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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/10/2025 has been entered.
Status
This Office Action is in response to the remarks and amendments filed on 12/10/2025. The previous objections to the claims have been withdrawn. Claims 1-18 from which claims 2, 4, 7, 11, 13, and 16 are withdrawn from remain pending for consideration.
Claim Objections
Claims 10, 12, 14-15, and 17-18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 10, the phrase “determine, based on the signal from the first or second temperature signal, when the ice is ready to be harvested from the first or second zone of the mold body” is understood to include a typographical error and for examination purposes will be interpreted as -- determine, based on the signal from the first or second temperature sensor, when the ice is ready to be harvested from the first or second zone of the mold body --
Claims 12, 14-15, and 17-18 are also objected to due to dependency.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1, 5, 8-10, 14, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US20110094254A1, herein after referred to as Kim), in view of Larson et al. (US 20190011167 A1, herein after referred to as Larson), in view of Tsuda et al. (JP2002130883A, herein after referred to Tsuda), and in further view of Katsumata (CN1532484A).
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a refrigerator (Fig. 1), comprising: a cabinet (refrigerator body 110 Fig. 1) including one or more food compartments (cooling chambers 120 and 130 Fig. 1) and one or more doors (doors 125 and 125 Fig. 1) closing the one or more food compartments (paragraph [0078]); an ice maker (ice maker 150 Fig. 1) disposed in the cabinet (paragraph [0078]) to produce ice (ice 156 in paragraph [0083]), the ice maker including: a mold body (ice tray 151 Fig. 4); a plurality of cups (cells 152 Fig. 4) disposed within the mold body (Fig. 4), wherein each cup of the plurality of cups faces in a same direction (Fig. 4) and further includes an opening (paragraph [0083] and Fig. 4) for receiving water (paragraph [0106]) to be frozen within the cup (paragraph [0106]); and a controller (controller 250 Fig. 5) coupled to the ice maker (Fig. 5).
Kim teaches the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach “wherein each cup of the plurality of cups further includes a heater disposed proximate the cup and thereby facilitating a release of ice from the cup”.
However, Larson teaches wherein each cup of a plurality of cups (cups 34a and 34b Fig. 7 correspond to the plurality of cups of Kim) further includes a heater (film heater 72a Fig. 12) disposed proximate the cup (Fig. 12) and thereby facilitating a release of ice from the cup (paragraph [0069]) to efficiently heat each cup while avoiding overheating (paragraph [0073]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of Kim to include “wherein each cup of the plurality of cups further includes a heater disposed proximate the cup and thereby facilitating a release of ice from the cup” in view of the teachings of Larson to efficiently heat each cup while avoiding overheating.
The combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to explicitly teach “the mold body divided into at least a first zone and a second zone; a first portion of the plurality of cups disposed in the first zone and a second portion of the plurality of cups disposed in the second zone, at least a first temperature sensor disposed in the first zone of the mold body and a second temperature sensor disposed in the second zone of the mold body; the controller configured to: determine, based on a signal from the first temperature sensor or the second temperature sensor, when the ice is ready to be harvested from the first or second zone of the mold body; and independently harvest the ice from the first or the second zone of the mold body”.
However, Tsuda teaches a mold body (ice tray 72 Fig. 9 corresponds to the mold body of Kim) divided into at least a first zone (first ice making area 73 Fig. 10) and a second zone (second ice making area 74 Fig. 10); a first portion of a plurality of cups (ice chamber 73a Fig. 10 where the plurality of cavities that forms both ice chambers 73a and 74a corresponds to the plurality of cups of Kim) disposed in the first zone (Fig. 10) and a second portion of the plurality of cups (ice chamber 74a Fig. 10) disposed in the second zone (Fig. 10), at least a first temperature sensor (first temperature sensor 73c Fig. 9) disposed in the first zone of the mold body (Fig. 9) and a second temperature sensor (second temperature sensor 74c Fig. 9) disposed in the second zone of the mold body (Fig. 9); a controller (controller 80 Fig. 9 corresponds to the controller of Kim) configured to: determine, based on a signal from the first temperature sensor or the second temperature sensor (paragraph [0115], where a person skilled in the art would recognize that ice completion from either the first or second ice making area is determined by controller 80 through communication with first and second temperature sensors 73c and 74c), when the ice is ready to be harvested from the first or second zone of the mold body (paragraph [0115]); and independently harvest the ice from the first or the second zone of the mold body (paragraphs [0126] and [0127] where it is disclosed that ice can be harvested from one ice making area and not the other) to provide different types of ice at a sufficient quantity (paragraphs [0126] and [0127]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings to include “the mold body divided into at least a first zone and a second zone; a first portion of the plurality of cups disposed in the first zone and a second portion of the plurality of cups disposed in the second zone, at least a first temperature sensor disposed in the first zone of the mold body and a second temperature sensor disposed in the second zone of the mold body; the controller configured to: determine, based on a signal from the first temperature sensor or the second temperature sensor, when the ice is ready to be harvested from the first or second zone of the mold body; and independently harvest the ice from the first or the second zone of the mold body” in view of the teachings of Tsuda to provide different types of ice at a sufficient quantity.
The combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to explicitly teach “the controller configured to independently control, based on the signal from the first or second temperature sensor, the heater of each cup of the plurality of cups”.
However, Katsumata teaches a controller (the “control device” disclosed in paragraph [24] corresponds to the controller of Kim) configured to independently control (paragraph [54] where a plurality of heaters 22 with different inputs is disclosed), based on a signal (the disclosed “output of the temperature sensor 18” in paragraph [56] corresponds to the signal of Tsuda) from a first temperature sensor (temperature sensor 18 Fig. 8 corresponds to the first temperature sensor of Tsuda), the heater of each cup (heater 22 Fig. 8 corresponds to the heater of Larson) of a plurality of cups (the disclosed “concave ice making areas” in paragraph [22] corresponds to the plurality of cups of Kim) to independently control the amount of heat provided to each cup.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings to include “the controller configured to independently control, based on a signal from the first or second temperature sensor, the heater of each cup of the plurality of cups” in view of the teachings of Katsumata to independently control the amount of heat provided to each cup.
Regarding claim 10, Kim teaches an ice maker (ice maker 150 Fig. 1) to produce ice (ice 156 in paragraph [0083]), the ice maker including: a mold body (ice tray 151 Fig. 4); a plurality of cups (cells 152 Fig. 4) disposed within the mold body (Fig. 4), wherein each cup of the plurality of cups faces in a same direction (Fig. 4) and further includes an opening (paragraph [0083] and Fig. 4) for receiving water (paragraph [0106]) to be frozen within the cup (paragraph [0106]); and a controller (controller 250 Fig. 5) coupled to the ice maker (Fig. 5).
Kim teaches the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach “the mold body divided into at least a first zone and a second zone; a first portion of the plurality of cups disposed in the first zone and a second portion of the plurality of cups disposed in the second zone, at least a first temperature sensor disposed in the first zone of the mold body and a second temperature sensor disposed in the second zone of the mold body; the controller configured to determine, based on a signal from the first or second temperature sensor, when the ice is ready to be harvested from the first or second zone of the mold body; and independently harvest the ice from the first or the second zone of the mold body”.
However, Tsuda teaches a mold body (ice tray 72 Fig. 9 corresponds to the mold body of Kim) divided into at least a first zone (first ice making area 73 Fig. 10) and a second zone (second ice making area 74 Fig. 10); a first portion of a plurality of cups (ice chamber 73a Fig. 10 where the plurality of cavities that forms both ice chambers 73a and 74a corresponds to the plurality of cups of Kim) disposed in the first zone (Fig. 10) and a second portion of the plurality of cups (ice chamber 74a Fig. 10) disposed in the second zone (Fig. 10), at least a first temperature sensor (first temperature sensor 73c Fig. 9) disposed in the first zone of the mold body (Fig. 9) and a second temperature sensor (second temperature sensor 74c Fig. 9) disposed in the second zone of the mold body (Fig. 9); a controller (controller 80 Fig. 9 corresponds to the controller of Kim) configured to: determine, based on a signal from the first temperature sensor or the second temperature sensor (paragraph [0115], where a person skilled in the art would recognize that ice completion from either the first or second ice making area is determined by controller 80 through communication with first and second temperature sensors 73c and 74c), when the ice is ready to be harvested from the first or second zone of the mold body (paragraph [0115]); and independently harvest the ice from the first or the second zone of the mold body (paragraphs [0126] and [0127] where it is disclosed that ice can be harvested from one ice making area and not the other) to provide different types of ice at a sufficient quantity (paragraphs [0126] and [0127]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of Kim to include “the mold body divided into at least a first zone and a second zone; a first portion of the plurality of cups disposed in the first zone and a second portion of the plurality of cups disposed in the second zone, at least a first temperature sensor disposed in the first zone of the mold body and a second temperature sensor disposed in the second zone of the mold body; the controller configured to determine, based on a signal from the first or second temperature sensor, when the ice is ready to be harvested from the first or second zone of the mold body; and independently harvest the ice from the first or the second zone of the mold body” in view of the teachings of Tsuda to provide different types of ice at a sufficient quantity.
The combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to explicitly teach “wherein each cup of the plurality of cups further includes a heater disposed proximate the cup and thereby facilitating a release of ice from the cup”.
However, Larson teaches wherein each cup of a plurality of cups (cups 34a and 34b Fig. 7 correspond to the plurality of cups of Kim) further includes a heater (film heater 72a Fig. 12) disposed proximate the cup (Fig. 12) and thereby facilitating a release of ice from the cup (paragraph [0069]) to efficiently heat each cup while avoiding overheating (paragraph [0073]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings to include “wherein each cup of the plurality of cups further includes a heater disposed proximate the cup and thereby facilitating a release of ice from the cup” in view of the teachings of Larson to efficiently heat each cup while avoiding overheating.
The combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to explicitly teach “the controller configured to independently control, based on the signal from the first or second temperature sensor, the heater of each cup of the plurality of cups”.
However, Katsumata teaches a controller (the “control device” disclosed in paragraph [24] corresponds to the controller of Kim) configured to independently control (paragraph [54] where a plurality of heaters 22 with different inputs is disclosed), based on a signal (the disclosed “output of the temperature sensor 18” in paragraph [56] corresponds to the signal of Tsuda) from a first temperature sensor (temperature sensor 18 Fig. 8 corresponds to the first temperature sensor of Tsuda), the heater of each cup (heater 22 Fig. 8 corresponds to the heater of Larson) of a plurality of cups (the disclosed “concave ice making areas” in paragraph [22] corresponds to the plurality of cups of Kim) to independently control the amount of heat provided to each cup.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings to include “the controller configured to independently control, based on the signal from the first or second temperature sensor, the heater of each cup of the plurality of cups” in view of the teachings of Katsumata to independently control the amount of heat provided to each cup.
Regarding claims 5 and 14, the combined teachings teach wherein the controller is further configured to stagger the release of ice (paragraphs [0126] and [0127] of Tsuda), wherein only the first zone of the mold body or the second zone of the mold body is harvested (paragraphs [0126] and [0127] of Tsuda), while the other of the first zone of the mold body or the second zone of the mold body remains unharvested (paragraphs [0126] and [0127] of Tsuda).
Regarding claims 8 and 17, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to explicitly teach “wherein the ice maker further comprises: a motor to harvest ice; a plurality of rake fingers, including: a first portion of the plurality of rake fingers disposed in the first zone and in a first position; and a second portion of the plurality of rake fingers disposed in the second zone and in a second, differing position”.
However, a different embodiment of Kim teaches wherein the ice maker further comprises: a motor (shaft driving motor 213 Fig. 5 and paragraph [0092]) to harvest ice (Fig. 5); a plurality of rake fingers (fingers 205 Fig. 9), including: a first portion of the plurality of rake fingers (fingers 205 Fig. 9 facing forward) disposed in the first zone (see below annotated Fig. 8 of Kim) and in a first position (see below annotated Fig. 8 of Kim); and a second portion of the plurality of rake fingers (fingers 205 Fig. 9 facing rearward) disposed in the second zone (see below annotated Fig. 8 of Kim) and in a second, differing position (see below annotated Fig. 8 of Kim) to provide an ejector that can rotate in different directions.
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings to include “wherein the ice maker further comprises: a motor to harvest ice; a plurality of rake fingers, including: a first portion of the plurality of rake fingers disposed in the first zone and in a first position; and a second portion of the plurality of rake fingers disposed in the second zone and in a second, differing position” in view of the teachings of a different embodiment of Kim to provide an ejector that can rotate in different directions.
Regarding claims 9 and 18, the combined teachings teach wherein the first position and the second position are directly opposed to each other (see below annotated Fig. 8 of Kim).
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Claims 3 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim, in view of Larson, in view of Tsuda, in view of Katsumata, and in further view of Stokes (US5408844).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to explicitly teach “wherein each cup of the plurality of cups is constructed on a plastic material with a metallic coating”.
However, Stokes teaches wherein each cup (cup cavity 18 Fig. 2) of the plurality of cups (cup cavities 18 Fig. 2 corresponds to the plurality of cups of Kim) is constructed on a plastic material (plastic housing 16 Fig. 2) with a metallic coating (electrically heatable coating 22 Fig. 2) to cause more heat to be directed to the ice cubes.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings to include “wherein each cup of the plurality of cups is constructed on a plastic material with a metallic coating” in view of the teachings of Stokes to cause more heat to be directed to the ice cubes.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 15 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 6 and 15, the prior art of record when consider as a whole, alone or in combination, neither anticipates nor renders obvious “wherein the ice maker further comprises: a reversible motor to harvest ice; a plurality of rake fingers, wherein a first portion of the plurality of rake fingers rotates in a clockwise direction and a second portion of the plurality of rake fingers rotates in a counter-clockwise direction; and wherein the reversible motor drives the clockwise rotation of the first portion of the plurality of rake fingers to harvest the first zone of the mold body; and wherein the reversible motor drives the counter-clockwise rotation of the second portion of the plurality of rake fingers to harvest the second zone of the mold body”.
The closet prior art reference, Kim (US20110094254A1), teaches “wherein the ice maker further comprises: a reversible motor (shaft driving motor 213 Fig. 5 and paragraph [0092]) to harvest ice (Fig. 5); a plurality of rake fingers (fingers 205 Fig. 9), wherein a first portion of the plurality of rake fingers (fingers 205 Fig. 9 facing forward) rotates in a clockwise direction (since shaft driving motor 213 is disclosed in paragraph [0092] as being reversible, therefore all fingers 205 can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise) and a second portion of the plurality of rake fingers (fingers 205 Fig. 9 facing rearward) rotates in a counter-clockwise direction (since shaft driving motor 213 is disclosed in paragraph [0092] as being reversible, therefore all fingers 205 can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise)”.
However, the reference fails to disclose, suggest or teach “wherein the reversible motor drives the clockwise rotation of the first portion of the plurality of rake fingers to harvest the first zone of the mold body; and wherein the reversible motor drives the counter-clockwise rotation of the second portion of the plurality of rake fingers to harvest the second zone of the mold body”.
Therefore, claims 6 and 15 are considered allowable.
Conclusion
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/SAMBA NMN GAYE/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/JERRY-DARYL FLETCHER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763