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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-9, 14-18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Snipes (US 5,174,595). Snipes discloses:
With regard to claim 1 - A golf vehicle comprising:
a chassis 12;
a front tractive assembly 14 coupled to the chassis;
a rear tractive assembly 16 coupled to the chassis; and
a steering system coupling the front tractive assembly to the rear tractive assembly, the steering system configured to simultaneously steer the front tractive assembly and the rear tractive assembly (see Fig. 4).
With regard to claim 2 - wherein: the front tractive assembly includes a plurality of front tractive elements 14 (see Fig. 3);
the rear tractive assembly includes a plurality of rear tractive elements 16; and
the steering system is configured to simultaneously pivot the front tractive elements in a first direction while pivoting the rear tractive elements in an opposing second direction (“The linkage 54 acts to couple the front center-pivot member 44 with the rear center-pivot member 50 such that the front and rear pairs of wheels 14 and 16 pivot in opposite directions to execute a turn of smaller radius.” – column 5, lines 15-19).
With regard to claim 3 - wherein the steering system includes:
an actuator assembly including:
a movable body 58; and
an actuator 18 configured to move the movable body 58 between a first position and a second position;
a rear steering assembly 50 coupled between a first end of the movable body 58 and the rear tractive assembly 16, the rear steering assembly configured to steer the rear tractive assembly 16; and
a front steering assembly coupled between an opposing second end of the movable body 58 and the front tractive assembly 14, the front tractive assembly configured to steer the front tractive assembly 14.
With regard to claim 4 - wherein the rear steering assembly includes:
a first bar 60 coupled to the first end of the movable body 58;
a first plate 50 pivotably coupled to the first bar 60 and pivotably coupled to the chassis 12;
a second bar 52 pivotably coupled to the first plate 50; and
a steering body pivotably coupled to the chassis, pivotably coupled to the second bar, and coupled to the rear tractive assembly, wherein pivoting of the steering body relative to the chassis steers the rear tractive assembly 16 (“Rear tie rods 52 extend from the rear center-pivot member 50 to respective rear arms (not shown) of pivotal wheel support mechanisms.” – column 4, lines 55-57).
With regard to claim 5 - wherein movement of the movable body between the first position and the second position causes the first plate 50 to pivot relative to the chassis 12 in a first rotational direction and the steering body to pivot relative to the chassis in an opposing second rotational direction.
With regard to claim 7 - wherein: the rear tractive assembly includes a first tractive element 16 and a second tractive element 16;
the front tractive assembly includes a third tractive element 14 and a fourth tractive element 14;
the rear steering assembly includes:
a first bar 60 coupled to the first end of the movable body 58,
a first plate 50 pivotably coupled to the first bar 60 and pivotably coupled to the chassis,
a second bar 52 pivotably coupled to the first plate 50,
a first steering knuckle pivotably coupled to the chassis, pivotably coupled to the second bar, and coupled to the first tractive element (“Rear tie rods 52 extend from the rear center-pivot member 50 to respective rear arms (not shown) of pivotal wheel support mechanisms.” – column 4, lines 55-57),
a third bar 52 pivotably coupled to the first plate 50, and
a second steering knuckle pivotably coupled to the chassis, pivotably coupled to the third bar, and coupled to the second tractive element (“Rear tie rods 52 extend from the rear center-pivot member 50 to respective rear arms (not shown) of pivotal wheel support mechanisms.” – column 4, lines 55-57); and
the front steering assembly includes:
a fourth bar 56 coupled to the opposing second end of the movable body 58,
a second plate 44 pivotably coupled to the fourth bar 56 and pivotably coupled to the chassis,
a fifth bar 42 pivotably coupled to the second plate 44,
a third steering knuckle 38 pivotably coupled to the chassis, pivotably coupled to the fifth bar 42, and coupled to the third tractive element 14,
a sixth bar 42 pivotably coupled to the second plate 44, and a fourth steering knuckle 38 pivotably coupled to the chassis, pivotably coupled to the sixth bar 42, and coupled to the fourth tractive element 14.
With regard to claim 8 - wherein the first plate 50 and the second plate 44 are the same such that a first relationship between movement of the movable body 58 and steering of the rear tractive assembly is the same as a second relationship between the movement of the movable body and steering of the front tractive assembly.
With regard to claim 9 - wherein the first plate and the second plate are different such that a first relationship between movement of the movable body and steering of the rear tractive assembly is different from a second relationship between the movement of the movable body and steering of the front tractive assembly (“The geometry and length of the tie rods can be arranged such that the rear pair of wheels 16 pivot through a smaller angle than the front wheels 14.” – column 5, lines 32-35; The use of the word “can” in this citation allows for the reference to read upon this limitation such that it is different from the interpretation of claim 8 wherein the relationship creates the same turn angle as an initial, unmodified state of being).
With regard to claim 14 - A recreational vehicle comprising:
a chassis 12;
a front tractive assembly including a first tractive element 14 and a second tractive element 14;
a rear tractive assembly including a third tractive element 16 and a fourth tractive element 16; and
a steering system including:
a movable body 58 movable between a first position and a second position;
a first bar coupled 56 to a first end of the movable body 58;
a first plate 44 pivotably coupled to the first bar 56 and pivotably coupled to the chassis 12;
a second bar 42 pivotably coupled to the first plate 50;
a first steering knuckle 38 pivotably coupled to the chassis 12, pivotably coupled to the second bar 60, and coupled to the first tractive element 14;
a third bar 42 pivotably coupled to the first plate 44;
a second steering knuckle 38 pivotably coupled to the chassis, pivotably coupled to the third bar 42, and coupled to the second tractive element 14;
a fourth bar 60 coupled to an opposing second end of the movable body 58;
a second plate 50 pivotably coupled to the fourth bar 60 and pivotably coupled to the chassis 12;
a fifth bar 52 pivotably coupled to the second plate 50;
a third steering knuckle pivotably coupled to the chassis, pivotably coupled to the fifth bar, and coupled to the third tractive element (“Rear tie rods 52 extend from the rear center-pivot member 50 to respective rear arms (not shown) of pivotal wheel support mechanisms.” – column 4, lines 55-57);
a sixth bar pivotably 52 coupled to the second plate 50; and
a fourth steering knuckle pivotably coupled to the chassis, pivotably coupled to the sixth bar, and coupled to the fourth tractive element (“Rear tie rods 52 extend from the rear center-pivot member 50 to respective rear arms (not shown) of pivotal wheel support mechanisms.” – column 4, lines 55-57).
With regard to claim 15 - wherein the first plate 50 and the second plate 44 are the same such that a first relationship between movement of the movable body 58 and steering of the rear tractive assembly is the same as a second relationship between the movement of the movable body and steering of the front tractive assembly.
With regard to claim 16 - wherein the first plate and the second plate are different such that a first relationship between movement of the movable body and steering of the rear tractive assembly is different from a second relationship between the movement of the movable body and steering of the front tractive assembly (“The geometry and length of the tie rods can be arranged such that the rear pair of wheels 16 pivot through a smaller angle than the front wheels 14.” – column 5, lines 32-35; The use of the word “can” in this citation allows for the reference to read upon this limitation such that it is different from the interpretation of claim 8 wherein the relationship creates the same turn angle as an initial, unmodified state of being).
With regard to claim 17 - A steering system for a vehicle, the steering system comprising:
an actuator assembly including:
a movable body 58, and an actuator 46 configured to move the movable body between a first position and a second position;
a rear steering assembly coupled to a first end of the movable body 58 and configured to couple to a rear tractive assembly 16 of the vehicle, the rear steering assembly configured to steer the rear tractive assembly 16; and
a front steering assembly coupled to an opposing second end of the movable body 58 and configured to couple to a front tractive assembly 14 of the vehicle, the rear steering assembly configured to steer the front tractive assembly 14.
With regard to claim 18 - wherein the rear steering assembly includes:
a first bar 60 coupled to the first end of the movable body 58;
a first plate 50 pivotably coupled to the first bar 60 and configured to pivotably couple to a chassis 12 of the vehicle;
a second bar 52 pivotably coupled to the first plate 50; and
a first steering body configured to pivotably couple to the chassis, pivotable coupled to the second bar 52, and configured to couple to the rear tractive assembly 16, wherein pivoting of the first steering body relative to the chassis steers the rear tractive assembly.
With regard to claim 20 - wherein: the front steering assembly includes:
a third bar 56 coupled to the opposing second end of the movable body 58;
a second plate 44 pivotably coupled to the third bar 56 and configured to pivotably couple to the chassis 12;
a fourth bar 42 pivotably coupled to the second plate 44; and
a second steering body 38 configured to pivotably couple to the chassis 12, pivotable coupled to the fourth bar 42, and configured to couple to the front tractive assembly 14, wherein pivoting of the second steering body 38 relative to the chassis 12 steers the front tractive assembly 14; and
moving the movable body 58 between the first position and the second position simultaneously pivots the first steering body relative to the chassis 12 to steer the rear tractive assembly and pivots the second steering body 38 relative to the chassis to steer the front tractive assembly.
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) 6 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Snipes in view of Dotson (US 8,302,728). Snipes fails to explicitly disclose wherein:
the first plate defines a first aperture and a second aperture; and
the first bar defines a third aperture configured to selectively align the first aperture or the second aperture to receive a fastener to pivotably couple the first bar to the first plate,
wherein a relationship between movement of the movable body between the first position and the second position and steering of the rear tractive assembly is different when the third aperture aligns with the first aperture than when the third aperture aligns with the second aperture.
Dotson teaches a four-wheel steering system for a vehicle comprising an actuator 12 coupled to a bar 50, said bar coupled to a plate 56 for steering a tractive assembly, wherein the plate 56 defines a first aperture 54 and a second aperture 54; and
the bar 50 defines a third aperture configured to selectively align the first aperture 54 or the second aperture 54 to receive a fastener to pivotably couple the first bar 50 to the first plate 56,
wherein a relationship between movement of a movable body 14 between a first position and a second position and steering of the rear tractive assembly is different when the third aperture aligns with the first aperture than when the third aperture aligns with the second aperture.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the vehicle of Snipes with the teaching of Dotson to allow for desirable variability in the rear steering response.
Claim(s) 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Snipes in view of Williams (US 6,973,989). Snipes fails to explicitly disclose one or more processing circuits configured to:
acquire steering data;
determine, based on the steering data, a control decision for the steering system; and
operate the steering system according to the control decision to simultaneously steer the front tractive assembly and the rear tractive assembly.
Williams teaches a steering system comprising one or more processing circuits 19 configured to:
acquire steering data from sensor 12;
determine, based on the steering data, a control decision for the steering system; and
operate the steering system according to the control decision. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the vehicle of Snipes with the teaching of Williams so as to include the processing circuit of Williams to allow for more freedom in placement of a steering wheel.
With regard to claim 11, Williams teaches wherein the one or more processing circuits 19 are configured to operate the actuator according to the control decision to move a movable body between a first position and a second position such that the rear steering assembly steers the rear tractive assembly and the front steering assembly steers the front tractive assembly.
With regard to claim 12, Williams teaches further comprising:
an operator input device 11 associated with the steering system; and
a sensor 12 configured to generate the steering data corresponding to an orientation of the operator input device;
wherein the one or more processing circuits 19 are configured to acquire the steering data from the sensor 12.
With regard to claim 13, Williams teaches wherein the one or more processing circuits include at least one of (a) a first processing circuit located on the golf.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Paul Dickson can be reached at 571-272-7742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TIMOTHY WILHELM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617 August 21, 2026
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