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 § 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.
Claim(s) 16-20 & 26-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et al. (US patent application publication 2010/0320890) (hereinafter Jung) in view of Hall (US patent application publication 2010/0220460).
Regarding claim 16, Jung discloses a household refrigeration appliance, comprising: a main body formed with: a first storage chamber (12) for storing foodstuffs; and a second storage chamber (13) for storing foodstuffs below said first storage chamber; at least one first drawer door (20c) configured to selectively open or close said first storage chamber; at least one second drawer door (20d) configured to selectively open or close said second storage chamber; and a light unit (82) disposed at a lower wall of said first drawer door facing said second storage chamber so as to direct light towards said second storage chamber, when said second drawer door is in an open position and in which said second storage chamber is accessible from outside (Fig. 3 & see [0066]); said lower wall of said first drawer door having a first surface (front in Fig. 3) facing outward, a second surface (opposite surface) facing inward, and a connection region (bottom surface, see Fig. 3).
Jung does not disclose a connection opening through which one or more connection cables of said light unit pass; said light unit having a light module disposed on said outward-facing first surface of said lower wall and a reinforcement part disposed on said inward-facing second surface of said lower wall of said first drawer door; and said light module and said reinforcement part being disposed at said connection region of said lower wall with the connection opening for the one or more connection cables of said light unit.
Hall teaches a connection opening (73) through which one or more connection cables of said light unit pass; said light unit having a light module (75) disposed on said outward-facing first surface of said lower wall and a reinforcement part (77) disposed on said inward-facing second surface of said lower wall of said first drawer door; and said light module and said reinforcement part being disposed at said connection region of said lower wall with the connection opening for the one or more connection cables of said light unit (Fig. 7). As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effecting filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung to include a connection opening through which one or more connection cables of said light unit pass; said light unit having a light module disposed on said outward-facing first surface of said lower wall and a reinforcement part disposed on said inward-facing second surface of said lower wall of said first drawer door; and said light module and said reinforcement part being disposed at said connection region of said lower wall with the connection opening for the one or more connection cables of said light unit, because this arrangement would have replaced one known light unit with another known light unit yielding a predictable result.
Regarding claim 17, Jung, as modified, teaches an appliance wherein said connection region is disposed at a center portion of said lower wall extending along a width direction of said first drawer door (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 18, Jung, as modified, teaches an appliance wherein said light module comprises a module housing and a circuit board (Hall: 53) with a light source (Hall: 55), provided on said module housing.
Regarding claim 19, Jung, as modified, teaches an appliance wherein a first side of the module housing facing said lower wall is formed with a receiving groove for receiving said circuit board configured with said light source (Hall: Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 20, Jung, as modified, teaches an appliance wherein said module housing is formed with a base opening corresponding to a diffusing member (Hall: 59) configured to diffuse light beams generated by said light source towards said second storage chamber in the open position thereof.
Regarding claim 26, Jung, as modified, teaches an appliance wherein said reinforcement part is a hollow-shaped box through which the one or more connection cables of said light unit pass (Hall: Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 27, Jung, as modified, teaches an appliance wherein said reinforcement part is formed with an entrance opening where the one or more connection cables of said light unit enter into said reinforcement part that is formed as a hollow-shaped box (see the hole in Hall: Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 28, Jung, as modified, teaches the appliance as claimed. Jung, as modified, does not teach an appliance which comprises an adhesive member on at least one of the regions provided between said reinforcement part and said second surface, or between said light module and said first surface. The examiner is taking OFFICIAL NOTICE that adhesive members for securing parts are common and well known in the art. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung, as previously modified, to comprise an adhesive member on at least one of the regions provided between said reinforcement part and said second surface, or between said light module and said first surface, because this arrangement would have replaced one known means for securing with another known means for securing yielding a predictable result.
Regarding claim 29, Jung, as modified, teaches an appliance wherein said at least one first drawer door is one of two first drawer doors for opening and closing said first storage chamber, and wherein each of said first drawer doors has a respective light unit independent from another said light unit for directing the light beams towards the respective second storage chambers (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 30, Jung, as modified, teaches an appliance which comprises a first sensing unit disposed on a portion of said at least one second drawer door and a second sensing unit disposed on said main body, and wherein said first and second sensing units are configured to detect a position of said at least one second drawer door in order to selectively activate or deactivate said light unit with reference to a position of said second storage chamber ([0059-0062]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21-25 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure because it gives a general state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL J ROHRHOFF whose telephone number is (571)270-7624. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dan 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.
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/DANIEL J ROHRHOFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637