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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 11, 15, & 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oh (KR100303564).
Regarding claim 1, Oh teaches a refrigerator (Fig. 2) comprising: a cabinet (10) that defines a storage space (12) therein and has an inlet defined in a front surface thereof (Fig. 2); at least one door (40 rotatably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the inlet (p. 3); and at least one accessory (70) detachably coupled to the door (Fig. 4), wherein one of the at least one door includes: at least one guide (61) that is located on a surface of the door facing the storage space (Fig. 2); and a plurality of guide fastening regions (62) that are disposed at the at least one guide and along a height direction of the door (Figs. 2-4), and wherein one of the at least one accessory includes: an accessory body (71-72 & 74) that forms an outer appearance thereof; and an accessory coupling portion (73) that is disposed on a surface of the accessory body and is configured to be coupled to at least one of the plurality of guide fastening regions (Figs. 2 & 4).
Regarding claim 2, Oh teaches a surface (i.e., surfaces of 71-72 facing 40) of the accessory body (71-72 & 74) that faces the at least one guide (61).
Regarding claim 3, Oh teaches a plurality of guide fastening regions (62) that include at least one coupling hole (62) defined through a surface of the at least one guide (61) facing the accessory body (Figs. 4-7), and wherein the at least one accessory coupling portion (73) includes at least one coupling protrusion (73) protruding from the accessory body toward the at least one guide and configured to be inserted into the at least one coupling hole (Figs. 4-7).
Regarding claim 4, Oh teaches at least one coupling hole (62) that extends through the surface of the at least one guide (61) in a forward and backward direction (Figs. 5-7), and wherein the at least one coupling protrusion (73) is configured to be inserted into the at least one coupling hole (Figs. 5-7).
Regarding claim 5, Oh teaches at least one coupling hole (62) that includes a plurality of coupling holes (62), and the plurality of coupling holes are spaced apart from each other along the height direction of the door (Figs. 2-4).
Regarding claim 6, Oh teaches a separation distance between adjacent coupling holes (62) of the plurality of coupling holes (62) that is less (Figs. 5-7) than a height of the accessory body (71-72 & 74).
Regarding claim 7, Oh teaches adjacent coupling holes (62) of the plurality of coupling holes (62) that are spaced apart from each other by a preset spacing along the height direction of the door (40) (Figs. 3-7).
Regarding claim 8, Oh teaches at least one coupling protrusion (73) that includes a plurality (Figs. 4-7) of the coupling protrusions (73), and the plurality of coupling protrusions are disposed to be spaced apart from each other along the height direction of the door (40) (Figs. 2 & 4), and wherein a separation distance in the height direction of the door between adjacent coupling protrusions of the plurality of coupling protrusions is an integer multiple of the preset spacing (Figs. 2 & 4).
Regarding claim 11, Oh teaches at least one guide (61) that includes a first guide (one of 61) located at a first side in a width direction of the door (40) and a second guide (other of 61) located at a second side in the width direction of the door (Figs. 2 & 4).
Regarding claim 15, Oh teaches an accessory (70) that includes a dispenser (70) that accommodates a storage item therein or that discharges the storage item therefrom (implied by Figs. 2 & 4).
Regarding claim 19, Oh teaches a refrigerator (Fig. 2) comprising: a cabinet (10) that defines a storage space (12) therein and has an inlet defined in a front surface thereof (Fig. 2); at least one door (40) rotatably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the inlet (p. 3); and first and second rails (61) provided on a surface of the door facing the storage space (Fig. 2), the first and second rails being spaced apart in a width direction of the door (Figs. 2-4), each of the first rail and the second rail including a plurality of openings (62) that are provided along a height direction of the door (Figs. 2-4); and at least one storage bin (70) or dispenser (70) that is coupled to at least one of the openings of the first rail and to at least one of the openings of the second rail (Figs. 2 & 4).
Regarding claim 20, Oh teaches a refrigerator (Fig. 2) comprising: a cabinet (10) that defines a storage space (12) therein and has an inlet defined in a front surface thereof (Fig. 2); at least one door (40) rotatably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the inlet (p. 3); and a plurality of openings (62, 62a) that are provided along an inner surface of the door, the plurality of openings being spaced vertically apart by a set distance (Fig. 3); and a plurality of storage units (70), wherein the plurality of storage units includes a first storage unit (one of 70) having first protrusions (73) that are received in the openings to couple the first storage unit to the inner surface of the door (Fig. 2), and a second storage unit (another of 70) having second protrusions (73) that are received in the openings to couple the second storage unit to the inner surface of the door (Fig. 2), and wherein two of the first protrusions are spaced vertically apart by a first distance (solid lines in Fig. 7), and two of the second protrusions are vertically spaced apart by a second distance that differs from the first distance (dashed lines in Fig. 7).
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.
Claims 1-12, 14-17, & 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim (20160273825) in view of Kim (KR20160095566).
Regarding claims 1 & 19, Lim teaches the structure substantially as claimed, including a refrigerator comprising: a cabinet (100) that defines a storage space (par. 27) therein and has an inlet defined in a front surface thereof (implied by par. 28); at least one door (120, 130) rotatably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the inlet (par. 28); and an accessory (134) coupled by unspecified coupling means to a surface of the door facing the storage space (Fig. 1), and wherein one of the at least one accessory includes: an accessory body (134) that forms an outer appearance thereof. Lim fail(s) to teach a guide & an accessory coupling portion. However, Kim teaches coupling means (122-123, 135) comprising a plurality of guide fastening regions (123) that are disposed at at least one guide (122) and along a height direction of a surface facing a storage space (Figs. 2-4); and an accessory coupling portion (125) that is disposed on a surface of an accessory body (110, 124) and is configured to be coupled to at least one of the plurality of guide fastening regions (Figs. 2-4). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute coupling means, as taught by Kim, the unspecified coupling means of Lim, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to allow the positions of the accessories to be vertically adjusted (as suggested by par. 23 of Kim). Hence, Lim as modified would teach at least one accessory (134 of Lim) detachably coupled (implied by par. 23 of Kim) to the door (120, 130 of Lim), wherein one of the at least one door includes: at least one guide (122 of Kim) that is located on a surface of the door facing the storage space (as in Figs. 2-4 of Kim, in which the guide (122) is located on a surface of a component to which it is mounted & that surface faces the storage space).
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Regarding claim 2, Lim as modified teaches a surface (A of Lim in Fig. 14 Annotated) of the accessory body (134 of Lim) that faces the at least one guide (122 of Kim).
Regarding claim 3, Kim teaches a plurality of guide fastening regions (123) that include at least one coupling hole (123) defined through a surface of the at least one guide (Figs. 2-4) facing the accessory body (110, 124), and wherein the at least one accessory coupling portion (125) includes at least one coupling protrusion (125) protruding from the accessory body toward the at least one guide and configured to be inserted into the at least one coupling hole (Figs. 2-4).
Regarding claim 4, Kim teaches at least one coupling hole (123) that extends through the surface of the at least one guide (122) in a forward and backward direction (Figs. 2-4), and wherein the at least one coupling protrusion (125) is configured to be inserted into the at least one coupling hole (Figs. 2-4).
Regarding claim 5, Lim as modified teaches at least one coupling hole (123 of Kim) that includes a plurality of coupling holes (123 of Kim), and the plurality of coupling holes are spaced apart from each other along the height direction (as in Figs. 2-4 of Kim) of the door (120, 130 of Lim).
Regarding claim 6, Lim as modified teaches a separation distance between adjacent coupling holes (123) of the plurality of coupling holes (123) that is less than a height of the accessory body (134) (implied by Figs. 2-4, in which the separation distance between adjacent coupling holes (123) is less than the height of the accessory body (110, 124)).
Regarding claim 7, Lim as modified teaches adjacent coupling holes (123 of Kim) of the plurality of coupling holes (123 of Kim) that are spaced apart from each other by a preset spacing (as in Figs. 2-4 of Kim) along the height direction of the door (120, 130 of Lim).
Regarding claim 8, Lim as modified teaches at least one coupling protrusion (125 of Kim) that includes a plurality of the coupling protrusions (125 of Kim), and the plurality of coupling protrusions are disposed to be spaced apart from each other (as in Figs. 2-4 of Kim) along the height direction of the door (120, 130 of Lim), and wherein a separation distance in the height direction of the door between adjacent coupling protrusions of the plurality of coupling protrusions is an integer multiple of the preset spacing (as in Figs. 2-4 of Kim).
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Regarding claim 9, Lim as modified teaches one (125 of Kim) of the at least one coupling protrusion (125 of Kim) that includes: a first body (C of Kim in Fig. 2 Annotated) protruding from the accessory body (134 of Lim) toward the at least one guide (122 of Kim); a second body (D of Kim) extending downward from the first body; and a hooking groove (E of Kim) defined between the accessory body, the first body, and the second body (as in Fig. 2 of Kim).
Regarding claim 10, Lim as modified teaches at least one coupling protrusion (125) that includes a plurality of the coupling protrusions (125), and wherein a separation distance in the height direction between the first body (C) included in one (125) of the plurality of coupling protrusions located closest to an upper end of the accessory body and the upper end of the accessory body is less than twice the preset spacing (implied by Fig. 2 of Kim, in which the separation distance between the first body (C) and the upper end (F) of the accessory body (110, 124) is less than twice the preset spacing between the coupling holes (123)).
Regarding claim 11, Lim as modified teaches at least one guide (122) that includes a first guide (one of 122) located at a first side in a width direction of the door (120, 130 of Lim) and a second guide (other of 122) located at a second side in the width direction of the door (as in Fig. 1 of Kim, in which first & second guides (122) are laterally spaced from each other & respectively positioned at first & second sides of the component to which they are mounted).
Regarding claim 12, Kim teaches conducting means (140) wherein at least one guide (122) is connected to a power supply (par. 31), and wherein at least one accessory coupling portion (125) receives power from the at least one guide (par. 31) when coupled to the at least one of the plurality of guide fastening regions (123). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add conducting means, as taught by Kim, to the coupling means of Lim as modified, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to supply power to the accessory body thereof (as suggested by par. 31 of Kim).
Regarding claim 14, Lim as modified teaches an accessory body (134 of Lim) that includes a support plate (B of Lim) that forms a bottom surface and supports an object and an extending plate (A of Lim) disposed along a perimeter of the support plate and extending upward from the perimeter of the support plate, and wherein the at least one accessory coupling portion (125 of Kim) is formed on a surface of the extending plate facing the at least one guide (as in Figs. 2-4 of Kim, in which the accessory coupling portions (125) are formed a surface of an accessory body (110, 124) facing a guide (122)).
Regarding claim 15, Lim teaches an accessory (134) that includes a dispenser (134) that accommodates a storage item therein or that discharges the storage item therefrom (implied by Figs. 1 & 14).
Regarding claim 16, Lim as modified teaches at least one door (120, 130) that includes: a first door (130) rotatably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the inlet; and a second door (120) that is located between (Fig. 1) the first door and the cabinet (100), is rotatable relative to the first door (Figs. 1 & 14) and the cabinet (par. 29), and defines an auxiliary storeroom (140) recessed toward the storage space, and wherein the at least one guide (122 of Kim) is located on a surface of the first door facing the storage space (as in Figs. 2-4 of Kim, in which the guide (122) is located on a surface of a component to which it is mounted & that surface faces the storage space).
Regarding claim 17, Lim teaches at least a portion of the accessory (134) that is located in the auxiliary storeroom (140) when the first door closes the inlet (Fig. 14).
Regarding claim 19, Lim as modified teaches first and second rails (122 of Kim) provided on a surface of the door facing the storage space (as in Figs. 2-4 of Kim, in which the guide (122 of Kim) is located on a surface of a component to which it is mounted & that surface faces the storage space), the first and second rails being spaced apart in a width direction of the door (as in Fig. 1 of Kim), each of the first rail and the second rail including a plurality of openings (123 of Kim) that are provided along a height direction of the door (as in Figs. 2-4 of Kim); and at least one storage bin (134 of Lim) or dispenser (134 of Lim) that is coupled to at least one of the openings of the first rail and to at least one of the openings of the second rail (as in Fig. 1 of Kim).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim (20160273825) & Kim (KR20160095566) in view of Liu (20240401874). Lim as modified teaches the structure substantially as claimed, including at least one accessory coupling portion (125 of Kim) that includes a first accessory coupling portion (one of 125 of Kim) coupled to the first guide (one of 122 of Kim) and a second accessory coupling portion (another of 125 of Kim) coupled to the second guide (other of 122 of Kim), wherein the first & second guides each provide power (see par. 29 above); but fail(s) to teach the provision of power of different polarities. However, Liu teaches configuring laterally-spaced first & second conducting means (24, 34) to provide power of different polarities (par. 157). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to configure the first & second guide of Lim as modified to provide power of different polarities, as taught by Liu, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to improve the safety of the refrigerator (as suggested by par. 157 of Liu).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim (20160273825) & Kim (KR20160095566) in view of Park (20170188721). Lim as modified teaches the structure substantially as claimed, including a second door (120), a storage space (par. 27) and an auxiliary storeroom (140); but fail(s) to teach a communication hole. However, Park teaches the inclusion, in a second door (40), of a communication hole (410) that allows a storage space (12) and an auxiliary storeroom (41) to be in communication with each other (par. 130). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add a communication hole, as taught by Park, to the second door of Lim as modified, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to allow the cooling air in the refrigerator to be introduced into auxiliary storeroom, thereby allowing both the auxiliary storeroom & the storage space to be maintained at the same temperature (as suggested by par. 130 of Park).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW ING whose telephone number is (571)272-6536. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Daniel 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.
/MATTHEW W ING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637