DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
A preliminary amendment was filed by applicant on 09/20/2023.
Claims 3 and 5 are amended.
Claims 1-5 are remaining in the application
The amended Abstract and Specification are accepted.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
6. 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.
As best understood by the examiner, claims 1-3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by D1: JP 2010223113 A (KOBAYASHI OSAMU).
D1 discloses the claimed method of claims 1-3 and 5; see D1 Figs. 1-17 and corresponding written description (particularly Figs. 3-5, paras. [0023] - [0026], [0041] - [0044]). Regarding claims 1 and 2, D1 discloses raising a floating body [2] for spar-type offshore wind power generation facility to raise upright the floating body [2] from floating on its side with injecting ballast water at sea by decentering a center of gravity of the floating body by means of a center-of-gravity decentering means (water ballast and/or weights); and injecting ballast water to raise upright the floating body from a sideways position (Fig. 3) to an inclined position (Fig. 4) by stopping injection of ballast water and re-injecting ballast water to raise upright the floating body to a fully upright (vertical) position (Fig. 5). Regarding claims 3 and 5, the center-of-gravity decentering means can be a weight (concrete ring) detachably attached to outer surface of the floating body (on concrete cylindrical body section [12] on top of ballast portion [10]) or solid ballast (concrete block) within the floating body [2]; see para. [0044].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is 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
9. The prior art cited and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
The prior art references cited disclose ballasting of spar type offshore floating bodies/facilities.
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL V VENNE whose telephone number is (571) 272-7947. The examiner can normally be reached between M-F, 7am-3:30pm Flex. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Samuel J. Morano can be reached on (571) 272-6684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
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/Daniel V Venne/
Senior Examiner, Art Unit 3615
01/06/2025