DETAILED ACTION
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Variable Suspension Settings Adjusted User Selection.
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) 178-190 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gagnon (U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0013665) in view of Krosschell (U.S. Pub. No. 2018/0141543).
Regarding claim 178, Gagnon discloses a suspension system for a snowmobile with a track (¶98 discloses snowmobiles), comprising:
a front adjustable track shock (75 disclosed in ¶126) operable according to a front adjustable track shock first damping characteristic (¶127);
a rear adjustable track shock (140) operable according to a rear adjustable track shock first damping characteristic (¶127); and
an operator input operable to adjust an operating mode of the suspension system between a first configuration and a second configuration (¶130 discloses “ride setting”), wherein in response to the operator input being actuated to the first configuration, the front adjustable track shock first damping characteristic is increased and the rear adjustable track shock first damping characteristic is decreased (¶148 discloses touring starts with a low rear damping and so the front would be higher), and wherein in response to the operator input being actuated to the second configuration, the front adjustable track shock first damping characteristic is decreased and the rear adjustable track shock first damping characteristic is increased (¶27 discloses how one system can be stiffened with relation to the other and vice versa this is disclosing a design choice option to allow for adjusting the settings independently as desired).
Gagnon does not explicitly state that the user settings are able to achieve the claimed adjustments.
Krosschell, which deals in suspension systems, teaches to allow users to create settings adjusting one suspension independently of the other (¶126).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Gagnon with the user control of Krosschell because this allows the user to manually adjust the suspension (¶66). The options in ¶126 are to add or subtract a characteristic to each suspension giving two options for the two suspensions of the front and rear. This creates four possible outcomes of adjusting both increasing or both decreasing which is the first two and the second two are what is claimed. This is a finite number of options and within the scope of what one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made would be able to determine.
Regarding claim 179 which depends from claim 178, Gagnon discloses wherein each of the front adjustable track shock and the rear adjustable track shock include a solenoid valve operable to adjust the respective front adjustable track shock damping characteristic and the rear adjustable track shock damping characteristic (disclosed in ¶92 and ¶126).
Regarding claim 180 which depends from claim 178, Gagnon discloses wherein each of the front adjustable track shock damping characteristic and the rear adjustable track shock damping characteristic are compression damping characteristics (¶3 and ¶161 discloses specifically compression).
Regarding claim 181 which depends from claim 178, Gagnon discloses wherein the front adjustable track shock first damping characteristic of the front adjustable track shock is a compression damping characteristic and the rear adjustable track shock first damping characteristic of the second adjustable track shock is a compression damping characteristic (¶3 discloses that the user settings adjusts the damping and ¶161 discloses specifically compression).
Regarding claim 182 which depends from claim 181, Krosschell discloses wherein in the first configuration a front adjustable track shock second damping characteristic of the front adjustable track shock is decreased and a rear adjustable track shock second damping characteristic of the rear adjustable track shock is increased (¶65 discloses independently adjusting compression damping and rebound damping).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to try these options. ¶134 discloses how each of these options can be independently adjust and controlled. Adding these options to the possible options is still a finite number of possibilities that would have been obvious to try for giving preset options to the user.
Regarding claim 183 which depends from claim 182, Krosschell discloses wherein the front adjustable track shock second damping characteristic of the front adjustable track shock is a rebound damping characteristic and the rear adjustable track shock second damping characteristic of the rear adjustable track shock is a rebound damping characteristic (¶65 discloses independently adjusting rebound damping).
Regarding claim 184 which depends from claim 181, Krosschell discloses wherein in the second configuration a front adjustable track shock second damping characteristic of the front adjustable track shock is increased and a rear adjustable track shock second damping characteristic of the rear adjustable track shock is decreased (as addressed above in claim 182 ¶65 discloses independently adjusting compression damping and rebound damping).
Regarding claim 185 which depends from claim 184, Krosschell discloses wherein the front adjustable track shock second damping characteristic of the front adjustable track shock is a rebound damping characteristic and the rear adjustable track shock second damping characteristic of the rear adjustable track shock is a rebound damping characteristic (¶65 discloses independently adjusting rebound damping).
Regarding claim 186 which depends from claim 178, Gagnon discloses a snowmobile, comprising: a plurality of ground engaging members comprising a front left ski, a front right ski, and a track assembly; a frame supported by the plurality of ground engaging members; a seat supported by the frame; and wherein the track assembly comprises the suspension system of claim 178 (shown in fig. 1 and fig. 2).
Regarding claim 187 which depends from claim 186, Gagnon discloses wherein each of the front adjustable track shock and the rear adjustable track shock are positioned within a track of the track assembly (shown in fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 188 which depends from claim 187, Gagnon discloses wherein the track assembly includes a plurality of suspension arms, and each of the front adjustable track shock and the rear adjustable track shock are coupled to respective suspension arms of the plurality of suspension arms (¶95 discloses two arms for the rear).
Regarding claim 189 which depends from claim 188, Gagnon discloses further comprising a front left shock absorber operably coupled to the front left ski and a front right shock absorber operably coupled to the front right ski (75 shown in fig. 2 is the same number referring to the separate shock absorbers that each right and left portion have).
Regarding claim 190 which depends from claim 189, Gagnon discloses wherein the front left shock absorber is a front left adjustable shock absorber operable according to a front left shock absorber damping characteristic and the front right shock absorber is a front right adjustable shock absorber operable according to a front right shock absorber damping characteristic (the front shock absorbers are disclosed as being variable in ¶92).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GONZALO LAGUARDA whose telephone number is (571)272-5920. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5 M-Th Alt. F.
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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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GONZALO LAGUARDA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3747 email: gonzalo.laguarda@uspto.gov
/GONZALO LAGUARDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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