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 .
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 - 10 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.
Claims 1 and 8 recite the term “close contact”, in 10th line, which is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “close” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation of “the side of the opening of the storage compartment” in 13th line. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim because prior to the cited limitation, claim 1 fails to define “a side of the opening of the storage compartment”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 - 10 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Neither references of the record nor any other prior art, taken alone or in combination, Inter Alia, teach or fairly suggest a refrigerator foaming apparatus for foaming a refrigerator cabinet, as claimed in claim 1.
As to claim 1, Hong et al. (KR 20150031857) discloses a refrigerator foaming apparatus for foaming a refrigerator cabinet (the refrigerator 1 includes a main body 5, ¶ [0004] - ¶ [0006]), the refrigerator foaming apparatus (molding device 10, ¶ [0009]) comprising:
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- a foaming mold (molding device 10, ¶ [0009]) insertable into a side of a storage compartment (a main body 5, ¶ [0004] - ¶ [0006]) through an opening of the storage compartment (a main body 5, ¶ [0004] - ¶ [0006]) to seat an inner case (an inner cavity 2, ¶ [0006] - ¶ [0010]) of the refrigerator cabinet (the refrigerator 1 includes a main body 5, ¶ [0004] - ¶ [0006]) where an edge of the inner case includes a first flange (a flange portion 6c, ¶ [0009]),
- the foaming mold (molding device 10, ¶ [0009]) including a second flange which faces one surface of the first flange (a flange portion 6c, ¶ [0009]) while the foaming mold is inserted into the side of the storage compartment (a main body 5, ¶ [0004] - ¶ [0006]),
- However, Hong et al. (KR ‘857) fail to disclose the foaming mold (molding device 10, ¶ [0009]) includes a magnet configured to bring a metal plate of the refrigerator cabinet on another surface of the first flange (a flange portion 6c, ¶ [0009]), to which a heater is attached and which is disposed in the inner case that is seated, into contact with the other surface of the first flange (a flange portion 6c, ¶ [0009]), and the magnet is provided on the second flange so as to be positioned corresponding to the metal plate disposed on the first flange (a flange portion 6c, ¶ [0009]) based on the foaming mold (molding device 10, ¶ [0009]) being inserted into the side of the opening of the storage compartment (a main body 5, ¶ [0004] - ¶ [0006]).
Therefore, claim 1 is deemed allowable and claims 2-10 are deemed allowable by virtue of their dependency on claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH whose telephone number is (571)272-6215. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, SUSAN D. LEONG can be reached at (571)270-1487. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH/Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1754 09/29/2026
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