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 12/15/2025. 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, 9-10, 12 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al (US 20170191731 A1, hereinafter Li) in view of Rodriguez et al (US 20240183600 A1, hereinafter Rodriguez) and Vijayan et al (US 20210055032 A1, hereinafter Vijayan).
Regarding claims 1 and 12, Li teaches a refrigerator appliance (refrigerator appliance 100) comprising: a cabinet (housing 102); a chilled chamber (fresh food chamber 122) defined within the cabinet (as shown on figure 2); an auxiliary compartment (temperature controlled drawer 174) positioned within the chilled chamber (as shown on figure 2); an evaporator duct (chilled air duct 210) containing an evaporator (as shown on figure 5); an evaporator fan (evaporator fan 190) for selectively urging a flow of primary air through the evaporator duct (paragraph 0033) and into the chilled chamber (paragraph 0033); an auxiliary duct (conduit 224) providing fluid communication between the evaporator duct and the auxiliary compartment (paragraph 0042); an auxiliary fan (secondary fan 192) for selectively urging a flow of auxiliary air from the evaporator duct (paragraph 0043), through the auxiliary duct, and into the auxiliary compartment (paragraph 0043).
Li teaches the invention as described above but fails to teach a controller in operative communication with the evaporator fan and the auxiliary fan, the controller being configured to: operate the evaporator fan at a first speed to provide the flow of primary air into the chilled chamber; receive a request to cool the auxiliary compartment; operate the auxiliary fan to urge the flow of auxiliary air into the auxiliary compartment.
However, Rodriguez teaches a controller (paragraph 0017) in operative communication (paragraph 0027) with the evaporator fan (first fan 206a) and the auxiliary fan (second fan 206b), the controller (paragraph 0017) being configured to: operate the evaporator fan (first fan 206a) at a first speed (first speed, paragraph 0027) to provide the flow of primary air into the chilled chamber (paragraphs 0018-0019); receive a request (paragraph 0019) to cool the auxiliary compartment (third compartment 102c, figure 1); operate the auxiliary fan (second fan 206b) to urge the flow of auxiliary air (via airflow path 212d to third compartment 102c, paragraph 0024) into the auxiliary compartment (third compartment 102c, 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 appliance in the teachings of Li to include a controller in operative communication with the evaporator fan and the auxiliary fan, the controller being configured to: operate the evaporator fan at a first speed to provide the flow of primary air into the chilled chamber; receive a request to cool the auxiliary compartment; operate the auxiliary fan to urge the flow of auxiliary air into the auxiliary compartment in view of the teachings of Rodriguez in order to yield the predictable result of providing an airflow system that can distribute air evenly to provide a uniform temperature throughout a full volume of the one or more compartments.
The combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to teach and operate the evaporator fan at a second speed in response to the operation of the auxiliary fan, the second speed being higher than the first speed and being selected to compensate for the flow of auxiliary air.
However, Vijayan teaches operate the evaporator fan (fan 234) at a second speed (second SF rotation speed, paragraph 0049) in response to the operation of the auxiliary fan (fan 232, paragraph 0049), the second speed being higher than the first speed (second SF rotation speed is greater than the first SF rotation speed, paragraph 0049) and being selected to compensate for the flow of auxiliary air (selected to also provide cooling airflow to chamber 222 along with fan 232, as further described in paragraph 0049).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the appliance in the combined teachings to include and operate the evaporator fan at a second speed in response to the operation of the auxiliary fan, the second speed being higher than the first speed and being selected to compensate for the flow of auxiliary air in view of the teachings of Vijayan in order to yield the predictable result of forcing air downstream to the chilled chamber.
Further, it is understood, claim 1 includes an intended use recitation, for example “…configured to...”. The applicant is reminded that a recitation with respect to the manner which a claimed apparatus is intended to be does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the structural limitations of the claims, as is the case here. While features of an apparatus may be recited either structurally or functionally, the claims are directed to an apparatus must be distinguished from the prior art in terms of structure rather than function.
Regarding claims 9 and 19, the combined teachings teach wherein the auxiliary duct (conduit 224 of Li) is fluidly coupled to the evaporator duct (chilled air duct 210 of Li) downstream of the evaporator (as shown on figures 5-6 of Li).
Regarding claim 10, the combined teachings teach wherein the auxiliary compartment (temperature-controlled drawer 174 of Li) is a deli pan (receiving fresh food items, e.g., vegetables, fruits, and/or cheeses), paragraph 0029 of Li).
Claims 2-6 and 13-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li as modified by Rodriguez and Vijayan as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Choi (US 20160178245 A1, hereinafter Choi).
Regarding claims 2 and 13, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to teach wherein the second speed is a fixed offset relative to the first speed.
However, Choi teaches wherein the second speed (1090 rpm, paragraph 0031, corresponding to the speed of Rodriguez) is a fixed offset (paragraphs 0038-0041) relative to the first speed (930rpm, corresponding to the speed of Rodriguez).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the appliance in the combined teachings to include wherein the second speed is a fixed offset relative to the first speed in view of the teachings of Choi in order to yield the predictable result of that a heat radiation amount of a refrigerant passing through the refrigerant channel at the first condenser is reduced.
Regarding claims 3 and 14, the combined teachings teach wherein the fixed offset (paragraphs 0038-0041 of Choi) is between about 100 and 400 revolutions per minute (RPM) (160rpm, paragraphs 0038-0041 of Choi).
Regarding claims 4 and 15, the combined teachings teach wherein the second speed (1090 rpm, paragraph 0038 of Choi) is a predetermined percentage (17.2%) higher than the first speed (930rpm of Choi).
Regarding claims 5 and 16, the combined teachings teach wherein the predetermined percentage (17.2%) is between about 10% and 30% (17.2%).
Regarding claims 6 and 17, the combined teachings teach wherein the second speed is a predetermined fixed speed (the preset second value may be 1090 RPM, paragraph 0041 of Choi).
Claims 7-8 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li as modified by Rodriguez and Vijayan as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Shi (US 20230075580 A1, hereinafter Shi).
Regarding claims 7 and 18, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to teach wherein the first speed is between about 1800 and 2200 RPM.
However, Shi teaches wherein the first speed (range of speeds, paragraph 0052) is between about 1800 and 2200 RPM (0-4000 rpm, paragraph 0052).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the appliance in the combined teachings to include wherein the first speed is between about 1800 and 2200 RPM in view of the teachings of Shi in order to yield the predictable result of directing cooled airflow out of the air handler and into the ice maker frame.
Regarding claims 8 and 18, the combined teachings teach wherein the second speed (second speed, paragraph 0053 of Shi) is between about 2000 and 2400 RPM (2000rpm, paragraph 0053 of Shi).
Claims 11 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li as modified by Rodriguez and Vijayan as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Khizar (US 20240361062 A1, hereinafter Khizar).
Regarding claim 11, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to teach wherein the controller is further configured to: determine that the evaporator fan is off; and turn off the auxiliary fan.
However, Khizar teaches wherein the controller (controller, paragraph 0044) is further configured to: determine that the evaporator fan is off (fans 510 can be switched off by the controller, paragraph 0044 and as shown on figure 4); and turn off the auxiliary fan (fans 510 can be switched off by the controller, paragraph 0044 and 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 appliance in the combined teachings to include wherein the controller is further configured to: determine that the evaporator fan is off; and turn off the auxiliary fan in view of the teachings of Khizar in order to yield the predictable result of allowing the circulation system to facilitate humidity control within a desired range.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 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.
Conclusion
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.
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/DARIO ANTONIO DELEON/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/JERRY-DARYL FLETCHER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763