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 .
Status of Claims
This action is in reply to the Response to Election/Restriction filed on January 30, 2026. Claims 1-13 have been withdrawn per the Election/Restriction noted below. Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention II (claims 14-20) in the reply filed on January 30, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 1-13 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected Invention I, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because:
Line 1 contains the phase “is disclosed”, which can be implied. It is suggested to amend the first and second sentences of the abstract to read as --A cat wall device for easily storing and organizing cat supplies and accessories comprises a body or base component…--.
Lines 6-7 appear to be missing the word “is” in the phrase “The base component secured to a wall or suitable flat vertical surface…”.
A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In paragraph [0008], line 4, it appears a period is missing between “accessories” and “The”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following features must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
In claim 17, the limitation wherein “said litter box mounted to another side of said base component” does not appear to be shown. Although Fig. 4 appears to show a “litter box”, the litter box does not appear to be shown mounted to the base component in any manner.
In claim 20, the limitation “covering said base component with a fabric” does not appear to be shown. Although Fig. 6 appears to reference “Providing a cat wall device with…fabric covering”, the fabric does not appear to be shown in relation to the base component specifically.
Additionally, the drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: “10” and “20” in Fig. 5.
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 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.
Claim(s) 14-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeong (KR 20220135093 A), hereinafter Jeong, in view of Choi (KR 102527914 B1), hereinafter Choi.
Regarding claim 14, Jeong discloses a method of organizing and mounting cat accessories to a cat wall (title; abstract; fig. 2), the method comprising the steps of:
providing a base component (base plate 10), a plurality of bolts (“fixing bolt” used for each support means 20; page 17/22, second-to-last paragraph), and a plurality of selectively attachable cat accessories (support means 20 and scratch plate 30), wherein said base component having a top side, a bottom side, at least one additional side (fig. 3), and a plurality of threaded holes (fastening holes 12; fig. 3 and 5);
securing said base component to a stationary flat vertical surface (fig. 2; abstract, plate 10 is secured via “coupling means”); and
selectively mounting a number of said plurality of selectively attachable cat accessories to said base component with a selected number of bolts secured to a selected number of holes of said plurality of threaded holes (fig. 2-3; page 17/22, second-to-last paragraph).
Jeong does not appear to specifically disclose providing a feeding station.
However, Choi is in the art of methods for organizing and mounting cat accessories (title; abstract) and teaches providing a feeding station (food plate 151; fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method comprising providing a base component and plurality of selectively attachable cat accessories of Jeong to incorporate the teaching of providing a feeding station as taught by Choi with a reasonable expectation of success to consolidate needs of the cat into one space to allow for more convenient care.
Regarding claim 15, Jeong as modified discloses the method of organizing and mounting cat accessories to a cat wall of claim 14, and further discloses wherein said plurality of selectively attachable cat accessories (from Jeong, support means 20 and scratch plate 30) selected from the group consisting of a climbing shelf, a scratch pad, a cat tree, a nesting bed, a massager, a hammock, and a peek a boo house (from Jeong, fig. 2; support means 20 is considered a climbing shelf, scratch plate 30 is considered a scratch pad).
Regarding claim 16, Jeong as modified discloses the method of organizing and mounting cat accessories to a cat wall of claim 15, and further discloses wherein said feeding station (from Choi, food plate 151) mounted to one side of said base component (from Choi, board unit 111; fig. 1, plate 151 is mounted to a lower side of unit 111).
Regarding claim 17, Jeong as modified discloses the method of organizing and mounting cat accessories to a cat wall of claim 16 and further discloses further comprising a litter box (from Choi, hexagonal house 158; fig. 1-2, house 158 is a box capable of use as a litter box), wherein said litter box mounted to another side of said base component (from Choi, board unit 111; fig. 1, house 158 is mounted to an upper side of unit 111).
Claim(s) 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Jeong (KR 20220135093 A), hereinafter Jeong, in view of Choi (KR 102527914 B1), hereinafter Choi, as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of Park (KR 101362275 B1), hereinafter Park.
Regarding claim 18, Jeong as modified discloses the method of organizing and mounting cat accessories to a cat wall of claim 17 but does not appear to specifically disclose further comprising a plurality of nuts, wherein a selected number of nuts secured to said selected number of bolts for attaching said plurality of selectively attachable cat accessories to said base component.
However, Park is in the field of methods for organizing and mounting cat accessories (title; abstract) and teaches further comprising a plurality of nuts (coupled nuts 340), wherein a selected number of nuts secured to said selected number of bolts (locking projections 330) for attaching said plurality of selectively attachable cat accessories (block members 300) to said base component (plate unit 100; fig. 1; page 12/14, third-to-last paragraph).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method comprising selectively mounting a number of a plurality of selectively attachable cat accessories to a base component with a selected number of bolts of Jeong as modified to incorporate the teaching of utilizing a selected number of nuts as taught by Park with a reasonable expectation of success to provide additional stability and security to accessories attached to the base component.
Regarding claim 19, Jeong as modified discloses the method of organizing and mounting cat accessories to a cat wall of claim 18, and further discloses wherein said base component (from Jeong, base plate 10) is rectilinear (from Jeong, fig. 3).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Jeong (KR 20220135093 A), hereinafter Jeong, in view of Choi (KR 102527914 B1), hereinafter Choi, as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of Reibold (US 3,482,347 A), hereinafter Reibold.
Regarding claim 20, Jeong as modified discloses the method of organizing and mounting cat accessories to a cat wall of claim 17 but does not appear to specifically disclose further comprising a step of covering said base component with a fabric.
However, Reibold is in the field of vertical mounting bases (title; fig. 1 and 5) and teaches further comprising a step of covering said base component (pegboard panel 6) with a fabric (“fabric covering”; col 2, lines 54-57; fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method comprising providing a base component of Jeong as modified to incorporate the step of covering the base component with a fabric as taught by Reibold with a reasonable expectation of success to allow a user to achieve a desired aesthetic by utilizing fabrics of different colors and textures (col 2, lines 17-24).
Conclusion
The cited references made of record in the contemporaneously filed PTO-892 form and not relied upon in the instant office action are considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure and may have one or more of the elements in Applicant’s disclosure and at least claim 14.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERICA M HUEBNER whose telephone number is (703)756-4560. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM ET.
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/E.M.H./Examiner, Art Unit 3647
/KIMBERLY S BERONA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3647