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 1-15 are pending in the current application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 7-12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lind et al., US 20200283102 (herein after “Lind”). Lind discloses an alignment structure (2a, 3a) for a battery pack (2) and a propulsion module (3) for a powered watercraft (figure 1), wherein the alignment structure (2a, 3a) is configured to be received in and affixed to said powered watercraft (2a, 3a are integral with the watercraft), the alignment structure (2a, 3a) comprising:
- a first alignment feature (2a) configured to receive a removable battery pack
(2) (the examiner considers the sides to be substantially smooth (see Fig. 2b) and that the battery pack is supported and retained against the force of gravity), and a second alignment feature (3a) configured to receive a removable propulsion
module (3) for propelling the powered watercraft in a longitudinal direction, wherein the alignment structure (2a) extends along the longitudinal direction (see figures 1-3) to provide a space for the battery pack (2) and/or the propulsion module (3) (Lind discloses that the alignment features overlap in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the first alignment feature (2a) and the second alignment feature (3a) are configured for positioning and fixedly locating said battery pack (2) and said propulsion module (3) relative to each other so that said battery pack (2) and said propulsion module (3) are individually removable (2 and 3 are individually removable).
The examiner considers the stepped features of the connection between the battery pack and propulsion module to constitute a mechanical interface to connect electrical contacts (see Figs. 2 and 2b). The examiner also considers the alignment structure to be rigid and to comprise heat conducting material.
Regarding claim 14: the features of the first alignment feature (2a) and the second alignment feature (3a) constituting the overlapping step in allowing the battery pack (2) and propulsion module (3) to be connected are considered by the examiner to be the third and fourth alignment features for positioning and fixedly locating the first alignment part and second alignment part relative to each other. The examiner notes that the terms “feature” and “part” have no structural connotation and any point or surface on the apparatus of Lind can broadly be considered to be a “feature” or “part”.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lind et al., US 20200283102 (herein after “Lind”). Lind discloses a method of securing a removable battery pack (2) and a removable propulsion module (3) within a watercraft body (1) for a powered watercraft, such as a water-jet propelled surfboard, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a watercraft body (1) extending in a longitudinal direction and having a cavity (2a),
- providing an alignment structure (2a integral with the cavity, 3a integral with the recess) comprising a first alignment feature (2a integral with the cavity)configured to receive a removable battery pack (2) and a second alignment feature (3a integral with the recess) configured to receive a removable propulsion module (3) for propelling the powered watercraft in the longitudinal direction,
- positioning the alignment structure (2a integral with the cavity, 3a integral with the recess; positioned when manufactured) in the cavity (2a) so that the first alignment feature (2a) and the second alignment feature (3a) provide a space for positioning and fixedly locating a removable battery pack (2) and a removable propulsion module (3) relative to each other so that they are individually removable, and
- securing (implicit) the alignment structure (2a integral with the cavity, 3a integral with the recess) to the watercraft body (1).
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 1-6 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lind in view of Kohnsen, US 10814939 (herein after “Kohnsen”).
Lind discloses a watercraft (see figure 1), in particular a surfboard, comprising:
a flotation body (1) having a top face (see figure 1) providing a surface for a
user to stand on when using the watercraft, an opposite bottom face (figures
1-8), a front end (see figure 1), a rear end (see figure 1), a cavity (2a) opening
up at said top face and a recess (3a) opening up at said bottom face, said
recess (3a) extending from said rear end to said cavity (2a) (see figure 2b),
a housing (2a integral with the cavity, 3a integral with the recess) connected to
said flotation body (1), said housing (2a, 3a) comprising a first housing part (2a)
connected to a second housing part (3a),
- said first housing part (2a) being positioned in said cavity (2a integral with the
first housing part) and being upwardly open for receiving a battery pack (2) at
said top face,
- - said battery pack (2) being for powering a propulsion unit (3) for propulsion
of the watercraft,
said second housing part (3a) being positioned in said recess (3a integral
with the housing) and defining a downwardly and rearwardly open channel (see
figures 2b and 3) of said watercraft.
The examiner considers the flotation body to be molded around parts of the housings
due to the integral structure of the surfboard and floatation body and the housing parts to be integrally connected permitting electrical contact of the propulsion module and the battery pack.
Lind does not explicitly disclose moving the propulsion module in a direction into the open channel at the rear end and along the length of the open channel, into an operative position wherein the propulsion module may be powered by the battery pack for propulsion of the watercraft or a lock to secure the propulsion module in the operative position.
The problem to be solved by the present invention may therefore be regarded
as how to provide a watercraft allowing safe insertion/removal of its modules.
Kohnsen discloses a surfboard where the electric drive is inserted into an open channel at the rear end and along a length of the open channel and is locked into place using screws. Although Kohnsen discloses inserting the propulsion module from above, it is clear that it is capable for the propulsion module to be longitudinally inserted from the rear end (see Fig. 4 and column 4, line 63 – column 5, line 20) which shows opposing frame sections 41a, 41b comprising tracks along the length of the open channel for supporting the propulsion module.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Lind by inserting the propulsion module into the open cavity from the rear end along the length of the open channels disclosed by Kohnsen and securing or locking the propulsion module in the operative position. Doing so allows easier insertion of the propulsion module either when the surfboard is on a flat surface or when the surfboard is floating on the surface of the water without the need for lifting the propulsion module vertically into the cavity of lowering the surfboard onto the propulsion module.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY D WIEST whose telephone number is (571)270-5974. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:00 - 3:00.
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/ANTHONY D WIEST/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615