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 .
Status
This Office Action is in response to the remarks and amendments filed on 07/24/2026.
Claims 1-15, 17-30 and 32 are pending for consideration in this Office Action.
Further recognition:
The objections to the claims are withdrawn in in light of the amendments.
The rejections pursuant to 112(b) are withdrawn in light of the amendments.
Claim Objections
Claims 9-10 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 9, the claim recites “… the rear face of said plate.” Claim 9 depends from claim 4 which depends from claim 1 a rear face of the plate is introduced in claim 2. In order to prevent any antecedent rejections the claim should be amended to recite - - a rear face of said plate - - for clarity. This is throughout the claims.
Claim 10 is objected to because of dependency from an objected to claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 3-8, 13, 17, 19-24 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hyoudou et al. (CN102149991B), in view of Lee et al. (US2019/0360745A1 hereinafter Lee’745), and further in view of Wang et al. (US2012/0120080A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Hyoudou teaches a refrigerator [100] comprising:
a self-supporting cabinet [101] having a thermal-insulating structure [0057 “heat insulating case”] and is internally provided with at least one thermally-insulated inner storage cavity [102] configured to accommodate perishable foodstuff [0071 “refrigerating chamber”];
an electrically-operated cooling system [fig. 3 showing an electrically-operated cooling system] at least partially accommodated inside the self- supporting cabinet [fig. 1] and is configured to cool down the inside of said at least one inner storage cavity [0071 “air cooled in the evaporator 120 of the cooling fan 121 is forced into air supply state, sent to each room”];
an electrically-operated air-circulation assembly [fig. 7 showing an electrically-operated air-circulation assembly] located on a rear wall [fig. 2 showing 101 on the rear wall] of said inner storage cavity [102], wherein the electrically-operated air-circulation assembly [fig. 7] comprises:
a platelike air guide member [300] comprising a plurality of air inlets and a plurality of air outlets [fig. 3 showing the electrically-operated air-circulation assembly having a plurality of air inlets and a plurality of air outlets via arrows going into and out of the platelike air guide member],
an air channel [0075 “cold air circulation path”] that extends inside and is at least partially delimited by said platelike air guide member [fig. 7] and directly communicates, via the plurality of air inlets and the plurality of air outlets [fig. 7], with the inside of said storage cavity [fig. 7], a fan [121] which is placed along the air channel [0074-0075; see also fig. 3], and
at least one low-pressure heat exchanger [120] which is placed along the air channel [fig. 3],
wherein the at least one low-pressure heat exchanger [120] is aligned in a horizontal direction with at least one air inlet of the plurality of air inlets and at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlets [Fig. 3 showing (120) aligned in a horizontal direction with at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlet], the horizontal direction extending across the platelike air guide member [fig. 7] from the plurality of air inlets to the plurality of air outlets [Fig. 7 showing horizontally extending across the platelike air guide from the plurality of air inlets to the plurality of air outlets], and
wherein the fan [121] is aligned in the horizontal direction with at least one air inlet of the plurality of air inlets and at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlets different from those aligned with the at least one low-pressure heat exchanger [fig. 3];
a plate [301], separate from and being located in front of the electrically-operated air circulation assembly [0082-0083 “front panel 301 is arranged on the appearance part”], wherein the plate [301] is configured to entirely cover an upper sector of said electrically-operated air-circulation assembly [0082 “front panel 301 is wider than the cross insulating wind path” see also fig. 5] where one or more shelves [201] are located [fig. 2].
Hyoudou does not explicitly teach wherein the plate is configured to allow incident light to enter and travel by total internal reflection inside the plate; and
a lighting assembly configured to emit light on command, and is arranged within the inner storage cavity so as to illuminate at least part of an exposed front face of said plate ;
the plate being further configured to scatter, from the exposed front face, the light travelling inside itself by total internal reflection.
However, Wang teaches the plate [100 corresponding to 301 of Hyoudou] is configured to allow incident light [0082 “light injected”] to enter and travel by total internal reflection inside the plate [0086 “total internal reflection”]; and
the plate [100] being further configured to scatter [0104 “redirect the light out”], from the exposed front face [at least fig. 14A where the front face is closest to (200) corresponding to the front face of Hyoudou (where 301 clearly has a front face)], the light travelling inside itself by total internal reflection [0104 “propagating within”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of the modified Hyoudou teaching with Wang by combining the plate is configured to allow incident light to enter and travel by total internal reflection inside the plate and the plate being further configured to scatter, from its exposed front face, the light travelling inside itself by total internal reflection where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results,
i.e. secures a refrigerator where the plat allows light to travel by total internal reflection and the plate scatters light which is traveling by total internal reflection which allows light to be ejected out of the plate [Wang; 0104].
Further, Lee’745 teaches a lighting assembly [80] configured to emit light on command [0119-0120 “illuminated” and “opening signal”], and is arranged within the inner storage cavity [12 corresponding to 102 of Hyoudou] so as to illuminate at least part of an exposed front face of said plate [0118 “disposed to face the inside of the refrigerator” which would clearly illuminate an exposed front face in the rear of the refrigerator corresponding to the front face of Hyoudou (where 301 clearly has a front face)].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Hyoudou to have a lighting assembly configured to emit light on command, and is arranged within the inner storage cavity so as to illuminate at least part of the exposed front face of said plate in view of the teachings of Lee’745 where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results,
i.e. secures a refrigerator with a light assembly that lights an inner storage cavity on command and emits light on a front face of a plate which makes the storage spaces more clearly visible [Lee’745; 0121].
Regarding Claim 3, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 1 and Wang teaches herein the lighting assembly [Lee’745; 80] is configured to direct the emitted light towards the exposed front face of the plate [Lee’745; 80; 0357 “illuminating the inside of the refrigerator” which corresponds to the exposed front face of Hyoudou], so that at least part of said light can penetrate [Lee’745; 0354 “effectively illuminate” where at least part of the light would penetrate into the plate] into the plate [Hyoudou; 301] and then travel inside the same plate by total internal reflection [Wang; 0086 “TIR”].
Regarding Claim 4, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 1 and Wang teaches wherein the plate [Hyoudou; 301] comprises a plate [Wang; 120] of transparent material [Wang; 0085 “and/or other optically transparent materials”] and has, on its rear face, at least one light-scattering surface structure [Wang; 124; 0104 “reflective features”].
Regarding Claim 5, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 4 and Wang teaches wherein said at least one light-scattering surface structure [124] is incorporated into said plate [0104 “provided with a plurality of light turning features”].
Regarding Claim 6, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 4 and Wang teaches wherein said at least one light-scattering surface structure [124] is formed directly on surface of the front and/or rear face of said plate [Figs. 14A-14C].
Regarding Claim 7, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 6 and Wang teaches wherein said at least one light-scattering surface structure [124] includes one or more surface sectors of the plate [figs. 15c showing on or more surface sectors of the plate] having an increased rough profile [0109 “has been roughened”].
Regarding Claim 8, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 6 and Wang teaches wherein said at least one light-scattering surface structure [124] includes a multitude of micro cavities or indentations formed on surface of the rear face of said plate [figs. 14a-c].
Regarding Claim 13, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 4 and Hyoudou teaches wherein said plate [120 of Wang corresponding to 301 of Hyoudou] is a slab of light-conductive polymeric material [0085 “polymers”].
Regarding Claim 17, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 4 and Hyoudou teaches wherein said plate [301] is rectangular in shape [Given fig. 7 3(01) is a rectangular].
Regarding Claim 19, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to claim 1 and L’745 teaches wherein said lighting assembly [80] is located on at least one of the opposite lateral walls [fig. 3] of said inner storage cavity [Hyoudou; 102].
Regarding Claim 20, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 19 and Lee’745 teaches wherein said lighting assembly [80] is located on both opposite lateral walls [fig. 3] of said inner storage cavity [Hyoudou; 102].
Regarding Claim 21, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 20 and Lee’745 teaches wherein said lighting assembly [80] comprises a pair of separate electric lighting units [see fig. 3 where there are multiple lighting assemblies or fig. 5 showing multiple elements in the lighting assembly] which emit light on command [0119-0120 “illuminated” and “opening signal”] and are located each on a respective lateral wall [fig. 3] of said inner storage cavity [Hyoudou; 102], close to the access opening of the same cavity [Lee’745 fig. 3].
Regarding Claim 22, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to claim 1 and Hyoudou teaches wherein said plate [301] is attached directly to the rear wall [fig. 8a] of said inner storage cavity [0136 “represents the back portion of the refrigerating chamber 102”], so as to hide/conceal at least part of said rear wall [from at least figs. 2, 6 and 8A at least part of the rear wall is hidden].
Regarding Claim 23, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 22 and Hyoudou teaches wherein the plate [301] is dimensioned so as to take up the whole width of the rear wall [fig. 11A shows the whole wall be taken up by the plate] of said inner storage cavity [102].
Regarding Claim 24, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to claim 1 and Hyoudou teaches wherein the plate [301] is attached to the rear wall [fig. 8A] of said inner storage cavity [102] in detachable manner [Fig. 8A/B where someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would recognize the plate is attached to the rear wall in a detachable manner].
Regarding Claim 30, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to claim 1 and Hyoudou teaches wherein the electrically- operated cooling system [fig. 3 showing an electrically-operated cooling system] comprises a heat-pump assembly [fig. 2 showing at least (120) ] which is provided with the at least one low-pressure heat exchanger [120 ]that cools down the inside of said inner storage cavity [0071 “forced into air supply state”].
Claim(s) 2 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hyoudou et al., Lee’745 and Wang et al. as applied to claim 1 and in view of Kwanwoo et al. (US2021/0026056A1).
Regarding Claim 2, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 1 and Hyoudou teaches the plate [301].
Modified Hyoudou does not explicitly teach the plate has an opaque rear face.
However, Kwanwoo teaches the plate [240 corresponding to 301 of Hyoudou] an opaque rear face [220; 0058 ”first reflective layer”] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. secures a refrigerator having a plate with an opaque rear face.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of modified Hyoudou to have an opaque rear face in view of the teachings of Kwanwoo where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. secures a refrigerator having a light scattering member with an opaque rear face which allows light to be emitted to the light exit surface [Kwanwoo; 0062].
Regarding Claim 9, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 4 and Hyoudou teaches the plate [301].
Modified Hyoudou does not explicitly teach the plate additionally comprises an opaque covering that covers the rear face of said plate.
However, Kwanwoo teaches the plate [200 corresponding to 301 of Hyoudou] additionally comprises an opaque covering [220] that covers a rear face of said plate [0058 “light exit surface” fig. 7 clearly showing 220 on the rear side of 240, 240 corresponds a rear side of Hyoudou] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. secures a refrigerator having a light scattering member with an opaque covering or coating that covers the rear face.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of the modified Hyoudou to have the plate additionally comprises an opaque covering that covers the rear face of said plate in view of the teachings of Kwanwoo where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. secures a refrigerator having a light scattering member with an opaque covering or coating that covers the rear face which allows light to be emitted to the light exit surface [Kwanwoo; 0062].
Regarding Claim 10, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 9 and Kwanwoo teaches wherein said at least one light-scattering surface structure [230 corresponding to 124 of Wang] is at least partially incorporated into said opaque covering [0065 “disposed between” see also fig. 7 where (230) is incorporated into (220)].
Claim(s) 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hyoudou et al., Lee’745, Wang et al. and Kwanwoo et al. as applied to claim 9 and in view of Lee (US2019/0326784A1).
Regarding Claim 11, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 9 and modified Hyoudou teaches said opaque covering [Kwanwoo; 220] and said plate [Hyoudou; 301].
Modified Hyoudou does not explicitly teach, wherein said opaque covering is a layer of opaque paint that coats the rear face of said plate.
However, Lee teaches wherein said opaque covering [114 corresponding to 220 of Kwanwoo] is a layer of opaque paint [0218 “paint”] that coats the rear face of said plate [0218 “attached”, “lower surface of the plate 110a” where 110a corresponds to 301 of Hyoudou].
Since it has been held that the selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supports a prima facie obviousness determination (see MPEP 2144.07), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify the opaque covering or coating by making it an opaque paint and arrive at the claimed invention in order to secure a refrigerator that uses an opaque paint coating to prevent light leakage [0018; Lee].
Regarding Claim 12, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 11 and Lee teaches wherein said opaque paint has light-reflective properties [0216 “reflected”].
Claim(s) 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hyoudou et al., Lee’745 and Wang et al. as applied to claim 1 and in view of Nishimura (JP5172634B2).
Regarding Claim 14, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 1 and Hyoudou teaches said plate [301].
Modified Hyoudou does not explicitly teach wherein said plate additionally has, on its exposed front face and/or on its rear face, logo/s, graphic symbol/s, aesthetical pattern/s and/or writings.
However, Nishimura teaches wherein said plate [14 corresponding to 301 of Hyoudou] additionally has, on its exposed front face, logo/s, graphic symbol/s, aesthetical pattern/s and/or writings [fig. 4 clearly shows a logo, graphic, aesthetical patter or writing on the exposed front face panel] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. secures a refrigerator with logo/s, graphic symbol/s, aesthetical pattern/s or writings on its front face.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Hyoudou and Khizar to have on its exposed front face or on its rear face, logo/s, graphic symbol/s, aesthetical pattern/s and/or writings in view of the teachings of Nishimura where the elements would have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. secures a refrigerator with logo/s, graphic symbol/s, aesthetical pattern/s or writings on its front face.
Further, matters relating to ornamentation only which have no mechanical function cannot be relied upon to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art in re Seid, 161 F.2d 229, 73 USPQ 431 (CCPA 1947). See MPEP 2144.04.
Regarding Claim 15, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 14 and Hyoudou teaches wherein said plate [301] is structured so as to scatter the light travelling inside itself by total internal reflection [Wang; 0104 “eject light”], so as to form said one or more logo/s, graphic symbol/s, aesthetical pattern/s, and/or writings [Nishimura; Fig. 4 and 9; 0028-0031].
Claim(s) 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hyoudou et al., Lee’745, and Wang et al. as applied to claim 4 and in view of Knoll (US2009/0272136A1).
Regarding Claim 18, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 4 and Hyoudou teaches said plate [301].
Modified Hyoudou does not explicitly a thickness of said plate of l ranges between 1 and 20 mm beveled or rounded edges or a thickness of said plate ranges between 1 and 20 mm.
However, Knoll teaches a thickness of said plate [5 corresponding to 301 of Hyoudou] ranges between 1 and 20 mm [0018 “a thickness in a range from 5 mm to 20 mm” ] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. secures a having a glass surface between 5 and 20 mm.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Hyoudou and Wang to have a glass surface between 5 and 20 mm in view of the teachings of Knoll where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. secures a having a glass surface between 5 and 20 mm.
Further, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have selected the overlapping portion of the ranges disclosed by the reference because selection of overlapping portion of ranges has been held to be a prima facie case of obviousness. See MPEP § 2144.05.I.
Claim(s) 25-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hyoudou et al., Lee’745, and Wang et al. as applied to claim 1 and in view of Bao et al. (CN108426405A).
Regarding Claim 25, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 1 and Hyoudou teaches wherein said refrigerator [100] includes the electrically-operated air-circulation assembly [fig. 7 showing an electrically-operated air-circulation assembly].
Modified Hyoudou does not explicitly teach the electrically-operated air-circulation assembly is configured to circulate air in closed loop inside the inner storage cavity.
However, Bao teaches the electrically-operated air-circulation assembly [1-3 corresponds to the electrically-operated air-circulation assembly of Hyoudou] is configured to circulate air in closed loop inside the inner storage cavity [0017 “the air circulation”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of the modified Hyoudou teaching with Bao by combining the electrically-operated air-circulation assembly is configured to circulate air in closed loop inside the inner storage cavity where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results,
i.e. secures a refrigerator with the electrically-operated air-circulation assembly is configured to circulate air in closed loop inside the inner storage cavity which increases air circulation efficiency and prevents items from blocking the air outlets [Bao; 0017].
Regarding Claim 26, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 25 and Bao teaches wherein
the platelike air guide member [2-3] compris3es a thermal-insulating material [2; 0051 “2 is preferably made of foam”] and a cover [3] which is attached to the platelike air guide member [4 corresponding to 300 of Hyoudou];
the platelike air guide member [2-3] being discrete from the self-supporting cabinet [Fig. 9 showing 2-3 are discrete from the self-supporting cabinet] and is rigidly attached to the rear wall [0048 “rear panel 604”; see also figs. 8-9] of said storage cavity [Hyoudou; 102];
wherein the fan [0042 “The fan is fixed in the fan slot 204”] is configured to generate/produce an airflow [0035 “2 for controlling the airflow”] that circulates in closed loop along the air channel [fig. 4] and the inner storage cavity [0017 clearly disclosing a closed loop air flow that incorporates the air channel and inner storage cavity];
the plate [4] being arranged over the exposed front face of said platelike air guide member [fig. 4 see also 0045 “decorative plate 4 is fixed to the other surface of the positioning plate 3”].
Regarding Claim 27, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 26 and Bao teaches wherein said platelike air guide member [2-3] is attached to the rear wall [604] of said inner storage cavity [Hyoudou; 102] in detachable manner [0048 “"U"-shaped hanging plates and fastened by bolts”].
Regarding Claim 28, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 26 and Bao teaches wherein said plate [4] is dimensioned to completely cover the exposed front face of said platelike air guide member [fig. 4].
Regarding Claim 29, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to Claim 26 and Bao teaches wherein the exposed front face of said platelike air-guide member [2-3] is vertically divided into an upper [fig. 7 601 having an upper section with shelves] and a lower sectors [fig. 7 601 having a lower sector with no shelves] complementary to one another [601; 0049 “three compartments 601, and each compartment 601 is provided with a pair of branch air ducts 201”], and at least the upper sector [fig. 7] of said exposed front face [where 4 has an exposed front face corresponding to the front face of 301 of Hyoudou] is completely covered by said plate [fig. 1 in conjunction with fig. 7 clearly show (4) at least the upper sector of said exposed front face is completely covered by said plate].
Claim(s) 32 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hyoudou et al., Lee’745, and Wang et al. as applied to claim 1 and in view of Gu (US20150308730A1).
Regarding Claim 32, modified Hyoudou teaches the refrigerator according to claim 1 and Hyoudou teaches the at least one low-pressure heat exchanger [120] and said electrically-operated air-circulation assembly [fig. 7 showing an electrically-operated air-circulation assembly].
Modified Hyoudou does not explicitly teach wherein the at least one low-pressure heat exchanger is disposed at least partially in the upper sector of said electrically-operated air-circulation assembly.
However Gu, teaches wherein the at least one low-pressure heat exchanger [51 corresponding to 120 of Hyoudou] is disposed at least partially in the upper sector [50 corresponding to 102 of Hyoudou] of said electrically-operated air-circulation assembly [fig. 3 the assembly including (55, 54 and 51) corresponding to electrically-operated air-circulation assembly of Hyoudou].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of the modified Hyoudou teaching with Gu by combining wherein the at least one low-pressure heat exchanger is disposed at least partially in the upper sector of said electrically-operated air-circulation assembly where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results,
i.e. secures a refrigerator where the low-pressure heat exchanger is disposed at least partially in the upper sector of said electrically-operated air-circulation assembly which enhances cooling productivity [Gu; Abstract].
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claims 1-15, 17-30 and 32, on pgs. 9-13 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/ADAM D MOORE/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/ELIZABETH J MARTIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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