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 07/20/2026. The previous objections to the specification have been withdrawn. Furthermore, the previous 35 USC 112 rejections have also been withdrawn. Claims 1-20 remain pending for consideration.
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 1-20 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.
Claims 1 and 7 recite the limitation "a heating amount of the heater " in line 16. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims.
For examination purposes, the phrase “a heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount” will be interpreted as -- the heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount --
Claims 1 and 7 recite the limitation "a heating amount of the heater " in line 18. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims.
For examination purposes, the phrase “a heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount” will be interpreted as -- the heating amount of the heater is a first second amount --
Claim 13 recites the limitation "a heating amount of the heater " in line 15. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
For examination purposes, the phrase “a heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount” will be interpreted as -- the heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount --
Claim 15 recites the limitation "a heating amount of the heater " in line 16. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
For examination purposes, the phrase “a heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount” will be interpreted as -- the heating amount of the heater is a first second amount --
Claims 2-6, 8-12, and 14-20 are also rejected due to dependency.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 3-6, 13, and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamura et al. (JPH01181051A, herein after referred to as Kawamura) in view of Yagi (JP5763469B2).
Regarding claim 1, Kawamura teaches a refrigerator (refrigerator body 1 Fig. 3) comprising: a storage chamber (freezer compartment 3 Fig. 3); a cooler (cooler 5, blower 6, and compressor 22 Fig. 1) supplying cold to the storage chamber (paragraph [2]) and including an evaporator (cooler 5 Fig. 1) and a compressor (compressor 22 Fig. 1); and an ice maker (ice-making device 23 Fig. 3) comprising: a first tray (first ice tray 15 Fig. 3) defining at least a portion of a wall (corresponds to the wall forming ice-making compartments 8 Fig. 3) for providing a cell (ice-making compartment 8 Fig. 3) in which a liquid (disclosed “water” in paragraph [01]) is phase-changed into ice (paragraph [01]); a heater (heaters 11 and 24 Figs. 1 and 3) configured to supply heat to the cell to increase a transparency of the ice (paragraph [04]); and a temperature sensor (thermostat 25/26 Figs. 1 and 3) configured to sense an ambient temperature (disclosed “outside temperature in paragraph [08]) of a space (understood to be the space in which refrigerator body 1 is placed Fig. 3) outside the refrigerator, a limit temperature (corresponds to an ambient temperature of 30 degrees Celsius as described in paragraph [08]), a fan (blower 6 Figs. 1 and 3) configured to blow air to the evaporator (paragraph [02]).
Kawamura teaches the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach “wherein a cooling power of the cooler is a first cooling power when a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is greater than or equal to the limit temperature and the cooling power of the cooler is a second cooling power when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, the first cooling power being greater than the second cooling power, and wherein when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, a heating amount of the heater is varied such that the heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount when an output of at least one of the fan or the compressor is a first output, and the heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount when the output of at least one of the fan or the compressor is a second output, the first output being greater than the second output and the first heating amount being greater than the second heating amount”.
However, Yagi teaches wherein a cooling power (corresponds to the disclosed “cooling capacity” in paragraph [0048]) of a cooler (cooling device 2 Fig. 2 corresponds to the cooler of Kawamura) is a first cooling power (corresponds to the disclosed “high cooling capacity” which is generated when the ambient temperature is high as described in paragraph [0049]) when a temperature (corresponds to the reading of ambient temperature sensor 41 Fig. 3) sensed by a temperature sensor (ambient temperature sensor 41 Fig. 3 corresponds to the temperature sensor of Kawamura) is greater than or equal to a limit temperature (paragraph [0049] where a person skilled in the art would recognize that the temperature threshold set to determine a low or high outside temperature would correspond to the limit temperature of Kawamura) and the cooling power of the cooler is a second cooling power (corresponds to the cooling capacity which is generated when the ambient temperature is low as described in paragraph [0049]) when the temperature is less than the limit temperature (paragraph [0049]), the first cooling power being greater than the second cooling power (paragraph [0049]), and wherein when the temperature is less than the limit temperature (the controlled method illustrated in the table of Fig. 6 is understood to be applied during both the high and low ambient temperature scenarios of paragraph [0049]), a heating amount (corresponds to the heating amount of anti-freeze heater 52 Fig. 3) of a heater (anti-freeze heater 52 Fig. 3 corresponds to the heater of Kawamura) is varied such that the heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount (Ht01 Fig. 6) when an output (corresponds to the output of compressor 21 Fig. 2) of a compressor (compressor 21 Fig. 2 corresponds to the compressor of Kawamura) is a first output (St2 Fig. 6), and the heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount (Ht03 Fig. 6) when the output of the compressor is a second output (St1 Fig. 6), the first output being greater than the second output (paragraphs [0078] to [0080]) and the first heating amount being greater than the second heating amount (paragraphs [0078] to [0080]) to reduce power consumption (paragraph [0078]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of Kawamura to include “wherein a cooling power of the cooler is a first cooling power when a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is greater than or equal to the limit temperature and the cooling power of the cooler is a second cooling power when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, the first cooling power being greater than the second cooling power, and wherein when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, a heating amount of the heater is varied such that the heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount when an output of at least one of the fan or the compressor is a first output, and the heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount when the output of at least one of the fan or the compressor is a second output, the first output being greater than the second output and the first heating amount being greater than the second heating amount” in view of the teachings of Yagi to reduce power consumption.
Regarding claim 13, Kawamura teaches a refrigerator (refrigerator body 1 Fig. 3) comprising: a storage chamber (freezer compartment 3 Fig. 3); a cooler (cooler 5, blower 6, and compressor 22 Fig. 1) supplying cold to the storage chamber (paragraph [2]); and an ice maker (ice-making device 23 Fig. 3) comprising: a first tray (first ice tray 15 Fig. 3) defining at least a portion of a wall (corresponds to the wall forming ice-making compartments 8 Fig. 3) for providing a cell (ice-making compartment 8 Fig. 3) in which a liquid (disclosed “water” in paragraph [01]) is phase-changed into ice (paragraph [01]); a heater (heaters 11 and 24 Figs. 1 and 3) configured to supply heat to the cell in an ice making process (corresponds to the disclosed “ice-making process” in paragraph [08]); and a temperature sensor (thermostat 25/26 Figs. 1 and 3) configured to sense an ambient temperature (disclosed “outside temperature in paragraph [08]) of a space (understood to be the space in which refrigerator body 1 is placed Fig. 3) outside the refrigerator, a limit temperature (corresponds to an ambient temperature of 30 degrees Celsius as described in paragraph [08]).
Kawamura teaches the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach “wherein a cooling power of the cooler is a first cooling power when a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is greater than or equal to the limit temperature and the cooling power of the cooler is a second cooling power when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, the first cooling power being greater than the second cooling power, and wherein when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, a heating amount of the heater is varied such that the heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount when an operating mode is a first cooling mode, and the heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount when the operating mode is a second cooling mode, the cooling power of the cooler in the first cooling mode being greater than the cooling power of the cooler in the second cooling mode and the first heating amount being greater than the second heating amount”.
However, Yagi teaches wherein a cooling power (corresponds to the disclosed “cooling capacity” in paragraph [0048]) of a cooler (cooling device 2 Fig. 2 corresponds to the cooler of Kawamura) is a first cooling power (corresponds to the disclosed “high cooling capacity” which is generated when the ambient temperature is high as described in paragraph [0049]) when a temperature (corresponds to the reading of ambient temperature sensor 41 Fig. 3) sensed by a temperature sensor (ambient temperature sensor 41 Fig. 3 corresponds to the temperature sensor of Kawamura) is greater than or equal to a limit temperature (paragraph [0049] where a person skilled in the art would recognize that the temperature threshold set to determine a low or high outside temperature would correspond to the limit temperature of Kawamura) and the cooling power of the cooler is a second cooling power (corresponds to the cooling capacity which is generated when the ambient temperature is low as described in paragraph [0049]) when the temperature is less than the limit temperature (paragraph [0049]), the first cooling power being greater than the second cooling power (paragraph [0049]), and wherein when the temperature is less than the limit temperature (the controlled method illustrated in the table of Fig. 6 is understood to be applied during both the high and low ambient temperature scenarios of paragraph [0049]), a heating amount (corresponds to the heating amount of anti-freeze heater 52 Fig. 3) of a heater (anti-freeze heater 52 Fig. 3 corresponds to the heater of Kawamura) is varied such that the heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount (Ht01 during second operation Os2 Fig. 6) when an operating mode (corresponds to the different operation modes illustrated in Fig. 6) is a first cooling mode (second operation Os2 Fig. 6), and the heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount (Ht03 during third operation Os3 Fig. 6)when the operating mode is a second cooling mode (third operation Os3 Fig. 6), the cooling power of the cooler in the first cooling mode being greater than the cooling power of the cooler in the second cooling mode (paragraphs [0078] to [0080]) and the first heating amount being greater than the second heating amount (paragraphs [0078] to [0080]) to reduce power consumption (paragraph [0078]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of Kawamura to include “wherein a cooling power of the cooler is a first cooling power when a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is greater than or equal to the limit temperature and the cooling power of the cooler is a second cooling power when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, the first cooling power being greater than the second cooling power, and wherein when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, a heating amount of the heater is varied such that the heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount when an operating mode is a first cooling mode, and the heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount when the operating mode is a second cooling mode, the cooling power of the cooler in the first cooling mode being greater than the cooling power of the cooler in the second cooling mode and the first heating amount being greater than the second heating amount” in view of the teachings of Yagi to reduce power consumption.
Regarding claims 3 and 15, the combined teachings teach wherein, in a state in which the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is higher than the limit temperature (corresponds to the high ambient temperature scenario described in paragraph [0049] of Yagi), the heater is operated with a predetermined reference heating amount (Ht1 Fig. 6 of Yagi) regardless of an increase/decrease in a heat transfer amount (Fig. 6 of Yagi where the output of the heater remains Ht1 regardless of the output of compressor 21 during the normal operation) between the cold and the liquid of the cell (paragraph [0044] of Yagi).
Regarding claim 4, the combined teachings teach wherein the heater is operated with the predetermined reference heating amount regardless of an increase/decrease in the output of the compressor (Fig. 6 of Yagi where the output of the heater remains Ht1 regardless of the output of compressor 21 during the normal operation).
Regarding claim 5, the combined teachings teach wherein, the heating amount of the heater is changed from the first heating amount to the second heating amount, when the output of the compressor is changed from the first output to the second output (corresponds to when the mode switches from OS2 to OS3 Fig. 6 of Yagi).
Regarding claim 6, the combined teachings teach wherein, the heating amount of the heater is changed from the second heating amount to the first heating amount, when the output of the compressor is changed from the second output to the first output (corresponds to when the mode switches from OS3 to OS2 Fig. 6 of Yagi).
Regarding claim 16, the combined teachings teach wherein the heater is operated with the predetermined reference heating amount regardless of a change of the operating mode (Fig. 6 of Yagi where the output of the heater remains Ht1 regardless of the output of compressor 21 during the normal operation).
Regarding claim 17, the combined teachings teach wherein, the heating amount of the heater is changed from the first heating amount to the second heating amount, when the operating mode is changed from the first cooling mode to the second cooling mode (corresponds to when the mode switches from OS2 to OS3 Fig. 6 of Yagi).
Regarding claim 18, the combined teachings teach wherein, the heating amount of the heater is changed from the second heating amount to the first heating amount, when the operating mode is changed from the second cooling mode to the first cooling mode (corresponds to when the mode switches from OS3 to OS2 Fig. 6 of Yagi).
Claims 2, 14, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamura in view of Yagi as applied to claims 1 and 7 above, and further in view of Boarman et al. (US 20140165598 A1, herein after referred to as Boarman).
Regarding claims 2 and 14, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to explicitly teach “further comprising: a second tray defining at least another portion of the wall for providing the cell; and a first tray case formed as a separate component from the first tray and coupled to the first tray”.
However, Boarman teaches further comprising: a second tray (first mold portion 402 Fig. 26) defining at least another portion of a wall (lower wall Fig. 26) for providing a cell (cavity 440 Fig. 26 corresponds to the cell of Kawamura); and a first tray case (chill ring cover 504 Fig. 35) formed as a separate component from a first tray (Fig. 35 where chill ring 508 corresponds to the first tray of Kawamura) and coupled to the first tray (Fig. 35) to provide spherical ice pieces (Fig. 26).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings to include “further comprising: a second tray defining at least another portion of the wall for providing the cell; and a first tray case formed as a separate component from the first tray and coupled to the first tray” in view of the teachings of Boarman to provide spherical ice pieces.
Regarding claim 20, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to explicitly teach “further comprising a heater case in which the heater is installed”.
However, Boarman teaches further comprising a heater case (chill ring cover 504 Fig. 35) in which a heater (heating coil 520 Fig. 35 corresponds to the heater of Kawamura) is installed (Fig. 35).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings to include “further comprising a heater case in which the heater is installed” in view of the teachings of Boarman to protect the heater from any accidental damage.
Claims 7 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamura in view of Yagi and in further view of Nakatsu et al. (JP2007292458A, herein after referred to as Nakatsu).
Regarding claim 7, Kawamura teaches a refrigerator (refrigerator body 1 Fig. 3) comprising: a storage chamber (freezer compartment 3 Fig. 3); a cooler (cooler 5, blower 6, and compressor 22 Fig. 1) supplying cold to the storage chamber (paragraph [2]); and an ice maker (ice-making device 23 Fig. 3) comprising: a first tray (first ice tray 15 Fig. 3) defining at least a portion of a wall (corresponds to the wall forming ice-making compartments 8 Fig. 3) for providing a cell (ice-making compartment 8 Fig. 3) in which a liquid (disclosed “water” in paragraph [01]) is phase-changed into ice (paragraph [01]); a heater (heaters 11 and 24 Figs. 1 and 3) configured to supply heat to the cell such that an ice making rate (corresponds to the disclosed “freezing rate” in paragraph [04]) in the cell is reduced (paragraph [04]); and a temperature sensor (thermostat 25/26 Figs. 1 and 3) configured to sense an ambient temperature (disclosed “outside temperature in paragraph [08]) of a space (understood to be the space in which refrigerator body 1 is placed Fig. 3) outside the refrigerator, a limit temperature (corresponds to an ambient temperature of 30 degrees Celsius as described in paragraph [08]).
Kawamura teaches the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach “wherein a cooling power of the cooler is a first cooling power when a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is greater than or equal to the limit temperature and the cooling power of the cooler is a second cooling power when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, the first cooling power being greater than the second cooling power, and wherein when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, a heating amount of the heater is varied such that the heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount when an opening degree of a refrigerant valve is a first opening degree, the refrigerant valve being configured to regulate a refrigerant flow, and the heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount when the opening degree of the refrigerant valve is a second opening degree, and the first heating amount being greater than the second heating amount”.
However, Yagi teaches wherein a cooling power (corresponds to the disclosed “cooling capacity” in paragraph [0048]) of a cooler (cooling device 2 Fig. 2 corresponds to the cooler of Kawamura) is a first cooling power (corresponds to the disclosed “high cooling capacity” which is generated when the ambient temperature is high as described in paragraph [0049]) when a temperature (corresponds to the reading of ambient temperature sensor 41 Fig. 3) sensed by a temperature sensor (ambient temperature sensor 41 Fig. 3 corresponds to the temperature sensor of Kawamura) is greater than or equal to a limit temperature (paragraph [0049] where a person skilled in the art would recognize that the temperature threshold set to determine a low or high outside temperature would correspond to the limit temperature of Kawamura) and the cooling power of the cooler is a second cooling power (corresponds to the cooling capacity which is generated when the ambient temperature is low as described in paragraph [0049]) when the temperature is less than the limit temperature (paragraph [0049]), the first cooling power being greater than the second cooling power (paragraph [0049]), and wherein when the temperature is less than the limit temperature (the controlled method illustrated in the table of Fig. 6 is understood to be applied during both the high and low ambient temperature scenarios of paragraph [0049]), a heating amount (corresponds to the heating amount of anti-freeze heater 52 Fig. 3) of a heater (anti-freeze heater 52 Fig. 3 corresponds to the heater of Kawamura) is varied such that the heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount (Ht01 Fig. 6) when an opening degree (corresponds to the opening degree of the disclosed “switching vale” in paragraph [0028]) of a refrigerant valve (disclosed “switching valve” in paragraph [0028]) is a first opening degree (corresponds to the opening degree of the switching valve when the output of compressor 21 is St2 Fig. 6), the refrigerant valve being configured to regulate a refrigerant flow (paragraph [0028] where a person skilled in the art would recognize that switching valve would regulate the flow of the disclosed “refrigerant”), and the heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount (Ht03 Fig. 6) when the opening degree of the refrigerant valve is a second opening degree (corresponds to the opening degree of the switching valve when the output of compressor 21 is St1 Fig. 6), and the first heating amount being greater than the second heating amount (paragraphs [0078] to [0080]) to reduce power consumption (paragraph [0078]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of Kawamura to include “wherein a cooling power of the cooler is a first cooling power when a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is greater than or equal to the limit temperature and the cooling power of the cooler is a second cooling power when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, the first cooling power being greater than the second cooling power, and wherein when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, a heating amount of the heater is varied such that the heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount when an opening degree of a refrigerant valve is a first opening degree, the refrigerant valve being configured to regulate a refrigerant flow, and the heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount when the opening degree of the refrigerant valve is a second opening degree, and the first heating amount being greater than the second heating amount” in view of the teachings of Yagi to reduce power consumption.
The combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to explicitly teach “the first opening degree being greater than the second opening degree”.
However, Yagi teaches a first opening degree (corresponds to the opening degree of switching valve 3 Fig. 17 when the rpm is 1300 where switching valve 3 corresponds to the valve of Yagi) being greater than a second opening degree (corresponds to the opening degree of switching valve 3 Fig. 17 when the rpm is 1200) to increase the cooling capacity (paragraph [0062]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings to include “the first opening degree being greater than the second opening degree” in view of the teachings of Nakatsu to increase the cooling capacity.
Regarding claim 9, the combined teachings teach wherein, in a state in which the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is higher than the limit temperature (corresponds to the high ambient temperature scenario described in paragraph [0049] of Yagi), the heater is operated with a predetermined reference heating amount (Ht1 Fig. 6 of Yagi) regardless of an increase/decrease in a heat transfer amount (Fig. 6 of Yagi where the output of the heater remains Ht1 regardless of the output of compressor 21 during the normal operation) between the cold and the liquid of the cell (paragraph [0044] of Yagi).
Regarding claim 10, the combined teachings teach wherein the heater is operated with the predetermined reference heating amount regardless of an increase/decrease in the opening degree of the refrigerant valve (Fig. 6 of Yagi where the output of the heater remains Ht1 regardless of the output of compressor 21 during the normal operation).
Regarding claim 11, the combined teachings teach wherein, the heating amount of the heater is changed from the first heating amount to the second heating amount, when the opening degree of the refrigerant valve is changed from the first opening degree to the second opening degree (corresponds to when the mode switches from OS2 to OS3 Fig. 6 of Yagi).
Regarding claim 12, the combined teachings teach wherein, the heating amount of the heater is changed from the second heating amount to the first heating amount, when the opening degree of the refrigerant valve is changed from the second opening degree to the first opening degree (corresponds to when the mode switches from OS3 to OS2 Fig. 6 of Yagi).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamura in view of Yagi and Nakatsu as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Boarman.
Regarding claim 8, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to explicitly teach “further comprising: a second tray defining at least another portion of the wall for providing the cell; and a first tray case formed as a separate component from the first tray and coupled to the first tray”.
However, Boarman teaches further comprising: a second tray (first mold portion 402 Fig. 26) defining at least another portion of a wall (lower wall Fig. 26) for providing a cell (cavity 440 Fig. 26 corresponds to the cell of Kawamura); and a first tray case (chill ring cover 504 Fig. 35) formed as a separate component from a first tray (Fig. 35 where chill ring 508 corresponds to the first tray of Kawamura) and coupled to the first tray (Fig. 35) to provide spherical ice pieces (Fig. 26).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings to include “further comprising: a second tray defining at least another portion of the wall for providing the cell; and a first tray case formed as a separate component from the first tray and coupled to the first tray” in view of the teachings of Boarman to provide spherical ice pieces.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamura in view of Yagi and Boarman as applied to claim 14 above, and further in view of An et al. (US 20180187941 A1, herein after referred to as An).
Regarding claim 19, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to explicitly teach “further comprising: a second tray case coupled to the second tray”.
However, An teaches further comprising: a second tray case (first duct 201 Fig. 3) coupled to a second tray (Fig. 3 where ice making tray 210 corresponds to the second tray of Boarman) to provide support (paragraph [0048]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effectively filed date to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings to include “further comprising: a second tray case coupled to the second tray” in view of the teachings of An to provide support.
The combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to explicitly teach “wherein the heater is installed in the second tray case”.
However, Applicant has not disclosed that having “wherein the heater is installed in the second tray case” does anything more than produce the predictable result of providing a transparent ice heater with a case as a cover for the heater. Since it has been held that mere rearrangement of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced, see MPEP 2144.04 VI. C, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings and meet the claimed limitations in order to produce the predictable results of providing a transparent ice heater with a case as a cover for the heater.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 07/20/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding Applicant’s arguments on pages 31-32 that Yagi does not teach or suggest “when the temperature is less than the limit temperature, a heating amount of the heater is varied such that: a heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount when an output of at least one of a fan or the compressor is a first output, and a heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount when the output of at least one of the fan or the compressor is a second output, the first output being greater than the second output and the first heating amount being greater than the second heating amount" as recited in amended claim 1, Examiner disagrees.
For clarity purposes, the above rejection of amended claim 1 is repeated below:
Yagi teaches wherein when a temperature (corresponds to the reading of ambient temperature sensor 41 Fig. 3) is less than a limit temperature (the controlled method illustrated in the table of Fig. 6 is understood to be applied during both the high and low ambient temperature scenarios of paragraph [0049]), a heating amount (corresponds to the heating amount of anti-freeze heater 52 Fig. 3) of a heater (anti-freeze heater 52 Fig. 3) is varied such that the heating amount of the heater is a first heating amount (Ht01 Fig. 6) when an output (corresponds to the output of compressor 21 Fig. 2) of a compressor (compressor 21 Fig. 2) is a first output (St2 Fig. 6), and the heating amount of the heater is a second heating amount (Ht03 Fig. 6) when the output of the compressor is a second output (St1 Fig. 6), the first output being greater than the second output (paragraphs [0078] to [0080]) and the first heating amount being greater than the second heating amount (paragraphs [0078] to [0080]) to reduce power consumption (paragraph [0078]).
Therefore, Applicant’s arguments are not persuasive, and the rejections are maintained.
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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/SAMBA NMN GAYE/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/JERRY-DARYL FLETCHER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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