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 § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bedard et al (US 10,293,883)in view of Izumi et al (US 6,032,754). Bedard discloses:
With regard to claim 1 - A snowmobile comprising:
a frame including a tunnel;
a motor connected to the frame;
an endless track operatively connected to the motor for propelling the snowmobile;
a continuously variable transmission (CVT) operatively connected to the motor;
a chain drive operatively connected to the motor through the CVT, the chain drive being disposed on one of a left side and a right side of a longitudinal centerplane of the snowmobile, the chain drive comprising:
a drive sprocket 126;
a driven sprocket 128; and
a drive chain 127 operatively connecting the drive and driven sprockets;
a chaincase 117 housing the drive sprocket 126, the driven sprocket 128 and the drive chain 125;
a drive axle 35 operatively connecting the chain drive 127 to the endless track 30, the drive axle 35 defining a drive axle axis 34a extending generally laterally (“The secondary pulley 48 has a secondary pulley rotation axis 114 extending laterally and which is defined by a secondary pulley shaft 116 onto which the secondary pulley 48 is mounted. The secondary pulley shaft 116 is rotatably supported by the frame 16 (e.g., via bearings). The secondary pulley 48 is rotatable with the secondary pulley shaft 48 such that the drive sheaves 106, 108 rotate together with the primary pulley shaft 112. The secondary pulley 48 is operatively connected to the drive sprockets 34 of the rear suspension assembly 32 such that the secondary pulley 48 transmits torque to the drive sprockets 34 which in turn drive the endless track 30. In this implementation, a sprocket 126 is mounted on the secondary pulley shaft 116 and another sprocket 128 is mounted on the drive axle 35. A chain 127 operatively connects the sprocket 126 mounted on the secondary pulley shaft 116 to the sprocket 128 mounted on the drive axle 35 such that the secondary pulley shaft 116 transmits torque to the drive axle 35 via the chain 127 and sprockets 126, 128 and thus causes rotation of the drive sprockets 34 about the drive sprocket rotation axis 34a. A chain case 117 covers the chain 127 and sprockets 126, 128.” – column 6, line 58 – column 7, line 12), the drive axle comprising:
a first axle end portion operatively connected to the chain drive; and
a second axle end portion rotatably supported by the tunnel on an other one of the left side and the right side of the longitudinal centerplane (see Fig. 7).
Bedard fails to explicitly disclose a mounting sleeve engaged to the driven sprocket in order to be driven thereby, the first axle end portion being operatively and removably connected to the mounting sleeve and rotating therewith about the drive axle axis 34a.
Izumi teaches a snowmobile comprising:
a frame;
a motor 25 connected to the frame;
an endless track 3 operatively connected to the motor 25 for propelling the snowmobile;
a continuously variable transmission (CVT) 40 operatively connected to the motor 25;
a chain drive 41 operatively connected to the motor through the CVT, the chain drive being disposed on one of a left side and a right side of a longitudinal centerplane of the snowmobile (see Fig. 3), the chain drive comprising:
a drive sprocket 65;
a driven sprocket 67; and
a chaincase 41a, 41b housing the drive sprocket 65 and the driven sprocket 67;
a drive axle 42 operatively connecting the chain drive 41 to the endless track 3, the drive axle 42 defining a drive axle axis extending generally laterally the drive axle comprising:
a first axle end portion operatively connected to the chain drive 41; and
a second axle end portion rotatably supported on an other one of the left side and the right side of the longitudinal centerplane (see Fig. 3); and
a mounting sleeve 71 engaged to the driven sprocket 67 in order to be driven thereby, the first axle end portion being operatively and removably connected to the mounting sleeve 71 and rotating therewith about the drive axle axis.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the snowmobile of Bedard with the teaching of Izumi so as to include a mounting sleeve engaged to the driven sprocket to ensure solid connection between the drive axle and the driven pulley.
With regard to claim 2, Izumi teaches wherein:
the mounting sleeve 71 has an inner lateral end 102 and an outer lateral end 107 opposite the inner lateral end 102; and
the snowmobile further comprises a cap 108 sealingly connected to the outer lateral end 107 of the mounting sleeve 71 to prevent fluid from within the chaincase housing 41b to enter the mounting sleeve 71 (“A cap 108 is fitted in the other end 107 of the final shaft 71 to seal the hollow final shaft 71.” – column 6, lines 50-51).
With regard to claim 3, Izumi teaches wherein the first axle end portion 105 is splined 106 together with the mounting sleeve 71.
With regard to claim 4, Bedard fails to explicitly disclose wherein the chain case has an inner lateral housing portion and an outer lateral housing portion.
Izumi teaches wherein the chaincase has an inner lateral housing portion 41a and an outer lateral housing portion 41b fastened to the inner lateral housing portion to enclose the chain drive therein; and the mounting sleeve 71 is rotatably supported by the inner lateral housing portion 41a of the chaincase. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the snowmobile of Bedard with the teaching of Izumi such that the chaincase has an inner lateral housing portion and an outer lateral housing portion to allow for ease of accessibility to the chain drive.
With regard to claim 5, Izumi teaches wherein the inner lateral housing portion 41a is connected to the tunnel (see Fig. 2).
With regard to claim 6, Bedard discloses at least one track drive sprocket 34 mounted to the drive axle 35, the at least one track drive sprocket being operable to engage the endless track for driving thereof.
With regard to claim 7, Bedard discloses wherein:
the tunnel 18 has a first inner lateral surface 18a on the one of the left side and the right side of the longitudinal centerplane and a second inner lateral surface 18b on an other one of the left side and the right side of the longitudinal centerplane; and
Izumi teaches a distance measured laterally between the second inner lateral surface and the at least one track drive sprocket closest to the second inner lateral surface being greater than a lateral engagement distance between the mounting sleeve and the first axle end portion (see Fig. 8).
With regard to claim 8, Bedard fails to explicitly disclose a brake disc operatively connected to the second axle end portion for rotating therewith. Izumi teaches said brake disc 70 operatively connected to the second axle end portion for rotating therewith. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the snowmobile of Bedard with the teaching of Izumi so as to allow the snowmobile to be braked.
With regard to claim 9, Izumi teaches wherein the first axle end portion 105 is laterally offset from the driven sprocket 67 of the chain drive (see Fig. 7).
With regard to claim 10, Izumi teaches wherein:
the first axle end portion 105 extends into the chaincase 41; and
the mounting sleeve 71 being at least partially housed within the chaincase (see Fig. 7).
With regard to claim 11, Izumi teaches wherein the driven sprocket 67 is removably mounted to the mounting sleeve 71 (see Fig. 7).
With regard to claim 12, Izumi teaches a bearing 100 rotatably supporting the mounting sleeve 71 on the chaincase, the bearing abutting the driven sprocket 67.
With regard to claim 13, Bedard discloses wherein the motor is an internal combustion engine (“In some implementations, the motor is an internal combustion engine.” – column 2, line 25).
With regard to claim 14, Izumi teaches
moving the drive axle laterally away from the chain drive toward an other one of the left side and the right side of the longitudinal centerplane of the snowmobile until a first axle end portion that is configured to be driven by a driven sprocket of the chain drive is disengaged therefrom; dropping the first axle end portion downward such that the drive axle is in an inclined orientation in which the first axle end portion is vertically lower than a second axle end portion of the drive axle; and moving the second axle end portion diagonally downward to extract the second axle end portion from engagement with a tunnel of the snowmobile. With regard to this claim, Izumi teaches, “A final shaft 71 is mounted with the final gear 67, and comprises a hollow shaft. One end of the drive shaft 42 is removably fitted into the final shaft 71.” (column 5, lines 59-61). Though Izumi does not disclose the specific steps of removal of the drive axle, it is capable of allowing for said steps. The claim itself, in the method described has not further structurally limited the apparatus through the process. The end 105 of Izumi’s axle may be slid out of the sleeve and lowered, just as described. A claim that further structurally defines how the apparatus provides for a removal process in a novel way would help to define the apparatus over the art.
With regard to claim 15, Izumi teaches wherein moving the drive axle 42 laterally away from the chain drive 41 comprises disengaging a splined connection 106 between the first axle end portion 105 and a mounting sleeve 71 that is operatively connected to the driven sprocket 67 of the chain drive.
With regard to claim 16, Izumi teaches wherein moving the drive axle laterally away from the chain drive is done without removing a chaincase 41a, 41b that houses the chain drive.
With regard to claim 17, Izumi teaches wherein moving the drive axle 42 laterally away from the chain drive 41 is done without removing a drive chain of the chain drive 41 (see the rejection to claim 14, above).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY WILHELM whose telephone number is (571)272-6980. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30.
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/TIMOTHY WILHELM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617 May 30, 2026
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