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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was filed on 12/06/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 4-5, 9-12, and 14-15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
“and outer end portion” in Claim 1, Lines 7-8 should read “an outer end portion”.
“relatively each other” in Claim 1, Lines 16 & 19 should read “relative to each other”.
“the primary bearings” in the last line of Claim 1 should read “the plurality of primary bearings”.
“the protrusion” in Claim 4, Line 1 should read “the at least one protrusion”.
“said protrusion” in Claim 5, Line 1 should read “said at least one protrusion”.
“the primary bearings” in Claim 9, Lines 1 & 6 should read “the plurality of primary bearings”.
“the secondary bearings” in Claim 10, Lines 1 & 5-6 should read “the plurality of secondary bearings”.
“the primary bearings” in Claim 11, Line 1 should read “the plurality of primary bearings”.
“the primary bearing” in Claim 12 Line 1 should read “a primary bearing of the plurality of primary bearings”.
“A propeller” in Claim 14, Line 1 should read “The propeller”.
“a propeller drive” in Claim 15 should read “the propeller drive”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 7, 8, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the plurality of secondary fluid channels" in Lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 7 fails to disclose a plurality of secondary fluid channels.
For the purposes of compact prosecution, Claim 7 is being treated as being dependent upon Claim 6, which does disclose a plurality of secondary fluid channels.
Claim 8 discloses the limitation “one or more fluid channels in the outer drive shaft”. However, Claim 8 already discloses that the outer drive shaft comprises both a central opening and at least one secondary fluid channel. It is unclear if the one or more fluid channels in the outer drive shaft refers to the central opening and at least one secondary fluid channel or not.
Claim 13 recites the limitation “the outer end portion” in Line 2. However, Claim 12 discloses two outer end portions: one for the inner drive shaft and one for the outer drive shaft. It is unclear to which outer end portion “the outer end portion” in Line 2 refers.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-6, 9-12, and 14-15 are allowed, and Claims 7, 8, and 13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The prior art fails to disclose a drive assembly for a marine dual-propeller drive unit, said drive assembly comprising: a housing, an outer drive shaft assembly comprising an outer drive shaft comprising an outer end portion for holding a first propeller and an axially opposite inner end portion for connection to a gear or a motor, an inner drive shaft assembly comprising an inner drive shaft comprising and outer end portion for holding a second propeller and an axially opposite inner end portion for connection to a gear or a motor, and a lubrication system, said outer drive shaft comprising a through central opening extending along a rotational axis of the outer drive shaft, said inner drive shaft extending co-axially with the outer drive shaft, through the central opening of the outer drive shaft, wherein a plurality of primary bearings are mounted in the central opening for rotationally supporting the inner drive shaft in the outer drive shaft such that the inner drive shaft and the outer drive shaft are rotatable relatively each other about the rotational axis, wherein a plurality of secondary bearings are mounted around the outer drive shaft for rotatably supporting the outer drive shaft in the housing such that the outer drive shaft is rotatable relatively the housing about the rotational axis, said lubrication system comprising a liquid lubricant pump, and a primary fluid channel comprising a primary inlet fluidly connected to the liquid lubricant pump for receiving pressurized liquid lubricant, and at least one primary outlet emanating in the central opening of the outer drive shaft, said outer drive shaft comprising at least one secondary fluid channel extending from a secondary inlet facing the central opening to a secondary outlet facing an outer space between the housing and a radial outside of the outer drive shaft, said outer drive shaft being provided with at least one protrusion protruding radially inwards from an inner surface of the outer drive shaft, said secondary inlet of the secondary fluid channel being provided in said at least one protrusion at a first radial level offset radially inwards from the inner surface of the outer drive shaft such that liquid lubricant at said first radial level is able to lubricate at least some of the primary bearings. Asanabe (US Patent No: 4,786,264), Shields (US Patent No: 5,352,141), and Wyland (US Patent No: 5,419,724) all disclose drive assemblies for marine dual-propeller drive units, the assemblies comprising outer and inner drive shaft assemblies that are rotatable relative to each other; however, none of Asanabe, Shields, or Wyland disclose the lubrication system, protrusion, or secondary fluid channel as claimed. The prior art fails to disclose a drive assembly as claimed; therefore, Claims 1-6, 9-12, and 14-15 are allowed, and Claims 7, 8, and 13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL L SEHN whose telephone number is (571)270-3564. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 AM-6 PM, every other Friday off.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Courtney Heinle can be reached at 571-270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL L SEHN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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