Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
This is a first office action on the merits of application SN 18/428,018 and filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 11 recites that the fixation part of the damper is fixed to the door which renders the claim indefinite since this is contrary to claim 1 which recites that the damper is fixed to hinge/cabinet.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 5, 7, 11, 12, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent 11,859,434 to Collene.
Collene teaches
1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet (B) having a storage compartment; a door (RD) configured to open and close the storage compartment; a hinge (H) connected to the cabinet, the hinge rotatably connecting the door to the cabinet; and a damper (D) connected to the hinge to be supported by the hinge, the damper being configured to generate a damping force by contacting the door when the door moves towards a closed position (as best seen in figures 3 and 4), wherein a majority of an overall length of the damper extends beyond a front surface of the cabinet (as best seen in figures 2-9).
5. wherein the door includes a contact projection (DE, PN1, PN2) configured to protrude toward the damper, and wherein the damper is configured to generate the damping force by contacting the contact projection.
7. wherein the contact projection includes a rounded contact surface (as best seen in figures 2 and 6) configured to contact the damper.
11. wherein the damper includes: a fixation part (DB or PR) fixed to the door (to the hinge due to 112 issue described above as best seen in figure 6); and a movement part (D) movable relative to the fixation part, the movement part having a contact end (CB2) having a planar shape (as best seen in figures 2 and 6) at an end portion thereof, the movement part being configured to move in a front-rear direction (as best seen in figures 6 and 7) while the contact end contacts the contact surface.
12. wherein the contact surface is convex (as best seen in figure 6 and 7) towards the damper.
14. wherein the door includes a hinge mounting space (UE) that is open towards the cabinet, wherein the hinge is connected to the door in the hinge mounting space, and wherein the contact projection is accommodated in the hinge mounting space (as best seen in figure 2).
Claim(s) 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent 9,903,639 to Eom.
19. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet (10) having a storage compartment (figure 1); a door (31) configured to open and close the storage compartment; a hinge (70, 85, 35) configured to rotatably connect the door to the cabinet; a damper (40) supported by the hinge; and a contact projection (36, 38) provided at the door to protrude toward the damper, the contact projection having a contact surface (39) rounded in an up-down direction and in a lateral direction (as best seen in figure 8, the roller has appears to have bevel; also the shaft being narrower than the roller and extending above and below the roller; the combination of the shaft and roller creates a rounded shape), wherein the damper is configured to generate a damping force (as best seen in figures 9 and 10) by contacting the contact surface as the door moves toward a closed position.
20. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet (10) having a storage compartment (figure 1); a door (31) configured to open and close the storage compartment; a hinge (70, 85, 35) coupled to the cabinet, the hinge rotatably connecting the door to the cabinet; a damper (40) connected to the hinge to be supported by the hinge; a hinge case (100, as best seen in figure 2) configured to accommodate at least a portion of the hinge, the hinge case being connected to the hinge; and a contact projection (36, 38) provided at the door to protrude toward the damper, the contact projection having a contact surface (39) rounded in an up-down direction and in a lateral direction (as best seen in figure 8, the roller has appears to have bevel; also the shaft being narrower than the roller and extending above and below the roller; the combination of the shaft and roller creates a rounded shape), wherein the damper is configured to generate a damping force (as best seen in figures 9 and 10) by contacting the contact surface when the door moves towards a closed position.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-9, 11, 12, 14-16, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent 9,903,639 to Eom in view of US Patent 11,859,434 to Collene.
Eom teaches
1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet (10) having a storage compartment; a door (31) configured to open and close the storage compartment; a hinge (70, 85, 35) connected to the cabinet, the hinge rotatably connecting the door to the cabinet; and a damper (40) connected to the hinge to be supported by the hinge, the damper being configured to generate a damping force by contacting the door when the door moves towards a closed position (as best seen in figures 2, 9, and 10),
Eom discloses every element as claimed and discussed above except a majority of an overall length of the damper extends beyond a front surface of the cabinet.
Collene teaches
1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet (B) having a storage compartment; a door (RD) configured to open and close the storage compartment; a hinge (H) connected to the cabinet, the hinge rotatably connecting the door to the cabinet; and a damper (D) connected to the hinge to be supported by the hinge, the damper being configured to generate a damping force by contacting the door when the door moves towards a closed position (as best seen in figures 3 and 4), wherein a majority of an overall length of the damper extends beyond a front surface of the cabinet (as best seen in figures 2-9).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the refrigerator of Eom by moving the mount location of the damper and the location of the contact projection as taught by Collene and a function equivalent damper configuration.
Regarding claim 2, Eom teaches,
2. further comprising a hinge case (100, as best seen in figure 2) configured to accommodate at least a portion of the hinge, the hinge case being connected to the hinge, wherein at least a portion of the damper is accommodated in a space defined by the hinge and the hinge case (as best seen in figure 2).
Regarding claim 3, Eom teaches,
3. wherein the hinge comprises: a first hinge main body (81) overlapping the cabinet in an up-down direction, the first hinge main body being connected to the cabinet; and a second hinge main body (83) configured to protrude to a front of the cabinet (as best seen in figures 2, 7, and 9), the second hinge main body being connected to the door, the second hinge main body and the hinge case defining the space, and wherein the damper is connected to the second hinge main body.
Regarding claim 4, Eom teaches,
4. wherein the door includes a hinge mounting space (as best seen in figure 2) that is open towards the cabinet, wherein the hinge is connected to the door in the hinge mounting space, and wherein, as the door moves towards the closed position, the second hinge main body and the hinge case are inserted into the hinge mounting space.
Regarding claim 5, Eom teaches,
5. wherein the door includes a contact projection (36, 38) configured to protrude toward the damper, and wherein the damper is configured to generate the damping force by contacting the contact projection.
Regarding claim 6, Eom teaches,
6. further comprising a hinge case (100) configured to accommodate at least a portion of the hinge, the hinge case being connected to the hinge, wherein the contact projection contacts the damper in a space defined by the hinge and the hinge case (as best seen in figure 2).
Regarding claim 7, Eom teaches,
7. wherein the contact projection includes a rounded contact surface (39) configured to contact the damper.
Regarding claim 8, Eom teaches,
8. further comprising a hinge case (100) configured to accommodate at least a portion of the hinge, the hinge case being connected to the hinge, the hinge case having a passage (104) configured to allow the contact projection to pass through the hinge case towards the damper as the door moves towards the closed position.
Regarding claim 9, Eom teaches,
9. wherein the hinge case includes: an upper part (101) covering the hinge from above with the damper located between the upper part and the hinge (as best seen in figure 2); and a front part (102) connecting the upper part to the hinge, the front part having the passage to allow the contact projection to pass through the front part as the door moves towards the closed position.
Regarding claim 11, Eom; Collene teaches,
11. wherein the damper includes: a fixation part (51; DB or PR) fixed to the door; and a movement part (61; D) movable relative to the fixation part, the movement part having a contact end (63; CB2) having a planar shape (as best seen in figure 6; figures 2 and 6) at an end portion thereof, the movement part being configured to move in a front-rear direction (as best seen in figure 2; figures 6 and 7) while the contact end contacts the contact surface.
Regarding claim 12, Eom teaches,
12. wherein the contact surface is convex (as best seen in figure 8) towards the damper.
Regarding claim 14, Eom teaches,
14. wherein the door includes a hinge mounting space (as best seen in figure 2) that is open towards the cabinet, wherein the hinge is connected to the door in the hinge mounting space, and wherein the contact projection is accommodated in the hinge mounting space.
Regarding claim 15, Eom teaches,
15. further comprising a door cover (31, 31a) at the door, at least a portion of the door cover being inserted into the hinge mounting space, wherein the contact projection is located at the door cover (as best seen in figure 8).
Regarding claim 16, Eom teaches
16. wherein the hinge mounting space extends forward from a rear surface of the door (as best seen in figure 2) , wherein the door cover includes: an upper cover part (103) covering an upper surface of an inside of the door in the hinge mounting space (figure 4); and a front cover part (102) connected to the upper cover part, the front cover part covering a front surface of the inside of the door in the hinge mounting space (figure 4), and wherein the contact projection is located at the front cover part to protrude rearward from the front cover part.
Regarding claim 18, Eom teaches
18. wherein the door cover further includes a projection coupling boss (38) protruding rearward from the front cover part, and wherein the contact projection is connected to the projection coupling boss to protrude rearward from the projection coupling boss (as best seen in figure 8).
Claim(s) 10, 13, 19, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent 9,903,639 to Eom in view of US Patent 11,859,434 to Collene as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US Patent 9,151,101 to Lowe.
Eom in view of Collene discloses every element as claimed and discussed above the contact surface as a hemispherical shape (rounded in lateral and up/down directions).
Lowe teaches a damper (10, 400, 500) with a hemispherical tip (404) that contacts a flat surface. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to replace the roller with a flexible hemispherical tip as taught by Lowe to absorb energy.
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent 9,903,639 to Eom in view of US Patent 11,859,434 to Collene as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US Patent 12,130,072 to OH.
Eom in view of Collene discloses every element as claimed and discussed above except a rear cover part covering the cut part.
Oh teaches a rear cover part (25) that cover the cut part for the hinge structure as best seen in figure 4. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to add a rear cover part to the cut part as taught by Oh to protect the hinge structure by prevent the hinge form being exposed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY MICHAEL AYRES whose telephone number is (571)272-8299. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 11:30-8.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dan Troy can be reached at (571) 270-3742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/TIMOTHY M AYRES/ Examiner, Art Unit 3637