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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS)(s) submitted on 05/20/2026, 04/23/2025, 01/27/2025, 12/04/2023, 12/01/2023, 11/02/2023, 10/04/2023, 07/10/2023 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Preliminary Amendment
The preliminary amendment to the claims received 12/01/2023 is acceptable and made of record in accordance with MPEP 714.01(e).
Status of Claims
Claims 1-21 are pending and presented for prosecution on the merits below. Claim 21 is newly added via preliminary amendment.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 2 line 1 recites, “Then assembly of claim 1 …”; this should be “The assemble of claim 1 …”. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-3, 8-10, 13, 15, 17, 20 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Christensen et al. US 20210354803.
Regarding claim 1, Christensen discloses an assembly [Fig. 15 see reproduced below, module 101i] for a marine vessel comprising:
a housing [Fig. 15, housing for module 101i] forming a watertight enclosure [par. 0139];
a battery pack [Fig. 15, modular battery pack 115] sealed within the watertight enclosure;
an onboard charger [Fig. 15, charge controller 116] sealed within the watertight enclosure and electrically connected to the battery pack [modular battery pack 115; pars. 0128, 0136, 0139]; and
a power converter [DC/DC converter 102] sealed within the watertight enclosure and electrically connected to the battery pack [modular battery pack 115];
wherein the housing is configured to be installed on the marine vessel; and
wherein the battery pack is configured to provide power to an electric motor [Fig. 15, motor 22] powering a marine propulsion device of the marine vessel [pars. 0100, 0122, 0126, 0143, 0139].
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Regarding claim 2, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following:
a watertight communication interface [Fig. 15, illustrated by the connecting arrow between 101d and 116] configured to provide signal communication between a user interface system [Fig. 15, e.g. Touchscreen 112 in module 101f. Par. 0103 the interface may be a tablet computer] of the marine vessel and at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter [pars. 0108, 0117, 0118, 0124];
a cooling module configured to provide cooling fluid to cooling passageways located within the watertight enclosure so as to cool at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter [claimed in the alternative only]; and
a shield configured to protect at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter from electromagnetic fields generated by devices external to the housing [claimed in the alternative only].
Regarding claim 3, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 2, wherein the assembly comprises the communication interface [Fig. 15, illustrated by the connecting arrow between 101d and 116] and the communication interface is a wireless communication interface [par. 0103 the interface may be a tablet computer].
Regarding claim 8, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 1, wherein the battery pack comprises a battery management system [charge controller 116 + processor 106 + ESC 104. Par. 0124].
Regarding claim 9, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 8, further comprising at least one of a water sensor [par. 0098 shallow water is sensed], a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor located within the watertight enclosure and in communication with the battery management system [inherent since the battery powers the sensor and processor].
Regarding claim 10, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 1, further comprising the electric motor of the marine propulsion device, wherein the electric motor is sealed within the watertight enclosure [par. 0139].
Regarding claim 13, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 1, wherein a portion of the watertight enclosure is watertight with respect to a remainder of the watertight enclosure [e.g. Fig. 15, module 101A], and the assembly further comprises a panel or door covering an opening in an exterior of the housing, the opening configured to provide access to the remainder of the watertight enclosure [since the modules are replaceable, they inherently have removeable panels for accessing the interior components].
Regarding claim 17, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 1, further comprising a watertight communication interface [Fig. 15, e.g. Touchscreen 112 in module 101f] configured to provide signal communication between a user interface system of the marine vessel and at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter [pars. 0108, 0117, 0118, 0124].
Regarding claim 20, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 1, wherein the power converter comprises at least one of a power inverter and a DC-DC converter [par. 0107].
Regarding claim 21 (New), Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 1, further comprising the electric motor of the marine propulsion device, wherein the electric motor [Fig. 13, motor 22] and a propulsor powered by the electric motor are located externally of the watertight enclosure [pars. 0111-0113].
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 4, 6, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Christensen et al. US 20210354803 in view of CN 206598971 (‘971 herein. Refer to machine translated docs dated 12/01/2023).
Regarding claim 4, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 2, but is silent regarding: wherein the assembly comprises the cooling module and the cooling module is sealed within the watertight enclosure.
‘971 discloses: an assembly [drawing 1, see below] comprises the cooling module [shown in dotted outline around battery 22 + jacket 24] and the cooling module is sealed within the watertight enclosure [implicit due to the water jacket. See page 2, the paragraphs under Embodiment].
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Christensen and ‘971 are analogous assemblies for suppling power to marine vessels. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the cooling assembly as taught by ‘971 into Christensen’s modular assembly for the benefit of supplying internal cooling to the battery and converter components to remove excess heat as needed [see ‘971 page 2, the paragraphs under Embodiment].
Regarding claims 6, 18, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 2, but is silent regarding:
wherein the assembly comprises the cooling module and the cooling passageways in the watertight enclosure are fluidically connected to further fluid passageways configured to cool the electric motor.
‘971 discloses wherein the assembly [drawing 1] comprises the cooling module [shown in dotted outline around battery 22 + jacket 24] and the cooling passageways [the input and output shown for jacket 13] in the watertight enclosure are fluidically connected to further fluid passageways [the internal path of jacket 13] configured to cool the electric motor [motor 1. See ‘971 page 2, the paragraphs under Embodiment].
Christensen and ‘971 are analogous assemblies for suppling power to marine vessels. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the cooling assembly as taught by ‘971 into Christensen’s modular assembly for the benefit of supplying internal cooling to the motor components to remove excess heat as needed [see ‘971 page 2, the paragraphs under Embodiment].
Regarding claim 15, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 1, but is silent regarding: further comprising a quick disconnect provided on the housing, wherein the quick disconnect is configured to connect one or more fluid passageways in the watertight enclosure to one or more fluid passageways external to the housing.
‘971 discloses: further comprising a quick [the term “quick” can be considered an arbitrary measure of speed] disconnect provided on the housing, wherein the quick disconnect is configured to connect one or more fluid passageways in the watertight enclosure to one or more fluid passageways external to the housing [drawing 1. See the liquid connection for hoses etc. to the input and output of jacket 13].
Claim(s) 7, 11, 12, 14, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Christensen et al. US 20210354803.
Regarding claims 7, 19, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 2, but is silent regarding wherein the assembly comprises the shield and the shield is a Faraday cage.
Examiner takes Official Notice, IAW MPEP 2144.03, as to the common knowledge of the recited subject matter.
Utilizing a metal housing (i.e. inherently a faraday shield) for an assembly is well-known in the art of battery charging. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize a metal housing for the benefit of providing an electromagnetic shielding effect for any sensitive electronics inside Christensen’s modular assembly.
Regarding claim 14, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 1, but is silent regarding: further comprising a quick disconnect provided on the housing, wherein the quick disconnect is configured to connect one or more electrical cables in the watertight enclosure to one or more electrical cables on the marine vessel.
Examiner takes Official Notice, IAW MPEP 2144.03, as to the common knowledge of the recited subject matter.
Utilizing a quick disconnect for an assembly is well-known in the art of battery charging. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize a quick disconnect with Christensen’s modular assembly cabling [e.g. see the cabling between components in Fig. 16] for the benefit of providing an easy way to remove and replace the modules and/or components as they fail.
Regarding claims 11, 12, 16, Christensen discloses the assembly of claim 1, but is silent regarding: further comprising a steering actuator configured to steer a propulsor of the marine propulsion device, wherein the steering actuator is sealed within the watertight enclosure; further comprising a stow/deploy actuator configured to stow and deploy a propulsor of the marine propulsion device, wherein the stow/deploy actuator is sealed within the watertight enclosure; and further comprising vibration isolation mounts configured to couple the housing to the marine vessel.
Examiner takes Official Notice, IAW MPEP 2144.03, as to the common knowledge of the recited subject matter.
Incorporating the recited components into an assembly form is well-known in the art of battery charging. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the recited components with Christensen’s modular assembly for the benefit of affording the same advantage of modularity (e.g. easy replacement) and water-tightness to the known components that boats already typically have (steering actuators etc.). The vibration mounts advantageously serve to provide damping to any damaging vibrations that may be present to the assembly, for example at high speeds.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art does not disclose or suggest, “5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the assembly comprises the cooling module and the cooling module comprises:
a water pump configured to draw raw water from a body of water in which the marine vessel is operating into the cooling module;
a coolant pump configured to pump the cooling fluid into the cooling passageways in the watertight enclosure and thereafter return the cooling fluid to the cooling module; and
a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the returned cooling fluid to the raw water”.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 12413081, US 20220328943 belong to the instant assignee and are cited for background relevancy.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD V MURALIDAR whose telephone number is (571)272- 8933. The examiner can normally be reached M - W 9:30 am to 6:30 PM.
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unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be contacted at 571-272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273- 8300.
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RICHARD V. MURALIDAR
Primary Examiner Art Unit 2859
/RICHARD V MURALIDAR/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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