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 .
Drawings
The drawings were received on 5 January 2026. These drawings are acceptable.
Response to Arguments
Claims 1-10 are pending, with claim 6 cancelled. Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 5 January 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 35 USC 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 2024/0118016) 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 Koo et al. (US 9,939,189) and Lind et al. (US 9,305,539 B2).
Applicant states the following in Remarks (PG. 7-8):
“The Examiner cited Koo et al. (US 9,939,189) to teach the "flow channel" feature (previously in Claim 6). The Examiner asserts that Koo teaches a flow channel communicated with the foaming space. This is a factual misunderstanding of Koo.
The Claimed Invention: Requires a flow channel that is "communicated with" the foaming space. The technical purpose is to allow the foaming agent to flow through this channel to ensure complete insulation filling (Specification [0042])."
Koo's Disclosure: Koo describes an "air flow channel 121" (see Koo, Fig. 5). Crucially, Koo explicitly teaches that this channel must be sealed off from the insulation (foaming) material.
Koo states in the description of FIGS. 5-9 (e.g., Para. 5 of the provided text for Document 4):"Between the case unit 120 and the machinery compartment inner wall assembly 110 is disposed sponge 129 to seal between the case unit 120 and the machinery compartment inner wall assembly 110 such that the insulation member 15 is not introduced into the machinery compartment 29..."
Koo further teaches a "support part 122" and "tight contact part 124" specifically to prevent the insulation member 15 from being discharged or entering the air flow channel.
Conclusion on Teaching Away:
Koo teaches providing a seal (sponge) to isolate the channel from the foaming material to prevent communication. The present invention requires communication to allow the foaming material to flow.
A person of ordinary skill in the art (POSITA), looking at Koo, would be discouraged from designing a channel that communicates with the foaming space, as Koo explicitly teaches that such communication leads to leakage of insulation material into the air ducts. Koo provides a clear teaching away from the claimed invention.
Therefore, the combination of Lee, Wang, and Koo does not render the amended Claim 1 obvious. The claimed flow channel solves a specific problem related to the process of foaming around an embedded device-a problem not addressed by Lee (air chamber device) and actively avoided by Koo (sealed air duct).”
In response to applicant's argument above that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., the purpose of the flow channel… to allow the foaming agent to flow through this channel to ensure complete insulation filling) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Examiner further notes the “foaming agent” is not introduced until claim 10 and the “flow channel” is not claimed to be different from the “silencing channel”.
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) 1-3 and 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koo et al. (US 9,939,189) in view of Lind et al. (US 9,305,539).
Regarding Claim 1, Koo et al. discloses a refrigeration apparatus (Col. 4, Lines 60-67; Fig. 1), comprising a compressor bin and a housing, wherein the compressor bin is provided in the housing, and a foaming space is provided between the compressor bin and the housing (Compressor bin 29 in housing 13 with foaming space 15 between; Col. 5, Lines 1-20; Fig. 6); the refrigeration apparatus further comprises a device provided in the foaming space (Device 120 in foaming space 15; Fig. 6), the compressor bin comprises an inner vent communicated with the outside (Bin 29 with inner vent 113; Fig. 7), the housing comprising an outer vent opposite to the inner vent (Housing with outer vent 13a opposite inner vent 113; Fig. 7), the device comprises a channel, and the channel is communicated with the inner vent and the outer vent (Device 120 with channel 121 between inner vent 113 and outer vent 13a; Fig. 7);
the compressor bin comprises a cavity and side walls arranged on two sides of the cavity (Bin 29 with cavity and side walls 110; Fig. 6), a flow channel is provided between the device and the housing and/or the side wall (Flow channel 121 between device 120 and housing 13; Fig. 12),
Koo et al. as fails to explicitly disclose the device (120) as a silencing device; the channel (121) as a silencing channel; and the flow channel (121; Fig. 12) is communicated with a part of the foaming space above the silencing device and a part of the foaming space below the silencing device (Foaming space 15 above/below device 120; Fig. 12).
However, Lind et al. (US 9,305,539) teaches the device as a silencing device; the channel as a silencing channel; and the flow channel is communicated with a part of the foaming space above the silencing device and a part of the foaming space below the silencing device (Lind: Device 210 with channel 280 disperses acoustic energy; flow channel 214 is communicated with foaming space 220 above and below with foam absorbing material 260 via openings 216; Col. 5, Lines 1-15; Col. 6, Lines 20-40 Fig. 2A-2D).
Lind et al. and Koo et al. are in similar fields comprising air flow passages. Modifying Koo et al. with teachings of Lind et al. would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention wherein the device is a silencing device; the channel is a silencing channel; and the flow channel is communicated with a part of the foaming space above the silencing device and a part of the foaming space below the silencing device for the purpose of further reducing noise.
Regarding Claim 2, Koo et al. as modified by Lind et al. discloses the refrigeration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of a left side and a right side of the compressor bin is provided with the inner vent, as well as the silencing device and the outer vent corresponding to the inner vent, one inner vent is set as an air inlet, and the other inner vent is set as an air outlet (See 100 to left and right of bin 29 with inner vent 113, outer vent 13a, device 120; Col. 7, Lines 1-25; Fig. 4,7. Air supplied to or discharged from 29 implies each inner vent 113 is both an air inlet and air out; Col. 9, Lines 35-45).
Regarding Claim 3, Koo et al. as modified by Lind et al. discloses the refrigeration apparatus according to claim 2, the refrigeration apparatus comprises a compressor provided in the cavity, the side walls are provided with the inner vents, the inner vents are communicated with the cavity, and the silencing devices are fixed on the side walls (Compressors 61, 71 in cavity 29, side walls 110 with inner vent 113 communicate with cavity 29, 120 fixed to side walls 110 via coupling 115; Col. 8, Lines 1-10; Fig. 6-7,9).
Regarding Claim 7, Koo et al. as modified by Lind et al. disclose the refrigeration apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the silencing device is hermetically connected with the housing, the silencing device comprises a silencing body (Device/body 120 hermetically connected via 125 with housing 13; Col. 9, Lines 1-25; Fig. 12) and a protective part provided between the housing and the silencing body, and the protective part comprises a protective net transversely provided between the silencing channel and the outer vent; the protective part is clamped to a port of the silencing channel (In Fig. 11-12: Protective part 130’s slats project inward of housing 13 and is between 13 and device/body 120. In Fig. 7,12: 130’s slats as a net between channel 121 and outer vent 13a. In Fig. 11-12: couples via clamp 133/135 to port 126 of channel 121; Col. 9, Lines 20-35).
Regarding Claim 8, Koo et al. as modified by Lind et al. disclose the refrigeration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the silencing device comprises a plurality of silencing cavities, and the silencing cavities comprise openings towards the silencing channel (Lind: Silencing device 210 with silencing cavities 214/220 with openings 216 towards silencing channel 121; Col. 5, Lines 1-15; Fig. 2A-2D) .
Regarding Claim 9, Koo et al. as modified by Lind et al. disclose the refrigeration apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least two of the silencing cavities have different volumes (Lind: 220 is substantially larger than a volume of 214; Col. 5, Lines 10-55; Fig. 2A-2D).
Regarding Claim 10, Koo et al. as modified by Lind et al. disclose a production method of a refrigeration apparatus, wherein the refrigeration apparatus is configured as the refrigeration apparatus according to claim 1, the production method comprises the following steps (Col. 9, Lines 50-67; Col. 10, Lines 1-10):
fixedly connecting the silencing device in the foaming space outside the compressor bin (Device 120 connected to 110 outside of 29; Col. 9, Lines 50-63; Fig. 6);
mounting the housing (Housing of 13 shown in Fig. 6-7); and
injecting a foaming agent into the foaming space (Col. 10, Lines 1-10; Col. 5, Lines 1-10).
Claim(s) 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koo et al. (US 9,939,189) in view of Lind et al. (US 9,305,539) and Gochika et al. (US 2021/0199366 Al).
Regarding Claim 4, Koo et al. as modified by Lind et al. discloses the refrigeration apparatus according to claim 3, the silencing device comprises a silencing body and the side wall is fixedly connected with the silencing device by a fastener (Body of device 120 and sidewall 110 connected to 120 via fasteners B; Col. 8, Lines 1-10; Fig. 7-9). Koo et al. as modified by Lind et al. fails to explicitly discloses wherein the side wall (110; Fig. 7) is provided with a plurality of first clamping parts, and a plurality of second clamping parts arranged on a side of the silencing body facing the side wall and clamped to the first clamping parts. However, Gochika et al. teaches wherein the side wall is provided with a plurality of first clamping parts, and a plurality of second clamping parts arranged on a side of the body facing the side wall and clamped to the first clamping parts (Gochika: Side wall 34/222’s first clamping parts 210/214, and plurality of second clamping parts 230 arranged on a side of device 38 facing side wall 34/222 and clamped to first clamping parts 210/214; Para. 0032-0034; Fig. 8-10).
Gochika et al. and Koo et al are in similar fields comprising refrigeration compressor bins with side vents. Modifying Koo et al. as modified by Lind et al. with teachings of Gochika et al. would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention wherein the side wall is provided with a plurality of first clamping parts, and a plurality of second clamping parts arranged on a side of the silencing body facing the side wall and clamped to the first clamping part for the purpose of removable coupling (Gochika: 0033).
Regarding Claim 5, Koo et al. as modified by Lind et al. and Gochika et al. discloses the refrigeration apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first clamping part comprises a clamping opening and a first clamping block (Gochika: Wall 34/222’s first clamping parts with clamping opening/slots 214 and first block 210 in Fig. 5), the second clamping part comprises a second clamping block and a clamping groove (Gochika: Device 38’s second clamping parts with block/lip portion of 230 and clamping grove between 230 and 38b in Fig. 5), the second clamping block is connected to the first clamping block through the clamping opening (Gochika: Second clamping block 230 connects through clamp opening 214; Fig. 5), and the first clamping block is fixed in the clamping groove (Gochika Fig. 9: see 230 fixed in 214).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: CN-206021898-U.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JENNIFER B OLSON whose telephone number is (571)272-3041. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00am -4:00pm.
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/JENNIFER B OLSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2837
/DEDEI K HAMMOND/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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