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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a), as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
With respect to claim 17: The specification at [0043] states:
The edge protection element 8 is formed, in particular, as a printed edge protection element 8. The edge protection element can be, for example, a screen-printed edge protection element or a pad-printed edge protection element or a digitally printed edge protection element.
The pad-printing, digital printing, and screen-printing are alternative means for forming the edge protection element 8. Claim 17 combines screen-printing with pad-printing or digital printing as the means for forming the edge protection element, and this constitutes new matter.
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.
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) 16-17, 20, 22, 24-30 and 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP 2 960 605 A1 (Becke) in view of US 7,242,393 B2 (Caldwell) and WO 2007/040941 A1 (Borowiec).
With respect to claim 16: Becke discloses a shelf (glass shelf 6) for items to be stored in a household refrigerator (Fig. 1), the shelf comprising: a base plate (glass shelf 6) having an outer edge (perimeter edge of shelf 6, including leading edge 8 and trailing edge 9); and an edge protection element (shock-absorbing layer 7, lacquer layer 7a) disposed at least in some regions on said outer edge (“The lacquer layer 7a may at least partially or completely cover a planar middle section of the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6 and at least one side edge of the glass shelf 6, in particular the front edge 8 and / or a trailing edge 9 of the glass shelf 6. Deviating from the illustration according to Fig. 2 Thus, the lacquer layer 7a may extend around the front edge 8 and / or a rear edge 9 of the glass shelf 6, as for example for the second embodiment in the form of a storage mat 7b as a layer 7 in FIG Fig. 3 is shown.”); said edge protection element disposed in a non-releasable manner (“applied undetachably”) on said outer edge and being formed as a printed edge protection element (“the lacquer layer 7a may also be in a screen printing process be applied”).
Becke does not disclose “said edge protection element being at least in some regions a pad-printed edge protection element or a digitally printed edge protection element” as claimed.
Becke teaches:
In the case of the first embodiment of the glass shelf 6, the shock-absorbing layer 7 is formed by a coating layer 7a applied to the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6. The lacquer layer 7a can be applied by spraying onto the support surface 6a wet and hardened or dried there. Alternatively, the lacquer layer 7a may also be applied by a roller. In a further variant, the lacquer layer 7a may also be in a screen printing process be applied. In general, the lacquer layer 7a can also be applied in other application methods known per se to the person skilled in the art.
Becke is open to modifying the means of applying the lacquer later 7a in order to form the shock-absorbing layer 7.
Caldwell Fig. 1 shows a decorative layer 10 on a substrate 20. The substrate 20 may be glass (“Substrate 20 may be a printed wiring board, as in FIG. 1, made of, for example, FR-R or CEM. Alternatively, substrate 20 may be made of glass, plastic or any suitable dielectric material.”). Caldwell states:
Also, "decorative layer" refers generally to a decoration applied to substrate 20. Such decoration can be applied using, for example, screen printing, spray coating, ink jet printing, pad printing, dip coating or hot stamping techniques, or using, for example, an adhesive to affix a preprinted carrier, such as a decal or decorated film, to touched side 40. In the latter case, the decorative layer could be created off-line and applied to the touch sensor subassembly as an overlay. Other methods of decoration are feasible as well. Also, any combination of these methods of decorating substrate 20 may be used, according to the requirements of the application. These decorating techniques are appropriate for the embodiments depicted in all of the following drawings as well.
Borowiec Fig. 2 shows graphic components 282, 282 printed on a film 230. Borowiec states:
The graphic component(s) 280, 282 may be any of a variety of designs, including letters, words, numbers, aesthetic images, borders, symbols and/or the like. The graphic component(s) may be applied via any of a variety of techniques including screen printing, pad printing, sublimation, laser printing, digital offset printing, lithography, offset printing, ink jet printing, digital ink jet printing, digital offset printing, heat transfer printing, and so forth.
The combination of Becke, Caldwell, and Borowiec show that screen printing, digital ink jet printing, digital offset printing, and pad printing are known alternative and/or functionally-equivalent means of printing. Becke specifically does not limit the means of forming the lacquer layer 7a, and suggests using alternative known methods.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Becke’s lacquer layer 7a in at least some regions to be applied via pad printing, digital ink jet printing, or digital offset printing – as an obvious and functionally-equivalent variation of the screen printing method disclosed by Becke.
Further with respect to the claim limitations “being formed as a printed edge protection element; and said edge protection element being at least in some regions a pad-printed edge protection element or a digitally printed edge protection element”, this is best understood as a product-by-process claim recitation.
“[E]ven though product-by-process claims are lim-ited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patent-ability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process.” In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985).
The Applicant’s disclosure states that pad-printing, digital printing, and screen-printing are all suitable means of forming the edge protection element. Ergo, the claimed “pad-printed” or “digitally printed” process of forming the claimed “edge protection element” does not yield a patentable distinction over the prior art product of Becke’s shelf having layer 7a made by screen printing.
With respect to claim 17: Becke, as modified, meets wherein said edge protection element is at least in some regions a screen-printed edge protection element (“the lacquer layer 7a may also be in a screen printing process be applied”).
With respect to claim 20: Becke, as modified, meets wherein said edge protection element has a front face which is curved (due to the rounded front edge 8 and rounded trailing edge 9 and/or like the end portion 11 of Fig. 3).
With respect to claim 22: Becke, as modified, meets wherein said edge protection element is structured on its front face (structured to correspond to the rounded front edge 8).
With respect to claim 24: Becke, as modified, meets wherein said edge protection element is configured at least in some regions to be soft-elastic (“the layer is selected in terms of its thickness and its softness or elasticity of the known per se material”; “shock-absorbing”; “made of a silicone material or other elastomer or other plastic”).
With respect to claim 25: Becke, as modified, meets wherein said base plate is made of glass (“glass shelf 6”).
With respect to claim 26: Becke, as modified, meets wherein the shelf is a compartment shelf (shelf 6 is used in a compartment as shown in Becke Fig. 1).
With respect to claim 27: Becke, as modified, meets wherein said edge protection element has elastic, shock-absorbing properties (“the layer is selected in terms of its thickness and its softness or elasticity of the known per se material”; “shock-absorbing”; “made of a silicone material or other elastomer or other plastic”).
With respect to claim 28: Becke, as modified, meets wherein said front face is curved in a convex manner (in that rounded front edge 8 is convex).
With respect to claim 29: By making the same combinations and modifications as in the rejections above, Becke in view of Caldwell and Borowiec meets a shelf (glass shelf 6) for items to be stored in a household refrigerator (Fig. 1), the shelf comprising: a base plate (glass shelf 6) having an outer edge (perimeter edge of shelf 6, including leading edge 8 and trailing edge 9); and an edge protection element (the modified shock-absorbing layer 7, lacquer layer 7a) disposed at least in some regions on said outer edge (“The lacquer layer 7a may at least partially or completely cover a planar middle section of the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6 and at least one side edge of the glass shelf 6, in particular the front edge 8 and / or a trailing edge 9 of the glass shelf 6. Deviating from the illustration according to Fig. 2 Thus, the lacquer layer 7a may extend around the front edge 8 and / or a rear edge 9 of the glass shelf 6, as for example for the second embodiment in the form of a storage mat 7b as a layer 7 in FIG Fig. 3 is shown.”), said edge protection element disposed in a non-releasable manner (“applied undetachably”) on said outer edge (“the lacquer layer 7a may also be in a screen printing process be applied”) and formed as a soft-elastic edge protection element (“the layer is selected in terms of its thickness and its softness or elasticity of the known per se material”; “shock-absorbing”; “made of a silicone material or other elastomer or other plastic”), said edge protection element being formed as a printed edge protection element (screen printed, pad printed, digital ink jet printed, and/or digital offset printed), and said edge protection element being at least in some regions a pad-printed edge protection element (pad printing disclosed by Caldwell and Borowiec) or a digitally printed edge protection element (digital ink jet and offset printing disclosed by Borowiec, ink jet printing disclosed by Caldwell).
With respect to claim 30: By making the same combinations and modifications as in the rejections above, Becke in view of Caldwell and Borowiec meets a household refrigerator (“household refrigerating appliance”; refrigerator 1), comprising: a housing (body 2) defining a receiving space (inner container 3) for food; and at least one said shelf (glass shelf 6) disposed in said receiving space (Fig. 1), said at least one shelf containing: a base plate (glass shelf 6) having an outer edge (perimeter edge of shelf 6, including leading edge 8 and trailing edge 9); and an edge protection element (the modified shock-absorbing layer 7, lacquer layer 7a) disposed at least in some regions on said outer edge (“The lacquer layer 7a may at least partially or completely cover a planar middle section of the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6 and at least one side edge of the glass shelf 6, in particular the front edge 8 and / or a trailing edge 9 of the glass shelf 6. Deviating from the illustration according to Fig. 2 Thus, the lacquer layer 7a may extend around the front edge 8 and / or a rear edge 9 of the glass shelf 6, as for example for the second embodiment in the form of a storage mat 7b as a layer 7 in FIG Fig. 3 is shown.”), said edge protection element disposed in a non-releasable manner (“applied undetachably”) on said outer edge and being formed as a printed edge protection element (“the lacquer layer 7a may also be in a screen printing process be applied”; and/or the printing methods disclosed by Caldwell and Borowiec), said edge protection element being at least in some regions a pad-printed edge protection element (pad printing disclosed by Caldwell and Borowiec) or a digitally printed edge protection element (digital ink jet and offset printing disclosed by Borowiec, ink jet printing disclosed by Caldwell).
With respect to claim 32: By making the same combinations and modifications as in the rejections above, Becke in view of Caldwell and Borowiec meets a method for producing a shelf (glass plate 6) for items to be stored in a household refrigerator (refrigerator 1), which comprises the steps of: printing an edge protection element (the modified shock-absorbing layer 7, lacquer layer 7a) in a non-releasable manner (“the lacquer layer 7a may also be in a screen printing process be applied”) at least in some regions onto an outer edge (perimeter edge of shelf 6, including leading edge 8 and trailing edge 9) of a base plate of the shelf (glass plate 6) by a pad-printing method or a digital printing method (“The lacquer layer 7a may at least partially or completely cover a planar middle section of the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6 and at least one side edge of the glass shelf 6, in particular the front edge 8 and / or a trailing edge 9 of the glass shelf 6. Deviating from the illustration according to Fig. 2 Thus, the lacquer layer 7a may extend around the front edge 8 and / or a rear edge 9 of the glass shelf 6, as for example for the second embodiment in the form of a storage mat 7b as a layer 7 in FIG Fig. 3 is shown.”; “the lacquer layer 7a may also be in a screen printing process be applied”). See Caldwell and Borowiec for pad printing. See Borowiec for digital ink jet and offset printing. See Caldwell for ink jet printing.
Claim(s) 21 and 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP 2 960 605 A1 (Becke) in view of US 7,242,393 B2 (Caldwell) and WO 2007/040941 A1 (Borowiec) as applied to claim 30 above, and further in view of DE 10 2015 214 273 A1 (Staud).
With respect to claim 21: Becke does not disclose “wherein said edge protection element has a height which corresponds to a height of said outer edge” as claimed.
Staud Fig. 6 shows an edge protection element 7 that has the same height as the edge of the shelf to which it is attached.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the shock-absorbing layer 7 to be on the edge of the shelf and the same height as the edge of the shelf, because Staud shows it is known in the art to provide an edge protection means in that location.
With respect to claim 31: Becke does not disclose “wherein said at least one shelf is disposed in said receiving space in a releasable manner” as claimed.
Becke states “glass shelves 6 can be mounted either fixed or extendable in the inner container 3 with a variety of known to those skilled in the art, not shown holders, rails, grooves, straps and / or extracts”.
Staud Fig. 1 shows refrigerated goods carriers (shelves) 5 made of a glass plate 6, and releasably mounted on support contours 4 of a refrigerated storage room 3. The carriers 5 “can be mounted at different heights” using the various support contours 4.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Becke’s inner container 3 to have Staud’s support contours 4 thereon, in order to enable Becke’s shelves 6 to be mounted at different, user-selectable heights within the inner container 3.
Claim(s) 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP 2 960 605 A1 (Becke) in view of US 7,242,393 B2 (Caldwell) and WO 2007/040941 A1 (Borowiec) as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of KR 10-2021-0035137 A (Koo) and CN 111912166 A (Chen).
With respect to claim 23: Becke does not disclose “wherein said edge protection element has a metallic or ceramic appearance” as claimed.
Koo discloses a ceramic printed layer 5417 that is printed on a glass layer 5413. Chen discloses metal ink screen printing on decorative glass 23, 33 to thereby match the appearance, texture, and colour of the adjacent metal refrigerator door frame.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Becke’s lacquer layer 7a to be metallic or ceramic, in order to match the appearance, texture, and/or colour of the shock-absorbing layer 7 and/or the shelf 6 to a metal-bodied refrigerator.
Claim(s) 16-17, 20-22, and 24-32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 10 2015 214 273 A1 (Staud) in view of EP 2 960 605 A1 (Becke), US 7,242,393 B2 (Caldwell) and WO 2007/040941 A1 (Borowiec).
With respect to claim 16: Staud discloses a shelf (refrigerated goods carrier 5) for items to be stored in a household refrigerator (Fig. 1), the shelf comprising: a base plate (glass plate 6) having an outer edge (perimeter edge of plate 6, including leading edge 8); and an edge protection element (edge protection element 7) disposed at least in some regions on said outer edge (Figs. 2-9).
Staud does not disclose “said edge protection element disposed in a non-releasable manner on said outer edge and being formed as a printed edge protection element; and said edge protection element being at least in some regions a pad-printed edge protection element or a digitally printed edge protection element” as claimed.
Staud teaches that the edge protection element 7 made of “metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, or a hard plastic” (Figs. 2-4), “preferably solid metal” (Fig. 5), “reasonably stiff material” (Fig. 6), a base of relatively hard material such as plastic and an outer part 25 “soft and moderately compliant” and/or “rubber elastic slightly yielding material” (Fig. 7), and clear, colorless, molded plastic (Figs. 8-9).
Staud Fig. 10 shows the process of machining the glass plate 6 with grinding wheels 9 in order to form the recesses 10 of groove 21 needed to attach the edge protection element (as in Staud Figs. 2-9).
Becke teaches:
In the case of the first embodiment of the glass shelf 6, the shock-absorbing layer 7 is formed by a coating layer 7a applied to the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6. The lacquer layer 7a can be applied by spraying onto the support surface 6a wet and hardened or dried there. Alternatively, the lacquer layer 7a may also be applied by a roller. In a further variant, the lacquer layer 7a may also be in a screen printing process be applied. In general, the lacquer layer 7a can also be applied in other application methods known per se to the person skilled in the art.
Becke is open to modifying the means of applying the lacquer later 7a in order to form the shock-absorbing layer 7.
Caldwell Fig. 1 shows a decorative layer 10 on a substrate 20. The substrate 20 may be glass (“Substrate 20 may be a printed wiring board, as in FIG. 1, made of, for example, FR-R or CEM. Alternatively, substrate 20 may be made of glass, plastic or any suitable dielectric material.”). Caldwell states:
Also, "decorative layer" refers generally to a decoration applied to substrate 20. Such decoration can be applied using, for example, screen printing, spray coating, ink jet printing, pad printing, dip coating or hot stamping techniques, or using, for example, an adhesive to affix a preprinted carrier, such as a decal or decorated film, to touched side 40. In the latter case, the decorative layer could be created off-line and applied to the touch sensor subassembly as an overlay. Other methods of decoration are feasible as well. Also, any combination of these methods of decorating substrate 20 may be used, according to the requirements of the application. These decorating techniques are appropriate for the embodiments depicted in all of the following drawings as well.
Borowiec Fig. 2 shows graphic components 282, 282 printed on a film 230. Borowiec states:
The graphic component(s) 280, 282 may be any of a variety of designs, including letters, words, numbers, aesthetic images, borders, symbols and/or the like. The graphic component(s) may be applied via any of a variety of techniques including screen printing, pad printing, sublimation, laser printing, digital offset printing, lithography, offset printing, ink jet printing, digital ink jet printing, digital offset printing, heat transfer printing, and so forth.
The combination of Becke, Caldwell, and Borowiec show that screen printing, digital ink jet printing, digital offset printing, and pad printing are known alternative and/or functionally-equivalent means of printing. Becke specifically does not limit the means of forming the lacquer layer 7a, and suggests using alternative known methods.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Staud’s edge protection element 7 to be printed on the edge of the glass plate 6, in order to preclude the need for machining the glass plate 6 for attachment of the edge protection element 7 and/or to prevent unwanted detachment of the edge protection element 7 from the glass plate 6 (by being “applied undetachably”). The combination of Becke, Caldwell, and Borowiec make obvious pad printing or digital printing as claimed.
With respect to claim 17: Becke discloses wherein said edge protection element is at least in some regions a screen-printed edge protection element (“the lacquer layer 7a may also be in a screen printing process be applied”). Caldwell and Borowiec also disclose screen printing.
With respect to claim 20: Staud, as modified, meets wherein said edge protection element has a front face which is curved (similarly to Staud Fig. 5 showing part 7 with a curved outer portion; Staud Fig. 6 showing leg 24 with curved corners/ends; and/or Staud Fig. 7 at portion 25).
With respect to claim 21: Staud, as modified, meets wherein said edge protection element has a height which corresponds to a height of said outer edge (similarly to Staud Fig. 6).
With respect to claim 22: Staud, as modified, meets discloses wherein said edge protection element is structured on its front face (similarly to any of Staud Figs. 5-7).
With respect to claim 24: Becke discloses wherein said edge protection element is configured at least in some regions to be soft-elastic (“the layer is selected in terms of its thickness and its softness or elasticity of the known per se material”; “shock-absorbing”; “made of a silicone material or other elastomer or other plastic”).
With respect to claim 25: Staud discloses wherein said base plate is made of glass (“glass plate 6”).
With respect to claim 26: Staud discloses wherein the shelf is a compartment shelf (Fig. 1).
With respect to claim 27: Becke discloses wherein said edge protection element has elastic, shock-absorbing properties (“the layer is selected in terms of its thickness and its softness or elasticity of the known per se material”; “shock-absorbing”; “made of a silicone material or other elastomer or other plastic”).
With respect to claim 28: Staud, as modified, meets wherein said front face is curved in a convex manner (similarly to any of Staud Figs. 5-7).
With respect to claim 29: The same combination of prior art used above meets a shelf (glass plate 6, as modified) for items to be stored in a household refrigerator (Staud Fig. 1), the shelf comprising: a base plate (glass plate 6) having an outer edge (perimeter edge of plate 6, including leading edge 8); and an edge protection element (edge protection element 7, as modified to be printed onto plate 6) disposed at least in some regions on said outer edge (similarly to Staud’s figures, also as in Becke’s disclosure), said edge protection element disposed in a non-releasable manner on said outer edge and formed as a soft-elastic edge protection element (as disclosed by Becke), said edge protection element being formed as a printed edge protection element (screen printed, pad printed, digital ink jet printed, and/or digital offset printed), and said edge protection element being at least in some regions a pad-printed edge protection element (pad printing disclosed by Caldwell and Borowiec) or a digitally printed edge protection element (digital ink jet and offset printing disclosed by Borowiec, ink jet printing disclosed by Caldwell).
With respect to claim 30: The same combination of prior art used above meets a household refrigerator, comprising: a housing (Staud’s body 1) defining a receiving space for food (storage room 3); and at least one said shelf (glass plate 6, as modified) disposed in said receiving space (Staud Fig. 1), said at least one shelf containing: a base plate (glass plate 6) having an outer edge (perimeter edge of plate 6, including leading edge 8); and an edge protection element (edge protection element 7, as modified to be printed onto plate 6) disposed at least in some regions on said outer edge, said edge protection element disposed in a non-releasable manner on said outer edge and being formed as a printed edge protection element (as disclosed by Becke), said edge protection element being at least in some regions a pad-printed edge protection element (pad printing disclosed by Caldwell and Borowiec) or a digitally printed edge protection element (digital ink jet and offset printing disclosed by Borowiec, ink jet printing disclosed by Caldwell).
With respect to claim 31: Staud discloses wherein said at least one shelf is disposed in said receiving space in a releasable manner (via the support contours 4).
With respect to claim 32: The same combination of prior art used above meets a method for producing a shelf (glass plate 6, as modified) for items to be stored in a household refrigerator (Staud Fig. 1), which comprises the steps of: printing an edge protection element (edge protection element 7, as modified to be printed onto plate 6) in a non-releasable manner at least in some regions onto an outer edge of a base plate of the shelf by a pad-printing method or a digital printing method (“The lacquer layer 7a may at least partially or completely cover a planar middle section of the support surface 6a of the glass shelf 6 and at least one side edge of the glass shelf 6, in particular the front edge 8 and / or a trailing edge 9 of the glass shelf 6. Deviating from the illustration according to Fig. 2 Thus, the lacquer layer 7a may extend around the front edge 8 and / or a rear edge 9 of the glass shelf 6, as for example for the second embodiment in the form of a storage mat 7b as a layer 7 in FIG Fig. 3 is shown.”; “the lacquer layer 7a may also be in a screen printing process be applied”). See Caldwell and Borowiec for pad printing. See Borowiec for digital ink jet and offset printing. See Caldwell for ink jet printing.
Claim(s) 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 10 2015 214 273 A1 (Staud) in view of EP 2 960 605 A1 (Becke), US 7,242,393 B2 (Caldwell) and WO 2007/040941 A1 (Borowiec) as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of KR 10-2021-0035137 A (Koo) and CN 111912166 A (Chen).
With respect to claim 23: Becke does not disclose “wherein said edge protection element has a metallic or ceramic appearance” as claimed.
Koo discloses a ceramic printed layer 5417 that is printed on a glass layer 5413. Chen discloses metal ink screen printing on decorative glass 23, 33 to thereby match the appearance, texture, and colour of the adjacent metal refrigerator door frame.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Becke’s lacquer layer 7a to be metallic or ceramic, in order to match the appearance, texture, and/or colour of the shock-absorbing layer 7 and/or the shelf 6 to a metal-bodied refrigerator.
Response to Arguments
The Applicant’s latest arguments are rendered moot, as being drawn to grounds of rejection which are no longer relied upon in this Office action. The latest claim amendments necessitate the new claim rejections made in this Office action.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW ROERSMA whose telephone number is (571)270-3185. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-4:00.
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/ANDREW ROERSMA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
