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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action is responsive to the amendment filed on 07/16/2026. As directed by the amendment: claim(s) 1, 3, 8-9, 11-14, 16, and 18 has/have been amended; claim(s) 2, 10, 15, and 17 has/have been cancelled and new claim(s) 21-23 has/have been added. Thus, claims 1, 3-9, 11-14, 16, and 18-23 are presently pending in this application.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-4, 9, 11-14, 16, and 18-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jinno et al (JP 2011033079 A) in view of Kasukabe et al (JP H05177388 A).
Regarding claim 1, Jinno discloses a method of manufacturing a vacuum adiabatic body, the method comprising:
a vacuum adiabatic body component preparation process of preparing a first plate (Fig. 1 #10 first metal plate material), a second plate (Fig. 1 #25 second metal plate material), and a tube (Fig. 1 #16 tip tube) (The preparing step is performed by the operator. The first and second plates and the tube were prepared by the operator.);
a vacuum adiabatic body component assembly process of assembling the prepared first (Fig. 1 #10 first metal plate material) and second plates (Fig. 1 #25 second metal plate material);
a vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process of providing a seal at the tube (Page 2 para. 5 ---" A circular exhaust hole 15 communicating with the inside is provided at the center of the first closing portion 13, and a tip tube 16 is joined to the exhaust hole 15.” Examiner interprets the tub being joined to the exhaust hole as providing a seal between the tube and the exhaust hole. );
and a vacuum adiabatic body vacuum exhaust process of discharging, via the tube, a gas in a space defined between the first plate and the second plate (Page 4 para. 3 ---" Then, after the bending step of forming the bent portion 37 in the flange portions 19 and 30, the vacuum exhausting step of exhausting the internal air is performed.”), providing a state lower than an atmospheric pressure to the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal (Page 4 para. 3 ---" Then, after the bending step of forming the bent portion 37 in the flange portions 19 and 30, the vacuum exhausting step of exhausting the internal air is performed.”; Examiner considers evacuating the internal air as providing a state lower than atmospheric pressure at the seal.”).
However, Jinno does not disclose, a vacuum adiabatic body component preparation process where a portion of the tube partially passes through a through-hole of the first plate; a vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process of providing a seal at the tube; wherein the vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process includes providing an inert gas to the seal or a peripheral portion of the seal, and cooling the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal.
Nonetheless, Kasukabe in the same field of endeavor being welding methods teaches a vacuum adiabatic body component preparation process where a portion of the tube (Fig. 2 #1 pipe) partially passes through a through-hole (Hole in the top of Fig. 2 #2 pipe) of the first plate (Fig. 2 #2 pipe);
wherein the vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process includes providing an inert gas to the seal or a peripheral portion of the seal (Abstract ---" While the substituting gas is led into the substituting gas holding space (a), pipe members 1, 2 are welded or brazed.”),
and cooling the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal (Abstract ---" The supply of the gaseous nitrogen to the substituting gas holding space (a) is stopped on cooling of the pipe members 1, 2.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before he effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Jinno by incorporating the steps of providing an inert gas at the seal and cooling the seal as taught by Kasukabe for the benefit of reducing or having no oxide scale at the seal.
Regarding claim 3, Jinno in view of Kasukabe teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 1), and Jinno teaches wherein the vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process includes performing sealing on two or more seals (Page 4 para. 5 ---" In the joining step, except for the non-joined portions 21 and 32 of the overlapped flange portions 19 and 30, the joined portions 20 and 31 located on the outer peripheral edge side are joined over the entire circumference by seam welding.”).
Regarding claim 4, Jinno in view of Kasukabe teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 3), and Jinno teaches wherein the sealing of the two or more seals is performed at points different from each other, one of the two or more seals is sealed by welding, or the other of the two or more seals is sealed by pressure welding (Page 4 para. 5 ---" In the joining step, except for the non-joined portions 21 and 32 of the overlapped flange portions 19 and 30, the joined portions 20 and 31 located on the outer peripheral edge side are joined over the entire circumference by seam welding.”).
Regarding claim 9, Jinno discloses a method of manufacturing a vacuum adiabatic body, the method comprising:
a vacuum adiabatic body component preparation process of preparing a first plate (Fig. 1 #10 first metal plate material), a second plate (Fig. 1 #25 second metal plate material), and a tube (Fig. 1 #16 tip tube) (The preparing step is performed by the operator. The first and second plates and the tube were prepared by the operator.),
a vacuum adiabatic body component assembly process of assembling the prepared first and second plates a vacuum adiabatic body component assembly process of assembling the prepared first (Fig. 1 #10 first metal plate material) and second plates (Fig. 1 #25 second metal plate material) (The preparing step is performed by the operator.), a vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process of providing a seal at the tube (Page 2 para. 5 ---" A circular exhaust hole 15 communicating with the inside is provided at the center of the first closing portion 13, and a tip tube 16 is joined to the exhaust hole 15.” Examiner interprets the tub being joined to the exhaust hole as providing a seal between the tube and the exhaust hole.),
and a vacuum adiabatic body vacuum exhaust process of discharging, via the tube, a gas in a space defined between the first plate and the second plate (Page 4 para. 3 ---" Then, after the bending step of forming the bent portion 37 in the flange portions 19 and 30, the vacuum exhausting step of exhausting the internal air is performed.”),
providing a state lower than an atmospheric pressure to the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal (Page 4 para. 3 ---" Then, after the bending step of forming the bent portion 37 in the flange portions 19 and 30, the vacuum exhausting step of exhausting the internal air is performed.”; Examiner considers evacuating the internal air as providing a state lower than atmospheric pressure at the seal.”).
However, Jinno does not teach the tube such that the tube partially passes through a through-hole of the first plate; wherein the vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process includes performing a sealing process of sealing the seal and performing an oxidation reduction process of reducing oxidation on the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal, and wherein the performing of the oxidation reduction process includes providing an inert gas to the seal or a peripheral portion of the seal, cooling the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal and performing sealing by welding and sealing by pressure welding at points spaced apart from each other.
Nonetheless, Kasukabe teaches a vacuum adiabatic body component preparation process where a portion of the tube (Fig. 2 #1 pipe) partially passes through a through-hole (Hole in the top of Fig. 2 #2 pipe) of the first plate (Fig. 2 #2 pipe);
wherein the vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process includes performing a sealing process of sealing the seal and performing an oxidation reduction process of reducing oxidation on the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal (Abstract ---"To prevent the oxidation of members to be joined by feeding a substituting gas into a substituting gas holding space to substitute the oxide materials existing in this space, then welding or brazing the members.”), and wherein the performing of the oxidation reduction process includes providing an inert gas to the seal or a peripheral portion of the seal ([0007] ---"A replacement gas holding space for forming a closed replacement gas holding space at a portion that is oxidized by brazing or welding in a member and a replacement gas consisting of at least an inert gas or a reducing gas.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before he effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Jinno by incorporating the steps of providing a portion of the tube partially passing through a through-hole of the first plate and performing of the oxidation reduction process as taught by Kasukabe for the benefit of reducing or having no oxide scale at the seal.
Regarding claim 11, Jinno in view of Kasukabe teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 9), and Jinno teaches the providing of the state lower than the atmospheric pressure to the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal (Page 4 para. 3 ---" Then, after the bending step of forming the bent portion 37 in the flange portions 19 and 30, the vacuum exhausting step of exhausting the internal air is performed.”; Examiner considers evacuating the internal air as providing a state lower than atmospheric pressure at the seal.”).
Furthermore, Kasukabe teaches before performing the sealing process, performing at least one of the providing of the inert gas to the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal ([0002] ---”Controlled atmosphere welding is described in which a container is filled with high-purity argon gas and inner gas welding is performed in the container. Further, page 251 also describes a method of arranging a backing metal on the back surface of the welded portion, flowing inert gas into the groove on the backing metal to shield the back surface of the bead, and performing welding.”), the providing of the state lower than the atmospheric pressure to the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal, or the cooling of the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before he effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Jinno in view of Kasukabe by incorporating the step of before performing the sealing process, providing of the inert gas to the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal as taught by Kasukabe for the benefit of reducing or having no oxide scale at the seal.
Regarding claim 12, Jinno in view of Kasukabe teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 9), and Jinno teaches wherein, while performing the sealing process, performing at least one of the providing an of the inert gas to the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal, the providing of the state lower than the atmospheric pressure to the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal (Page 4 para. 3 ---" The evacuation step may be performed between the joining step and the bending step as described above.”), or the cooling of the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal.
Regarding claim 13, Jinno in view of Kasukabe teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 9), and Kasukabe teaches wherein, after performing the sealing process, performing the cooling of the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal (Page 7 para. 1 ---" After the welding was stopped and the joined members 1 and 2 were cooled, and the supply of nitrogen gas was stopped, the welding in which the oxidation scale was suppressed could be performed.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before he effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Jinno in view of Kasukabe by incorporating the step of performing the cooling of the seal as taught by Kasukabe for the benefit of producing a seal with reduced or no oxide scale.
Regarding claim 14, Jinno discloses a method of manufacturing a vacuum adiabatic body, the method comprising: a vacuum adiabatic body component preparation process of preparing a first plate (Fig. 1 #10 first metal plate material) , and a second plate (Fig. 1 #25 second metal plate material) in advance, and a tube (Fig. 1 #16 tip tube) (The preparing step is performed by the operator. The first and second plates and the tube were prepared by the operator.), wherein the first plate (Fig. 1 #10 first metal plate material) is prepared to have a through-hole (Fig. 1 #15 exhaust hole),
a vacuum adiabatic body component assembly process of assembling the prepared first (Fig. 1 #10 first metal plate material) and second (Fig. 1 #25 second metal plate material) plates,
and a vacuum adiabatic body vacuum exhaust process of discharging, via the tube, a gas in a space defined between the first plate and the second plate (Page 4 para. 3 ---" Then, after the bending step of forming the bent portion 37 in the flange portions 19 and 30, the vacuum exhausting step of exhausting the internal air is performed.”).
However, Jinno does not teach the tube partially passes through the through-hole of the first plate; a vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process of providing a seal at the tube; wherein the vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process includes performing a sealing process of sealing the seal and performing an oxidation reduction process of reducing oxidation on the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal, and wherein the sealing process is performed outside of the tube, and the oxidation reduction process is performed inside of the tube.
Nonetheless, Kasukabe teaches the tube (Fig. 1 #1 pipe) partially passes through the through-hole (Hole in the top of Fig. 1 #2 pipe) of the first plate (Fig. 1 #2 pipe);
a vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process of providing a seal (Fig. 1 #3 joint) at the tube;
wherein the vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process includes performing a sealing process of sealing the seal and performing an oxidation reduction process of reducing oxidation on the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal (Abstract ---"To prevent the oxidation of members to be joined by feeding a substituting gas into a substituting gas holding space to substitute the oxide materials existing in this space, then welding or brazing the members.”),
and wherein the sealing process is performed outside of the tube (Fig. 1 shows the joint formed outside of the tubes.), and the oxidation reduction process is performed inside of the tube (Abstract ---"While the substituting gas is led into the substituting gas holding space (a), pipe members 1, 2 are welded or brazed. The supply of the gaseous nitrogen to the substituting gas holding space (a) is stopped on cooling of the pipe members 1, 2. The joined pipe members 1, 2 have no oxide scale therein and rather, a reducing effect is admitted. The members are thus subjected to the defectless joining.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before he effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Jinno by incorporating the sealing process and oxidation reduction process as taught by Kasukabe for the benefit of producing a seal with reduced or no oxide scale.
Regarding claim 16, Jinno in view of Kasukabe teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 14), and Kasukabe teaches wherein the tube comprises a first portion at which the sealing process is performed and a second portion at which the oxidation reduction process is performed, and wherein the first and second portions are provided at different portions (Abstract ---"While the substituting gas is led into the substituting gas holding space (a), pipe members 1, 2 are welded or brazed. The supply of the gaseous nitrogen to the substituting gas holding space (a) is stopped on cooling of the pipe members 1, 2. The joined pipe members 1, 2 have no oxide scale therein and rather, a reducing effect is admitted. The members are thus subjected to the defectless joining.” The joining of the pipes are performed on the outside of the pipes and the oxidation reduction process is performed inside of the pipes.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before he effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Jinno by incorporating the sealing process and oxidation reduction process as taught by Kasukabe for the benefit of producing a seal with reduced or no oxide scale.
Regarding claim 18, Jinno in view of Kasukabe teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 14), and Kasukabe teaches wherein the first portion at which the sealing process is performed is spaced apart from the second portion at which the oxidation reduction process is performed (Abstract ---"While the substituting gas is led into the substituting gas holding space (a), pipe members 1, 2 are welded or brazed. The supply of the gaseous nitrogen to the substituting gas holding space (a) is stopped on cooling of the pipe members 1, 2. The joined pipe members 1, 2 have no oxide scale therein and rather, a reducing effect is admitted. The members are thus subjected to the defectless joining.” The joining of the pipes are performed on the outside of the pipes and the oxidation reduction process is performed inside of the pipes. The outside and inside are spaced apart by the walls of the pipes).
Regarding claim 19, Jinno in view of Kasukabe teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 18), but does not teach wherein the first portion is disposed closer to the first plate than second portion .
Nonetheless, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the first portion being disposed closer to the first plate than second portion, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 V. C.
Regarding claim 20, Jinno in view of Kasukabe teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 14), and Jinno teaches wherein the seal is performed by pressure welding (Page 4 para. 5 ---" In the joining step, except for the non-joined portions 21 and 32 of the overlapped flange portions 19 and 30, the joined portions 20 and 31 located on the outer peripheral edge side are joined over the entire circumference by seam welding.”).
Regarding claim 21, Jinno in view of Kasukabe discloses an appliance comprising the vacuum adiabatic body manufactured using the method of claim 1 See the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 22, Jinno in view of Kasukabe discloses an appliance comprising the vacuum adiabatic body manufactured using the method of claim 1 See the rejection of claim 9).
Regarding claim 23, Jinno in view of Kasukabe discloses an appliance comprising the vacuum adiabatic body manufactured using the method of claim 1 See the rejection of claim 14).
Claim(s) 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jinno et al (JP 2011033079 A) in view of Kasukabe et al (JP H05177388 A) as applied to claim 1, further in view of Wharton et al (US 3,156,975).
Regarding claim 5, Jinno in view of Kasukabe teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 1), but does not teach wherein, the vacuum adiabatic body component assembly process ,includes mounting, on the tube, a sealing jig for sealing an inside of the tube.
Nonetheless, Wharton in the same field of endeavor being devices having a permanent vacuum inside teaches wherein, the vacuum adiabatic body component assembly process ,includes mounting, on the tube, a sealing jig (Fig. 5 #97 branch pipe and #98 needle valve) for sealing an inside of the tube.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Jinno in view of Kasukabe by incorporating the jig as taught by Wharton for the benefit of permitting air to enter or escape the tube. (Wharton Col. 7 para. 1)
Regarding claim 6, Jinno in view of Kasukabe and Wharton teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 5), and Wharton teaches wherein the sealing jig (Fig. 5 #97 branch pipe and #98 needle valve) has a hole (Opening in Fig. 5 #96 vertical pipe) through which air within the tube is discharged.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Jinno in view of Kasukabe by incorporating the jig as taught by Wharton for the benefit of permitting air to enter or escape the tube. (Wharton Col. 7 para. 1)
Claim(s) 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jinno et al (JP 2011033079 A) in view of Kasukabe et al (JP H05177388 A) as applied to claim 1, further in view of Kitabatake et al (US 4,997,124).
Regarding claim 7, Jinno in view of Kasukabe teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 1), and Jinno teaches the tube is bonded to the first plate before the vacuum exhaust process is performed (Page 4 para. 7 ---" In the vacuum evacuation step, the temporarily assembled heat insulation panel is placed in a heating furnace and heated to about 450 ° C. to activate the getter, and the chip tube 16 joined to the first metal plate 10 is used to evacuate the interior.”; The tube is joined to the plate before the vacuum process.), or the tube is bonded to the first plate in the component assembly process.
However, Jinno in view of Kasukabe does not teach wherein after the vacuum exhaust process, the tube is closed by pinch-off to form a pinch-off bonding portion, wherein the pinch-off bonding portion forms at least one predetermined line, in the pinch-off bonding portion, opposite surfaces of the tube are bonded to each other through ionic bonding, the tube is bonded to the first plate before the vacuum exhaust process is performed, or the tube is bonded to the first plate in the component assembly process.
Nonetheless, Kitabatake in the same field of endeavor being devices having a permanent vacuum inside teaches wherein after the vacuum exhaust process (Fig. 7 #23 pressure is reduced to a high vacuum of about 10.sup.-4 Torr), the tube is closed by pinch-off to form a pinch-off bonding portion (Fig. 7 #25 pinching off), wherein the pinch-off bonding portion forms at least one predetermined line (This limitation is the end result of the pinching step.), in the pinch-off bonding portion, opposite surfaces of the tube are bonded to each other through ionic bonding (This limitation is the end result of the pinching step.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Jinno in view of Kasukabe by incorporating the step of pinching off the tube as taught by Kitabatake for the benefit of completing the permanent vacuum device. (Kitabatake Col. 6 para. 1)
Regarding claim 8, Jinno in view of Kasukabe and Kitabatake teaches the method as appears above (see the rejection of claim 7), and Kitabatake teaches wherein an inner space within the tube is 1E-1 Torr or less (Fig. 7 #23 pressure is reduced to a high vacuum of about 10.sup.-4 Torr).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Jinno in view of Kasukabe by incorporating the step of pinching off the tube as taught by Kitabatake for the benefit of establishing a high vacuum inside the device. (Kitabatake Col. 6 para. 1)
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 9-16, filed 07/16/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1- 20 under 35 USC 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Kasukabe et al (JP H05177388 A).
Applicant argues that the cited prior art does not teach the claimed vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process including providing an inert gas to the seal or a peripheral portion of the seal, providing a state lower than an atmospheric pressure to the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal, and cooling the seal or the peripheral portion of the seal. Examiner respectfully agrees.
However, Kasukabe teaches the claimed vacuum adiabatic body component sealing process. See the rejections of claims 1 and 14.
Applicant argues that the cited prior art does not teach performing the sealing process and the oxidation reduction process as separate, independent operations, conducted respectively outside and inside of the tube, in the course of manufacturing a vacuum adiabatic body. Examiner respectfully agrees.
However, Kasukabe teaches performing the sealing process and the oxidation reduction process as separate, independent operations, conducted respectively outside and inside of the tube, in the course of manufacturing a vacuum adiabatic body. Figures 2 and 3 of Kasukabe shows a shield applied to the sections to be joined. Gass is flowed into the shield which allows for the joining of the sections to be performed within an inert gas flowed on the outside of the sections as well as the inert gas being flowed through the inside of the sections.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOE E MILLS JR. whose telephone number is (571)272-8449. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ibrahime Abraham can be reached at (571) 270-5569. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOE E MILLS JR./ Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/IBRAHIME A ABRAHAM/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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