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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Figs. 12-18B fail to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(m) as they contain solid black shading. 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
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Laugen et al. US 2024/0043076. Laugen et al. discloses a scratching device 33 for a snowmobile 30, the device being configured to be operatively affixed to a securing element 63 for laterally attaching the device towards the snowmobile, the scratching device comprising a scratching element for scratching an icy surface when the snowmobile is travelling on the icy surface, thereby creating a stream of ice particles, the scratching element comprising: a contacting head 65 for contacting the ice, and an orienting portion 150 adjacent the contacting head and configured to be affixed to the securing element, wherein the orienting portion cooperates with the contacting head for orienting the stream of ice particles towards components the snowmobile that need to be cooled, and maximizing as such an amount of ice sent towards the components of the snowmobile when the snowmobile is travelling; wherein the contacting head and the orienting portion are permanently secured to one another; wherein the snowmobile comprises a longitudinal axis defined by a rear end and a front end of the snowmobile such that: the scratching device is positioned behind the securing portion when the snowmobile is in forward movement and positioned in front of the securing portion when the snowmobile is in rearward movement; or the scratching device is positioned in front the securing portion when the snowmobile is in forward movement and positioned behind of the securing portion when the snowmobile is in rearward movement. Laugen et al. further discloses a method for cooling components of a moving snowmobile comprising: while the snowmobile is travelling on an icy surface, scratching the surface with the scratching device disclosed above, thereby creating a stream of ice particles, the stream of icy particles being controllably directed towards the components by an orienting portion of the scratching device, and rotating an attachment between the snowmobile and the scratching device along a longitudinal plane of the snowmobile according to a moving direction of the snowmobile, and adjusting an angle between the orienting portion of the scratching device and the snowmobile according to desired components to be cooled, expected speed of the snowmobile and expected conditions of the icy surface, thereby controllably directing the stream of icy particles towards desired components to be cooled
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-15 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Hurley whose telephone number is (571)272-6646. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9 am-5:30 pm Kevin.Hurley@USPTO.GOV.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Valentin Neacsu can be reached at 571-272-6265. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN HURLEY/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3611
February 12, 2026