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 .
Claims 1-11 and 13-20 are currently pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claims 1, 4-11, and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 20230371465 A1), hereafter referred to as “Kim”, in view of Arbogast (US 5259340 A), hereafter referred to as “Arbogast”, and Xiao (CN 113615582 A), hereafter referred to as “Xiao”.
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a cat litter box (figs. 1-9), comprising a box body (120; fig. 1), further comprising a cleaning assembly (140, 146, 130, 145) and a poop basin (150), wherein the cleaning assembly is connected to the box body (fig. 1), the poop basin is adjacent to the box body (fig. 1), and the cleaning assembly is configured to move towards the poop basin along the end (fig. 9), far away from the poop basin, of the box body (fig. 9);
while moving, the cleaning assembly filters cat litter in the box body (paragraph [0009] and fig. 9); and
the poop basin is provided with a movably connected poop basin cover (151a; fig. 9), and when the cleaning assembly moves close to the poop basin, the cleaning assembly abuts against the poop basin cover (fig. 9), and then the poop basin cover is driven to be gradually opened as the cleaning assembly moves towards the poop basin (paragraph [0093]); and when the cleaning assembly moves towards the end, away from the poop basin, of the box body, the poop basin cover is gradually closed (paragraph [0094]);
wherein the cleaning assembly comprises a driving mechanism (130, 145) and a scraper knife member (146; fig. 9) connected to the driving mechanism (fig. 1), but does not explicitly teach:
the scraper knife member is rotationally connected to the driving mechanism, and a torsion structure is arranged at a joint of the scraper knife member and the driving mechanism;
one end of the scraper knife member is provided with a first limiting wall, and the driving mechanism is correspondingly provided with a second limiting wall, wherein the first limiting wall is capable of abutting against the second limiting wall when the scraper knife member rotates relative to the driving mechanism; and
a direction in which the first limiting wall abuts against the second limiting wall is opposite to a torsion direction of the torsion structure.
Arbogast teaches a cat litter box (figs. 1-17) including a scraper knife member (7, 15) rotationally connected to a driving mechanism (11, 30) and a torsion structure (31; col. 4, lines 50-56) is arranged at a joint of the scraper knife member and the driving mechanism (fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cat litter box of Kim, such that the scraper knife member is rotationally connected to the driving mechanism, and a torsion structure is arranged at a joint of the scraper knife member and the driving mechanism, as taught by Arbogast, in order to provide improved contact between the scraper knife member and the bottom surface of the housing as compared to Kim’s rigid connection, allowing the scraper to maintain more consistent scraping contact in the presence of wear and tear and surface irregularities (col. 5, lines 15-21).
Xiao teaches a cat litter device (figs. 1-9) including one end of a scraper knife member (33, 17; fig. 6) is provided with a first limiting wall (surface of element 33; fig. 6), and a driving mechanism (12, 13, 14, 16, 27; fig. 6) is correspondingly provided with a second limiting wall (34), wherein the first limiting wall is capable of abutting against the second limiting wall when the scraper knife member rotates relative to the driving mechanism (fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cat litter box of Kim in view of Arbogast, such that one end of the scraper knife member is provided with a first limiting wall, and the driving mechanism is correspondingly provided with a second limiting wall, wherein the first limiting wall is capable of abutting against the second limiting wall when the scraper knife member rotates relative to the driving mechanism, as taught by Xiao, in order to improve levelling of the litter and cleaning of sticky material and residue (machine translation, paragraph [n0050] of Xiao).
The combined teachings of Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao would result in a direction in which the first limiting wall abuts against the second limiting wall is opposite to a torsion direction of the torsion structure.
Regarding claim 4, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 1, and Kim further teaches that the poop basin (150) comprises a poop basin frame (151, 152) and a poop basin body (fig. 9 where element 10 falls/is collected), the poop basin cover (151a) is connected to the poop basin frame (fig. 9), and the poop basin body is detachably connected to the poop basin frame (paragraphs [0027] and [0058]).
Regarding claim 5, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 1, and Kim further teaches that the cleaning assembly (140, 146, 130, 145) is provided with door opening arc walls (1463; fig. 9) configured to abut against the poop basin cover (fig. 9 and paragraph [0093]).
Regarding claim 6, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 5, and Kim further teaches that the driving mechanism is used for driving the scraper knife member to move (paragraph [0053]), so that the scraper knife member can filter the cat litter in the box body during moving (paragraph [0053]).
Regarding claim 7, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 6, and Kim further teaches that the door opening arc walls (1463) are arranged on two sides of the scraper knife member (paragraphs [0023] and [0057]), and are higher than the scraper knife member (fig. 9).
Regarding claim 8, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 6, and Kim further teaches that the scraper knife member (146) is provided with a first scraper knife portion (lower portions of 34) which abuts against the box body (fig. 9); and
in a process that the driving mechanism drives the scraper knife member to move, the first scraper knife portion fits an upper surface of the box body to move (fig. 9).
Regarding claim 9, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 6, and Kim further teaches a shell (110), wherein rails (130) are arranged on the shell (fig. 1) which is in sliding connection with the driving mechanism (130, 145) by sliding rail members (142, 141, 143; fig. 4); and the driving mechanism is configured to be capable of reciprocating along the rails (paragraphs [0053] and [0095]).
Regarding claim 10, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 9, and Kim further teaches that racks (paragraph [0062]) are arranged in the rails (130), and the sliding rail members are arranged to be gears in meshed connection with the racks (paragraph [0066]).
Regarding claim 11, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 9, and Kim further teaches that the bottoms of the rails and the bottom of the box body are both arc-shaped (fig. 9), and the rails and the box body have corresponding curvatures and corresponding positions (fig. 9 showing element 130 and element 120 with a 90-degree arc).
Regarding claim 13, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 12, and Arbogast further teaches that the torsion structure (31) is a torsion spring (col. 4, lines 50-56).
Regarding claim 14, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 1, and Kim further teaches a shell (110; fig. 1), wherein rails (130) are arranged on the shell (fig. 1), and the cleaning assembly (140, 146, 130, 145) is configured to be capable of reciprocating along the rails (paragraphs [0053]-[0054] and figs. 4 and 9).
Regarding claim 15, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 9, and Kim further teaches that the box body (120) is arranged in the shell (110; fig. 1), and is detachably connected to the shell (paragraph [0060]).
Claims 2-3 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Caputa et al. (US 20070056521 A1), hereafter referred to as “Caputa”.
Regarding claim 2, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 1, and further teaches that the poop basin cover (151a) comprises a covering portion (151a), but does not explicitly teach an abutting portion; the covering portion is movably connected to the poop basin; and one end of the abutting portion is connected to the covering portion while the other end thereof is configured to abut against the cleaning assembly.
Caputa teaches a cat litter device (figs. 1-16) including a covering portion (30, 40) including an abutting portion (40), the covering portion is movably connected to a poop basin (figs. 4-5); and one end of the abutting portion is connected to the covering portion while the other end thereof is configured to abut against a cleaning assembly (32, 36; as best shown in fig. 5 and paragraph [0044]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao, such that the poop basin cover includes an abutting portion, the covering portion is movably connected to the poop basin, and one end of the abutting portion is connected to the covering portion while the other end thereof is configured to abut against the cleaning assembly, in order to improve the ease of the device opening the poop basin covering (paragraph [0044] of Caputa).
Regarding claim 3, Kim in view of Arbogast, Xiao, and Caputa teaches the cat litter box according to claim 2, and Caputa further teaches that when the poop basin cover (30, 40) is closed, the abutting portion (40) protrudes out of the poop basin (28; fig. 1).
Regarding claim 17, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 1, but does not explicitly teach a disinfection device arranged below the cleaning assembly.
Caputa teaches a device (figs. 1-16) including a disinfection device (72) located at the bottom of the cleaning assembly (fig. 12).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the litter box of Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao to include a disinfection device located at the bottom of the cleaning assembly, as taught by Caputa, in order to reduce smells emitted by the pet waste (paragraph [0067] of Caputa).
In addition, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the litter box of Kim in view of Arbogast, Xiao, and Caputa such that the disinfection device is arranged below the cleaning assembly, in order to more effectively target waste and odor-causing bacteria at the bottom of the box body, and since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding claim 18, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 1, and Kim further teaches a shell (110), wherein the shell comprises two side plates (fig. 1) which are oppositely arranged (fig. 1), and the box body (120) is located between the two side plates (fig. 1), but does not explicitly teach a deodorization spray assembly arranged on the inner wall of the side, facing the box body, of at least one side plate.
Caputa teaches a cat litter device (figs. 1-16) including a deodorization spray assembly (72; fig. 12) is arranged on an inner wall of the side (figs. 1 and 12), facing a box body (figs. 1 and 12), of at least one side plate (figs. 1 and 12 showing that 72 is arranged on the inner wall of 20).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao to include a deodorization spray assembly arranged on the inner wall of the side, facing the box body, of at least one side plate, as taught by Caputa, in order to reduce smells emitted by the pet waste (paragraph [0067] of Caputa).
Regarding claim 19, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim l, and Kim further teaches a battery (paragraph [0061]), but does not explicitly teach a main control board, wherein the battery is electrically connected to the main control board and the cleaning assembly.
Caputa teaches a device (figs. 1-16) including a main control board (66) and a battery (70), wherein the battery is electrically connected to the main control board and the cleaning assembly (paragraph [0062] and fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao to include a main control board, wherein the battery is electrically connected to the main control board and the cleaning assembly, as taught by Caputa, in order to enable automatic operation without user intervention (paragraph [0062] of Caputa).
Regarding claim 20, Kim in view of Arbogast, Xiao, and Caputa teaches the cat litter box according to claim 19, but does not explicitly teach a sensing device which is electrically connected to the main control board, wherein the sensing device is used for sensing whether a cat leaves the box body or not.
Caputa further teaches a sensing device (44) which is electrically connected to the main control board (fig. 6 and paragraph [0046]), wherein the sensing device is used for sensing whether a cat leaves the box body or not (paragraph [0046]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kim in view of Arbogast, Xiao, and Caputa to include a sensing device which is electrically connected to the main control board, wherein the sensing device is used for sensing whether a cat leaves the box body or not, as further taught by Caputa, in order to allow further automation by operating when a pet as been detected and to save energy by entering a sleep mode when a pet is not detected for a certain duration (paragraph [0046] of Caputa).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of Thaler et al. (US 6378461 B1), hereafter referred to as “Thaler”.
Regarding claim 16, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches the cat litter box according to claim 15, but does not explicitly teach including clamping teeth extending outward are arranged at an opening of the box body, the shell is provided with clamping grooves matched with the clamping teeth, and the box body is movably clamped and embedded in the clamping grooves by the clamping teeth.
Thaler teaches a litter box (figs. 1-29) including clamping teeth (302) extending outward (fig. 9) are arranged at an opening of a box body (300; fig. 7), a shell (200) is provided with clamping grooves (328; figs. 9-10) matched with the clamping teeth (col. 7, lines 21-35), and the box body is movably clamped and embedded in the clamping grooves by the clamping teeth (col. 7, lines 21-35).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cat litter box of Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao to include clamping teeth extending outward and are arranged at an opening of the box body, the shell is provided with clamping grooves matched with the clamping teeth, and the box body is movably clamped and embedded in the clamping grooves by the clamping teeth, as taught by Thaler, in order to mitigate mess caused by the tray shifting around by improving the attachment between the shell and the tray (col. 7, lines 21-35 of Thaler).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/14/2026 have been fully considered but they 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. As shown in the rejection above, Kim in view of Arbogast and Xiao teaches each and every limitation of claim 1.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
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/H.J.B./Examiner, Art Unit 3643
/MARISA V CONLON/Examiner, Art Unit 3643
