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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I in the reply filed on 6/24/2025 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 12/19/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bartchlett (US 20210244242).
Regarding claim 1, Bartchlett discloses a toilet, comprising:
a base (102), wherein a holding cavity (cavity of 102) is defined inside the base;
a toilet seat (106), arranged on the base; and
a biodegradation container (104), wherein an interior (interior of 104) of the biodegradation container is filled with a biodegradation filler (¶ 0062), the biodegradation container being movably disposed within the holding cavity (see Fig. 11) and configured to receive excrement from the toilet seat and to decompose the excrement (¶ 0031).
Regarding claim 2, Bartchlett discloses wherein a top surface (top surface of 102) of the base defines a top opening (top opening of 102) in communication with the holding cavity (see Fig. 7-8); the toilet seat comprises a seat body (body of 106) and a toilet tank (146, 148), the seat body being arranged on the base (see Fig. 7-8); the seat body defines a channel (channel of 160, 170) in communication with the top opening and a holding groove (groove of 162) arranged around the channel (see Fig. 7-8); the toilet tank is arranged on the seat body (see Fig. 7-8), and the toilet tank is formed with a urine hopper (148) for collecting urine and a fecal discharge groove (146) in communication with the channel; the urine hopper defines a urine drainage outlet (154) for discharging the urine into the holding groove (see Fig. 7-8).
Regarding claim 3, Bartchlett discloses wherein the seat body is configured to be rotatably disposed on the base around the top opening (see Fig. 7-8).
Regarding claim 4, Bartchlett discloses wherein the base defines a first arcuate groove (groove of 108) around the top opening (see Fig. 7-11), the first arcuate groove having a liquid drainage outlet (184); a bottom wall of the holding groove has a through hole (150), and the seat body further comprises a dispensing tube section (154) extending downwardly from the bottom wall of the holding groove into the first arcuate groove (see Fig. 7-11); liquid in the holding groove is capable of entering the first arcuate groove through the dispensing tube section and discharged outwardly through the liquid drainage outlet (see Fig. 7-11); the dispensing tube section remains disposed within the first arcuate groove in condition of the seat body rotating around the top opening (see Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 5, Bartchlett discloses wherein the seat body comprises:
a shell (shell of 162), having an upper opening (upper opening of the shell of 162) for connecting to the toilet tank and a lower opening for facing the top opening (see Fig. 7-11);
a barrel (barrel of 160, 170), defining the channel and formed on an inside of the lower opening (see Fig. 7-11);
an annular plate (156), connected to the barrel and the shell (see Fig. 7-11); and
a ribbed plate (142), extending upwardly over at least a portion of a radially outer edge of the annular plate (see Fig. 7-11), to define the holding groove in conjunction with the annular plate, the barrel, and the shell (see Fig. 7-11).
Regarding claim 6, Bartchlett discloses wherein the annular plate is connected a lower portion of the barrel and a lower portion of the shell (see Fig. 7-11); the lower portion of the barrel, the lower portion of the shell, and the annular plate together define an annular groove (groove of 152) with a downward-facing opening (opening of the groove of 152), and the first arcuate groove is disposed within the annular groove (see Fig. 7-11).
Regarding claim 7, Bartchlett discloses wherein the base further defines a second arcuate groove (second groove of 102) around the top opening, the second arcuate groove facing the first arcuate groove (see Fig. 7-11); the second arcuate groove and the first arcuate groove are both disposed within the annular groove (see Fig. 7-11).
Regarding claim 8, Bartchlett discloses wherein the seat body further comprises a restriction ring (ring of 146) detachably connected to a bottom of the channel (see Fig. 7-8), the restriction ring being disposed within the holding cavity (see Fig. 7-8); a diameter of the top opening is less than an outer diameter of the restriction ring and greater than an inner diameter of the restriction ring (see Fig. 7-8).
Regarding claim 9, Bartchlett discloses a mixing portion (188, 192, 200), configured to mix the biodegradation filler within the biodegradation container; wherein the mixing portion comprises a mixing shaft (200) and a joint (joint near 200) connected to the mixing shaft, the joint being arranged on an outer side of a peripheral wall (wall of 104) of the biodegradation container (see Fig. 7); and
a driving portion (196), arranged on the base opposite the joint in the holding cavity for driving the mixing portion to rotate; wherein the driving portion comprises a joint fit portion (joint fit portion of 196) to be plugged and mated with the joint (see Fig. 7); in response to the biodegradation container being moved in a direction proximate to the driving portion, the joint fit portion is plugged and mated with the joint (see Fig. 7); in response to the biodegradation container being moved in a direction away from the driving portion, the joint fit portion is disengaged from the joint (see Fig. 11).
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.
Claim(s) 10-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bartchlett (US 20210244242) in view of Nakaya (JP 3347674; machine translation attached).
Regarding claim 10, Bartchlett discloses substantially all the elements of the present invention as stated above in the rejection of claim 9.
Bartchlett discloses a gear coupling assembly (¶ 0061); however, Bartchlett does not explicitly disclose wherein the joint is a first end gear, and an end surface of the first end gear back away from the mixing shaft is arranged with first end teeth; the joint fit portion is a second end gear, and an end surface of the second end gear facing the first end teeth is arranged with second end teeth; in condition of the first end teeth being plugged and mated with the second end teeth axially, the second end teeth mesh with the first end teeth as claimed.
Nakaya discloses a soil microbial decomposition tank wherein the joint is a first end gear (13 associated with 14), and an end surface of the first end gear back away from the mixing shaft (14) is arranged with first end teeth (teeth of 13 associated with 14); the joint fit portion is a second end gear (13 associated with 11), and an end surface of the second end gear facing the first end teeth is arranged with second end teeth (teeth of 13 associated with 11); in condition of the first end teeth being plugged and mated with the second end teeth axially, the second end teeth mesh with the first end teeth (see Fig. 1 and 4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the joint and joint fit portion of Bartchlett, to be a first end and second end gear as claimed, as taught by Nakaya, in order to evenly disperse excrement in a medium contained in the toilet tank and be decomposed efficiently (¶ 0004).
Regarding claim 11, the combination above and specifically Bartchlett further discloses wherein the biodegradation container is arranged with a guide portion (194), and a cavity wall (195) of the holding cavity is arranged with a guide fit portion to match with the guide portion; the joint fit portion is configured to be aligned with the joint through a guiding action of the guide portion and the guide fit portion (see Fig. 7-8).
Regarding claim 12, the combination above and specifically Bartchlett further discloses wherein the holding cavity has a lateral opening (opening of 102) in a predetermined direction; the guide portion is a guiding slot or a guiding protrusion (194) arranged on a bottom of the biodegradation container (see Fig. 7-8) extending in the predetermined direction (see Fig. 7-8), and the guide fit portion is a guiding protrusion (195) or a guiding slot arranged on a bottom wall of the holding cavity extending in the predetermined direction (see Fig. 7-8 and 11); the biodegradation container is configured to enter the holding cavity through the lateral opening (see Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 13, the combination above and specifically Nakaya further discloses wherein the mixing shaft comprises two mixing shafts (14); the joint comprises two joints (joints near 14), and the joint fit portion comprises two joint fit portions (portions of 13); the two joint fit portions are plugged and mated with the two joints in a one-to-one correspondence (see Fig. 1 and 4); the driving portion further comprises: a motor (11) connected to the two joint fit portions through a synchronous belt pulley (12); the motor and the two joint fit portions are arranged on the bottom wall of the holding cavity (see Fig. 1 and 4).
Regarding claim 14, the combination above and specifically Bartchlett further discloses the toilet seat is arranged with a channel (channel of 106) running up and down (see Fig. 7-11); a top surface (top surface of 102) of the base defines a top opening (top opening of 102) in communication with the holding cavity (see Fig. 7-8), the channel being connected to the top opening (see Fig. 7-8); the biodegradation container further comprises: a body (body of 104) and a cover (170), the cover being detachably connected to the body (see Fig. 7-8 and 11), the cover having a container opening (opening of 170) for aligning with the top opening to receive excrement from the channel (see Fig. 7-11); the toilet further comprises: a baffle assembly (172, 176, 174, 180) for operably opening or closing the top opening.
Regarding claim 15, the combination above and specifically Bartchlett further discloses wherein the baffle assembly comprises:
two baffle slides (slides of 172), disposed opposite each other on a perimeter wall (wall of 104) of the base;
a baffle (176), slidably disposed on the two baffle slides (see Fig. 7-11);
two link assemblies (link assemblies of near 174), disposed on both sides of the baffle (see Fig. 7-11);
a linkage member (member of 174), connected to the two linkage assemblies (see Fig. 7-11); and
a toggle member (180), connected to the linkage member (see Fig. 7-11);
in response to the toggle member being toggled, the linkage member and the two link assemblies drive the baffle to slide relative to the two baffle slides, thereby opening or closing the top opening (see Fig. 7-11; ¶ 0049).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record in the PTO-892 form and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yount (US 4521304) is directed to the state of the art as disclosing an apparatus for biodegrading organic waste including a toilet seat (27), shafts (41), prongs (47), side walls (13, 15), and lid (30).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM R KLOTZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0274. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David P Angwin can be reached at (571)270-3735. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM R KLOTZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3754
/DAVID P ANGWIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3754
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