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 10/23/2025. Claims 1-20 remain pending for consideration on the merits.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boarman et al (US 11131493 B2, hereinafter Boarman) in view of Leclear et al (US 9759471 B2, hereinafter LeClear).
Regarding claims 1 and 14, Boarman teaches a refrigerator appliance (refrigerator 50) defining a vertical direction (figure 1), a lateral direction (figure 1), and a transverse direction (figure 1), comprising: a cabinet (figure 1) defining a chilled chamber (compartment 60); a door (door 56) rotatably mounted to the cabinet (figure 2) and rotatable between a closed position (figure 1) enclosing the chilled chamber (figure 1) and an open position (figure 2) providing access to the chilled chamber (figure 2); an icemaker (ice maker 52) mounted to the door (figure 2); and an ice storage system (ice cube storage container 64) for storing ice produced by the icemaker (the ice 98 is harvested into a storage bin 64, col 5 line 33), the ice storage system (ice cube storage container 64) comprising: a door-mounted ice bucket (ice cube storage container 64) positioned below the icemaker for storing the ice formed by the icemaker (as shown on figure 2).
Boarman teaches the invention as described above but fail to teach an ice storage drawer positioned within the chilled chamber; and a damper mounted at a bottom end of the door-mounted ice bucket, the damper being movable between a closed position to retain the ice within the door-mounted ice bucket and an open position to direct the ice into the ice storage drawer.
However, Leclear teaches an ice storage drawer (ice bin 146) positioned within the chilled chamber (figure 17); and a damper (gate 160) mounted at a bottom end of the door-mounted ice bucket (figure 17), the damper (gate 160) being movable between a closed position (figure 17) to retain the ice within the door-mounted ice bucket (ice bin 120) and an open position (figure 16) to direct the ice into the ice storage drawer (ice 43 may enter the ice shaft 142 by cascading over an overfill gate 160 in the ice funnel 141. The overfill gate 160 is connected to the front of the primary ice bin 120 and once the ice 43 reaches a predetermined volume that reaches the top of the overfill gate 160, ice 43 begins to spill over into the ice funnel 141 and down into the ice shaft 142. The ice 43 travels down the ice shaft 142 until ultimately coming to rest in the remote secondary ice bin 146, col 5 line 63 to col 6 lines 1-3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the refrigerator of Boarman to include an ice storage drawer positioned within the chilled chamber; and a damper mounted at a bottom end of the door-mounted ice bucket, the damper being movable between a closed position to retain the ice within the door-mounted ice bucket and an open position to direct the ice into the ice storage drawer in view of the teachings of Leclear in order to yield the predictable results of guiding ice to the secondary ice bin.
Regarding claims 2 and 15, the combined teachings teach wherein the ice storage drawer (ice bin 146 of Leclear) is not attached to the door (as shown on figure 20 of Leclear) and remains within the chilled chamber (within cabinet 12, as shown on figure 20 of Leclear) when the door is in the open position (as shown on figure 20 of Leclear).
Regarding claims 3 and 16, the combined teachings teach wherein the ice storage drawer (relocatable bin, abstract of Leclear) is slidably mounted within the chilled chamber (relocatable, abstract of Leclear).
Regarding claims 4 and 17, the combined teachings teach wherein the ice storage system (supplemental engagement bin 126 of Leclear) further comprises: a receiving ramp (ice ramp 128 of Leclear) positioned proximate a front of the ice storage drawer (as shown on figures 12-14 of Leclear), wherein the damper (spring door 130 of Leclear) is seated over the receiving ramp (ice ramp 128 of Leclear) in the open position (as shown on figure 12a of Leclear).
Regarding claim 5, the combined teachings teach wherein the icemaker (ice maker 16 of Leclear) produces ice (interpreted as when the ice maker 16 produces ice that would otherwise fall into the primary ice bin 120 when the spring door 130 is closed, as further described in col 5 lines 16-35 of Leclear) when the damper (spring door 130 of Leclear) is in the closed position (spring door 130 closes, col 5 line 32 of Leclear).
Claims 6 and 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boarman as modified by Leclear as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Lee et al (US 20130167563 A1, hereinafter Lee).
Regarding claim 6, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to teach wherein the ice storage system further comprises: a drive motor operably coupled to the damper for moving the damper between the closed position and the open position.
However, Lee teaches wherein the ice storage system (as shown on figure 2) further comprises: a drive motor (transfer motor assembly 373) operably coupled (as shown on figure 4) to the damper (damper 35) for moving the damper between the closed position and the open position (as described in paragraph 0037).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the refrigerator of the combined teachings to include wherein the ice storage system further comprises: a drive motor operably coupled to the damper for moving the damper between the closed position and the open position in view of the teachings of Lee in order to yield the predictable results of opening or closing the damper.
Claims 7, 13 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boarman as modified by Leclear as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Yun et al (US 20140230481 A1, hereinafter Yun).
Regarding claims 7 and 19, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to teach wherein the ice storage system further comprises: a microswitch for detecting when the damper reaches the open position.
However, Yun teaches wherein the ice storage system (as described in paragraph 0083) further comprises: a microswitch for detecting (detecting part, such as a switch, paragraph 0150) when the damper reaches the open position (a detection part, such as a switch, for detecting an operation of a damper for opening or closing, paragraph 0150).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the refrigerator of the combined teachings to include wherein the ice storage system further comprises: a microswitch for detecting when the damper reaches the open position in view of the teachings of Yun in order to yield the predictable results of detecting an operation of a damper.
Regarding claim 13, the combined teachings teach wherein the refrigerator appliance (refrigerator 10 of Yun) is a side-by-side refrigerator appliance (as shown on figure 15 of Yun) and the chilled chamber is a freezer chamber (freezing compartment 12, as shown on figure 15 of Yun).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boarman as modified by Leclear as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Mitchell (US 20210318050 A1, hereinafter Mitchell).
Regarding claim 8, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to teach wherein the ice storage system further comprises: an infrared sensor mounted to the ice storage drawer to detect when the ice storage drawer is full.
However, Mitchell teaches wherein the ice storage system (ice storage compartment 300, paragraph 0040) further comprises: an infrared sensor (infrared sensor 330) mounted to the ice storage drawer (to bucket 310, as shown on figure 4 and described in paragraph 0040) to detect when the ice storage drawer is full (sensor 330 configured to sense a level of ice stored in the ice storage compartment 300, paragraph 0040).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the refrigerator of the combined teachings to include wherein the ice storage system further comprises: an infrared sensor mounted to the ice storage drawer to detect when the ice storage drawer is full in view of the teachings of Mitchell in order to yield the predictable results of sensing a level of ice stored in the ice storage compartment.
Claims 9-10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boarman as modified by Leclear as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Mezavila et al (US 20220128293 A1, hereinafter Mezavila).
Regarding claims 9 and 20, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to teach wherein the door-mounted ice bucket is pivotable relative to the door.
However, Mezavila teaches wherein the door-mounted ice bucket (bin 38, figure 4, corresponding to ice cube storage container 64 of Boarman) is pivotable relative to the door (as shown on figure 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the refrigerator of the combined teachings to include wherein the door-mounted ice bucket is pivotable relative to the door in view of the teachings of Mezavila in order to yield the predictable results of allowing the bin to be pivotably removed from the door.
Regarding claim 10, the combined teachings teach wherein the door-mounted ice bucket (bin 38, figure 4, corresponding to ice cube storage container 64 of Boarman) defines an arcuate slot (wells 112, figure 5 of Mezavila) and the door (door 10 of Mezavila) defines a pin (posts 114 of Mezavila) that is received within the arcuate slot to permit pivoting of the door-mounted ice bucket (as described in paragraph 0031 of Mezavila).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boarman as modified by Leclear and Mezavila as applied to claim 9 above, and in further view of Baker (US 4269039 A, hereinafter Baker).
Regarding claim 11, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to teach wherein the door-mounted ice bucket comprises a pivoting bucket holder and a removable storage bucket slidably received within the pivoting bucket holder.
However, Baker teaches wherein the door-mounted ice bucket (ice storage receptacle 20) comprises a pivoting bucket holder (carrier 21 pivotally mounted to support 30, col 3 lines 64 to col 4 lines 1-12) and a removable storage bucket (ice storage receptacle 20) slidably received within the pivoting bucket holder (as shown on figures 2-4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the refrigerator of the combined teachings to include wherein the door-mounted ice bucket comprises a pivoting bucket holder and a removable storage bucket slidably received within the pivoting bucket holder in view of the teachings of Baker in order to yield the predictable results of providing an ice storage receptacle which may be removably carried on a support carrier.
Claim 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boarman as modified by Leclear as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Wookyong (KR 20210031250 A, hereinafter Wookyong).
Regarding claim 12, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to teach wherein the icemaker is a lower icemaker, the refrigerator appliance further comprising an upper icemaker vertically above the lower icemaker, wherein the upper icemaker dispenses ice through a dispenser recess defined on a front of the door.
However, Wookyong teaches wherein the icemaker (ice maker 200) is a lower icemaker (figure 27), the refrigerator appliance (refrigerator 1) further comprising an upper icemaker (ice maker 150) vertically above the lower icemaker (as shown on figure 27), wherein the upper icemaker (ice maker 150) dispenses ice (via dispenser 11) through a dispenser recess (cavity 11b, figure 27) defined on a front of the door (as shown on figure 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the refrigerator of the combined teachings to include wherein the door-mounted ice bucket comprises a pivoting bucket holder and a removable storage bucket slidably received within the pivoting bucket holder in view of the teachings of Wookyong in order to yield the predictable results of discharging ice generated by at least one of the plurality of ice makers.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/23/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to the Applicant’s argument that “Applicant respectfully disagrees and notes that the claim language states that the damper retains the ice within the door-mounted ice bucket when in the closed position. By contrast, LeClear teaches that directing gate is movable between two positions-a first position where ice goes to the secondary ice bin 146 and a second position where the ice is dispensed externally. LeClear, col. 6, lines 15-39 and FIG. 19 a, b. Because directing gate 168 does not retain ice as claimed in either position, Applicant respectfully submits that claim 1 is patentable over the cited references”, the Examiner disagrees. For clarity, LeClear discloses all of the structural features of the claim including an ice storage drawer positioned within the chilled chamber; and a damper mounted at a bottom end of the door-mounted ice bucket, the damper being movable between a closed position to retain the ice within the door-mounted ice bucket and an open position to direct the ice into the ice storage drawer (as shown on figures 19a/19b and 20). Further, LeClear clearly shows gate 160 disposed in appliance 10 where ice 43 may enter the ice shaft 142 by cascading over an overfill gate 160 in the ice funnel 141. The overfill gate 160 is connected to the front of the primary ice bin 120 and once the ice 43 reaches a predetermined volume that reaches the top of the overfill gate 160, ice 43 begins to spill over into the ice funnel 141 and down into the ice shaft 142. The ice 43 travels down the ice shaft 142 until ultimately coming to rest in the remote secondary ice bin 146 (col 5 line 63 to col 6 lines 1-3). Additionally, the claim is not reciting a closed position retaining or retains and an open position directing or directs. Thus, the combined teachings disclose all the structural features of the claim and are capable of performing the intended use functions. Therefore, Applicant's arguments are not persuasive and the rejection is maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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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/DARIO ANTONIO DELEON/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/JERRY-DARYL FLETCHER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763