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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-6 and 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Sonoda (US Pat. No. 7,344,151).
Regarding claim 1, Sonoda discloses A snowmobile (abstract) comprising: a body extending along a longitudinal axis between a front end and a rear end, the body including at least one hood panel (22) at the front end of the body (fig 1); and at least one storage compartment defining a storage volume to store items and an opening to access to the storage volume (at least “storage housing 43b”), the opening selectively closable by the at least one hood panel (at least annotated fig 1 below).
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Regarding claims 2-3, Sonoda discloses wherein the at least one hood panel includes a door moveably mounted to the body and displaceable relative to the body to cover and reveal the opening; wherein the door is pivotably mounted to the body (annotated fig 1 below).
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Regarding claims 4-6, Sonoda discloses wherein the at least one hood panel is moveably mounted to the body and displaceable relative to a remainder of the body to cover and reveal the opening (see annotated fig above where the swinging door is the “displaceable” hood panel); wherein the at least one hood panel is pivotably mounted to the body; wherein the at least one hood panel is pivotable from a closed position in a forward direction to an open position (annotated fig above).
Regarding claim 15, Sonoda discloses where the storage compartment is separate from the at least one hood panel (at least fig 4, where the storage compartment is shown separate from the hood 22).
Regarding claims 16-18, Sonoda discloses comprising a handle (at least 4) for steering the snowmobile, the at least one storage compartment being forward of the handle along the longitudinal axis (fig 4); wherein the opening is forward of the handle (fig 1, 4); wherein the at least one hood panel is forward of the handle(figs 1, 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-14, 19 and 20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art when taken alone or in combination does not appear to teach or fairly suggest at this time the snowmobile of claim 7, wherein: the at least one hood panel at least partially delimits an inner cavity of the body; and the at least one storage compartment comprises a side wall extending into the inner cavity from the opening, the side wall at least partially delimiting the opening [claim 7]; the snowmobile of claim 1, where the storage compartment is integral with the at least one hood panel [claim 14]; a snowmobile comprising: a body extending along a longitudinal axis between a front end and a rear end, the body including at least one side panel at the front end of the body; and at least one storage compartment defining a storage volume to store items and an opening to access to the storage volume, the opening selectively closable by the at least one side panel [claim 19]; or a snowmobile comprising: a body extending along a longitudinal axis between a front end and a rear end, the body including at least one hood panel and at least one side panel, the at least one hood panel and the at least one side panel disposed at the front end and at least partially delimiting an inner cavity of the body; and at least one storage compartment at the front end of the body and occupying at least part of the inner cavity, the at least one storage compartment accessible via an opening in one or both of the at least one hood panel and the at least one side panel [claim 20].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACOB B MEYER whose telephone number is (571)270-3535. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9-7.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, J Allen Shriver can be reached at 303.297.4337. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JACOB B. MEYER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3613
/JACOB B MEYER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613