DETAILED ACTION
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 8/27/2026. The objections to the drawings have been withdrawn. Claims 2-3, 5-22 remain pending for consideration on the merits.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
Claim(s) 2-3, 7, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al (US 20050072166).
Regarding claim 2, Oh teaches an ice maker (60) comprising: a tray (62) forming an ice chamber (between 62a); and an ejector (120) configured to separate ice from the ice chamber, wherein the ejector (64) comprises an ejector body (64a) and an ejecting pin (64b) extending from a first side of the ejector body (figs. 10-11, same direction as 24b), and wherein a groove (annotated fig. below) is formed in a second side of the ejector body opposite the first side (annotated grove on opposite side of 64b).
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Regarding claim 3, Oh teaches the ejector body extends in a first direction (fig. 10), and wherein the groove is formed along the first direction (annotated fig. above illustrates the groove extends along the shaft).
Regarding claim 7, Lee teaches a connector (attachment of 64a to 21) to which the ejector is connected, and wherein the ejector body comprises a separation prevention protrusion (understood 64a would have a protrusion into 21 to prevent separation) configured to prevent separation from the connector.
Regarding claim 20, Lee teaches a refrigerator (fig. 1) comprising an ice maker of claim 2.
Claim(s) 14, 18, 19, 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al (US 20140182325).
Regarding claim 14, Lee teaches an ice maker (10) comprising: a tray (11, 12) forming an ice chamber (113, 141); an ejector (19) configured to separate ice from the ice chamber; and a connector (22) connected to the ejector, wherein the ejector comprises a separation-prevention protrusion (194) configured to prevent separation from the connector.
Regarding claim 18, Lee teaches the tray comprises: a first tray (11) forming a first chamber (113); and a second tray (12) forming a second chamber (141), wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are combined to form the ice chamber(fig. 8), wherein the second tray moves relative to the first tray (fig. 9), wherein the ejector separates ice from the first chamber (fig. 9), and wherein the connector connects the second tray and the ejector (figs. 1 and 9).
Regarding claim 19, Lee teaches a unit guide defining a guide slot (annotated fig. below) extending in a moving direction of the ejector, wherein the ejector further comprises a guide (annotated fig. below)formed to correspond to a width of the guide slot and inserted into the guide slot (fig. 1).
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Regarding claims 22, Lee teaches a refrigerator (refrigerator, paragraph 0003) comprising an ice maker of claim 14.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6, 8-13, 15-17, 21 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.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 8, the subject matter which is considered to distinguish from the closest prior art of record, Lee et al (US 20140182325). The prior art of record teaches a separation-prevention protrusion in contrast to the claimed features of a rib is formed in the groove of the ejectorbody, wherein the ejector body extends in a first direction, wherein the groove extends in the first direction and wherein the rib comprises a first rib extending as recited in claim 5; the separation-prevention protrusion protrudes in a direction intersecting a direction in which the ejector body extends as recited in claim 8, a separation prevention hole through which the separation prevention protrusion penetrates is formed at the connector, wherein the separation prevention protrusion comprises a first central portion and a protrusion portion protruding in a radial direction of the first central portion, and wherein the separation prevention hole comprises a second central portion and a groove portion formed so as to be recessed in a radial direction of the second central portion as recited in claim 9, the ejector body further comprises a guide disposed adjacent to the separation-prevention protrusion as recited in claim 10, the tray comprises: a first tray forming a first chamber; and a second tray forming a second chamber, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are combined to form the ice chamber, wherein the second tray moves relative to the first tray, wherein the ejector separates ice from the first chamber, and wherein the connector connects the second tray and the ejector as recited in claim 12, a unit guide defining a guide slot configured to guide movement of the ejector body, wherein the ejector body comprises a guide having a width corresponding to a width of the guide slot and inserted into the guide slot as recited in claim 13, the separation prevention protrusion comprises: a first central portion; and a protrusion portion protruding radially outward from the central portion as recited in claim 15, the connector defines a separation prevention hole through which the separation prevention protrusion penetrates, wherein the separation prevention hole comprises: a second central portion; and a groove portion formed so as to be recessed in a radial direction of the second central portion as recited in claim 16, the ejector comprises: an ejector body ; and an ejecting pin extending from the ejector body, wherein the separation prevention protrusion is provided at an end of the ejector body, and wherein the separation prevention protrusion protrudes in a direction intersecting a direction in which the ejector body extends as recited in claim 17.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 2 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant's arguments filed reply have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Further, the teachings disclose all the structural features of the claim including a separating prevention protrusion. Further, Lee clearly shows 194 protrudes through 22. Thus, the combined teachings disclose all the structural features of the claim and are capable of performing the intended use functions. Therefore, Applicant's arguments are not persuasive and the rejection is maintained.
Applicant’s argument that the rejections of dependent claims 7, 18-20 should be withdrawn pursuant to their dependency on independent claim 2 is moot 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIZABETH J MARTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-3840. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-3:00 CT pm M-F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jerry-Daryl Fletcher can be reached at (571) 270-5054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELIZABETH J MARTIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
