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 4-8 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); and a left shock absorber connected between the left lower A-arm and the frame (Shown below in annotated Figure1); 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); and a right shock absorber connected between the right lower A-arm and the frame, 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 outer edge of a corresponding one of the left body panel and the right body panel (Shown below in annotated Figure 15.1), the lateral outer edge being measured at or above connection points of the left and right shock absorbers, and 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 degrees from vertical (Shown below in annotated Figure 15.2, the angle of the shock absorber is superimposed onto a protractor showing an angle of 25 degrees from vertical which is less than 30 degrees).
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Annotated Figure 1 of Hedlund
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Annotated Figure 15.1 of Hedlund
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Annotated Figure 15.2 of Hedlund
In regards to claim 4:
Hedlund teaches the angle is approximately 20° from vertical (Figure 15.2 above shows the angle is approximately 20° from vertical, wherein the angle crosses 25° and wherein approximate is defined as “close in value or amount but not precise” as defined by www.merriam-webster.com).
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 15.3, 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 15.3 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 15.4 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 15.4 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/24/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant has amended the independent claim to recite a right shock absorber and a left shock absorber, and a lateral outer edge that is measured at or above connection points of the left and right shock absorbers, and when the snowmobile is at rest the left and right shock absorbers are disposed at an angle of less than 30 degrees from vertical. Examiner does not agree this puts the application in conditions for allowance and additional annotated figures of the prior art have been added to address these new limitations. The prior art teaches a left and right shock absorber wherein connection points of the shock absorbers are below an outer edge of a left and right body panel. In the annotated Figure 15.1 of Hedlund above, the outer edge of the body panel is labeled at a position that is above the connection point of the shock absorbers. Figure 15.2 has been added to show an angle of the shock absorber is less than 30 degrees from vertical.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Logan Kraft can be reached at (571) 270-5065. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES J KIM/Examiner, Art Unit 3747
/LOGAN M KRAFT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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