DETAILED ACTION
This is a first action on the merits of application 18734596.
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) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a as being anticipated by Takahashi US 6053784.
Claim 1, Takahashi discloses a marine drive [20] comprising: a cooling system [fig. 2] configured to circulate a cooling fluid to cool a component [engine 22] of the marine drive or a marine vessel, the cooling system includes a first flow path [supply 96] along which the cooling fluid is supplied to the component and a second flow path [return 104] along which the cooling fluid is returned from the component [22]; and a valve [98/108 operated via ECU 100] operable to block the first flow path and the second flow path to thereby prevent the circulation of the cooling fluid along the first flow path and the second flow path. See fig. 2 col. 4 line 40- col. 5.
Claim 2, Takahashi discloses wherein the valve [98/108] selectively blocks the first flow path and the second flow path to thereby isolate the component [22]. See fig. 2
Claim 3, Takahashi discloses wherein the valve [98/108] is operable into an open position in which the valve is configured to permit the cooling fluid to be circulated along the first flow path and the second flow path. See fig. 2
Claim 4, Takahashi discloses wherein the valve [108] is operable into a closed position in which the valve is configured to block the first flow path and the second flow path such that the cooling fluid does not circulate through the first flow path and the second flow path. [closing valve 108 stops all flow through supply and return paths.]
Claim 5, Takahashi discloses wherein the valve [98/108] defines a first passageway [96] through which the first flow path [96] extends and a second passageway [104] through which the second flow path [104] extends, and wherein the second passageway is independent of the first passageway. See fig. 2
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) 6 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi et al.
Claim 6, Takahashi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1, he does not disclose wherein the valve includes a first plunger selectively movable into the first flow path and a second plunger selectively movable into the second flow path to thereby prevent circulation of the cooling fluid along the first flow path and the second flow path. However, he discloses valves 98 and 108 are controlled via ECU 100 and the valves are electrically powered actuator controlled thus they can be plunger [actuator] operated. 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 be configured above for simplicity in starting/stopping coolant flow in the system.
Claim 11, Takahashi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1, he does not disclose wherein the valve includes a drain configured to permit draining of the cooling fluid from the first flow path or the second flow path. However, he does disclose in fig. 2 drain valve 124 with drain 122 in the system which is configured to permit draining of the cooling fluid from the first flow path or the second flow path. 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 a drain for the valve system to decrease water pressure or volume in the system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10, 12-13 are 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.
Claims 14-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: prior art search does not disclose the valve includes a bracket coupled to the first plunger and the second plunger and the valve further includes a second drain and the limitation in claim 14: of a first plunger is selectively moveable to block the first passageway and a second plunger is selectively moveable to block the second passageway to thereby prevent circulation of the cooling fluid through the first passageway and the second passageway.
Conclusion
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/JOVON E HAYES/Examiner, Art Unit 3615
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