DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
A preliminary amendment was filed by applicant on 12/30/2024.
Claims 1-12 are canceled.
Claims 13-32 are new.
Claims 13-32 are remaining in the application.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because of the following informalities:
The drawing figures lack sufficient contrast and/or clarity.
Appropriate correction is required.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
8. 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.
As best understood by the examiner, claims 13, 14, 24, 25 and 32 (substantially corresponding to original claims 1, 8, 11 and 12) are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by D1: US 1953599 A (GRIMES), cited by applicant. Regarding claims 13, 14, 25 and 32, D1 discloses: an attachment device (see Fig. 1) for attaching an outboard motor [15] to a craft [6], the attachment device comprising an arm [1] which can be coupled to the motor [15], a support [5] which can be coupled to the craft [6], and a connection interface [3, 10] which can be positioned between the arm [1] and the support [5], wherein the connection interface [3, 10] can be pivotably coupled to the arm [1] by a connection, referred to as a pivot connection [4], having at least one pivot axis [4], for moving the arm [1] between two end pivot positions, the connection interface [3, 10] is rotatably coupled to the support [5] by a connection, referred to as a rotational connection [3, 10, 13 and 11] (see also the description, column 2, lines 59-81), having at least one rotational axis [13] for allowing, in the state in which the connection interface [3, 10] is coupled to the arm [1] and to the support [5], a movement of the arm [1] and the connection interface [3, 10] about the rotational axis [13] over an angular range at least equal to 160°, preferably at least equal to 180°, and the rotational axis [13] and the pivot axis [4] are orthogonal to one another. See Fig. 1 and corresponding written description. Regarding claim 24, D1 discloses the recited orientation of the pivot and rotational axes (claim 24); see Fig. 1 and corresponding written description.
As best understood by the examiner, claims 13-15, 19 and 24-28 (substantially corresponding to original claims 1, 2 and 11) are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by D2: US 3269351 A [SHIMANCAKAS], cited by applicant. Regarding claims 13-15, 19 and 24-28, D2 discloses all claimed features configured as claimed, including claimed attachment devices according to claim 1; specifically, see disclosed elements [93, 35 and 25] as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, and as described in the corresponding written description.
As best understood by the examiner, claims 13-15, 19, 25-28 (substantially corresponding to original claims 1, 2, 4 and 8) are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by D3: EP 3241735 A1 [ULTRAFLEX SPA], cited by applicant. Regarding claims 13-15, 19, 25-28, D3 discloses all claimed features configured as claimed, including the claimed attachment devices according to claim 1; specifically, see disclosed elements [204, 104 and 5] as shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 18, and as described in the corresponding written description.
As best understood by the examiner, claims 13-15, 19 and 25-28 (substantially corresponding to original claims 1 and 2) are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by D4: EP 1081040 A2 [BRUNSWICK CORP], cited by applicant. Regarding claims 13-15, 19 and 25-28, D4 discloses all claimed features configured as claimed, including the claimed attachment devices according to claim 1; specifically, see disclosed elements [51, 24 and 66] as shown in Fig. 15, and as described in the corresponding written description.
Allowable Subject Matter
As best understood by the examiner, claims 16-18, 20-23 and 29-31 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.
Conclusion
14. The prior art cited and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
The prior art references cited by the examiner disclose attachment devices for outboard motors.
15. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL V VENNE whose telephone number is (571) 272-7947. The examiner can normally be reached between M-F, 7am-3:30pm Flex. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Marc Q Jimenez, who can be reached at phone number [571] 272-4530. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval [PAIR] system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center [EBC] at 866-217-9197 [toll-free].
16. If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 [USA OR CANADA] or 571-272-1000.
/Daniel V Venne/
Senior Examiner, Art Unit 3615B
08/19/2026
Prosecution Insights