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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 15, the phrase "optionally " renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
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 1- are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Chen (CN-110949633-A).
Regarding Claim 1, Chen discloses a floating structure comprising: an open top end; an open bottom end opposite the open top end; an annular wall extending between the open top end and the open bottom end; (See Fig. 2.) and a single cylindrical structure arranged off center of the floating structure (Element 22) and configured to support a tower, wherein the annular wall is either a continuous sidewall of the floating structure or a continual sidewall of the floating structure that includes a gap to accommodate the single cylindrical structure (See Fig. 2.), the annular wall forms a circumferential peripheral of the floating structure to provide a central moonpool (Element 120), at least part of the single cylindrical structure extends alongside and coupled to the annular wall (See Fig. 1.), the single cylindrical structure is coupled to the annular wall via vertical shear connections (A connection supporting a tower implicitly absorbs verical shear, else the tower is not supported. See MPEP 2144.01.), and the single cylindrical structure is constructed and dimensioned in a manner such that when the single cylindrical structure is coupled to the tower, vertical forces exerted by the tower are transferred to the floating structure via the single cylindrical structure in a form of shear forces in the annular wall. (See Fig. 1. These forces are necessarily transferred to some degree. See MPEP 2144.01.)
Regarding Claim 2, Chen discloses a floating structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floating structure has a substantially circular, or substantially rectangular, or substantially polygonal horizontal cross-section. (See Fig. 1.)
Regarding Claim 3, Chen discloses a floating structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the annular wall has an inner effective diameter and an outer effective diameter, the inner effective diameter being greater than half of the outer effective diameter. (See Fig. 2.)
Regarding Claim 4, Chen discloses floating structure as claimed in any one of claim[[s]] 1 to 3, wherein the single cylindrical structure has a top portion arranged towards the open top end of the floating structure, and a base opposite to the top portion, the base being arranged towards the open bottom end of the floating structure. (See Fig. 2)
Regarding Claim 6, Chen discloses a floating structure as claimed in any one of claim 3, wherein the single cylindrical structure is dimensioned and arranged in a manner such that the top portion is protruded upwardly and exteriorly, spaced apart from the open top end of the floating structure. (See Fig. 2.)
Regarding Claim 8, Chen discloses a floating structure as claimed in any one of claim[[s]] 1 to 6, wherein the annular wall comprises a recess formed in an outer surface of the annular wall, the recess being shaped and dimensioned to receive a first part of the single cylindrical structure within the annular wall, with a remaining second part of the single cylindrical structure extending or protruding outwardly from the outer surface. (surface 110 can reasonably be considered an outer surface. See Fig. 2.)
Regarding Claim 12, Chen discloses a floating structure as claimed in any one of claim 1, further comprising a skirt coupled towards the open bottom end of the floating structure. (Element 140)
Regarding Claim 13, Chen discloses a floating structure as claimed in claim 12, wherein the skirt is coupled to at least one of:an outer surface of the annular wall; or an inner surface of the annular wall. (See Fig. 2.)
Regarding Claim 14, Chen discloses a floating structure as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein the skirt is of a height that allows the skirt to be entirely immersed below an initial waterline when the floating structure is deployed in water. (See Fig. 2.)
Regarding Claim 15, Chen discloses a floating structure as claimed in any one of claim 12, wherein the skirt is continuously, or optionally continually, coupled around the floating structure. (See Fig. 2.)
Regarding Claim 16, Chen discloses a floating structure as claimed in any one of claim 12, wherein the skirt comprises a plate or an open structure without buoyancy. (a plate, Fig. 2.)
Regarding Claim 17, Chen discloses a floating structure as claimed in any one of claim 12, wherein the skirt comprises a closed structure to provide buoyancy. (it provides the buoyancy proportional to the displacement. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes%27_principle )
Regarding Claim 18, Chen discloses a floating structure as claimed in any one of claim 1, wherein the floating structure is dimensioned and shaped in a manner such that when in use, the floating structure moves in heave, and causes a natural period Tpiston of a vertical oscillation piston mode of the mass of water in the central moonpool to be less than a natural period Theaveof the floating structure. (These frequencies are proportional to the waterplane area, so it’s actually a functional restatement of Claim 3.)
Regarding Claim 19, Chen discloses a floating structure as claimed in any one of claim[[s]] 1 to 18, further comprising at least one of:ballast tanks configured to provide stability of the floating structure when operating in water at different drafts; a mooring system comprising mooring lines arranged to be coupled to at least one of the open top end, or the open bottom end, or the annular wall of the floating structure; or a cable system comprising power cables for transmitting power arranged in the single cylindrical structure. (Mooring, see Fig. 2.)
Regarding Claim 20, Chen discloses a apparatus comprising:a floating structure as claimed in any one of claim 1 ; and a tower supported by a single cylindrical structure of the floating structure, wherein a wind turbine is attached to a distal end of the tower. (See Fig. 1.)
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.
Claims 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (CN-110949633-A) in view of Roddier (US 20140196654 A1).
Regarding Claim 10, Chen discloses the floating structure as claimed claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the floating structure comprises a fastening means configured to secure the tower to the floating structure.
Roddier discloses welding is a fastening means suitable for marine construction. (paragraph 43) It would have been obvious at the time of filing for a person of ordinary skill in the marine art to use welding fastening means configured to secure the tower to the floating structure of Chen which can be accomplished with a reasonable expectation of success. The motivation to modify Chen is to provide a known means to secure the tower recognized as suitable for the marine environment.
Regarding Claim 11, Chen discloses the floating structure as claimed in Claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the vertical shear connections are extended along an entire height of the single cylindrical structure. It would have been obvious at the time of filing for a person of ordinary skill in the marine art to weld along an entire height of the single cylindrical structure of Chenwhich can be accomplished with a reasonable expectation of success. The motivation to modify Chen is to increase the strength of the connection.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 9 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. Roger (GB 2624065 A) discloses a platform with a moonpool and an offset tower.
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/ANDREW POLAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615 9 Jan 2026