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
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 6/24/2026 has been entered.
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 1, 2, 5-8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schulze (DE 202016107252 U1) in view of Gruber (U.S. Patent No. 5,791,287, as previously cited by the examiner in PTO-892 on 3/24/2026).
For claim 1, Schulze discloses a spill-resistant dog bowl (as shown in Figs. 1-2), comprising: a water holding assembly (Fig. 2: 3, 5, 7), wherein a first opening (Fig. 1: at opening 19) is formed at one end of the water holding assembly, and the water holding assembly comprises a first connection part (3) and a second connection part (7); and an anti-tipping assembly, wherein the anti-tipping assembly (Figs. 1-3: flange 21, sidewall 23b and beveled inner edge 45) is fixedly connected to an inner side of the first opening (Figs. 1 and 3: the anti-tipping assembly 23b, 45 being a single piece formed with the first opening 19), wherein the anti-tipping assembly comprises: a connection component (Fig. 2: beveled inner edge 45), wherein the connection component (21, 23b, 45) is disposed inside the second connection part (7) and provided with a second opening (Figs. 1-2: the beveled inner edge 45 forms an opening to receive portion 5), and the second opening (at 45) is connected with an end (Fig. 2 shows the second opening 45 is directed connected to a uppermost end at 35 of the second connection part 7) of the second connection part (7) away from the first connection part (3), wherein a lower surface of the connection component (at 45) is connected with a buffer plate (Figs. 1-2: 39); and a leak-proof component (Figs. 1-2: 5), wherein an end of the leak-proof component is provided with a third opening (Figs. 1-2: at the uppermost opening into portion 5) and connected with the connection component (as shown in Fig. 3: at 45), the third opening (Figs. 1-2: at the uppermost opening into portion 5) is communicated with the second opening (Figs. 1-2: the beveled inner edge 45), a water inlet (Figs. 1-3: 13) is formed at one end of the leak-proof component (5) away from the third opening, wherein an annular gap (Fig. 3: 17) is formed between the connection component (Figs. 1-3: 45) and the second connection part (Figs. 1-3: 7).
Schulze teaches a single water inlet, and fails to show leak-proof holes formed at intervals around a water inlet. Gruber teaches a spill-resistant dog bowl (as shown in Fig. 1 and Col. 1, lines 4-8), comprising: a water holding assembly, the water holding assembly comprises a first connection part and a second connection part (Fig. 1: 20, 26), and leak-proof holes (Col. 4, lines 50-52: series of apertures 30) are formed at intervals around a water inlet (Fig. 6a: inlet as formed between cover plate 22 and floating dish 24), and the leak-proof holes are communicated with an annular gap (Figs. 5a-5c and Col. 6, lines 2-9: splash chamber 42 being fluidically connected to the series of apertures 30). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the spill-resistant dog bowl of Schulze to include leak-proof holes as taught by Gruber for the advantage of allowing water to easily pass through the connection component.
For claim 2, Schulze as modified by Gruber discloses the spill-resistant dog bowl according to claim 1, wherein an accommodating cavity (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 5) is formed inside the first connection part (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 3), and an opening (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 37) communicated with the accommodating cavity (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 5) is formed on a side of the first connection part (Schulze Figs. 1-2: an outer side of the first connection part 3), wherein the second connection part (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 7) is connected to the opening (Schulze as shown in Fig. 1: 37), and a through hole (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 41) communicated with the opening (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 37) is formed inside the second connection part (Schulze as shown in Fig. 1).
For claim 5, Schulze as modified by Gruber discloses the spill-resistant dog bowl having leak-proof holes “of sufficient dimension to pass liquid easily and quickly” (Gruber Col. 4, lines 51-55), but fails to show wherein diameters of the leak-proof holes gradually increase in a direction from the first connection part to the second connection part. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the spill-resistant dog bowl of Schulze as modified by Gruber to include diameters of the leak-proof holes gradually increase in a direction from the first connection part to the second connection part for the advantage of allowing the liquid to pass easily and quickly, and since a mere change in size or shape of a component is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
For claim 6, Schulze as modified by Gruber discloses the spill-resistant dog bowl according to claim 1, wherein the leak-proof component (Schulze Figs. 1-5: 5) has a bowl-shaped structure (Schulze as shown in Fig. 1 such that a cavity is formed from the sloping wall).
For claim 7, Schulze as modified by Gruber discloses the spill-resistant dog bowl according to claim 1, wherein an inner diameter (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 45) of the connection component is greater than an inner diameter of the third opening (Schulze Figs. 1-2: at the uppermost opening into portion 5, such that the uppermost opening into portion 5 fits inside of the inner diameter of the connection component).
For claim 8, Schulze as modified by Gruber discloses the spill-resistant dog bowl according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the connection component (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 21) gradually increases in a direction from the first connection part (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 3) to the second connection part (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 7).
For claim 10, Schulze as modified by Gruber discloses the spill-resistant dog bowl according to claim 1, wherein the second connection part (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 7), the connection component (Schulze Figs. 1-2: 21, 23b, 45) and the leak-proof component (Schulze Figs. 1-5: 5) are integrally formed (Schulze insomuch as the second connection part, the connection component and the leak-proof component are positioned adjacent and adjoins as a unit as shown in Fig. 1).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schulze (DE 202016107252 U1) in view of Gruber (U.S. Patent No. 5,791,287, as previously cited by the examiner in PTO-892 on 3/24/2026), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Jordan (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0072831, as previously cited by the examiner in PTO-892 on 9/5/2025).
For claim 4, Schulze as modified by Gruber disclose the invention substantially as claimed, but fail to show wherein limiting rods are disposed at intervals inside an end of the first connection part away from the opening. Jordan teaches a dog bowl, comprising: a water holding assembly (Figs. 1-5: 100), wherein a first opening (Figs. 1-3: opening 202) is formed at one end (an upper end) of the water holding assembly, and the water holding assembly comprises a first connection part (Figs. 1-5: 104) and a second connection part (Figs. 1-5: 102); wherein limiting rods (Figs. 2-5: 209) are disposed at intervals inside an end of the first connection part (Figs. 1-5: 104) away from the opening (as discussed in [0015]). Applicant’s own disclosure indicates the upwardly projecting flange members are limiting rods, as shown in Fig. 2 of the Drawings at reference element 13. Insomuch that the upwardly projecting flange members of the reference to Jordan at element 209 are shaped similarly to Applicant’s limiting rods, the examiner defines the “ribs 209” of Jordan as the claimed “limiting rods”. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the dog bowl of Schulze as modified by Gruber to include the limiting rods as taught by Jordan for the advantage of reducing waves and splashing of the water inside of the dog bowl.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 2, 4-8 and 10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIELLE A CLERKLEY whose telephone number is (571)270-7611. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM-5PM.
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/DANIELLE A CLERKLEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3643
/PETER M POON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3643
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