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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Japan on December 21, 2021. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the Japanese application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 7-9, 11-13 and 16 are 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. For claim 7, “the front-rear direction” and “the front-rear adjusting and fixing screw” lack antecedent basis. For claim 9, “the left-right direction”, “the adjustor block”, and the “left-right adjusting and fixing screw” lack antecedent basis. For claim 11, “the front-rear direction” and “the front-rear adjusting and fixing screw” lack antecedent basis. For claim 12, “the left-right direction” and “the left-right adjusting and fixing screw” lack antecedent basis. For claim 13, “the guide plate” lacks antecedent basis. For claim 16, it is unclear whether or not the “an adjustor block” in line 9 is the same block as claimed previously.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brachert (8,511,768). Brachert teaches a refrigerator (column 1, line 5) comprising: a cabinet (1); a door (2) to open/close an opening of the cabinet; a hinge (5,6) supporting the door to be rotatable with respect to the cabinet; a door position adjustment device (Fig. 3) provided between the door and the hinge and configured to adjust a position of the door, wherein the door position adjustment device comprises a vertical adjustment screw (24, vertically positioned) including a threaded portion, provided between the door and the hinge, and configured to adjust a position of the door in a vertical direction by a tightening amount and a loosening amount in the vertical direction. Wherein the door position adjustment device comprises a left-right adjusting and fixing screw (34, horizontally positioned) that adjusts the position of the door in a left-right direction. Wherein the door position adjustment device is located in a center side in a width direction of the door with respect to the hinge. Further comprising: a door base (22) fixed to the door; and a hinge base (20) fixed to the hinge, wherein the vertical adjustment screw includes a connection portion (25) connected to the door base to restrict a movement of the door base in the vertical direction and moves the door base in the vertical direction by a tightening amount and a loosening amount in the vertical direction with respect to the hinge base. Wherein the hinge base is formed by an extension portion that is a partial extension of a movable arm (19) of the hinge.
Brachert further teach that the door position adjustment device comprises a front-rear adjusting and fixing screw (shown in Fig. 2) that adjusts the position of the door in a front-rear direction. Brachert also teaches a cabinet (column 1, lines 3-5) with shelves (11) that can accommodate clothes: a cabinet (1) for storing clothes; a door (2) to open/close an opening of the cabinet; a hinge (5,6) supporting the door to be rotatable with respect to the cabinet; a door position adjustment device (Fig. 3) provided between the door and the hinge and configured to adjust a position of the door, wherein the door position adjustment device comprises a vertical adjustment screw (24, vertically positioned) including a threaded portion, provided between the door and the hinge, and configured to adjust the position of the door in a vertical direction by a tightening amount and a loosening amount in the vertical direction.
Brachert inherently teaches the method of operating a door position adjustment device as claimed, since the structural features claimed are present therein. The method comprising: loosening a front-rear adjusting and fixing screw (shown in Fig. 2) in upper and lower sides of a door (2); freeing a door base (22) in each of the upper and lower sides in a vertical direction with respect to a slide plate (lower 23) fixed to a hinge base ( 20; by loosening screws); moving the door vertically whereby the door base, a vertical adjustment screw (24, vertically oriented), and an adjustor block (33, upper member) are moved vertically together; pressing the adjustor block in the lower side against the slide plate by the vertical adjustment screw in the lower side; tightening the front-rear adjusting and fixing screw in each of the upper and lower sides so that the door base is fixed to the slide plate.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 7-9 and 11-13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art 9303916, 8307502, 5203115, and 4209946 teach various hinge mechanisms.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANET M WILKENS whose telephone number is 571-272-6869. The examiner can normally be reached Mon thru Thurs 7am-5:30pm EST.
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Wilkens
January 7, 2026
/JANET M WILKENS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637