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
The request filed on August 17, 2026 for a Request for Continuing Examination (RCE) under 37 CFR 1.114 is acceptable and an RCE has been established. Any previous finality is hereby withdrawn and a new action on the merits follows. Any newly-submitted claims have been added. An action on the RCE follows.
Drawings
The drawing correction filed August 5, 2026 has been approved.
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.
Claims 1 and 3-13 are 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.
Recitations such as “in a condition that the driving mechanism . . . to open or close the door body” on lines 26-28 of claim 1 render the claims indefinite because the recitation is not accurate. Note that the driving mechanism can drive the linkage gear to rotate without causing the door rotation mechanism to drive the door body to rotate. This situation at least occurs when the door ejection member is being actuated to drive the door body. During this time, the driving mechanism drives the linkage gear to rotate without causing the door rotation mechanism to drive the door body to rotate. It is suggested the applicant further amend claim 1 to specify when the driving mechanism drives the linkage gear to drive the door body to rotate relative to the main body.
Recitations such as “a width of the installation groove” on line 2 of claim 3 render the claims indefinite because it is unclear if the applicant is referring to the width of the installation groove set forth above or is attempting to set forth a width of the installation groove in addition to the one set forth above.
Recitations such as “a width of the door rotation mechanism” on lines 2-3 of claim 3 render the claims indefinite because it is unclear if the applicant is referring to the portion of the door rotation mechanism set forth above or is attempting to set forth another width of the door rotation mechanism in addition to the one set forth above.
Recitations such as “a first abutting-holding surface” on line 2 of claim 4 render the claims indefinite because it is unclear if the applicant is referring to the first abutting-holding surface set forth above or is attempting to set forth another first abutting-holding surface in addition to the one set forth above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 3, 4, 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 111503981.
With respect to claim 1, CN 111503981 discloses a door opening and closing device, for opening a door body 2 (fig. 3) disposed on a main body 1, comprising:
a base 3 (fig. 1);
a driving mechanism 31 (fig. 1);
a linkage gear 34 (fig. 2) rotatably disposed on the base 3 and in transmission connection with the driving mechanism 31 via the gearing 32, 33, 331 (fig. 2);
a door ejection member 37; and
a door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 (fig. 3) disposed between the linkage gear 34 and the base 3 (fig. 1), an end of the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 being connected to the linkage gear 34 via the shaft 361 (fig. 2), another end of the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 being connected to the door body 2 (fig. 3), wherein a side of the linkage gear 34 facing the base 3, as shown in figure 1, is provided with an installation groove 343 (note that the installation groove 343 extends vertically through the gear from a bottom surface thereof to a top surface thereof), the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 being installed in the installation groove (note that the pin 361 is disposed in the installation groove 343 as shown in figure 2) passing through a peripheral surface (labeled below) of the linkage gear 34, and wherein the linkage gear 34 and the base 3 limit the door rotation mechanism from two sides (labeled below) of the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361, the base 3 being disposed close to an opening of the installation groove 343 to prevent the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 from separating from the installation groove 343,
wherein a width of the installation groove 343 is greater than a width of a portion 361 of the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 received in the installation groove 343 as shown in figure 2; the linkage gear 34 includes a first abutting-holding surface (labeled below) disposed on a side wall of the installation groove 343, and when the driving mechanism 31 drives the linkage gear 34 to rotate, the linkage gear 34 first rotates relative to the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 until the first abutting-holding surface abuts against the door rotation mechanism 361; during relative rotation between the linkage gear 34 and the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361, the linkage gear 34 drives the door ejection member 37 to eject the door body 2 before the linkage gear 34 drives the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 to rotate the door body 2; and
in a condition that the driving mechanism 31 drives the linkage gear 34 to rotate, the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 drives the door body 2 to rotate relative to the main body 1, to open or close the door body 2.
With respect to claim 3, a width of the installation groove 343 is greater than a width of the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 since the width of the groove 343 is greater than a diameter of the shaft 361.
With respect to claim 4, wherein the linkage gear 34 has a first abutting-holding surface (labeled below), and wherein in a condition that the driving mechanism 31 drives the linkage gear 34 to rotate, the linkage gear 34 rotates relative to the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 until the first abutting-holding surface abuts against and holds the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 and the linkage gear 34 pushes the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 to rotate to open the door body 2.
With respect to claim 12, the linkage gear 34 has a transmission tooth 342, and wherein the door opening and closing device further comprises a suspension mechanism 35, and wherein the transmission tooth 342, the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 the door ejection member 37 and the suspension mechanism 35 are sequentially disposed on a peripheral surface of the linkage gear 34 and are separated from each other.
With respect to claim 13, CN 111503981 discloses the door opening and closing apparatus as set forth in the rejection of claim 1, wherein the door body 2 being rotatably connected to the main body 1, the door opening and closing device being installed on the main body 1, the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 being connected to the door body 1.
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.
Claims 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 111503981 as applied to claims 1, 3, 4, 12 and 13 above, and further in view of CA 2 524 114. CN 111503981 discloses that the linkage gear 34 further has a second abutting-holding surface (labeled below) spaced apart from the first abutting-holding surface, the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 being disposed between the first abutting-holding surface and the second abutting-holding surface since the shaft 361 of the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 is disposed between the first and second abutting-holding surfaces, but is silent concerning a reset member.
However, CA 2 524 114 discloses a door opening and closing device further comprises a reset member 308 (fig. 10), the reset member 308 being connected to a linkage gear 228 and a door rotation mechanism 304, 232, respectively, and wherein in a condition that the linkage gear 228 stops rotating, the reset member 308 drives the door rotation mechanism 304, 232 to move in a direction away from a first abutting-holding surface (not numbered, but shown in figure 10), to reset the door rotation mechanism 304, 232.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide CN 111503981 with a reset member, as taught by CA 2 524 114 with a reasonable expectation of success to absorb forces without damaging the door opening and closing device. It should be noted that only one spring 308 would be provided to CN 111503981 so that the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 would be reset to the second abutting-holding surface (labeled below).
With respect to claim 6, CN 111503981, as modified above, further discloses a fixing slot (labeled below) being disposed on the linkage gear 34, the reset member 308 from CA 2 524 114 being disposed in the fixing slot.
With respect to claim 7, the first abutting-holding surface and the second abutting-holding surface being disposed on two opposite side walls of the installation groove 343 as shown in figure 2.
Claims 8, 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 111503981 as applied to claims 1, 3, 4, 12 and 13 above, and further in view of Weiss (US 3886425).
CN 111503981 discloses that the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 comprises a front connecting rod 39 and a rear connecting rod 36; a first end of the rear connecting rod 36 is rotatably connected to the linkage gear 34, a second end of the rear connecting rod 36 is rotatably connected to a first end of the front connecting rod 39 as shown in figure 3, a second end of the front connecting rod 39 away from the rear connecting rod 36 is rotatably connected to the door body 2, but is silent concerning the front connecting rod 39 and the rear connecting rod 36 being both disposed between the linkage gear 34 and the base 3.
However, Weiss discloses a front connecting rod 6 and a rear connecting rod 4, wherein both the front and rear connecting rods are disposed below a gear 19 as shown in figures 1, 4 and 5 at least when the door is closed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide the front and rear connecting rods of CN 111503981 with a geometry, as taught by Weiss, with a reasonable expectation of success to reduce the amount of space needed to house the front and rear connecting rods, at least when the door 2 is closed.
With respect to claim 9, Weiss discloses that the rear connecting rod 4 is disposed above the front connecting rod 6. Accordingly, CN 111503981, as modified above, would have the front connecting rod 39 disposed between the rear connecting rod 36 and the base 3 since the front connecting rod 39 would be disposed below the rear connecting rod 36. Additionally, the rear connecting rod 36 would be disposed between the front connecting rod 39 and the linkage gear 34.
With respect to claim 11, CN 111503981 discloses that the door body 2 and the main body 1 are rotatably connected at a first connection point (labeled below), and wherein the front connecting rod 39 and the door body 1 are connected at a second connection point (labeled below), and wherein the rear connecting rod 36 and the front connecting rod 39 are rotatably connected at a third connection point (labeled below), the second connection point and the third connection point being respectively located on two sides of a line (labeled below) connecting the first connection point and a rotation center of the linkage gear (labeled below).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 111503981 in view of Weiss as applied to claims 8, 9 and 11 above, and further in view of Tien (US 11629544). Tien discloses a door opening and closing device comprising a front connecting rod 513 (fig. 22) having a first connecting portion 515, and a rear connecting rod 531 having a second connecting portion 577, one of the first connecting portion 515 and the second connecting portion having a connecting groove (not numbered, but shown in figure 22), the other of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion 577 being engaged into the connecting groove.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide CN 111503981, as modified above, with connection portions, as taught by Tien, with a reasonable expectation of success to more securely attach the front and rear connecting rods together.
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Response to Arguments
The applicant argues that CN 111503981 fails to disclose a two stage opening mechanism that includes a relative rotation stage during which a separate door ejection member is actuated before rotational opening of the door occurs.
This is not found to be persuasive because CN 111503981 discloses a two stage opening mechanism since it discloses both a door ejection member 37 and a rotational opening mechanism 36, 39, 361. Moreover, CN 111503981 discloses that the door ejection member 37 is actuated before the rotational opening of the door occurs. See figures 3 and 4 wherein the rear connecting rod 36 does not move relative to the base 3 while the door 2 is moved via the door ejection member 37. Additionally, CN 111503981 states that:
“when the door is opened, the motor rotates positively; the speed reducing module is decelerated; the clutch wheel tooth on the incomplete gear is engaged with the gear B35; the convex column 361 is matched with the arc-shaped through hole 343 and relative displacement occurs; at this time, the motor driving force acts on the ejection module, and the torsion module is not driven by the motor; the motor circumferential motion is converted into the linear motion of the push rod 37 through the rack 371; push rod 37 the refrigerator door 2 pushing a certain angle until the incomplete gear on the clutch wheel tooth 342 and the gear B35 separation, at the same time, the reset spring 372 under the action of the push rod 37 reset, and the incomplete gear on the arc-shaped through hole 343 against the convex column 361; at this time, the torsion module is driven by the motor to drive the door body 2 to automatically open the door”.
Note that CN 111503981 states that “at this time, the motor driving force acts on the ejection module, and the torsion module is not driven by the motor”. Thus, the door ejection member 37 pushes the door 2 in the open direction without actuating the door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361. The door rotation mechanism 36, 39, 361 is only actuated after the door ejection member has been actuated.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS NOT MADE FINAL.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY J STRIMBU whose telephone number is (571)272-6836. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-4:30 Monday-Friday.
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/GREGORY J STRIMBU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3634
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