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 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.
Claim 2, 11-13, 14-20 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.
Claim 11 uses “said heat insulation board” neither claim 11’s earlier language nor parent claim 1 introduces such a board. Claims 12 and 13 inherit that language. Clarification is appropriate; this draft does not silently substitute “air duct main body” or change the dependency to claim 6.
Claims 14–20 contain related antecedent/singular-plural irregularities, including “said purification cores,” “said locking arm,” and “said mounting bracket.” The intended components can often be understood from context, but the claim branches and dependency must be checked.
Claim 2’s “is configured installed” is preserved as supplied but needs correction.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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, 2, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §102(a)(1) as anticipated by Xu (CN 208398468).
Xu discloses the limitations below:
Claim 1
“A refrigeration appliance, comprising:” ( [0039]; Figs. 1–2).
“a compartment defining a storage space applicable to accommodating articles to be cooled;” ( [0039]–[0040]; Figs. 1–2; liner 1, compartments 5 and 6).
“an air duct module forming an air duct in said compartment, and containing an air duct main body defining said air duct,” ( [0039]–[0044]; Figs. 1, 4–8; assembly 3, foam 9 and back plate 10).
“and an air duct cover installed to one side of said air duct main body facing the storage space;” ( [0044]; Figs. 1 and 5; cover 8, foam 9, back plate 10).
“a purification module, at least partially disposed in said air duct to purify gas flowing through said air duct,” ( [0047]; Figs. 11a–11c; ceramic catalyst 17 in the return-air channel).
“wherein said air duct module is configured to allow said purification module to be installed to said air duct cover from one side of said air duct main body facing away from said air duct cover in a state where said air duct main body and said air duct cover are assembled with each other.” ( [0044], [0047]; Figs. 5, 11a–11c and 12; parts 8–10, 17, 39 and 40).
Claim 2
“said purification module is configured installed to said air duct cover from said side of said air duct main body facing away from said air duct cover in a direction perpendicular to a main plane of said air duct cover.” ( [0047]; Figs. 5 and 11a–11c; catalyst 17, cover 8, buckles 39, ribs 40).
Claim 22
“said air duct module is detachably installed in said compartment;” ( [0039]; Figs. 3a–3b; assembly 3, screw 20, retaining features 29 and 30).
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.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. §103 as unpatentable over Xu in view of Lu (CN 214095087)
Claim 14
Xu teaches
“said air duct cover has mounting brackets;” ( [0047]; Figs. 11a–11c; cover 8, retaining buckles 39 and ribs 40).
“said purification module contains” ( [0047]; catalyst block 17).
“with a purification function,” ( [0047]; catalyst block 17).
Xu supplies the purifier and the purification function, but does not establish a plurality of cores housed in a separate purification bracket.
Xu also does not teach the alternative “locking arms for locking to said mounting brackets of said air duct cover to install said purification module to said air duct cover.”
Lu teaches
“said purification cores” ( [0005]–[0006], [0042]; Figs. 1–3, 11–12; two photocatalyst elements B).
“a purification bracket applicable to holding said purification cores, wherein said purification bracket has:” (R2 [0041]–[0042]; Figs. 1–2; holder A).
“at least one accommodating cavity formed therein, applicable to accommodating said purification cores, a quantity of said at least one accommodating cavity being greater than or equal to that of said purification cores;” ( [0006], [0042]; Figs. 1–3 and 11–12; paired core-receiving spaces with grooves A3, one per element B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention and with a reasonable expectation of success to package the purification material of Xu as two core pieces in a two-cavity holder patterned on A/A3 of Lu. Size the holder for the existing exposed rear catalyst seat and retain it with the cover-mounted retainers 39/40, leaving the rear approach unobstructed as it would
use the holder to retain and handle the cores as one replaceable assembly and to facilitate servicing, consistent with Lu [0015] and [0039].
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. §103 as unpatentable over Xu alone.
Claim 25
Xu discloses:
“A method of making a refrigeration appliance, which comprises the steps of:” ( [0039], [0044], [0046]–[0047]; Figs. 1 and 5; refrigerator assembly disclosure).
“providing an air duct module having an air duct main body defining an air duct, and an air duct cover installed to the air duct main body;” ( [0044]; Figs. 4–8; assembly 3, cover 8, foam 9 and back plate 10).
“installing a purification module to the air duct cover from one side of the air duct main body facing away from the air duct cover” ( [0047]; Figs. 5 and 11a–11c; block 17 secured to 8 by 39/40; depicted rear-facing seat).
XU does not expressly state when that installation is performed relative to assembling 8–10.
“the purification module being at least partially located in the air duct.” ( [0047]; catalyst 17 in the return-air channel).
Xu [0046] additionally identifies late-stage installation of decorative sheet 7 as a way to reduce assembly/transport damage.
Xu does not teach “in a state where the air duct main body and the air duct cover are assembled with each other,”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention and with a reasonable expectation of success to first assemble duct-forming parts 9/10 to cover 8, then insert block 17 from the exposed rear side into cover retainers 39/40, before installing assembly 3 in the refrigerator liner as the rear-access geometry permits independent installation of block 17. A POSITA would defer fitting that exposed ceramic part until after handling and assembling the larger duct pieces, reducing opportunities for handling damage while preserving access to its seat.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3
The added limitation requires purifier installation into or through mounting holes formed in the duct main body. Xu’s exposed lower catalyst seat (Figs. 5, 11a–11c) does not establish that hole-based arrangement. Lu [0042]–[0044] instead installs its module into duct E before fitting cover D. The reviewed references do not establish the claimed combination or a supported modification to it.
Claim 4
Xu supplies cover-mounted retainers, but the reviewed art does not establish “said air duct main body has mounting holes formed therein;” together with “said air duct cover has mounting brackets extending into said mounting holes;”. The distinguishing feature is this spatial relationship within the claim 1 assembly, not the existence of a bracket alone.
Claim 6
The art does not establish the quoted first-through-hole arrangement with either permitted installation branch: the purifier extending into those holes from the rear, or cover-mounted brackets extending into those holes. No complete rejection follows merely by combining insulation with a known purifier.
Claim 8
The quoted recess must occur in the heat-insulation board of the inherited installation arrangement and be opposite the purifier in the specified direction. Xu [0045], Fig. 9, concerns a damper recess 31, not this purifier relationship. R4 [0120], Figs. 4–6, concerns purification-channel portion 61 behind its insulator; it does not establish the parent claim 6 arrangement. The reviewed art does not establish the claimed combination.
Claim 11
The distinction is the quoted second-through-hole installation relationship. Xu [0048], Fig. 12, provides harness exit 41 and wire-retaining features 42/43, not an aperture for installing purifier 17 to cover 8. Rear exposure below the body does not establish a through-hole formed in the back plate. The reviewed art does not fill this gap.
Claim 15
The reviewed art does not establish “said mounting brackets include a first mounting bracket and a second mounting bracket engaged to said first locking arm and said second locking arm, respectively.” in the inherited claim 1 rear-installable assembly. The claim 14 modification adds core cavities while retaining cover-side fastening.
Claim 19
The reviewed art does not establish the quoted locking opening in a cover mounting bracket together with a purifier-arm hook entering that opening parallel to the cover plane in the parent assembly. Xu [0046] describes hole 37 and latch 38 for decorative panel 7, a different attachment. Lu [0042] connects purifier jaws to duct grooves E2, not the required cover brackets. No complete additional combination is established.
Claim 20
The reviewed art does not establish the quoted rear-wall arrangement with an arm overhanging toward the storage space, complete rear coverage of the cores, or abutment by the cover brackets against the core-facing side of that wall.
Claim 21
The reviewed art does not establish the remainder of the quoted limitation: a concave compartment-wall portion accommodating and opposite the purification module, dented away from that module. General liner walls, shelf features, or evaporator clearances are not an identified mapping to the specified purifier accommodation.
Claim 23
The distinguishing limitation is the exact projected cover/insulation/purifier relationship quoted above. Claim 23 has no rear-installation requirement, so the claim 1 discussion cannot establish its patentability. Neither an anticipation mapping nor a supported modification yielding the claimed overlap was established in the reviewed references. A generic desire to insulate the cover does not alone identify where insulation must overlap the purifier.
Claim 24
The distinguishing feature is the quoted, purifier-aligned back-plate through-hole configured for installation to the cover. The reviewed references do not establish that feature in the claimed assembly, alone or by a supported combination. Rear accessibility around a body edge is sufficient for the proposed broad claim 1 ground, but does not establish this additional aperture.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2010/0199706 A1 — Air filter and refrigeration device with an air filter
AU 2018388888 A1 — Refrigerator with air filter bracket
US 11,771,795 B2 — Air purification module and refrigerator comprising same
CN 207515327 U
CN 213873367 U
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/JUSTIN M. BENEDIK/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3642
/JUSTIN M BENEDIK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642
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