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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 8/2/2026 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claims 7, 12 are objected to because of the following informalities: in each claim, last line, “modules” should be “module”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2014/103773 to Ishibashi et la (hereinafter Ishibashi) in view of WO 2017/023075 to Jung et al (hereinafter Jung).
Ishibashi discloses (Claim 1). A vacuum adiabatic body comprising (such as shown in Figs. 1-2, 5, 9): a first vacuum adiabatic module 13 and a second vacuum adiabatic module 9, each of the first vacuum adiabatic module and the second vacuum adiabatic module including: an inner cover 15E,15A defining at least a portion of a wall for a first space; an outer cover 14E,14A defining at least a portion of a wall for a second space; a vacuum space 16E provided between the inner cover and the outer cover; wherein the first vacuum adiabatic module 13 includes a first portion having an edge, and the second vacuum adiabatic module 9 includes a second portion coupled to the first portion (such as shown in Fig. 9) and having an edge, the first portion and the second portion defining a corner area of the vacuum adiabatic body; an adiabatic module 28 disposed in the corner area; a first coupling frame 29 that is disposed at a first side of the adiabatic module and connects the first vacuum adiabatic module with the second vacuum adiabatic module; and a second coupling frame 25 that is disposed at a second side of the adiabatic module and connects the first vacuum adiabatic module with the second adiabatic module;
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(Claim 2). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the first vacuum adiabatic module 13 includes a coupling provided in the outer cover 14E of the first vacuum adiabatic module; (Claim 3). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the first vacuum adiabatic module 13 includes a coupling portion that extends from the outer cover 14E of the first vacuum adiabatic module, and wherein the coupling portion is provided in a direction that corresponds to a surface on which the outer cover 14E faces the vacuum space 16E; (Claim 4). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 3, wherein the outer cover 14E of the first vacuum adiabatic module is larger than the inner cover 15E of the first vacuum adiabatic module by the coupling portion; (Claim 5). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 3, wherein the coupling portion includes a first part and a second part extending in a direction away from the outer cover from the first part, and wherein an end of the second part of the coupling portion is spaced a predetermined distance from a portion of the second vacuum adiabatic module; (Claim 6). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling frame 29 is disposed in an inner space defined by the first portion of the first vacuum adiabatic module 13 and the second portion of the second vacuum adiabatic module 9; (Claim 7). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 6, wherein the first coupling frame 29 includes a first part to connect an edge portion of the outer cover of the first vacuum adiabatic module and a second part to connect an edge portion of the outer cover 14E of the second vacuum adiabatic module; (Claim 8). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 6, wherein the first coupling frame 29 includes a part that is provided to overlap at least one of the edge portions of the outer covers 14E,14A of the first and second vacuum adiabatic modules; (Claim 9). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, wherein the second coupling frame 25 is provided to connect the inner cover 15E of the first vacuum adiabatic module with the inner cover of the second vacuum adiabatic module; (Claim 10). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 9, wherein the second coupling frame 25 includes a portion that is provided to overlap an edge portion of the inner cover of at least one of the first vacuum adiabatic module or the second vacuum adiabatic module; (Claim 12). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 9, wherein the second coupling frame 25 includes a first part to connect an edge portion of the inner cover of the first vacuum adiabatic module and a second part to connect an edge portion of the inner cover of the second vacuum adiabatic module; (Claim 13). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 1, wherein the adiabatic module 28 is disposed in a space defined between the first portion of the first vacuum adiabatic module 13 and the second portion of the second vacuum adiabatic module 9, and wherein an adiabatic degree (foamed styrene) of the adiabatic module is less than an adiabatic degree (vacuum) of the first vacuum adiabatic module or the second vacuum adiabatic module; (Claim 15). A vacuum adiabatic body comprising (such as shown in Figs. 1-2, 5, 9): a first vacuum adiabatic module 13; and a second vacuum adiabatic module 9, each of the first vacuum adiabatic module 13 and the second vacuum adiabatic module 9 including: an inner cover 15E,15A defining at least a portion of a wall for a first space; an outer cover 14E,14A defining at least a portion of a wall for a second space; a vacuum space 16 provided between the inner cover and the outer cover; an adiabatic module 28 disposed in a space defined by edges of the first vacuum adiabatic module and the second vacuum adiabatic module; and a coupling frame 29,25 provided to connect the edges of the first vacuum adiabatic module and the second adiabatic module, wherein at least one of edges of the first vacuum adiabatic module or the second vacuum adiabatic module includes a portion that extends in the first direction, wherein the coupling frame 25 includes a first portion 25a that extends in the first direction and a second portion 25a that extends in the second direction, and wherein at least one of the first portion 25a or the second portion 25a is coupled to the adiabatic module 28 (such as shown in Fig. 9); (Claim 16). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 15, wherein the coupling frame includes an inner coupling frame 25 to couple the inner covers 15E,15A of the first vacuum adiabatic module 13 and the second vacuum adiabatic module 9; (Claim 17). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 15, wherein the coupling frame includes an outer coupling frame 29 to couple the outer covers 14E,14A of the first vacuum adiabatic module 13 and the second vacuum adiabatic module 9; (Claim 18). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 15, further comprising: at least one coupling member 27 to couple the adiabatic module 28 with the coupling frame 25; (Claim 19). A vacuum adiabatic body comprising: a first vacuum adiabatic module 13 and a second vacuum adiabatic module 9, each of the first vacuum adiabatic module 13 and the second vacuum adiabatic module 9 including: an inner cover 15E,15A defining at least a portion of a wall for a first space; an outer cover 14E,14A defining at least a portion of a wall for a second space; a vacuum space 16 provided between the inner cover and the outer cover; an adiabatic module 28 disposed in a space defined by edges of the first vacuum adiabatic module and the second vacuum adiabatic module; and a coupling frame 29,25 provided to connect the edges of the first vacuum adiabatic module 13 and the second vacuum adiabatic module 9, wherein the coupling frame includes a first portion 25a that extends in the first direction and a second portion 25a that extends in the second direction, and wherein at least one of the first portion 25a or the second portion 25a is coupled to the adiabatic module 28;
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(Claim 20). The vacuum adiabatic body according to claim 19, further comprising a third vacuum adiabatic module 10, wherein the second vacuum adiabatic module 9 and the third vacuum adiabatic module 10 are coupled to a first edge and a second edge of the first vacuum adiabatic module 13.
The differences being that Ishibashi fails to clearly disclose the limitations in (i) claim 1 of a support configured to maintain an interval of the vacuum space; (ii) claim 15 of a support configured to maintain an interval of the vacuum space, wherein the support of the first vacuum adiabatic module includes a first support plate that is provided on at least one of the inner cover or the outer cover of the first vacuum adiabatic module and extends in a first direction of the vacuum space, wherein the support of the second vacuum adiabatic module includes a second support plate that is provided on at least one of the inner cover or the outer cover of the second vacuum adiabatic module and extends in a second direction of the vacuum space, the second direction being different from the first direction; (iii) claim 19 of a bar that extends in a direction to maintain an interval of the vacuum space, wherein the bar of the first vacuum adiabatic module is a first bar that extends in a first direction of the vacuum space, and the bar of the second vacuum adiabatic module is a second bar that extends in a second direction of the vacuum space, the second direction being different from the first direction; (iv) claims 21-22.
However, Jung discloses a vacuum adiabatic body comprising (such as shown in Figs. 2 and 4(a)-(c)): a first vacuum adiabatic module (Fig. 4(c)) and a second vacuum adiabatic module (fig. 4(a)), each of the first vacuum adiabatic module and the second vacuum adiabatic module including an inner cover 10; an outer cover 20; a vacuum space 50 provided between the inner cover 10 and the outer cover 20; and a support 30 configured to maintain an interval of the vacuum space 50; wherein the support 30 of the first vacuum adiabatic module includes a first bar 31 that extends in a first direction (front-to-back) of the vacuum space 50, and a first support plate 35 that is provided on at least one of the inner cover 10 or the outer cover 20, extends in a second direction (left-to-right) of the vacuum space 50, and connected to the first bar 31, and the support of the second vacuum adiabatic module includes a second bar 31 that extends in the second direction of the vacuum space 50, and a second support plate 35 that is provided on at least one of the inner cover 10 or the outer cover 20, extends in the first direction of the vacuum space, and connected to the second bar 31, the second direction being different from the first direction.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, in view of Jung, to modify Ishibashi to include the limitations in (i) claim 1 of a support configured to maintain an interval of the vacuum space; (ii) claim 15 of a support configured to maintain an interval of the vacuum space, wherein the support of the first vacuum adiabatic module includes a first support plate that is provided on at least one of the inner cover or the outer cover of the first vacuum adiabatic module and extends in a first direction of the vacuum space, wherein the support of the second vacuum adiabatic module includes a second support plate that is provided on at least one of the inner cover or the outer cover of the second vacuum adiabatic module and extends in a second direction of the vacuum space, the second direction being different from the first direction; (iii) claim 19 of a bar that extends in a direction to maintain an interval of the vacuum space, wherein the bar of the first vacuum adiabatic module is a first bar that extends in a first direction of the vacuum space, and the bar of the second vacuum adiabatic module is a second bar that extends in a second direction of the vacuum space, the second direction being different from the first direction; (iv) claims 21-22: claim 21 of wherein the support of the first vacuum adiabatic module includes a first bar that extends in a first direction of the vacuum space, and the support of the second vacuum adiabatic module includes a second bar that extends in a second direction of the vacuum space, the second direction being different from the first direction, and wherein at least one of the first portion or the second portion includes a portion that extends in the second direction; claim 22 of wherein the support of the first vacuum adiabatic module comprises a first support plate provided on at least one of the inner cover or the outer cover of the first vacuum adiabatic module and connected to the first bar, and wherein the support of the second vacuum adiabatic module comprises a second support plate provided on at least one of the inner cover or the outer cover of the second vacuum adiabatic module and connected to the second bar with a reasonable expectation of success in order to increase the overall versatility of the vacuum adiabatic body.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08/02/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to applicant’s arguments on pages 13-14 that Ishibashi fails to disclose or suggest the limitations in (i) claim 1 of the claimed adiabatic module disposed in a corner area; the claimed first coupling frame that is disposed at a first side of the adiabatic module and connects the first vacuum adiabatic module with the second vacuum adiabatic module; and the claimed second coupling frame that is disposed at a second side of the adiabatic module and connects the first vacuum adiabatic module with the second vacuum adiabatic module; (ii) claim 15 of the claimed adiabatic module disposed in a space defined by edges of the first vacuum adiabatic module and the second vacuum adiabatic module, and the claimed coupling frame provided to connect the edges of the first vacuum adiabatic module and the second vacuum adiabatic module, the coupling frame including a first portion that extends in the first direction and a second portion that extends in the second direction, and wherein at least one of the first portion or the second portion is coupled to the adiabatic module; and (iii) claim 19 of the claimed adiabatic module disposed in a space defined by edges of the first vacuum adiabatic module and the second vacuum adiabatic module, and the claimed coupling frame provided to connect the edges of the first vacuum adiabatic module and the second vacuum adiabatic module, the coupling frame including a first portion that extends in the first direction and a second portion that extends in the second direction, and wherein at least one of the first portion or the second portion is coupled to the adiabatic module, the examiner respectfully take the position that (i) the claim language fails to provide adequate structural limitations in defining applicant’s invention in order to distinguish from the prior art of record; and (ii) Ishibashi clearly discloses an adiabatic module 28 disposed in the corner area, as well as first and second coupling frames 29 and 25, as stated in the above-rejections to claims 1, 15, and 19.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HANH VAN TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-6868. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, DANIEL 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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HVT
September 25, 2026
/HANH V TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
