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) 21 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Beck (US 4,513,513).
Beck discloses a throttle control system for a snowmobile with a handlebar (11), the handlebar having an outer surface with a cylindrical curvature and having an axis (see Fig 1), the system having a throttle block (19) conformingly shaped for clamping onto the handlebar (11), the throttle block (19) having a main body portion and a clamping portion (see Fig 1), each of the main body portion and the clamping portion having an arcuate wall surface that follows the cylindrical curvature of the handlebar, each arcuate wall surface having a plurality of projections (22, 23) extending toward the handlebar (11) that define air circulation pathways between the handlebar (11) and the throttle block (19) for minimizing heat transfer between the handlebar (11) and the throttle block (19).
Re claim 22, throttle block for a snowmobile having a C-shape when viewed from an end the throttle block comprising a throttle block body (19) defining a handlebar receiving region such that the throttle block (19) extends around a handlebar (11) to which it is attached, the throttle block having confronting ends defining a gap at one side of the throttle block (19) permitting the confronting ends to be pulled together by threaded fasteners (21) thereby clamping the throttle block to the handlebar (11), the throttle block body (19) defining a reduced thickness portion that is raised from the handlebar (11) when the throttle block (19) is attached to the handlebar (11) providing a wire routing path for capturing a wire (24) between the throttle block body and the handlebar (11), the reduced thickness portion further providing a resilient hinge for facilitating the clamping of the throttle block to the handlebar (11).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 23-29 and 35-40 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.
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 VICKY A JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7106. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John R Olszewski can be reached at 571-272-2706. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VICKY A JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
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