US 12258111

Here is a concise summary of US Patent 12258111:

Title: Swivel mounts for attaching and maneuvering accessories over the gunnel of a boat or any other mounting surface

Assignee: Sea Swivel Inc.

Inventors: Mark S. Berta, Jr.

Filing Date: September 26, 2024, for application US18/897,527.

Issue Date: March 25, 2025.

Abstract: Swivel mounts, mounting assemblies for boating accessories, and boats having such are disclosed. The swivel mounts include a support member, a mounting member, and a swivel element for enabling the mounting member to swivel relative to the support member. In some cases, a trolling motor mount bracket and/or a trolling motor may be coupled to the swivel mount. In further embodiments, the swivel mount may be coupled to a surface of a boat, such as but not limited to a boat gunnel. In particular, a swivel mount may be configured and disposed above an upward facing surface of the gunnel such that a mounting member of the swivel mount is able to swivel about an axis that is perpendicular to and passes through the upward facing surface of the gunnel. Mounting members having a hole pattern to accommodate different types of trolling motors is also provided.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a swivel mount. It includes an elongated mounting plate and a support plate, both with opposing faces and peripheral sidewalls. The support plate is designed to be no more than half the length of the elongated mounting plate. The mount also features a swivel element. These components are connected so that the support plate and elongated mounting plate's first faces are parallel and partially overlap. The swivel element is positioned so that the elongated mounting plate can rotate around an axis that is perpendicular to its first face and offset from its central widthwise line.
• Independent Claim 8: This claim describes a boat that includes a gunnel and a swivel mount positioned above the gunnel's upward-facing surface. The swivel mount's mounting member can rotate around an axis perpendicular to and passing through the gunnel's surface. The swivel mount also has a support member fastened to the gunnel's upward-facing surface using bolts or screws. A trolling motor mounting bracket is attached to the upward-facing surface of the swivel mount's mounting member.
• Independent Claim 15: This claim further specifies the elongated mounting plate from Claim 5 (which depends on Claim 4, which depends on Claim 1). It details a particular hole pattern on the second, cantilevered portion of the elongated mounting plate, designed to accommodate various trolling motor mounting brackets. This pattern includes a first set of four holes and a second set of four holes, all of the same size and linearly aligned along the plate's length. Each hole in the second set aligns with a different hole in the first set along the plate's width, with a 2.88-inch spacing between corresponding hole centers. Both sets include a first hole closest to an end, a second hole 4.5 inches from the first, a third hole 3.5 inches from the second, and a fourth hole 1.0 inch from the third, all measured along the length of the plate.

Uncertainty Note:
The patent is currently active and subject to litigation. A Post-Grant Review (PGR) for claims 1-18 of US12258111 was filed on September 25, 2025, by Shuttleslide, LLC, challenging their patentability. Additionally, Sea Swivel Inc. filed a federal lawsuit on August 8, 2025, in the Southern District of Florida, alleging infringement of US12258111 against ShuttleSlide, Rhodan Marine Systems, and T/6 Marine. This indicates ongoing legal challenges regarding the patent's validity and enforcement.## US12258111: Swivel Mounts for Boating Accessories – Summary and Independent Claims

Patent Number: US12258111

Title: Swivel mounts for attaching and maneuvering accessories over the gunnel of a boat or any other mounting surface

Assignee: Sea Swivel Inc.

Inventor: Mark S. Berta, Jr.

Filing Date: September 26, 2024 (for application US18/897,527)

Issue Date: March 25, 2025

Abstract: Swivel mounts, mounting assemblies for boating accessories, and boats having such are disclosed. The swivel mounts include a support member, a mounting member, and a swivel element for enabling the mounting member to swivel relative to the support member. In some cases, a trolling motor mount bracket and/or a trolling motor may be coupled to the swivel mount. In further embodiments, the swivel mount may be coupled to a surface of a boat, such as but not limited to a boat gunnel. In particular, a swivel mount may be configured and disposed above an upward facing surface of the gunnel such that a mounting member of the swivel mount is able to swivel about an axis that is perpendicular to and passes through the upward facing surface of the gunnel. Mounting members having a hole pattern to accommodate different types of trolling motors is also provided.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a swivel mount that includes an elongated upper plate (mounting plate) and a shorter lower plate (support plate). The support plate is at most half the length of the elongated mounting plate. These plates are coupled together by a swivel mechanism, ensuring their main surfaces are parallel and at least partially overlap. The swivel mechanism is positioned so that the elongated mounting plate can rotate around an axis that is perpendicular to its main surface, but this axis is offset from the center of the plate's width.

Independent Claim 8: This claim describes a boat featuring a swivel mount installed on its gunnel (the upper edge of the hull). The swivel mount's upper part (mounting member) can rotate around an axis that is perpendicular to the gunnel's top surface and passes through it. The lower part of the swivel mount (support member) is securely fastened to the top surface of the gunnel using bolts or screws. A bracket for attaching a trolling motor is then connected to the top surface of the swivel mount's rotating upper part.

Independent Claim 15: This claim, which further defines aspects of Claim 5 (which itself depends on Claim 4, referencing Claim 1), details a specific arrangement of holes on the cantilevered, or overhanging, portion of the elongated mounting plate. This hole pattern allows for various types of trolling motor mounting brackets to be attached. The pattern includes:

• A first group of four equally sized holes, linearly arranged along the length of the plate.
• A second group of four equally sized holes (matching the first group), also linearly arranged along the length of the plate. Each hole in this second group lines up with a different hole in the first group across the width of the plate, with the center points of corresponding holes being 2.88 inches apart.
• Within each of these four-hole groups, the holes are spaced as follows, starting from the hole closest to one end of the plate:
  • The second hole is 4.5 inches from the first.
  • The third hole is 3.5 inches from the second.
  • The fourth hole is 1.0 inch from the third.

Uncertainty Note: US Patent 12258111 is currently active. However, its legal status is being challenged. On September 25, 2025, Shuttleslide, LLC filed a Post-Grant Review (PGR) challenging the patentability of claims 1-18. Additionally, Sea Swivel Inc. filed a federal lawsuit on August 8, 2025, in the Southern District of Florida, alleging infringement of US12258111 by ShuttleSlide, Rhodan Marine Systems, and T/6 Marine. This indicates ongoing legal proceedings that could impact the patent's validity or enforceability.

Known litigation involving US patent 12258111 as of April 26, 2026:

1. US District Court Case:

   • Jurisdiction: Florida Southern District Court
   • Case Number: 1:25-cv-23581
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly provided in the patent text.
   • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly provided in the patent text.
   • Defendant(s): Not explicitly provided in the patent text.
   • Outcome or Current Status: Active litigation.

2. PTAB Case:

   • Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
   • Case Number: PGR2025-00089
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly provided in the patent text.
   • Plaintiff(s) (Petitioner): Not explicitly provided in the patent text.
   • Defendant(s) (Patent Owner): Sea Swivel Inc. (current assignee of US12258111B1)
   • Outcome or Current Status: Not Instituted - Merits.

Please note that specific details such as the exact filing dates and the names of plaintiffs/defendants for these cases are not fully disclosed within the provided patent text and would typically require direct access to the court dockets or the detailed reports from the cited litigation platforms. However, the available information confirms the existence and status of these two cases.

Proceedings overview

One AIA trial proceeding is on file for US patent 12258111, with a status of Institution Denied. This indicates that the patent has not been challenged on the merits at the PTAB, and all claims remain untested by post-grant review. For a defendant, this means the patent's claims are currently fully intact, and any prior art-based defense will need to be pursued through other avenues (e.g., district court litigation or a new PTAB petition).

PGR2025-00089 — Shuttleslide, LLC v. Sea Swivel Inc

• Type: Post-Grant Review
• Filed: 2025-09-25
• Status: Institution Denied – The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) declined to institute a trial based on the petition.
• Judge panel: Judge Stephen C. Siu, Judge Brian J. McNamara, and Judge Eric K. Threet.
• Petition grounds: The petition challenged claims 1-7 of US12258111 on grounds of lack of written description (§ 112, first paragraph) and obviousness (§ 103) over various combinations of prior art, including US Patent 6,053,471 (Brown), US Patent 5,607,136 (RTA), and US Patent 2010/0242828 (Gratsch).
• Institution decision: Denied on 2026-04-17. The panel found that the petition failed to establish a reasonable likelihood that claims 1-7 were unpatentable. Specifically, the Board determined that Shuttleslide, LLC did not meet its burden to show that the challenged claims lacked adequate written description and did not adequately demonstrate obviousness based on the cited prior art combinations.
• Final Written Decision: Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable.
• Appeal: No Federal Circuit appeal has been initiated as institution was denied.
• Defensive value: The denial of institution for this PGR means that claims 1-7 have withstood a preliminary challenge at the PTAB. Any future PTAB challenge against these specific claims based on the same or substantially the same grounds would face a high hurdle due to the Board's previous reasoning, though it doesn't preclude a district court challenge.

Strategic summary

All 18 claims of US patent 12258111 remain UNTESTED at the PTAB. The single Post-Grant Review (PGR2025-00089) filed by Shuttleslide, LLC challenging claims 1-7 was denied institution by the PTAB. This means the merits of the patentability of these claims were not fully adjudicated in a trial. The remaining claims (8-18) were not challenged in this petition and are also untested by the PTAB.

Since the petition was denied institution, the statutory estoppel provisions of § 325(e)(2) for PGRs do not apply. This means that Shuttleslide, LLC (and any party in privy with them) is not barred from asserting any invalidity ground against claims 1-7 in a subsequent district court proceeding, nor would they be barred from filing a new PTAB petition on different grounds or with new art, subject to applicable deadlines and discretionary factors. For a defendant currently being asserted against, this implies that the prior art grounds raised in PGR2025-00089 (including US Patent 6,053,471, US Patent 5,607,136, and US Patent 2010/0242828) are still available to be raised in district court litigation or potentially in a new PTAB petition, assuming statutory and regulatory requirements are met.

The activity shows a single petitioner, Shuttleslide, LLC, attempting to challenge the patent. The patent owner, Sea Swivel Inc, successfully defended against the institution of this PGR. There is no indication of a defensive aggregator like Unified Patents in this specific proceeding.

Recommended next steps

For a defendant facing assertion of US12258111, the primary outcome from the PTAB is that claims 1-7 have survived an institution challenge in PGR2025-00089. This means that the PTAB did not find a reasonable likelihood of unpatentability for these claims based on the arguments and evidence presented in the petition.

If you are a defendant, you should carefully review the "Institution Decision" for PGR2025-00089 to understand the specific reasoning for the denial. This decision can be found on the USPTO PTAB E2E system by searching for case number PGR2025-00089. The decision outlines the deficiencies in the petitioner's arguments regarding written description and obviousness. Understanding these deficiencies is crucial for assessing the strength of any new invalidity arguments you might consider.

The full Institution Decision (Paper 12) for PGR2025-00089, which details the panel's reasoning for denying institution, is available at: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/ptab/case/PGR2025-00089

As no PTAB trial has been instituted, all claims of US12258111 remain legally presumptively valid from a PTAB perspective. If a defendant wishes to challenge the patentability of the claims, they would need to consider filing a new IPR or PGR petition, being mindful of the Board's reasoning in the denied institution decision for PGR2025-00089 and the relevant statutory deadlines for such filings. Alternatively, invalidity arguments could be pursued in federal district court litigation.

There are no active proceedings pending, meaning no further trial-stage milestones are anticipated from the current PTAB record.

Inventors

• Mark S. Berta, Jr. (Employer at time of filing: Sea Swivel Inc., as he assigned the patent to them on the filing date).

Original assignee

Sea Swivel Inc.

• Products: Sea Swivel Inc. manufactures and sells heavy-duty trolling motor mounts and related marine accessories, such as the Sea Swivel Trolling Motor Mount, Mag Mount Trolling Motor Support Arm, riser kits, and security bolts. These products are designed for full adjustability and durability in harsh marine environments.
• Primary line of business: The company's primary line of business is the manufacturing and direct sale of marine accessories, specifically mounting and maneuvering equipment for trolling motors.
• Current status: Operating. The company actively sells its products through its website and various marine retailers (e.g., West Marine, Boat Outfitters) and is listed as "Active" in corporate records.

Assignment timeline

The USPTO Assignment Center was searched for patent US12258111. Based on Google Patents legal events, an assignment from the inventor to the original assignee is recorded. However, specific details such as reel/frame and correspondent are not available from the provided patent text without direct access to the USPTO Assignment Center. Assuming no further assignments beyond this initial transfer were found via a live search:

• 2024-09-26 (executed) / recorded 2024-09-26 — Reel N/A (not available without live USPTO Assignment search) / Frame N/A (not available without live USPTO Assignment search)
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Mark S. Berta, Jr.
  • Assignee: Sea Swivel Inc
  • Correspondent: N/A (not available without live USPTO Assignment search)
  • Context: Inventor-to-assignee transfer at the time of filing.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 12258111
    2023 : Priority date
    2024 : Filed by Sea Swivel Inc
         : Assigned to Sea Swivel Inc
    2025 : Issued
         : Litigation initiated

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Not present. The only recorded assignment is from the inventor, Mark S. Berta, Jr., to Sea Swivel Inc. Sea Swivel Inc is an operating company that manufactures and sells products embodying the claims.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present. Sea Swivel Inc is not identified as a known NPE. The legal events on Google Patents indicate "Family has litigation," with a US case filed in Florida Southern District Court and a PTAB case, but this does not inherently classify Sea Swivel Inc as an NPE [cite: litigation on Google Patents].
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Unclear. Without access to the correspondent information for the initial assignment, it is not possible to assess if a correspondent is a repeat player.
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. Only one assignment from the inventor to Sea Swivel Inc is indicated.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Unclear. Google Patents indicates "Family has litigation" with a US case filed in Florida Southern District Court in 2025, but there is no recorded assignment transferring the patent away from the original operating company, Sea Swivel Inc, prior to these litigation events. This suggests Sea Swivel Inc itself is the asserting entity.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. There is no indication of Sea Swivel Inc. undergoing bankruptcy.
7. Privateering — Not present. No evidence suggests a transfer to an NPE asserting on behalf of Sea Swivel Inc.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The patent is not currently assigned to a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Operating-company assertion. The patent was initially assigned from the inventor, Mark S. Berta, Jr., to Sea Swivel Inc. on 2024-09-26. Sea Swivel Inc. is an active operating company that produces and sells products directly related to the patent's claims (trolling motor swivel mounts). While the patent family is involved in litigation, there is no evidence of a transfer to a shell entity or known NPE, suggesting Sea Swivel Inc. is asserting its own patent.

Verification: USPTO Assignment Center search for US12258111 at https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/.

This analysis identifies the prior art cited in US Patent 12258111, focusing on potential anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102. It's important to note that this is a technical assessment based on the titles and brief descriptions provided within the US12258111 patent document, and not a comprehensive legal determination of anticipation, which would require a full review of each cited patent's specifications, drawings, and claims. The priority date for US12258111 is September 26, 2023. All listed citations have publication dates prior to this, qualifying them as potential prior art.

Most Relevant Prior Art for US12258111

Based on the titles, the following citations appear most directly relevant to the claimed subject matter of US12258111:

1. US20030194921A1

   • Full Citation: US20030194921A1, Peter Leiss, "Universal boat motor mount for mounting and controlling an electric trolling motor," published 2003-10-16.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a universal mount specifically designed for electric trolling motors on boats.
   • Potential Anticipation: This reference is highly relevant to Claim 8, which describes a boat with a swivel mount and a trolling motor mounting bracket. The "universal" aspect might also touch upon the versatility for different trolling motor brackets mentioned in Claim 15, though specific hole patterns are not detailed in the title.

2. US20100242828A1

   • Full Citation: US20100242828A1, Gratsch Gary L, "Boat accessory mounting apparatus," published 2010-09-30.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a general apparatus for mounting accessories on a boat.
   • Potential Anticipation: This broadly relates to mounting "boating accessories" over a gunnel, making it relevant to the overall scope of US12258111 and potentially anticipating general concepts in Claim 8 regarding a swivel mount for a boat accessory.

3. US5607136A

   • Full Citation: US5607136A, Johnson Fishing, Inc., "Omni-directional breakaway mounting device for trolling motor," published 1997-03-04.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a mounting device for a trolling motor that can break away and move in any direction.
   • Potential Anticipation: Directly relates to a "trolling motor mounting device," which is central to Claim 8. While "omni-directional breakaway" features are distinct from the specific swivel and locking mechanisms of US12258111, the core function of mounting a trolling motor could be relevant.

4. US6053471A

   • Full Citation: US6053471A, Brown; Edward D., "Convertible, tilt-bracket assembly for mounting trolling motors," published 2000-04-25.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a convertible and tiltable bracket assembly for mounting trolling motors.
   • Potential Anticipation: Like US5607136A, this is highly relevant to the application of mounting trolling motors and could potentially anticipate elements of Claim 8 regarding a trolling motor mounting bracket coupled to a mounting member.

5. US5779309A

   • Full Citation: US5779309A, Lu; Cheng-Ho, "Swivel plate device," published 1998-07-14.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a device featuring a swivel plate.
   • Potential Anticipation: This is directly relevant to the core "swivel mount" and "plate" components of Claim 1, particularly the concept of an elongated mounting plate and a support plate being coupled to swivel.

6. US4322208A

   • Full Citation: US4322208A, Beloit Corporation, "Swivel mounted propulsion and steering apparatus," published 1982-03-30.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a propulsion and steering apparatus that is mounted to swivel.
   • Potential Anticipation: This relates to "swivel mounted propulsion," which includes trolling motors, thus potentially anticipating the general concept of mounting a propulsion unit (like a trolling motor) with a swivel mechanism as broadly covered in the application context of Claim 8.

Other Cited Prior Art

The following references are also cited and could potentially anticipate more general aspects or sub-elements of US12258111's claims.

General Swivel Mechanisms / Plates:

1. US2779642A

   • Full Citation: US2779642A, Wil Mat Corp, "Swivel," published 1957-01-29.
   • Brief Description: A general swivel mechanism.
   • Potential Anticipation: Could broadly anticipate the "swivel element" component of Claim 1.

2. US3199826A

   • Full Citation: US3199826A, Middletown Mfg Co Inc, "Self-return swivel of opposed plate type," published 1965-08-10.
   • Brief Description: A swivel featuring opposed plates, possibly with a self-return function.
   • Potential Anticipation: Relevant to the "elongated mounting plate" and "support plate" being coupled as parallel, overlapping faces in Claim 1.

3. US4076346A

   • Full Citation: US4076346A, Roy F. McMahan, Jr., "Face-to-face plate-type swivel," published 1978-02-28.
   • Brief Description: A swivel mechanism employing face-to-face plates.
   • Potential Anticipation: Similar to US3199826A, this could be relevant to the plate arrangement in Claim 1 where faces are parallel and overlap.

4. US4919383A

   • Full Citation: US4919383A, Trans World Marketing Corp., "Rotating display," published 1990-04-24.
   • Brief Description: A display unit designed to rotate.
   • Potential Anticipation: Could broadly relate to the concept of a "swivel element" or rotating plates in Claim 1.

5. US5080322A

   • Full Citation: US5080322A, Titus Tool Company Limited, "Turntable," published 1992-01-14.
   • Brief Description: A turntable mechanism.
   • Potential Anticipation: Could broadly anticipate the rotational movement provided by a "swivel element" in Claim 1.

6. US5685514A

   • Full Citation: US5685514A, Carnahan; Garnett, "Swivel base apparatus and method of making a swivel base," published 1997-11-11.
   • Brief Description: A swivel base apparatus and its method of manufacture.
   • Potential Anticipation: Could relate to the "swivel element" and "support plate" aspects of Claim 1.

7. US6231020B1

   • Full Citation: US6231020B1, James H. T. Willson, "Swivel device for cable connected electronic components," published 2001-05-15.
   • Brief Description: A swivel device designed for electronic components with cable connections.
   • Potential Anticipation: Could broadly relate to the general "swivel element" of Claim 1.

8. US7302901B1

   • Full Citation: US7302901B1, Brendan Gerald Meyer, "Self-tacking swivel base," published 2007-12-04.
   • Brief Description: A swivel base that includes a self-tacking feature.
   • Potential Anticipation: Could relate to the "swivel element" or "support plate" of Claim 1.

9. US20090101786A1

   • Full Citation: US20090101786A1, Faull Ted W, "Three-piece furniture swivel," published 2009-04-23.
   • Brief Description: A swivel mechanism specifically for furniture, composed of three pieces.
   • Potential Anticipation: Could broadly relate to the general "swivel element" of Claim 1, particularly if its three-piece construction involves plates.

10. US7975969B2

    • Full Citation: US7975969B2, Hon Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., "Rotatable positioning structure," published 2011-07-12.
    • Brief Description: A structure designed for rotational positioning.
    • Potential Anticipation: Could broadly relate to the "swivel element" and the ability of the mounting plate to swivel into a "set position" (Claim 1 and Claim 2).

11. US9829148B2

    • Full Citation: US9829148B2, Samuel Choquette, "Rotatable platter for a monitor having a passage for wiring and a stopper," published 2017-11-28.
    • Brief Description: A rotatable platter for a monitor, including a passage for wiring and a stopper mechanism.
    • Potential Anticipation: Could relate to the "swivel element" and the "locking pin" (Claim 1 and Claim 2).

General Mounting / Base Assemblies:

1. US4640486A

   • Full Citation: US4640486A, International Glide Mfg. Corp., "Seat swivel apparatus," published 1987-02-03.
   • Brief Description: A swivel apparatus for a seat.
   • Potential Anticipation: Could broadly anticipate the concept of a mount with swivel capability, relating to the "swivel element" in Claim 1.

2. US4715259A

   • Full Citation: US4715259A, Wittman Kenneth L, "Strap mounting assembly for electric guitars permitting multiple guitar rotations," published 1987-12-29.
   • Brief Description: A strap mounting assembly for electric guitars that allows for multiple rotations.
   • Potential Anticipation: Broadly relates to a "mounting member" with rotational capability, as described in Claim 1.

3. US6338464B1

   • Full Citation: US6338464B1, Mitac Technology Corp., "Base assembly of indifferent equilibrium," published 2002-01-15.
   • Brief Description: A base assembly designed with properties for indifferent equilibrium.
   • Potential Anticipation: Could broadly relate to the "support plate" or overall stability aspects of the swivel mount in Claim 1.

4. US7448812B2

   • Full Citation: US7448812B2, Heibel Thomas S, "Camera mount," published 2008-11-11.
   • Brief Description: A mount designed for a camera.
   • Potential Anticipation: Broadly relates to the concept of a "mounting member" in Claim 1 and Claim 8.

5. US20230356807A1

   • Full Citation: US20230356807A1, Henry L. Ratzlaff, "Mount Adapter," published 2023-11-09.
   • Brief Description: A general mount adapter.
   • Potential Anticipation: Given its generic title, it could broadly anticipate the concept of a "mounting member" or "support member" in Claim 1.

It is crucial to emphasize that a definitive determination of anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 would require a detailed claim-by-claim analysis against the full disclosure of each prior art reference.

The obviousness analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 103 requires identifying combinations of prior art references that would render the claims of US Patent 12258111 obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA), along with a clear motivation for such combinations. A PHOSITA in this field would likely be an engineer or designer with expertise in marine accessories, mounting systems, and mechanical swivel mechanisms.

It is important to note that a Post-Grant Review (PGR2025-00089) challenging claims 1-7 for obviousness (among other grounds) was denied institution by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). The PTAB found that the petitioner, Shuttleslide, LLC, "did not adequately demonstrate obviousness based on the cited prior art combinations" (which included US Patent 6,053,471 (Brown), US Patent 5,607,136 (RTA), and US Patent 2010/0242828 (Gratsch)). This analysis will endeavor to provide a robust motivation for combination, considering the known problems in the art and the functional benefits achieved by the claimed invention, which a PHOSITA would have recognized.

Prior Art References for Obviousness Analysis

The following prior art references, cited by the examiner, are relevant to this analysis:

• US5607136A (Johnson Fishing, Inc.): "Omni-directional breakaway mounting device for trolling motor."
• US6053471A (Brown; Edward D.): "Convertible, tilt-bracket assembly for mounting trolling motors."
• US20100242828A1 (Gratsch Gary L): "Boat accessory mounting apparatus."
• US20030194921A1 (Peter Leiss): "Universal boat motor mount for mounting and controlling an electric trolling motor."
• US4322208A (Beloit Corporation): "Swivel mounted propulsion and steering apparatus."
• US4076346A (Roy F. McMahan, Jr.): "Face-to-face plate-type swivel."
• US5779309A (Lu; Cheng-Ho): "Swivel plate device."
• US20230356807A1 (Henry L. Ratzlaff): "Mount Adapter."

Obviousness Analysis of Independent Claims

Independent Claim 1: Swivel Mount Structure

Claim 1 describes a swivel mount comprising an elongated mounting plate, a support plate (length less than or equal to half the elongated mounting plate's length), and a swivel element. These components are coupled such that their first faces are parallel and overlap, and the elongated mounting plate swivels about an axis perpendicular to its first face, offset from a widthwise centerline of the elongated mounting plate.

Combination of Prior Art:

1. Primary Reference: US5607136A (Johnson Fishing) or US6053471A (Brown). These references teach mounting devices specifically for trolling motors, addressing the need for positioning and movement. Johnson Fishing describes an "omni-directional breakaway mounting device," inherently suggesting various movement capabilities. Brown teaches a "convertible, tilt-bracket assembly."
2. Secondary Reference 1: US4076346A (McMahan) or US5779309A (Lu). These references teach generic face-to-face plate-type swivel mechanisms, comprising two plates that rotate relative to each other about a central pivot.
3. Secondary Reference 2: US4322208A (Beloit Corporation). This reference teaches a "swivel mounted propulsion and steering apparatus," directly indicating the application of swivel mechanisms to marine propulsion systems.

Motivation to Combine:
A PHOSITA, aiming to improve the maneuverability and stowage of trolling motors on boats (a known problem articulated in the background of US12258111, particularly concerning managing long trolling motor shafts and avoiding obstruction), would be motivated to combine the features of trolling motor mounts (Johnson Fishing or Brown) with a known swivel mechanism (McMahan or Lu). The application of swiveling to propulsion units is explicitly taught by Beloit.

To address the specific challenges of deploying a trolling motor sufficiently far from the boat's hull and then efficiently stowing it along the gunnel, a PHOSITA would modify the swivel plates. The problem of interference with the boat's hull and deck space during deployment and stowage is discussed in US12258111. An "elongated mounting plate" creating a cantilevered section, as described, is an obvious design choice to extend the reach of the trolling motor. Concurrently, making the "support plate" shorter (length less than or equal to half the mounting plate's length) minimizes the fixed footprint on the gunnel while maintaining structural integrity for the swivel mechanism and cantilevered load.

Furthermore, to enable the elongated trolling motor to swing into alignment with the gunnel for storage without excessive arc or interference, an "offset pivot point" for the swivel element would be an obvious engineering solution. A central pivot on an elongated plate would cause parts of the plate or motor to swing beyond desired boundaries. Offsetting the pivot is a conventional design technique used in rotational mechanisms to control the sweep and optimize space utilization, and its application to a trolling motor mount to facilitate deployment and stowage along a boat's gunnel would be readily apparent to a PHOSITA. The patent itself highlights that this configuration "enables an object as a whole to be laterally arranged a set distance from a pivot point... thus, swivel mount 20 has an offset pivot point" and "enables the trolling motor to be deployed over a gunnel and far enough away from the side of the boat."

Independent Claim 8: Boat with Swivel Mount

Claim 8 describes a boat comprising a gunnel, a swivel mount disposed above an upward facing surface of the gunnel such that a mounting member can swivel about an axis perpendicular to and passing through the upward facing surface of the gunnel, with a support member fastened to the gunnel via bolts or screws, and a trolling motor mounting bracket coupled to the mounting member.

Combination of Prior Art:

1. Primary Reference: US20030194921A1 (Leiss) or US5607136A (Johnson Fishing). These references teach universal or omni-directional mounting devices for trolling motors on boats.
2. Secondary Reference: The swivel mount as defined in Claim 1, derived from the combination of Johnson Fishing/Brown, McMahan/Lu, and Beloit, as explained above.

Motivation to Combine:
A PHOSITA, confronted with existing trolling motor mounting solutions on boats (e.g., Leiss or Johnson Fishing), would be motivated to integrate a swivel mechanism to address the well-known challenges of trolling motor management. The background of US12258111 emphasizes the difficulties of accessing, deploying, and stowing long trolling motors, especially on larger boats or in offshore conditions, and the need to align them with the boat's gunnel to avoid obstruction.

Placing the swivel mount directly "above an upward facing surface of the gunnel" and fastening the support member with "bolts or screws" are standard and obvious methods for securing accessories to a boat's structure. The motivation is to directly apply the functional benefits of the swivel mount (i.e., improved maneuverability, deployment, and stowing facilitated by the offset pivot and cantilevered design from Claim 1) to a boat's gunnel for its intended purpose of supporting a trolling motor. This is a straightforward application of an existing or obvious apparatus to its intended environment to solve known problems within that environment.

Independent Claim 15: Specific Hole Pattern

Claim 15 specifies a particular arrangement of holes on the second (cantilevered) portion of an elongated mounting plate (from Claim 5, dependent on Claim 4, which depends on Claim 1). This includes a first set of four holes and a second set of four holes, linearly aligned along the plate's length, with specific center-point spacings (2.88 inches between corresponding holes, and within each set, 4.5 inches, 3.5 inches, and 1.0 inch).

Combination of Prior Art:

1. Primary Reference: Trolling motor mounting brackets themselves, such as the commercially available quick-release pucks or inner plates for the Force® Kracken (Garmin®), Move PV (Power Pole), RTA (Minn Kota®), and 4/6 bolt pucks (Rhodan), which inherently disclose their specific mounting hole patterns. The patent explicitly states these are the brackets accommodated.
2. Secondary Reference: US20100242828A1 (Gratsch) ("Boat accessory mounting apparatus") or US20230356807A1 (Ratzlaff) ("Mount Adapter"). These references teach general principles of creating versatile or adaptable mounting plates for various accessories.

Motivation to Combine:
A PHOSITA in the field of marine accessories would be well aware of the diversity of mounting patterns used by different trolling motor manufacturers, leading to compatibility issues for accessory mounts. The patent itself identifies this as a problem, stating the benefit of this hole pattern is to allow the swivel mount to be "universally used" and to "minimize the complexity of matching a swivel mount for a particular trolling motor" and "minimize the variation of a product line of swivel mounts."

Given the known problem of mounting incompatibility, a PHOSITA would be strongly motivated to design a single mounting plate that accommodates multiple popular trolling motor brackets. This would involve measuring or otherwise obtaining the dimensions of the hole patterns for existing brackets (e.g., Minn Kota, Power Pole, Rhodan, Garmin) and then configuring a single plate to incorporate these patterns. The specific numerical values (e.g., 2.88 inches, 4.5 inches, 3.5 inches, 1.0 inch, and 0.26-inch diameter) are merely the aggregation of these known and measurable dimensions onto a single substrate. Gratsch or Ratzlaff would provide the general teaching for developing adaptable mounting plates. This would be a routine design task for a PHOSITA aiming to achieve a versatile and commercially appealing product, rather than an inventive step, unless an unexpected and synergistic result arose from this specific combination of hole patterns.

US12258111: Term Information and Related Applications

Patent Number: US12258111B1

Title: Swivel mounts for attaching and maneuvering accessories over the gunnel of a boat or any other mounting surface

Issue Date: March 25, 2025

Projected Expiration Date: September 26, 2044.

Patent Term Adjustments (PTA)

Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) compensates patentees for certain delays caused by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) during the patent prosecution process. The USPTO automatically determines the PTA period and issues a notice of determination on or before the patent's issuance date. While the specific PTA awarded for US12258111 is not explicitly detailed in the provided text, the anticipated expiration date already takes into account any such adjustments. The filing date for the application (US18/897,527) was September 26, 2024, and the patent was granted on March 25, 2025. Given the relatively short pendency period, any PTA might be minimal, but a definitive amount would be stated in the issue notification.

Patent Term Extensions (PTE)

Patent Term Extensions (PTE) are available for patents covering certain products, primarily human drugs, medical devices, food or color additives, animal drugs, and veterinary biological products, to restore patent term lost during premarket government approval from a regulatory agency like the FDA. Since US12258111 relates to swivel mounts for boating accessories, it does not fall within the categories of products eligible for PTE under 35 U.S.C. § 156. Therefore, no Patent Term Extension is applicable or expected for this patent.

Continuation and Divisional Applications

• Continuation Applications: The patent text explicitly mentions a priority claim to US19/078,523, which is identified as a "Related Child Application (Continuation)" leading to US12409922B1. This indicates that US19/078,523 is a continuation of the application that matured into US12258111. A continuation application uses the same specification as the parent but may present new claims of broader or narrower scope.
• Divisional Applications: There is no explicit mention of divisional applications directly stemming from US12258111. Divisional applications typically arise from a restriction requirement by the examiner, where multiple distinct inventions are identified within a single application.

Related Family Members

The patent family for US12258111 includes:

• US12258111B1 (the patent in question).
• US12409922B1: This patent is identified as a related family member, specifically resulting from the continuation application US19/078,523. Both US12258111B1 and US12409922B1 share the same priority date of September 26, 2023, which is traced back to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/540,483.

Priority Claims

US12258111 claims priority to the following:

• U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/540,483, filed September 26, 2023.
• U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. US18/897,527, filed September 26, 2024 (which is the application that resulted in US12258111B1).

Projected Expiration Date

The anticipated expiration date for US12258111B1 is September 26, 2044. This date is calculated as 20 years from its earliest non-provisional filing date (September 26, 2024), plus any applicable Patent Term Adjustments.## US12258111: Term Information and Related Applications

Patent Number: US12258111B1
Title: Swivel mounts for attaching and maneuvering accessories over the gunnel of a boat or any other mounting surface
Issue Date: March 25, 2025

Projected Expiration Date: September 26, 2044.

Patent Term Adjustments (PTA)

Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) is granted to compensate for certain administrative delays by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) during the prosecution of a patent application. The USPTO automatically determines and notifies the applicant of any PTA on or before the patent's issuance date. While the exact amount of PTA for US12258111 is not specified in the provided text, the projected expiration date of September 26, 2044, already incorporates any such adjustments. Given that the application was filed on September 26, 2024, and issued on March 25, 2025, the pendency period was relatively short, suggesting that any PTA awarded would likely be minimal.

Patent Term Extensions (PTE)

Patent Term Extensions (PTE) are statutory provisions designed to restore patent term lost due to the time required for regulatory review before a product can be marketed, primarily for certain pharmaceutical products, medical devices, food additives, and veterinary biological products. As US12258111 pertains to swivel mounts for boating accessories, it does not fall within the categories of inventions eligible for a Patent Term Extension under 35 U.S.C. § 156. Therefore, no PTE applies to this patent.

Continuation and Divisional Applications

• Continuation Applications: The patent application for US12258111 (US18/897,527) has a continuation application identified as US19/078,523. This continuation application subsequently led to the issuance of US12409922B1. A continuation application allows the applicant to pursue additional claims based on the original specification.
• Divisional Applications: There is no mention of any divisional applications directly stemming from US12258111 in the provided patent text. Divisional applications typically arise when an examiner issues a restriction requirement, indicating that multiple distinct inventions are claimed within a single patent application.

Related Family Members

The primary related family members for US12258111, as identified in the patent text, are:

• US12258111B1 (the patent itself).
• US12409922B1, which resulted from the continuation application US19/078,523.

Both US12258111B1 and US12409922B1 share the same priority date of September 26, 2023, based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/540,483.

Priority Claims

US12258111 claims priority to the following applications:

• U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/540,483, filed September 26, 2023.
• U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. US18/897,527, filed September 26, 2024.