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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to the Request for Continued Examination and IDS filed May 12, 2026. Claims 1-19 are currently pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement of May 12, 2026 was received and reviewed.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 6-8, 10, and 12-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Owen et al., US 2004/0220708.
Claim 1, Owen discloses a vehicle (see Fig. 1), comprising: a plurality of ground engaging members (wheels 34,36); a steering system (handlebar 28 attached to fork of front assembly 30) operably coupled to at least one of the plurality of ground engaging members to steer the at least one ground engaging member (handlebar 28 steers the front wheel based on input from rider), the steering system includes: at least first and second vertical tubes (see annotated Fig. 10 below); a steering arm (handlebar 28) coupled with each of the first and second vertical tubes at a first coupling location along the first and second vertical tubes (handlebar 28 is coupled with the vertical tubes at a first location as shown in annotated Fig. 10); and a support structure (mount 134) coupled with each of the first and second vertical tubes at a second coupling location (mount 134 is coupled to the vertical tubes via bolts, see annotated Fig. 10; note: under BRI “coupled” encompasses direct and indirect coupling of one component to another, where intermediate components or members may be used in the coupling of the components; here the top caps are intermediate and facilitate along with the bolts shown the coupling of mount 134 to the vertical tubes) along the first and second vertical tubes spaced from the first coupling location (the handlebar 28 and the mount 134 are coupled to the vertical tubes at two different locations as shown in Fig. 10); the support structure having: a first portion engaged with the first and second vertical tubes and bridging between the first and second vertical tubes (as shown in annotated Fig. 10, mount 134 bridges between the first and second vertical tubes); a second portion (bracket 130); and a display device (CPD unit 16 having display device 124) configured to be supported by the second portion (bracket 130 supports CPD unit 16).
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Claim 3, Owen discloses the steering system further comprising a top cap positioned atop the plurality of vertical tubes (see annotated Fig. 10); and the top cap has a curved interface to complement a curved portion of the support structure (see top caps labeled in annotated Fig. 10, the caps are curved to complement the handlebar 28 in clamping it to the vertical tubes).
Claim 6, Owen discloses an upper extent of the first portion of the support structure is vertically lower than an upper extent of the second portion of the support structure (the upper part of 130 is vertically higher than the upper portion of 134).
Claim 7, Owen discloses the second portion of the support structure is angled relative to the generally vertical tubes (see the angle of 130 in annotated Fig. 10).
Claim 8, Owen discloses a first fastener removably couples a first generally vertical tube to the support structure and a second fastener removably couples a second generally vertical tube to the support structure (see annotated Fig. 10).
Claim 10, Owen discloses a steering assembly (handlebar 28 and connection to front suspension assembly 30 of vehicle 20) for a vehicle (motorcycle 20), comprising: a plurality of vertically upstanding members including at least first and second vertically upstanding members (see vertical members labeled in annotated Fig. 10); a handlebar assembly (handlebar 28) coupled to the first and second vertically upstanding members at a first coupling location (top caps mount handlebar 28 via bolts to the vertical members; see annotated Fig. 10); and a housing (housing assembly includes housing 122, bracket 130 and mount 134) configured to receive a display (display 124) of the vehicle, the housing includes: a support structure isolated from the handlebar assembly (mount 134 is a support structure and it is isolated, in other words, separate or independent from, the handlebar assembly); and wherein the support structure extends from each of the first and second vertically upstanding members at a second coupling location spaced from the first coupling location (as shown in annotated Fig. 10, mount 134 extends from the first to the second vertical member).
Claim 12, Owen discloses wherein the housing comprises a U-shaped portion configured to partially retain at least one wire of the vehicle (as shown in Fig. 10, bracket 130 of the housing assembly includes a u-shaped portion which is capable of retaining at least one wire).
Claim 13, Owen discloses wherein the display is angled relative to the vertically upstanding members (see the angle of display 124 in annotated Fig. 10).
Claim 14, Owen discloses a method of assembling a steering assembly for a vehicle (motorcycle 20 and steering assembling including handlebar 28), comprising: providing a plurality of vertical tubes (see vertical tubes in annotated Fig. 10) configured to steer a ground engaging member (front wheel 34, Fig. 1), the plurality of vertical tubes includes at least first and second vertical tubes (see annotated Fig. 10); coupling a handlebar assembly between the first and second vertical tubes at a first coupling location (handlebar 28 coupled to the vertical tubes with caps and bolts); providing a first support structure having a receiving portion configured to receive a display (the first support structure of Owen includes bracket 130 and mount 134; bracket 130 receives display 122/124); and coupling the first support structure with the plurality of vertical tubes (mount 134 attaches to the vertical tubes via bolts and caps as shown in annotated Fig. 10), coupling the first support structure includes: engaging the first support structure with the first vertical tube (bolts engage mount 134 to the vertical tubes); engaging the first support structure with the second vertical tube (bolts engage mount 134 to the vertical tubes); bridging a gap between the first and second vertical tubes with the first support structure (as shown in annotated Fig. 10, the mount portion 134 of the support structure bridges the vertical tubes), the first support structure isolated from the handlebar assembly at a second coupling location spaced from the first coupling location (mount 134 is a support structure and it is isolated, in other words, separate or independent from, the handlebar assembly and is coupled with the vertical tubes at a location spaced from where the handlebar couples the vertical tubes).
Claim 15, Owen discloses wherein coupling the first support structure includes angling the receiving portion relative to the plurality of vertical tubes (see angle of the receiving portion where the display is attached relative to the vertical tubes, annotated Fig. 10).
Claim 16, Owen discloses coupling a second support structure to the plurality of vertical tubes (the mount 134 is considered the first support structure and the bracket 130 is considered the second support structure).
Claim 17, Owen discloses coupling the second support structure includes positioning an upper extent of the second support structure vertically higher than an upper extent of the first support structure (see position of bracket 130 relative to vertical tubes in annotated Fig. 10).
Claim 18, Owen discloses the support structure is separated from the steering arm (handlebar 28 and mount 134 are separated from one another).
Claim 19, Owen discloses the support structure bridges between the first and second vertically upstanding members separate from the handlebar assembly (mount 134 bridges between the vertical members and is separate from the handlebar 28 and its connection with the vertical members).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4, 5, 9 and 11 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 an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: claims 2, 4, 5, 9 and 11 each recite structural and/or positional features of the recited elements that are not taught by the prior art known to the Office. There is no reason absent hindsight reasoning to modify the known prior art to match the features recited in claims 2, 4, 5, 9 and 11. It is clear that the structural and positional features of motorcycle steering and display assemblies is a crowded technological space. Clarifying amendments to closely match what applicant invented/disclosed is necessary to distinguish over the prior art.
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 JACOB S. SCOTT whose telephone number is (571)270-3415. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm.
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/JACOB S. SCOTT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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