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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 3/13/25 and 4/3/25 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. Claim(s) 1-12 and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Delaforce et al. (US 2004/0079929).
5. Regarding to Claim 1, Delaforce et al. discloses a method of installing a cable (optical fibre cable, 99, as described in paragraph 0046-0049 in Delaforce et al) in a structure (main pipe 20, as can be seen from Figures 7a-7e in Delaforce et al.); wherein the cable (99) is secured to an inner surface (an inner portion of 20, as described in paragraph 0060 and can be seen from Figure 4 in Delaforce et al.) of the structure (20) [Note that cable 99 is secured to the inner surface of the structure via discs 31, as described in paragraph 0060 and can be seen from Figure 4 in Delaforce et al.] b) coupling (coupling cable 99 to parachute 62 via line 66, as described in paragraph 0032 and 0049) one end of the cable to a flexible layer (parachute 62, as can be seen from Figure 4-7f in Delaforce et al.); c) disposing the flexible layer (62, at a defined location at an inner surface of structure (20) [as described in paragraph as described in paragraph 0032, 0036, 0046, claim 1 and can be seen from Figure 4-7f in Delaforce et al.]; d) creating an access path (tapped hole, as described in paragraph 0038 in Delaforce et al.) extending from an outer surface of the structure (20), opposite to the defined location [as described in paragraph 0038 and can be seen from Figures 1-7f in Delaforce et al.]; and e) extracting at least one of the flexible layer (62), the one or more lines, and the sheath from inside the structure (20) via the access path (tapped hole) [as described in paragraph 0047-0049 and can be seen from Figure 4-7F in Delaforce et al.].
However, Delaforce et al. does not explicitly disclose the cable (99) including one or more lines that are enclosed using a sheath. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include modify the cable in Delaforce et al. to include one or more lines that are enclosed using a sheath, as a simple substituting of one known element for another to obtain predictable results.
However, Delaforce et al. discloses the structure being a pipe rather than a “wind blade”. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the method of Delaforce et al., to an alternate workpiece, such as a wind blade workpiece, as a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results.
6. Regarding to claim 2, Delaforce et al. discloses the method according to claim 1, further comprising laying cable (99) along the inner surface of the structure (20) [as can be seen from Figures 7A-7F in Delaforce et al.].
However, Delaforce et al. discloses the structure being a pipe rather than a “wind blade”. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the method of Delaforce et al., to an alternate workpiece, such as a wind blade workpiece, as a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results.
7. Regarding to claim 3, Delaforce et al. discloses the method according to claim 1 having a cable. However, Delaforce et al. does not explicitly disclose a step of removing an outer protection layer of the cable to uncover the one or more lines. However it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to remove an outer protection layer of a cable to uncover one or more line, as a known technique used in manufacturing and repairs, which would yield predictable results.
8. Regarding to claim 4, Delaforce et al. discloses the method according to claim 1 further comprising: routing the one or more lines via a protection pipe (service pipe 14) subsequent to extraction of the one or more lines via the access path (tapped hole) [as can be seen from Figure 7A-7F in Delaforce et al.]. However, Delaforce does not explicitly disclose a step of sealing the access path using at least one sealant. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to seal a temporary access path as a subsequent step after completing a service/installation/repair, as a known technique used in manufacturing which would yield predictable results.
9. Regarding to claim 5, 6, 7, and 8, Delaforce et al. discloses the method according to claim 1, 5, 6, and 5, respectively, further having a cable having a sheath. However, Delaforce et al. does not explicitly disclose wrapping the sheath using at least one covering sheet, wherein wrapping the sheath using the at least one covering sheet comprises disposing at least a first portion of the at least one covering sheet beneath at least a section of the sheath, wherein disposing at least the first portion of the at least one covering sheet below at least the section of the sheath comprises adhesively coupling the first portion of the at least one covering sheet to the inner surface of the structure using at least of an adhesive, a tape, and a glue, and wherein wrapping the sheath using the at least one covering sheet comprises folding a second portion of the at least one covering sheet over at least the section of the sheath.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cable in Delaforce, to include the cable having a sheath which is wrapped in covering, wrapping the sheath using the at least one covering sheet comprises disposing at least a first portion of the at least one covering sheet beneath at least a section of the sheath, disposing at least the first portion of the at least one covering sheet below at least the section of the sheath comprises adhesively coupling the first portion of the at least one covering sheet to the inner surface of the structure using at least of an adhesive, a tape, and a glue, and wrapping the sheath using the at least one covering sheet comprises folding a second portion of the at least one covering sheet over at least the section of the sheath, as a known technique used in manufacturing which would yield predictable results.
However, Delaforce et al. discloses the structure being a pipe rather than a “wind blade”. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the method of Delaforce et al., to an alternate workpiece, such as a wind blade workpiece, as a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results.
10. Regarding to claim 9, Delaforce et al. discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising determining at least one of an arc length of the structure (20) and a chord length of the structure (20) from the defined location [arc length or chord length determined, as can be seen from Figures 4-7F in Delaforce].
However, Delaforce et al. discloses the structure being a pipe rather than a “wind blade”. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the method of Delaforce et al., to an alternate workpiece, such as a wind blade workpiece, as a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results.
11. Regarding to claim 10, Delaforce et al. discloses the method of claim 1, having a cable having a sheath at a defined location. However, Delaforce et al. does not explicitly disclose the sheath being a coiled structure. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cable in Delaforce et al. to include a cable having a sheath forming a coiled structure, as a simple substitution of one cable for another, which would yield predictable results.
12. Regarding to claim 11, Delaforce et al. discloses the method of claim 1, having a cable having sheath having a first and second end and located at an inner surface of an elongated structure (20). However, Delaforce et al. does not explicitly disclose an other end of the sheath being clamped to the inner surface of the elongated structure. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to clamp a cable to an inner surface of the elongated structure, as known technique used for positioning of the cable as a preliminary step prior to removing the cable for repair/service/maintenance, which would yield predictable results.
However, Delaforce et al. discloses the structure being a pipe rather than a “wind blade”. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the method of Delaforce et al., to an alternate workpiece, such as a wind blade workpiece, as a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results.
13. Regarding to claim 12, Delaforce et al. discloses the method of claim 1. However, Delaforce et al. does not explicitly disclose steps a), b), and c) are executed during manufacture of the structure and steps d) to e) are executed after manufacture of the structure. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to perform steps a-c during manufacturing of the structure, then steps d-e after manufacture of the structure, as a known technique used in manufacturing, which would yield predictable results. Furthermore, it has been held that the “selection of any order of performing process steps is prima facie obvious in the absence of new or unexpected results”. In re Burhans, 154 F.2d 690, 69 USPQ 330 (CCPA 1946). In this case, changing the particular order of operations of methods steps of manufacturing does not result in new or unexpected results.
However, Delaforce et al. discloses the structure being a pipe rather than a “wind blade”. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the method of Delaforce et al., to an alternate workpiece, such as a wind blade workpiece, as a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results.
14. Regarding to claim 21, Delaforce et al. discloses the method according to claim 1, including a step of securing the sheath to the inner surface of the structure/wind blade. However, Delaforce does not explicitly disclose the securing of the sheath to the inner surface of the wind blade comprising releasably attaching the sheath to the inner surface of the wind blade. However, an operator can release the sheath/cable (99 in Delaforce et al.) from the inner surface of the structure. Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Delaforce et al. to include a step of releasably attaching the sheath to the inner surface of the wind blade, as a known technique used for assembling or disassembling a cable, which would yield predicable results.
15. Regarding to claim 22, Delaforce et al. discloses the method according to claim 21, wherein the releasable attaching of the sheath to the inner surface of the wind blade comprises clamping (clamping via disc 31, as described in paragraph 0060 in Delaforce et al.) the sheath/cable to the inner surface of the structure/wind blade [as described in paragraph 0060 in Delaforce].
Response to Arguments
16. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-12 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant has amended the claims to include the sheath is secured to an inner surface of the wind blade and argues Delaforce explicitly teaches away from a sheath which is secured to an inner surface of the pipe, since the cable 99 must remain moveable within the pipe. However, this is not found to be persuasive. Delaforce discloses disc 31 that hold the cable 99 within an inner surface of the structure, as described in paragraph 0060 of Delaforce and rejected above in the new grounds of rejection.
Applicant has amended the claims, however applicant’s amendments fail to add sufficient structure to define the apparatus and the wind blade to overcome the prior art of record.
Conclusion
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/NIRVANA DEONAUTH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726
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