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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the Applicant’s specification at [0299] states that virtual line G connects curve point 213 and the rotation shaft X of the door 30, but Applicant’s Fig. 16 shows virtual line G connecting first contact surface 211 and the rotation shaft X of the door 30. Applicant’s Fig. 16 does not show the virtual line G connecting to curve point 213.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 18 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 2, the recitation “a first” should be “the first”. In line 3, the recitation “a second” should be “the second”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4-7, and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2023/0003072 A1 (Eom).
With respect to claim 1: Eom discloses a refrigerator (refrigerator 1), comprising: a main body (housing 10); a door (door 30) rotatably connected to open or close the main body (at least [0074]); a door driver (door opening and closing device 100) configured to automatically rotate the door relative to the main body (at least [0078]); a sensor (Fig. 16: one or more of input button 511 and sensors 320, 530, and 550) disposed at one side of the main body or the door to face in a front direction (at least [0184]-[0193]); memory (memory 591) storing one or more computer programs (“memory 591 configured to store or memorize a program (a plurality of instructions)” @ [0215]); and one or more processors (processor 590) communicatively coupled to the door driver, the sensor, and the memory (at least [0213]-[0215]), wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions (“memory 591 configured to store or memorize a program (a plurality of instructions)” @ [0215]) that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator in a closed state of the door to: determine whether a sensing data value obtained by the sensor is a first threshold value (the “first threshold value” is the distance and/or area covered by the movement path of the left and/or right door 30) or less, control the door driver to open the door relative to the main body at a first designated angle based on determining that the sensing data value is the first threshold value or less (Fig. 33: Step 1740 of partially opening the left and/or right door when a user is located within the movement path of the left and/or right door; Fig. 34: the left door 30; Fig. 36: Step 1850 of partially opening the door), and control the door driver to open the door relative to the main body at a second designated angle larger than the first designated angle based on determining that the sensing data value exceeds the first threshold value ([0431]-[0434]: fully opening the left and/or right door when a user is not located within the movement path of the left and/or right door; Fig. 34: the right door 34; Fig. 35: the left door 30 and the right door 30; Fig. 36: Steo 1835 of fully opening the door).
With respect to claim 4: Eom discloses wherein the sensor includes: a first sensor (input button 511; see Applicant’s [0247] for first sensor 710 as a touch sensor) disposed on one side of the main body or the door to face in the front direction to identify an external object ([0174]: when control panel 510 that includes button 511 is on the outside of door 30a), and a second sensor (Fig. 16: sensor 531 and/or 532) disposed on one side of the door to face in the front direction to sense a distance (at least [0186]-[0192]) based on identifying the external object by the first sensor (Fig. 33: when a user’s touch is detected at input button 511 and Step 1710, the sensors 531 and 532 are used to determine if the door 30 can be opened), and wherein the sensing data value includes a distance value between the main body and the external object through the second sensor (at least [0187]).
With respect to claim 5: Eom discloses a third sensor (Fig. 16: sensor 321 and/or 322) disposed adjacent to the door driver (at least Fig. 10) to sense an angle of the door relative to the main body (at least [0194]-[0196]), wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator in an open state of the door to: obtain an angle value between the main body and the door through the third sensor (Fig. 27: Step 1310 using rotation sensor 321 and/or 322), and upon determining that the obtained angle value exceeds the first designated angle (door open = Yes) and the distance value obtained by the second sensor exceeds a second threshold value (User Is Detected? = No in Step 1320 of Fig. 27; see at least [0343]-[0346]), control the door driver to close the door relative to the main body (Step 1340 of Fig. 27).
With respect to claim 6: Eom discloses a third sensor (Fig. 16: sensor 321 and/or 322) disposed adjacent to the door driver (at least Fig. 10) to sense an angle of the door relative to the main body (at least [0194]-[0196]), wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator in an open state of the door to: obtain an angle value between the main body and the door through the third sensor (Fig. 27: Step 1310 using rotation sensor 321 and/or 322), and upon determining that the obtained angle value exceeds the first designated angle (door open = Yes) and after a designated time (Step 1330 of Fig. 27), control the door driver to close the door relative to the main body (Step 1340 of Fig. 27).
With respect to claim 7: Eom discloses wherein the first designated angle is one of 45 degrees or less (Fig. 34: the left door 30 is open 45 degrees or less), and wherein the second designated angle is one of larger than 45 degrees (Fig. 34: the right door 30 is open larger than 45 degrees), and smaller than or equal to 180 degrees (Fig. 34: the right door 30 is open smaller than or equal to 180 degrees).
With respect to claim 14: Eom discloses wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator after the door is opened at the first designated angle, when the door is opened at the first designated angle by the external object, to control the door driver to rotate the door to close the main body after a first designated time in a state opened at the first designated angle ([0340]-[0353]: closing door 30 when a user is not detected for a preset time).
With respect to claim 15: Eom discloses wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator after the door is opened in a range of the second designated angle to control the door driver to rotate the door to close the main body after a second designated time in a state opened at the second designated angle ([0340]-[0353]: closing door 30 when a user is not detected for a preset time).
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) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0003072 A1 (Eom) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 2023/0304726 A1 (Lee).
With respect to claim 2: Eom does not disclose “a lever device disposed on the door to facilitate movement of the door; and a guide provided to guide movement of the lever device while being contacted by the lever device when the door rotates to open or close the main body, wherein the guide includes a curve point which is a boundary point provided to apply a force in a direction in which the door opens or closes the main body among movement points of the lever device, wherein the curve angle is defined as an angle of an imaginary line connecting the curve point and a rotation shaft of the door from the main body, and wherein the first designated angle has a value smaller than or equal to the curve angle” as claimed.
Lee discloses an auto closing device 40 that reduces the amount of force required to close a refrigerator door (at least [0006]) and/or prevents a door that is closed with excessive force from unintentional re-opening (at least [0014] and [0228]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Eom’s refrigerator 1 to include Lee’s auto closing device 40, in order to reduce the amount of force required to close door 30 and/or to prevent door 30 from unintentional re-opening when door 30 is closed with excessive force.
This meets, as claimed, a lever device (Lee’s lever 420) disposed on the door to facilitate movement of the door; and a guide (Lee’s contact surface 321) provided to guide movement of the lever device while being contacted by the lever device when the door rotates to open or close the main body, wherein the guide includes a curve point (Lee Fig. 11: between surface 323 and surface 324) which is a boundary point provided to apply a force in a direction in which the door opens or closes the main body among movement points of the lever device.
Regarding the claim limitation “wherein the curve angle is defined as an angle of an imaginary line connecting the curve point and a rotation shaft of the door from the main body, and wherein the first designated angle has a value smaller than or equal to the curve angle”, see the annotated images below.
The first annotated image below is from Lee Fig. 12, and shows the claimed “curve angle” of Lee. The angled dashed line is the claimed “imaginary line” that connects the curve point (between surfaces 323 and 324) and the rotation shaft of the door (at C1). The horizontal dashed line represents the front of the main body.
The second annotated image below is from Eom Fig. 34, and shows the claimed “first designated angle” of Eom. The annotated images below show “and wherein the first designated angle has a value smaller than or equal to the curve angle” as claimed.
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If the annotated images above are held to not meet “and wherein the first designated angle has a value smaller than or equal to the curve angle” as claimed, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to vary how far door 30 partially opens when a user is in the movement path of the door 30 based on how far the user is from the door 30. This would necessarily prevent the door 30 from contacting the user as desired by Eom.
It is obvious for the “first designated angle” to be smaller than or equal to the “curve angle” when a user is relatively close to the closed door 30.
With respect to claim 3: See the annotated images above, which show wherein the second designated angle has a value exceeding the curve angle.
Claim(s) 8-10 and 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0003072 A1 (Eom) as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of CN 111503981 A (Zhang).
With respect to claim 8: Eom discloses wherein the door driver includes: a motor (drive motor 110); a pusher (lever 150 and/or pusher 150a) configured to push to open the door from the main body; and a plurality of gears (Fig. 3) for transferring a driving force of the motor to the pusher and/or link (motor 110 drives pusher 150a via the gears shown in Fig. 3).
Eom does not disclose “a link disposed to connect the main body and the door and including a first link portion and a second link portion rotatably connected to one end of the first link portion” as claimed.
Zhang discloses a refrigerator door opening and closing device that is analogous and/or functionally equivalent to Eom’s door opening and closing device 100. Zhang’s device includes a motor (“driving device 33 is a motor”, part 31 in the figures); a pusher (push rod 37) configured to push to open the door (door body 2) from the main body (box body 1); a link disposed to connect the main body and the door and including a first link portion (connecting rod 36) and a second link portion (connecting rod 39) rotatably connected to one end of the first link portion; and a plurality of gears (Figs. 1-4) for transferring a driving force of the motor to the pusher and/or the link.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Eom’s invention to have Zhang’s opening and closing device instead of door opening and closing device 100, because it has been held that the substitution of one known element for another yields predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art.
With respect to claim 9: Eom, as modified, meets wherein, to open the door at the first designated angle (the left door 30 in Eom Fig. 34), the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator to control the door driver to: withdraw the pusher from the main body (Zhang Figs. 3-4), and control the pusher to push the door and the door to open while rotating about a door rotation shaft (at hinge 4 of Zhang and/or hinge shaft 40a of Eom) according to the withdrawing of the pusher from the main body (Zhang Figs. 3-4).
With respect to claim 10: Eom, as modified, meets wherein, to open the door at the second designated angle (the right door 30 in Eom Fig. 34), the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator to control the door driver to: withdraw and rotate a portion of the pusher and/or the link from the main body through the door driver (rod 36 and 39 in Zhang Figs. 3-5), and control the link to apply a force to the door and the door to open while rotating about a door rotation shaft (at hinge 4 of Zhang and/or hinge shaft 40a of Eom) of the door (rod 36 and 39 in Zhang Figs. 3-5).
With respect to claim 17: Eom, as modified, meets wherein the pusher is configured to be movable between a first pusher position which is a position of the pusher when the main body is closed (Zhang Fig. 3) and a second pusher position moved from the first pusher position in a direction pressing the door (Zhang Fig. 4), and wherein when the door is at the first designated angle from the main body, the pusher is positioned at the second pusher position and (the left door 30 in Eom Fig. 34 corresponds to Zhang Fig. 4), when the door is at the second designated angle from the main body, the pusher is positioned at the first pusher position (the right door 30 in Eom Fig. 34 corresponds to Zhang Fig. 5, and the pusher in Zhang Fig. 5 is at the same position as Zhang Fig. 3).
With respect to claim 18: Eom, as modified, meets wherein the link includes a first link portion (Zhang’s rod 36) rotatably connected to the main body and a second link portion (Zhang’s rod 39) rotatably connected to the door, wherein the link is configured to be movable between a first link position which is a position of one end of the second link portion when the main body is closed (Zhang Fig. 3) and a second link position moved from the first link position in a direction pressing the door (Zhang Fig. 5), and wherein when the door is at the first designated angle from the main body, the link is positioned between the first link position and the second link position (the left door 30 in Eom Fig. 34 corresponds to a position of rods 36 and 39 between Zhang Figs. 3 and 5) and, when the door is at the second designated angle from the main body, the link is positioned at the second link position (the right door 30 in Eom Fig. 34 corresponds to Zhang Fig. 5).
Claim(s) 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0003072 A1 (Eom).
With respect to claim 11: Eom discloses wherein, after the door is opened at the first designated angle, when the door is opened at the first designated angle by the external object, the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator to control the door driver to control the door driver to rotate the door to close the main body ([0225]: fully closing a door 30 that is partially opened in response to determining that a user does not interfere with said closing and/or [0340]-[0353]: closing door 30 when a user is not detected for a set amount of time).
Eom [0225]+ discloses the closing is based on the distance sensors 531, 532 (the claimed “second sensor”) not detecting a person in the path of the door 30. Eom [0340]-[0353] discloses the object sensor 530 (distance sensors 531, 532) used to not detect the user for a set amount of time. Eom’s input button 511 is relied upon for the claimed “first sensor”.
Eom does not disclose “based on the first sensor failing to identify the external object” as claimed.
Eom [0315] discloses the operation 1210 for closing the door (Fig. 24) is the same as operation 1110. Eom [0260]-[0264] discloses the input for operation 1110 is an output signal from control panel 510 (input button 511), microphone 520, or sensor 530.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Eom’s processor 590 to include an additional check that the microphone 520 does not detect a user before closing the door 30 from the partially open position, in case the distance sensors 531, 532 fail to detect the user.
With respect to claim 12: Eom discloses wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator after opening the door relative to the main body at the second designated angle to control the door driver to rotate the door to close the main body (any of the processes in which door 30 is closed from the fully open position, including [0340]-[0353]: closing door 30 when a user is not detected for a set amount of time).
Eom [0315] discloses the operation 1210 for closing the door (Fig. 24) is the same as operation 1110. Eom [0260]-[0264] discloses the input for operation 1110 is an output signal from control panel 510 (input button 511), microphone 520, or sensor 530. Eom [0340]-[0353] discloses the object sensor 530 (distance sensors 531, 532) used to not detect the user for a set amount of time
Eom does not disclose “based on the first sensor failing to identify the external object” as claimed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Eom’s processor 590 to close a fully opened door 30 when no signal is received from any of the input button 511, microphone 520, or sensor 530 over a preset amount of time, in order to close the door 30 if a user walks away from the refrigerator 1 with the door 30 opened (and makes no input to close the door).
Claim(s) 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0003072 A1 (Eom) in view of US 2023/0304726 A1 (Lee).
With respect to claim 19: By making the same combinations and/or modifications as in the rejections of claims 2-3 above, Eom in view of Lee meets a refrigerator (refrigerator 1), comprising: a main body (housing 10); a door (door 30) rotatably connected to open or close the main body (at least [0074]); a door driver (door opening and closing device 100) configured to automatically rotate the door relative to the main body (at least [0078]); a lever device (Lee’s lever 420, as added to Eom’s invention) disposed on the door to facilitate movement of the door; a guide (Lee’s contact surface 321, as added to Eom’s invention) provided to guide movement of the lever device while being contacted by the lever device when the door rotates to open or close the main body; a first sensor (input button 511; see Applicant’s [0247] for first sensor 710 as a touch sensor) disposed on one side of the main body or the door to face in a forward direction to identify an external object ([0174]: when control panel 510 that includes button 511 is on the outside of door 30a); a second sensor (Fig. 16: sensor 531 and/or 532) disposed on one side of the door to face in the forward direction (at least [0186]-[0192]) to sense a distance based on identifying the external object by the first sensor (Fig. 33: when a user’s touch is detected at input button 511 and Step 1710, the sensors 531 and 532 are used to determine if the door 30 can be opened); memory (memory 591) storing one or more computer programs (“memory 591 configured to store or memorize a program (a plurality of instructions)” @ [0215]); and one or more processors (processor 590) communicatively coupled to the door driver, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the memory (at least [0213]-[0215]), wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions (“memory 591 configured to store or memorize a program (a plurality of instructions)” @ [0215]) that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator in a closed state of the door to: obtain a distance value between the main body and the external object through the second sensor, and upon determining that the obtained distance value is a first threshold value or less, control the door driver to open the door at a first designated angle from the main body (Fig. 33: Step 1740 of partially opening the left and/or right door when a user is located within the movement path of the left and/or right door; Fig. 34: the left door 30; Fig. 36: Step 1850 of partially opening the door), wherein the guide includes a curve point (Lee Fig. 11: between surface 323 and surface 324) which is a boundary point provided to apply a force in a direction in which the door opens or closes the main body among movement points of the lever device, wherein a curve angle is defined as an angle of an imaginary line connecting the curve point and a rotation shaft of the door from the main body, and wherein the first designated angle has a value smaller than or equal to the curve angle (see the annotated images and the explanation of this limitation in the rejections of claims 2-3 above).
With respect to claim 20: Eom, as modified, meets wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator in a closed state of the door to control the door driver to open the door relative to the main body at a second designated angle larger than the first designated angle upon determining that the obtained distance value exceeds the first threshold value (Fig. 36: Step 1835 of fully opening the door from the closed position).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 13 and 16 is/are 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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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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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/ANDREW ROERSMA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
