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 .
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(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Di Stefano et al. (US 2024/0001836).
Regarding claim 1, Di Stefano et al. teaches a mobile transport, 5, for moving a solar table, 1, the mobile transport comprising:
a transport component, wheels R, operable to move the solar table from a first location to a point of installation, see paragraphs 0042 and 0043; and
a first wing and a second wing, 152, that are deployable from a detracted position to a deployed position to support the solar table to prevent the solar table from rotating during transportation, see paragraph 0064.
Regarding claim 2, Di Stefano et al. teaches a first solar table alignment and support (STAS) component, 50 and 6A, coupled to the transport component on a first end, the first STAS component comprises a first sideshift, 900, element that enables horizontal motion of the solar table, see paragraphs 0042, 0043, and 0050; and wherein the first wing and the second wing, 152, are placed on the first sideshift element, see figures 4, 5, and 10. The claim does not require that the first and second wing are directly on the first sideshift element, and by virtue of the wings being located on top of the mobile transport, which is supported by the wheels and the solar table alignment and support component, 900, the claim limitation of the wings being placed on the sideshift element is satisfied.
Regarding claim 3, Di Stefano et al. teaches a second STAS component, 50 and 6B, coupled to the transport components on a second end, the second STAS component comprises a second sideshift element, 900, that enables horizontal motion of the solar table, see paragraphs 0042, 0043, and 0050; and a third wing and a fourth wing, 152, placed on the second sideshift element, the third wing and the fourth wing are deployable to support the solar table to prevent the solar table from rotating during transportation, see figures 4, 5, 9, and 10. The claim does not require that the first and second wing are directly on the first sideshift element, and by virtue of the wings being located on top of the mobile transport, which is supported by the wheels and the solar table alignment and support component, 900, the claim limitation of the wings being placed on the sideshift element is satisfied.
Regarding claim 4, Di Stefano et al. teaches the first and second sideshift elements are operated collaboratively or independently, see paragraph 0061+ and figure 9.
Regarding claim 5, Di Stefano et al. teaches the first wing and the second wing are positioned on both sides of a torque tube, 3, of the solar table when the first sideshift element is coupled to the solar table at the torque tube, the third wing and the fourth wing are positioned on both sides of the torque tube when the second sideshift element is coupled to the solar table at the torque tube, see figures 10, 11, 13, 14, and 15.
Regarding claim 6, Di Stefano et al. teaches the first wing, the second wing, the third wing, and the fourth wing are operated independently or collaboratively, see paragraph 0064.
Regarding claim 7, Di Stefano et al. teaches the first wing, the second wing, the third wing, and the fourth wing are manually, hydraulically, or pneumatically operated to support the solar table, see paragraph 0064.
Regarding claim 9, Di Stefano teaches at least one of the first STAS component and the second STAS component is operated to align the solar table in an installation instance once the mobile transport arrives at the point of installation, see figures 4 and 5, paragraphs 0050+.
Regarding claim 10, Di Stefano teaches aligning the solar table comprises:
raising or lowering a height of the solar table, using lifting device 6, see paragraph 0055+;
sideshifting the solar table, see figures 4 and 5;
and adjusting a roll angle of the solar table, see paragraph 0061.
Regarding claim 11, Di Stefano et al. teaches a method for moving a solar table for installation, the method comprising:
loading the solar table on to a mobile transport at a first location, the mobile transport comprises at least one pair of anti-rotational wings that are deployable from a detracted position to a deployed postion, 152, see paragraph 0064;
deploying the at least one pair of anti-rotational wings to support the solar table to prevent the solar table from rotating during transportation, see paragraph 0064;
operating the mobile transport to move the solar table from the first location to a point of installation; and
aligning the solar table to an installation stance, see paragraphs 0066+ and claims 1-3.
Regarding claim 12, Di Stefano teaches the at least one pair of anti-rotational wings comprise a first pair of anti-rotational wings and a second pairs of anti-rotational wings;
wherein the first pair of anti-rotational wings, 152, is placed on a first sideshift element, 900, on a first solar table alignment and support (STAS) component, 50 and 6A, located on a first end of the mobile transport, the second pair of anti-rotational wings is placed on a second sideshift, 900, element on a second STAS component, 50 and 6B, located on a second end of the mobile transport, the first and second sideshift elements enable horizontal motion of the solar table, see claim 8 for the method of the sideshift elements, and figures 4 and 5. As discussed in the apparatus rejection above, the claim does not require that the first and second wings are directly on the first sideshift element, and by virtue of the wings being located on top of the mobile transport, which is supported by the wheels and the solar table alignment and support component, 900, the claim limitation of the wings being placed on the sideshift element is satisfied.
Regarding claim 13, Di Stefano et al. teaches loading the solar table on to the mobile transport comprises: vertically moving at least one of the first STAS component and the second STAS component to support the solar table in a leveled position for transportation, see claim 2 and paragraphs 0051.
Regarding claim 14, Di Stefano teaches each anti-rotational wing of the at least one pair of anti- rotational wings is operated independently or collaboratively, see paragraph 0064.
Regarding claim 15, Di Stefano teaches the at least one pair of anti-rotational wings are manually, hydraulically, or pneumatically operated to support the solar table, see paragraph 0064.
Regarding claim 17, Di Stefano teaches aligning the solar table to the installation stance comprises one or more of:
raising or lowering a height of the solar table, using lifting device 6, see paragraph 0055+;
sideshifting the solar table, see figures 4 and 5;
and adjusting a roll angle of the solar table, see paragraph 0061.
Regarding claim 18, Di Stefano teaches the installation stance is determined based on one or more of: an installation height for the solar table; and a designed X-Y orientation of the solar table, see claims 1-3, 8 and 9.
Regarding claim 19, Di Stefano teaches aligning the solar table to the installation stance is implemented based on ambient environment information at the point of installation, the ambient environment information comprises at least one of a ground slope and a ground tilt at the point of installation, see paragraphs 0068.
Regarding claim 20, Di Stefano teaches the ground slope and/or the ground tilt are compensated when the mobile transport aligns the solar table to the installation stance, see paragraphs 0068+.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 16 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.
The prior art does not teach that the wings are controlled by a piston for a deployment height that is controllable by a setting desired for traveling distance of the piston, as claimed.
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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Prior art cited on the PTO-892 and not relied upon are included to show additional examples of a mobile transport for moving a solar table. The Di Stefano et al. reference is considered to be the best prior art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAITLIN S JOERGER whose telephone number is (571)272-6938. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5 (CST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at (571)270-5565. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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KAITLIN S. JOERGER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3652
/KAITLIN S JOERGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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