DETAILED ACTION
This is a first action on the merits of application 18446089.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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) 1-6, 9-11, 13-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a as being anticipated by Breyer US 20230249795.
Claim 1, 9 and 13, Breyer discloses a watercraft 10, comprising: a deck 28; and a first pontoon 16 coupled with the deck, the first pontoon including: a first body [back of 16]; a first marine propulsion device 12 coupled with the first body; and a first electric motor 72 operably coupled with the first marine propulsion device and disposed within the first body. See fig. 1, [0042-0050]
Claim 2 and 14, Breyer discloses a second pontoon 14 and a third pontoon 18 each of which is laterally positioned, the first pontoon being a center pontoon and thus positioned between the second pontoon and the third pontoon. See fig. 1
Claim 3 and 15, Breyer discloses wherein the deck includes an underside, the first pontoon 16 being removably attached to the underside. See fig. 1
Claim 4 and 16, Breyer discloses a first energy storage device 60 electrically coupled with the first electric motor 72 and disposed within the first body. [0043]
Claim 5, 11 and 17, Breyer discloses the first marine propulsion device includes: a sterndrive device 68; a direct drive propeller shaft and a propeller 70, the first pontoon further including a steering rudder 90 coupled with the first body; or a jet drive. [0043/0049] See fig. 1
Claim 6 and 18, Breyer discloses the first pontoon 16 includes a first length, the second pontoon 14 includes a second length, the third pontoon 18 includes a third length, the first length being less than each of the second length and the third length; and the deck 28 includes a deck length, the first length being less than the deck length, the first pontoon including a rear portion, and the deck including a rear edge, the rear portion of the first pontoon being positioned forward of the rear edge of the deck. See fig. 1
Claim 10, Breyer discloses the pontoon [14/16/18] is configured for being removably attached to an underside of the deck 28, the pontoon further comprising an energy storage device 60 electrically coupled with the electric motor 72 and disposed within the body. See fig. 1 [0043-0050]
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.
Claim(s) 7, 12 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Breyer et al.
Claims 7, 12 and 19, Breyer discloses the aforementioned limitations of the independent claims and all the limitations of the above claims, except he does not disclose a second energy storage device or explicitly disclosing a crush zone but as seen in fig. 1 there is a bow area 40 void that obviously can withstand damage. The 2nd energy storage (battery) is a mere duplication of parts which is held to be of ordinary skill. Thus, it 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 to use the said configuration to have auxiliary power available to power other systems and to prevent harm to the main pontoon.
Claim(s) 8 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Breyer et al.
and further in view of Vera US 5590616.
Claims 8 and 20, Breyer discloses the aforementioned limitations of the independent claims and
the use of 3 pontoons on a watercraft with an attached electric propulsion device on one of the pontoons. He does not disclose the 2nd and 3rd pontoons also have propulsion devices attached. Vera in fig. 2 discloses a watercraft with 3 pontoons with attached propulsion devices (propellers). Thus, it 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 to have combined the disclosures to attain the above said watercraft pontoon configuration for increased redundancy in case of motor failure of any of the propulsion devices.
Conclusion
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/JOVON E HAYES/Examiner, Art Unit 3615
/S. Joseph Morano/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3615