US6782849: Claims:
1. Cooling system for an internal combustion engine with two-stage supercharging, including a charge-air line in which is provided a first compressor of a first turbocharger and a second compressor of a second turbocharger downstream thereof, a first charge-air cooler being provided between said first and second compressors, and a second charge-air cooler downstream of the second compressor, wherein at least one of the two charge-air coolers is disposed upstream of the coolant cooler in a flow direction of the cooling air, and the second charge-air cooler is disposed immediately above or beside the first charge-air cooler.
2. Cooling system according to claim 1, wherein an inlet and an outlet of at least one charge-air cooler are provided on one and the same side relative to a vertical plane extending through a center of gravity of the charge-air cooler in the flow direction of the cooling air.
3. Cooling system according to claim 2, wherein the inlet and outlet of the first charge-air cooler are provided on one and the same side relative to the vertical plane.
4. Cooling system according to claim 1, wherein at least one charge-air cooler is provided with a separating wall through the center of gravity, which acts as a partition between incoming and outgoing charge-air streams, so that an essentially U-shaped flow path is obtained for the charge air flowing through the charge air cooler.
5. Cooling system according to claim 4, wherein the first charge-air cooler is provided with the separating wall through the center of gravity.
6. Cooling system according to claim 1, wherein a cooling assembly comprising first and second charge-air coolers and the coolant cooler is rigidly attached to the engine.
7. Cooling system according to claim 6, wherein the cooling assembly is rigidly attached to the vehicle frame.
8. Cooling system according to claim 1, wherein flexible hose elements are provided in the charge-air line between first compressor, first charge-air cooler, second compressor, second charge-air cooler, and an intake manifold.
9. Cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the second turbocharger is bypassed in a controlled manner.
10. Cooling system according to claim 9, wherein the second turbocharger is bypassed at the exhaust end.
11. Cooling system according to claim 1, including a fan for generation of a cooling air stream, wherein the fan is driven by a switchable coupling.
12. Cooling system according to claim 11, wherein the fan in an axial-flow type fan.
13. Cooling system according to claim 11, wherein the switchable coupling is provided with a visco-thermoelement.
14. Cooling system according to claim 11, wherein the coupling is controlled externally via at least one cooling-air temperature sensor and an electronic control unit.
15. Cooling system according to claim 1, wherein said second charge-air cooler is in contact with said first charge-air cooler.
16. Cooling system according to claim 15, wherein said second charge-air cooler is positioned above said first charge-air cooler.