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 .
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) 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mondek (US-4735590-A) in view of Jesewitz et al. (US-20220169349-A1).
With respect to claim 1, Mondek teaches a clamp bracket for supporting an outboard motor mountable to a boat , characterized in that the clamp bracket comprises a cooling water intake for supply of external cooling water from water surrounding the boat (see Fig. 1, 12,26,35) to the motor.
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However, Mondek does not teach a clamp bracket that comprises a cooling water intake for supply of external cooling water from water surrounding the boat to an electric outboard motor.
Jeswitz et al. teaches an axial flux propulsion system (see Fig. 4D, 100) for an electric boat that including one or more axial flux motors (see Fig. 4D, 301) and a fluid management system configured to cool the axial flux propulsion system and the electrical power distribution system using cooling water within the marine environment surrounding the boat. Jesewitz et al. therefore teaches supplying external water from the surrounding marine environment for cooling components of an electric boat propulsion system.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of invention’s effective filling date to modify the propulsion lubrication system of Mondek to include electric motor as taught by Jeswitz et al. in order to improve propulsion efficiency, reduce exhaust emissions, and reduce engine noise while providing cooling circulation for the electric motor propulsion components.
With respect to claim 2, Mondek teaches the claimed invention except for the cooling water intake (35) is internally mounted tube extending through a boring running from an upper part of the clap bracket and to a lower part of clap bracket. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of invention’s effective filling date was made to routing of Mondek’s cooling water intake tube such that the tube extends internally through the clamp bracket in order to protect the tube from external impact and environmental exposure while providing a more compact and integrated bracket assembly, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
With respect to claim 3, Mondek teaches the cooling water intake is an externally mounted tube connected between an upper part of the clamp bracket and a lower part of the clamp bracket (see Fig 1, 36, 38).
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With respect to claim 4, Mondek teaches the claimed invention except for the tube of the cooling water intake is connected externally to the clamp bracket by clamps. It would have been an obvious substitution of functional equivalents to substitute clamps or equivalent fastening structures for the water conduit attachment arrangement of Mondek, since a simple substitution of one known element for another would obtain predictable results. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S. Ct. 1727, 1739, 1740, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395, 1396 (2007).
With respect to claim 5, Mondek teaches the cooling water intake (35) comprises a tube running down into the surrounding water (16) (see Fig 1, 36).
With respect to claim 6, Mondek does not teach a lower part of the tube to the cooling water intake comprises a strainer.
Jesewitz et al. teaches a sea strainer (see Fig 9, 704) provided in the fluid management system to minimize foreign objects entering the raw water system along with the raw water.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of invention’s effective filling date to modify the propulsion lubrication system of Mondek to include a sea strainer as taught by Jeswitz et al. in order to minimize foreign objects entering the raw water system along with the raw water to protect downstream cooling system components from debris contamination.
With respect to claim 7, Mondek teaches the claimed invention except for at least a lower part of the tube to the cooling water intake is extendable. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the lower part of the cooling water intake tube of Mondek to be extendable to permit adjustment of the intake position relative to the surrounding water level and operating conditions, , since it has been held that the provision of adjustability, where needed, involves only routine skill in the art. In re Stevens, 101 USPQ 284 (CCPA 1954) .
Claims 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Borst (US- 5045001-A) in view of Jesewitz et al.
With respect to claim 1, Borst teaches a clamp bracket for supporting an outboard motor mountable to a boat , characterized in that the clamp bracket comprises a cooling water intake for supply of external cooling water from water surrounding the boat (see Fig. 1, 14,30A,38A) to the motor.
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However, Borst does not teach a clamp bracket that comprises a cooling water intake for supply of external cooling water from water surrounding the boat to an electric outboard motor.
Jeswitz et al. teaches an axial flux propulsion system (Fig. 4D, 100) for an electric boat that including one or more axial flux motors (See Fig. 4D, 301) and a fluid management system configured to cool the axial flux propulsion system and the electrical power distribution system using cooling water within the marine environment surrounding the boat. Jesewitz et al. therefore teaches supplying external water from the surrounding marine environment for cooling components of an electric boat propulsion system.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the auxiliary cooling water supply system of Borst to incorporate the electric propulsion system as taught by Jesewitz et al., in order to improve propulsion efficiency, reduce exhaust emissions, and reduce engine noise while providing cooling circulation for electric propulsion components.
Claims 8-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Borst in view of Jesewitz et al. and Mardikian ( US-6168481-B1).
With respect to claim 8,12-17 Borst teaches a clamp bracket , wherein the cooling water intake of the claim bracket in connected to a motor housing (see Fig. 1, 14,30A, 38A).
Borst does not teach an electric outboard motor and its motor housing and a three-way selector valve for switching supply of cooling water to a cooling water to cooling circuit between the cooling water intake of the clamp bracket and a cooling water intake in a lower leg of the electric outboard motor.
Jesewitz et al. teaches an electric propulsion system including an electric motor disposed within a motor housing and a cooling circulation system configured to cool electric propulsion components. (see Fig. 4D, 100, 301). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of invention’s effective filling date to modify the auxiliary automatic cooling water supply system of Borst to include electric propulsion system as taught by Jeswitz et al. in order to improve propulsion efficiency, reduce exhaust emissions, and reduce engine noise.
Mardikian teaches selective control of water flow within a marine water system using a selectively operable ball valve disposed within a secondary conduit (see Fig. 11, 127,131) and a movable baffle arrangement configured to redirect water flow between alternative flow paths (see Fig. 16, 252,270,272).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of invention’s effective filling date to modify the auxiliary automatic cooling water supply system of Borst to include the selective flow control arrangement as taught by Mardikian including the selectively operable ball valve and movable baffle arrangement in order to selectively direct cooling water between alternative cooling water flow paths within the propulsion colling system.
With respect to claim 9, Borst does not teach that the motor housing of the electric outboard motor comprises an electrically driven displacement pump to draw water through the cooling water intake of the clamp bracket.
Jesewitz et al. teaches an intake circuit pump (see Fig. 9, 705) within the raw water subsystem that pumps and directs raw water through the cooling system.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of invention’s effective filling date to modify the auxiliary automatic cooling water supply system of Borst to include the intake circuit pump as taught by Jesewitz et al. In order to actively draw and circulate cooling water through the cooling water intake and provide cooling circulation for the electric motor.
With respect to claim 10, Mardikian teaches a selective a selective flow control arrangement including a selectively operable ball valve disposed within a secondar conduit (see Fig. 11, 127,131), and a movable baffle arrangement configure to selectively control and redirect the direction of water flow within a cooling water system ( see Fig. 16, 252,270,272).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of invention’s effective filling date to modify the cooling water system of Borst to include the selective flow control arrangement as taught by Mardikian in order to selectively direct cooling water from the clamp bracket cooling water intake when the electric outboard motor is tilted upward and from the lower leg cooling water intake when the electric outboard motor is tilted downward in the water , thereby ensuring continued cooling water supply under different operating positions of the outboard motor.
With respect to claim 11, Borst does not teach the electric outboard motor according to claim 8, wherein the motor housing of the electric outboard motor comprises one or more batteries, charger and/or other water-cooled components.
Jesewitz et al. teaches an electric power distribution system including batteries, a power distribution unit, an inverter, and a charger for storing and distributing electrical power (see Fig. 6 500,510,520,530,540).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of invention’s effective filling date to modify the auxiliary automatic cooling water supply system of Borst to include the electrically powered components as taught by Jesewitz et al., including batteries , a charge, an inverter component, and associated cooling arrangement, in order to provide electrical power storage, distribution, and thermal management for operation of the electrical outboard motor system. In order to actively draw and circulate cooling water through the cooling water intake and provide cooling circulation for the electric motor.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN CHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-0117. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 am-5:00 pm.
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/K.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3615
/MARC BURGESS/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3615
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