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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed on 3/5/2026 does not put the application in condition for allowance.
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.
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(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schubert (WO2014/108196) in view of Poivet (US Pub No. 2020/0036325)
Regarding Claim 1, Schubert et al. teaches a method for outdoor installation of an array of solar converters including a supporting frame and a plurality of solar converters (71, page 11, para. 1, Fig. 1-7) mounted on the supporting frame [Fig. 7, page 11, para. 1, see table structure below 71 in figure 7], wherein said supporting frame is to be laid on a supporting structure [See legs on table structure in figure 7] comprising an aligned series of supporting posts arranged in the installation field [Fig. 7, page 11, para. 1], wherein a vehicle (see the figures) is provided for transporting the array of solar converters (71, page 11, para. 1) and for laying said array of solar converters (71, page 11, para. 1) on said supporting structure, wherein the vehicle is provided with a lifting device (14, 15, Fig. 7, page 9, para. 4-5) for displacing the array of solar converters (71, page 11, para. 1) between a raised position and a lowered position, maintaining a general plane of the array with a substantially horizontal orientation, until the array of solar converters (71, page 11, para. 1) is laid on said supporting structure, said method having the steps: said supporting frame of the array of solar converters includes a longitudinal beam that is to be laid on said aligned series of supporting posts, said vehicle is a carriage (12 and 16, Fig. 3, page 10, para. 3 and page 9 para. 3) that comprises: a load-bearing structure [16, fig. 3, page 9, para. 5] mounted on wheels [Fig. 7]; and a main upper structure [upper portion of 12] of the carriage (12 and 16, Fig. 3, page 10, para. 3 and page 9 para. 3), prearranged for receiving thereon the array of solar converters [71, page 11, para. 1], said lifting device (14, 15, Fig. 7, page 9, para. 4-5 ) being set between said load-bearing structure [16, fig. 3, page 9, para. 5] and said main upper structure [upper portion of 12] of the carriage [12 and 16, Fig. 3, page 10, para. 3 and page 9 para. 3], and silent on a electronic control unit.
Poivet et al. teaches a solar panel system components that uses a control unit that is controlled electronically [0091], the control unit can control hydraulic drives, or actuators [0146-0147], and a worm gear-based system, a set of gears, some of which may be worm gears, powered by a motor controlled by electronic systems [0148]. The system of a Poivet et al. comprises clamps as attachments for the system [Fig. 2, 0069, 0071].
Since both Schubert et al. and Poivet et al. teaches a system comprising solar panels, and Schubert et al. teach the use of lifters that can be adjusted with hydraulic drives, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the invention to apply the control unit of Poivet et al. to the system of Schubert et al. as it is merely the selection of a conventional engineering design for controlling hydraulics in the art and one of ordinary skill would have a reasonable expectation of success in doing so.
The combination of familiar elements is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 – 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, A.).
Within the combination above, modified Schubert et al. teaches loaded on which is the array of solar converters, associated to the carriage (12 and 16, Fig. 3, page 10, para. 3 and page 9 para. 3) is an electronic control unit for controlling the movement of the carriage (12 and 16, Fig. 3, page 10, para. 3 and page 9 para. 3) and for driving the lifting device (14, 15, page 9, para. 3), and said electronic control unit is configured for executing the following steps: bringing the carriage (12 and 16, Fig. 3, page 10, para. 3 and page 9 para. 3) up adjacent to a row of supporting posts in the installation field; lifting the array of solar converters (71, page 11, para. 1) above said supporting posts; displacing the carriage (12 and 16, Fig. 3, page 10, para. 3 and page 9 para. 3) within a space comprised between two successive posts of the row; and lowering the array of solar converters (71, page 11, para. 1) until the longitudinal beam of the supporting frame of the array of solar converters (71, page 11, para. 1) is laid on the supporting posts of the row [Fig. 7, page 9 para. 3].
Regarding Claim 2, within the combination above, modified Schubert et al. teaches wherein said lifting device comprises: a first lifter [14, Fig. 7, page 9, para. 4-5) and a second lifter (15, Fig. 7, page 9, para. 4-5) arranged on the carriage positioned spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction of the carriage, wherein said electronic control unit is configured to selectively control the first and second lifters in a differentiated way in order to selectively impart on the general plane of the array an orientation longitudinally inclined forwards or backwards in the longitudinal direction of the carriage (12 and 16, Fig. 3, page 10, para. 3 and page 9 para. 3)
Regarding Claim 19, within the combination above, modified Schubert et al. teaches wherein the supporting posts of the row are aligned in a longitudinal direction of the row [Fig. 7, top of page 11],
and
wherein moving the carriage [12 and 16, Fig. 3, page 10, para. 3 and page 9 para. 3] within the space between two successive supporting posts of
the row comprises moving the carriage at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the
row to within the space between the two successive supporting posts of the row [Fig. 3 and 7, page 10, second paragraph and page 11, first paragraph]
Regarding Claim 20, within the combination above, modified Schubert et al. teaches wherein the angle of the movement of the carriage to the space between the two successive supporting posts of the row is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the row [Fig. 3 and 7, page 10, second paragraph and page 11, first paragraph].
Regarding Claim 21, within the combination above, modified Schubert et al. teaches wherein the load-bearing structure is positioned below the first lifter [14, Fig. 3-4, 7, page 9, para. 4-5] and the second lifter [15, Fig. 3-4, 7, page 9, para. 4-5], and the main upper structure is positioned above the first lifter and the second lifter [Fig. 3 and 4, page 9, para. 4-5].
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Schubert (WO2014/108196) and Poivet (US Pub No. 2020/0036325) are the closest prior art
Modified Schubert et al. teaches limitations of the claims but does not disclose the limitations of “wherein said first lifter and said second lifter are positioned between said load-bearing structure of the carriage and said main upper structure, mounted to said main upper structure is an auxiliary supporting structure onto which the array is loaded and supported, said auxiliary supporting structure is configured so that it can oscillate about a longitudinal central axis on said main upper structure, and
an actuator is configured to control rotation of the auxiliary supporting structure about
said longitudinal central axis to impart on the general plane of the array a laterally inclined
orientation.” in claim 3, “wherein the auxiliary supporting structure supports a plurality of clamping devices positioned longitudinally at a distance apart from one another, to receive and block the longitudinal beam of the supporting frame of the array.” in claim 4, “wherein the main upper structure includes a first upper structure portion operatively connected to the lifting device and a second upper structure portion mounted on which is said auxiliary supporting structure, the second upper structure portion is configured to have a limited longitudinal movement with respect to said first upper structure portion, wherein a corresponding actuator is configured to generate the limited longitudinal movement.” in claim 7, “wherein each of the wheels are orientable about a respective vertical axis configured to enable the carriage to move at least one of forwards or backwards in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the carriage, to veer with respect to said longitudinal direction, or to translate in a direction orthogonal to said longitudinal direction; and the carriage further comprises a first electric motor carried by the load-bearing structure configured to control traction of one or more of said wheels and a second electric motor associated to each of said wheels configured to control the orientation of each wheel about the respective vertical axis of oscillation.” in claim 8, and “wherein during transport of the array on the carriage an accessory tool is engaged with the longitudinal beam and configured to support a last row of solar converters cantilevered beyond one end of the longitudinal beam, the accessory tool comprising a transverse bar configured to support the last row of solar converters; and a clamp connected to the transverse bar and engaged with the longitudinal beam.” in claim 10.
These references, nor any other reference or combination of references in the prior art suggest or render obvious the limitations of “wherein said first lifter and said second lifter are positioned between said load-bearing structure of the carriage and said main upper structure, mounted to said main upper structure is an auxiliary supporting structure onto which the array is loaded and supported, said auxiliary supporting structure is configured so that it can oscillate about a longitudinal central axis on said main upper structure, and an actuator is configured to control rotation of the auxiliary supporting structure about said longitudinal central axis to impart on the general plane of the array a laterally inclined orientation.” in claim 3 , “wherein the auxiliary supporting structure supports a plurality of clamping devices positioned longitudinally at a distance apart from one another, to receive and block the longitudinal beam of the supporting frame of the array.” in claim 4, “wherein the main upper structure includes a first upper structure portion operatively connected to the lifting device and a second upper structure portion mounted on which is said auxiliary supporting structure, the second upper structure portion is configured to have a limited longitudinal movement with respect to said first upper structure portion, wherein a corresponding actuator is configured to generate the limited longitudinal movement.” in claim 7, “wherein each of the wheels are orientable about a respective vertical axis configured to enable the carriage to move at least one of forwards or backwards in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the carriage, to veer with respect to said longitudinal direction, or to translate in a direction orthogonal to said longitudinal direction; and the carriage further comprises a first electric motor carried by the load-bearing structure configured to control traction of one or more of said wheels and a second electric motor associated to each of said wheels configured to control the orientation of each wheel about the respective vertical axis of oscillation.” in claim 8, and “wherein during transport of the array on the carriage an accessory tool is engaged with the longitudinal beam and configured to support a last row of solar converters cantilevered beyond one end of the longitudinal beam, the accessory tool comprising a transverse bar configured to support the last row of solar converters; and a clamp connected to the transverse bar and engaged with the longitudinal beam.” in claim 10.
Therefore; claims 4-10 are allowed, and claim 1 is allowed once the limitations of claim 3 are incorporated into claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/5/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Regarding the arguments corresponding with claim 1, about “the lifting device does not include the claimed main upper structure configured to received thereon the array of solar converters”, the main upper surface 12 [Fig. 3 and Fig. 7] is part of structure that receives the solar converters as shown figure 7, and would meet the limitations of the claim and regarding the arguments about “moving the carriage within a space between two successive supporting posts of the row”, the vehicle in figure 7 comprise the carriage, which depending on where the vehicle is positioned would be within a space between two successive supporting posts of the row.
Regarding the arguments about claim 2, the first and second lifter 14 and 15 are part of the same arm that moves the solar panels to the support on the ground, since they are part of the same structure as shown in figure 7, and further in figures 3, would serve or function together to selectively impart a incline forwards or backwards when positioned on the supports.
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 MICHAEL Y SUN whose telephone number is (571)270-0557. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-7PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MATTHEW MARTIN can be reached at (571) 270-7871. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL Y SUN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1728
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