Appeal No. 2004-2193 Page 5
Application No. 09/737,781
accomplish this goal, Busboom teaches two features. The first is placing the radiator
“above the engine behind the operators’ station” because “that . . . location is an area
containing less debris to clog the radiator” (column 3, lines 55-59). The second is
providing a grille (32) having a perforated screen member (56) over the radiator (26) at
the point where the cooling air enters, with the screen member comprising a series of
alternating grooves (62) and ridges (64) which extend downwardly and rearwardly from
the upper to the lower ends thereof. According to Busboom, the alternating grooves
and ridges of the air filter “provide[ ] a self-cleaning feature” (column 3, lines 51 and 52)
by enabling accumulated debris to fall therefrom “by gravity and vibration,” as well as
allowing the operator to run his fingers downwardly through the grooves to remove
excessive debris (column 3, lines 24-28). While the Busboom air intake faces away
from the front end of the apparatus, as is required by claim 5, it faces upwardly, rather
than downwardly, and thus the reference fails to teach this limitation of the claim.
Kobayashi is directed to an air intake system for an outboard motor. To prevent
water from reaching the engine, Kobayashi provides an air intake (28) comprising a
downwardly oriented opening (36). The problem solved by Kobayashi is that of water
entrained in the air being sucked into the engine air intake. “Debris” is not mentioned.
No air filter is disclosed. The patent explains that “[g]ravity precludes the entrained
water from entering the air inlet duct” and also “stops water which adheres to the bottom
surface” of the duct from entering (column 3, line 42 et seq.).
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