Appeal No. 94-4485
Application No. 08/013,653
as menthol, to a solid absorbent, such as clay, in order to form
an animal litter. The litter of Miller releases the deodorizing
menthol upon the addition of moisture from animal urine or fecal
matter. Miller expressly teaches that the odor control agent,
menthol, is used to mask the odor while the solid absorbent
neutralizes or absorbs the urine or fecal material (column 2,
lines 3-26). Hence, Miller does not teach or suggest the claimed
method of adding an odorless solution of menthol in alcohol to a
receptacle. The Condensed Chemical Dictionary discloses that
menthol is a perfume that is soluble in alcohol. Therefore, the
teaching to be derived from The Condensed Chemical Dictionary is
that if an alcohol solution of menthol is to be used as a perfume
or a deodorant, it should be used in a concentration which is
sufficient to be detected by the olfactory senses. In our view,
there is no teaching or suggestion in the collective teachings of
Miller and The Condensed Chemical Dictionary of utilizing an
odorless solution of menthol in alcohol.
Our same reasoning applies to the examiner's rejection of
claims 1, 9-11, 32, 33, 37, 38 and 48 over Meehan '533 in view of
Webster's, The Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Meehan '613 and
Sramek. Meehan '533, the primary reference, while teaching the
dispensing of a deodorant liquid into a toilet facility, fails to
disclose a solution of menthol in alcohol and, for the reasons
-4-
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007