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
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.
Claims 1, and 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hedlund et al (US 11,110,994 hereinafter “Hedlund”).
In regards to claim 1:
Hedlund teaches a snowmobile (10) comprising: a frame (12) including a tunnel (52); a motor (44) supported by the frame (12) and configured to drive the snowmobile (10); a rear suspension assembly (24) operatively connected to the frame and disposed beneath the tunnel (52); an endless track (20) operatively connected to the motor (44) and driven thereby about the rear suspension assembly (24); a plurality of fairings (42) including left and right body panels, the left and right body panels respectively defining leftmost and rightmost points of the fairings (Shown below in annotated Figure 1 for the left side, the right side is a mirror image of the left side); left and right skis (18) operatively connected to the frame; left and right ski legs connected to the left and right skis and extending upwardly therefrom; a front left suspension assembly (22) operatively connecting the left ski leg to the frame via a plurality of left suspension connections between the front left suspension assembly (22) and the left ski leg, the front left suspension assembly comprising: a left upper A-arm connected between the left ski leg and the frame, the plurality of left suspension connections including an upper left suspension connection between the left ski leg and the left upper A-arm; and a left lower A-arm connected between the left ski leg and the frame, the plurality of left suspension connections including a lower left suspension connection between the left ski leg and the left lower A-arm (Shown below in annotated Figure 1 for the left side, this is mirrored on the right side); a front right suspension assembly operatively connecting the right ski leg to the frame via a plurality of right suspension connections between the front right suspension assembly and the right ski leg, the front right suspension assembly comprising: a right upper A-arm connected between the right ski leg and the frame, the plurality of right suspension connections including an upper right suspension connection between the right ski leg and the right upper A-arm; and a right lower A-arm connected between the right ski leg and the frame, the plurality of right suspension connections including a lower right suspension connection between the right ski leg and the right lower A-arm (Shown below in annotated Figure 1, wherein the left side is mirrored on the right side), wherein, when the snowmobile is at rest and unloaded on a horizontal ground surface, at least one of (i) a vertically highest one of the plurality of left suspension connections, and (11) a vertically highest one of the plurality of right suspension connections, is disposed laterally inward of a lateral outermost edge of a corresponding one of the left body panel and the right body panel (Shown below in annotated Figure 15.1).
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Annotated Figure 1 of Hedlund
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Annotated Figure 15.1 of Hedlund
In regards to claim 5:
Hedlund teaches a front suspension width is measured between the vertically highest one of the at least one left suspension connection and the vertically highest one of the at least one right suspension connection; a body width of the snowmobile is measured between the lateral outermost edge of the left body panel and the lateral outermost edge of the right body panel; and when the snowmobile is at rest and unloaded on the horizontal ground surface, the front suspension width is less than the body width (Shown above in annotated Figure 15.1).
In regards to claim 6:
Hedlund teaches when the snowmobile is at rest and unloaded on the horizontal ground surface, a ratio of the front suspension width over a width of the endless track is less than 2.5 (Shown below in annotated Figure 15.2, the endless track width starts from a left side and two widths are shown to be wider than the front suspension width).
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Annotated Figure 15.2 of Hedlund
In regards to claim 7:
Hedlund teaches the snowmobile is at rest and unloaded on the horizontal ground surface, the ratio of the front suspension width over the width of the endless track is approximately 2, wherein approximately is defined to be “come close or be similar to something in quality, nature, or quantity.” as defined by www.google.com with the search term “approximate definition”, wherein as shown above in annotated Figure 15.2 the width is about 1.9 which is close to or similar in quantity to 2.
In regards to claim 8:
Hedlund teaches each of the front left and front right suspension assemblies is movable between a full droop position and a full bump position; and throughout a range of motion between the full droop position and the full bump position, the at least one of (i) the vertically highest one of the plurality of left suspension connections, and (ii) the vertically highest one of the plurality of right suspension connections, remains disposed laterally inward of the lateral outermost edge of the corresponding one of the left body panel and the right body panel (Shown in annotated Figure 15.3 below, the farthest the suspension connection can go laterally is still disposed laterally inward of an outermost edge of a body panel).
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Annotated Figure 15.3 of Hedlund
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hedlund in view of Lecointre et al (US 2019/0299882 hereinafter “Lecointre”).
In regards to claim 2:
Hedlund does not specify the front left suspension assembly further comprises a left upper ball joint defining at least in part the upper left suspension connection between the left ski leg and the left upper A-arm; and the front right suspension assembly further comprises a right upper ball joint defining at least in part the upper right suspension connection between the right ski leg and the right upper A-arm.
Lecointre teaches a front suspension assembly having ball joints where the suspension is connected on a left and right side.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the application to specify the suspension system of Hedlund to have ball joints as taught by Lecointre in order to operatively connect the respective ski legs, supporting arms and a steering column (Paragraph [0050]). Ball joints are known in the art to allow vertical movement and steering movement and using them in vehicles are obvious to allow the ski legs to turn as well as with the suspension to have the skis make contact with the ground during operation.
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hedlund and Lecointre as applied to claim 2 above and further in view of Rhodes et al (US 2021/0188383 hereinafter “Rhodes”).
In regards to claim 3:
Hedlund as modified teaches the the front left suspension assembly further comprises a left shock absorber (75 of Lecointre) connected between the left lower A-arm and the frame; the front right suspension assembly further comprises a right shock absorber (75 Lecointre) connected between the right lower A-arm and the frame; but does not teach when the snowmobile is at rest and unloaded on the horizontal ground surface, each of the left and right shock absorbers is disposed at an angle of less than 30° from vertical. It is to be noted that Hedlund does appear to show shock absorbers and suspension springs but these are not labeled and recited in the specification, wherein it is known in the art that vehicles require these components for comfortable traveling.
Rhodes teaches a left and right shock absorber disposed at an angle less than 30 degrees from vertical (Figure 3 of Rhodes shows the shock absorbers at about 20 degrees from vertical).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the application to have the shock absorbers of Hedlund to be disposed at an angle less than 30 degrees from the vertical as taught by Rhodes in order to absorb shocks and control spring movement in the vertical direction. Wherein the angle of the shock absorber directly translates to the amount of force applied in the vertical direction, a completely vertical shock absorber would be unable to properly dampen lateral shock impulses and a completely lateral shock absorber would be unable to properly dampen vertical shock impulses.
In regards to claim 4:
Hedlund as modified teaches the angle is approximately 20° from vertical (Figure 3 of Rhodes shows shock absorbers at approximately 20 degrees from vertical).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES JAY KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-7610. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 EST.
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/JAMES J KIM/Examiner, Art Unit 3747
/HUNG Q NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747