DETAILED ACTION
Summary
This Office Action is in response to the Amendments to the Claims and Remarks filed July 9, 2026.
In view of the Amendments to the Claims filed July 9, 2026, the objections to claims 13, 18, and 21 previously presented in the Office Action sent March 10, 2026 have been withdrawn.
In view of the Amendments to the Claims filed July 9, 2026, the rejections of claims 13, 14, 17-19, and 21-25 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) previously presented in the Office Action sent March 10, 2026 have been withdrawn.
In view of the Amendments to the Claims filed July 9, 2026, the rejections of claims 13, 14, 17-19, and 21-25 under 35 U.S.C. 103 previously presented in the Office Action sent March 10, 2026 have been substantially maintained and modified only in response to the Amendments to the Claims.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 6-14, 17-19, and 21-25 are currently pending while claims 1, 2, 4, and 6-12 have been withdrawn from consideration.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 13, 14, 17-19, and 21-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alwitt et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0279557 A1) in view of Chang (KR 20200113733 A).
With regard to claim 13, Alwitt et al. discloses a floating photovoltaic solar system on a water site having a shore and a water body, said system comprising
photovoltaic panels (photovoltaic panels 1510, Fig. 14-19) and
at least one array of float assemblies (see Fig. 14-16), each array of float assemblies comprising
at least one float assembly (see Fig. 14-16 depicting float assemblies formed by each adjacent pair of floating tube elements 1410), wherein each float assembly comprises
at least one group of at least two floating tube elements for supporting said photovoltaic panels (see Fig. 14-16 depicting at least one group of at least two floating tube elements, adjacent pair of floating tube elements 1410, for supporting the cited photovoltaic panels 1510),
each of said floating tube elements having a thin elongated wall extending along a primary axis (such as depicted in Fig. 14-15, each of said floating tube elements 410 having a thin wall extending along a primary axis of each tube cited to read on the claimed “thin” because the cited elongated walls are thin, or thinner than another wall such as a thicker wall),
each end of each of said floating tube elements being closed by an endcap (as depicted in Fig. 14-19, each end of each of said floating tube elements 410 being closed by an endcap 1430), wherein it comprises
frame assemblies to support said photovoltaic panels in order to form said at least one array of float assemblies for forming said floating photovoltaic solar system (such as depicted in Fig. 14-19, frame assemblies at 1470 to support the cited photovoltaic panels 510 in order to form said at least one array of float assemblies for forming said floating photovoltaic solar system), and
a launching apparatus of said at least one array of float assemblies forming said floating photovoltaic solar system into the water body (see claim 19 teaching conveyor system having a launch end proximate a body of water).
Alwitt et al. discloses wherein said floating tube elements are pipes (see Fig. 14-16) but does not disclose wherein said floating tube elements have the structural requirements of the generally recited product-by-process limitation “each of said floating tube elements being formed from a metal ribbon extracted from a raw metal coil and helically wound by a spiral tube forming machine to form a hollow tube element, adjacent edges of successive turns of said metal ribbon being mechanically joined together by crimping, fastening, gluing or welding, each of said floating tube elements being formed by bending metal ribbons or sheets extracted from raw metal coils using a spiral tube forming machine or a roll-forming machine, to obtain an open cylinder with adjacent longitudinal edges facing each other, and having means of fixation by mechanical crimping, fastening, gluing or welding of such adjacent longitudinal edges of such open cylinder to close longitudinally such floating tube elements”.
However, Alwitt et al. teaches an object of the invention is to provide a floating structure for a solar panel array that can be assembled at an installation site (see [0030]).
Chang discloses a process for forming pipes directly on site (see [0001]). Chang is analogous art because, like Applicant and Alwitt et al., Chang is concerned with on-site assembly including pipes.
Chang teaches each pipe element being formed from a metal ribbon 110 extracted from a raw metal coil 100 and helically wound by a spiral tube forming machine to form a hollow tube element (see Fig. 2 and [0027]), adjacent edges of successive turns of said metal ribbon being mechanically joined together by crimping, fastening, gluing or welding (see Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 depicting adjacent edges joined by crimping), each pipe element being formed by bending metal ribbons or sheets 110 extracted from raw metal coils 100 using a spiral tube forming machine (see Fig. 2), to obtain an open cylinder with adjacent longitudinal edges facing each other, and having means of fixation by mechanical crimping, fastening, gluing or welding of such adjacent longitudinal edges of such open cylinder to close longitudinally such pipe elements (see Fig. 2 and [0027]; see Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 depicting longitudinal edges joined by crimping).
Chang teaches the on-site manufacturing technique allows for greatly improved field construction and reduced construction cost (see [0001]).
Thus, at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have substituted the forming of the floating tube/pipe elements in the system of Alwitt et al. for the forming technique of Chang because it would have provided for greatly improved field construction and reduced construction cost.
With regard to claim 14, independent claim 13 is obvious over Alwitt et al. in view of Chang under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above. Alwitt et al. discloses characterized in that
each float assembly comprises at least one group of three parallel floating tube elements for supporting said photovoltaic panels, and/or characterized in that each floating tube element not being waterproof, each end-cap has a centered aperture authorizing overflow of water when each floating tube element is immerged, and/or characterized in that each floating tube element comprises at least one buoyancy element inside (as depicted in Fig. 14-19, or characterized in that each floating tube element 410 comprises at least one buoyancy element inside, such as air).
With regard to claim 17, independent claim 13 is obvious over Alwitt et al. in view of Chang under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above. Alwitt et al. discloses characterized in that the system comprises
multiple mooring lines operably connected to said at least one array of float assemblies (as depicted in Fig. 38, multiple mooring lines 2416 operably connected to said at least one array of float assemblies).
With regard to claim 18, dependent claim 17 is obvious over Alwitt et al. in view of Chang under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above. Alwitt et al. discloses characterized in that the system comprises
anchoring lines connecting said multiple mooring lines to an array of anchoring points (as depicted in Fig. 38, anchoring lines 2418 connecting the cited multiple mooring lines 2416 to an array of anchoring points 2419).
With regard to claim 19, independent claim 13 is obvious over Alwitt et al. in view of Chang under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above. Alwitt et al. discloses characterized in that
each float assembly comprises a minimum of three frame elements extending along a direction which is perpendicular to said primary axis of each of said floating tube elements, and/or characterized in that the system comprises a plurality of arrays of float assemblies, forming a train of connected float assemblies and the launching apparatus comprises two parallel guiding elongated rails elements arranged to support and guide said train of connected floats assemblies into the water body (as depicted in Fig. 14-17, each float assembly comprises a minimum of three frame elements 1470 extending along a direction which is perpendicular to the cited primary axis of each floating tube element 1410).
With regard to claims 21 and 22, independent claim 13 is obvious over Alwitt et al. in view of Chang under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above. Alwitt et al. discloses characterized in that the system comprises
a plurality of horizontal cables (as depicted in Fig. 38 and annotated Fig. 38 below, a plurality of horizontal cables 2416) and
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Annotated Fig. 38
short vertical cables or chains mechanically connected to at least one array of float assemblies (short vertical cables or chains 2614, Fig. 44) and
anchoring lines connecting said plurality of horizontal cables to an array of anchoring points installed on shore and/or at the bottom of the water body (as depicted in Fig. 38 and annotated Fig. 38 above, anchoring lines 2418 connecting the cited plurality of horizontal cables 2416 to an array of anchoring points 2419 installed on shore), characterized in that the system further comprises
for at least one array of float assemblies or a group of arrays of float assemblies, one pair of corresponding external lateral horizontal cables and one pair of corresponding external longitudinal horizontal cables perpendicular to said pair of corresponding external lateral horizontal cables and belonging to said plurality of horizontal cables and securing such array or group of arrays with anchoring cables attached to a plurality of fixed foundation points (as depicted in Fig. 38 and annotated Fig. 38 above, for at least one array of float assemblies or a group of arrays of float assemblies, one pair of corresponding external lateral horizontal cables, such as the diagonal most pair of 2416d and 2416b, and one pair of corresponding external longitudinal horizontal cables, such as the diagonal most pair of 2416c and 2416a, perpendicular to said pair of lateral horizontal cables and belonging to said array of a plurality of horizontal cables and securing such array or group of arrays with anchoring cables 2418 attached to a plurality of fixed foundation points 2419).
With regard to claim 23, independent claim 13 is obvious over Alwitt et al. in view of Chang under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above. Alwitt et al. discloses characterized in that the floating photovoltaic solar system comprises
a maintenance platform comprising a pair of buoyancy elements which are joined together by a frame structure to form a catamaran type platform (see Fig. 14-16 depicting a maintenance platform 1620 comprising a pair of buoyancy elements 1410 which are joined together by a frame structure 1470 to form a catamaran type platform).
Claim(s) 24 and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alwitt et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0279557 A1) in view of Chang (KR 20200113733 A), and in further view of Jang et al. (KR 101773883 B1) and Ni et al. (CN 108736805 A).
With regard to claims 24 and 25, independent claim 13 is obvious over Alwitt et al. in view of Chang under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above.
Alwitt et al. does not disclose characterized in that is comprises a water drip system.
However, Jang et al. discloses a photovoltaic solar system (see Title and Abstract) and teaches a water drip system (see Fig. 3-4), said water drip system comprising at least one perforated water pipe (see Fig. 4 depicting photovoltaic panels 410; the portion supply component 550 immediately to the right of connector 552 at the upper side of the next two adjacent photovoltaic panels 410 is cited to read on the claimed first perforated water pipe and the portion of supply component 550 to the right of connector 552 at the upper side of the last two adjacent photovoltaic panels 410 is cited to read on a second perforated water pipe) attached along an upper side of the photovoltaic panels (see Fig. 3-4) and an external water pump for pumping fresh water from the reservoir onto an upper surface of said photovoltaic panels (pump 563 depicted in Fig. 3 for pumping fresh water from the reservoir 560 onto an upper surface of said photovoltaic panels 410), characterized in that the water drip system comprises multiple perforated water pipes connected in a series manner by connecting an output inlet of a first perforated water pipe of the multiple perforated water pipes to an input inlet of a following float assembly (as depicted in Fig. 4, connected in a series manner by connecting an output inlet of the cited first perforated water pipe to an input inlet of the following assembly at the cited second perforated water pipe).
Jang et al. teaches the water drip system provides for cleaning the photovoltaic solar system (see [0016]).
Thus, at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have modified the system of Alwitt et al. to include the water drip system suggested by Jang et al. because it would have provided for cleaning the floating photovoltaic solar system.
Alwitt et al., as modified above, does not disclose wherein the cited perforated water pipes are attached to the upper side of the solar panels by an array of fixation clips.
However, Ni et al. discloses a photovoltaic solar system (see Title and Abstract) and teaches a perforated water pipe can be attached to an upper side of the solar panels by a fixation clip (see 26, Fig. 2).
Thus, at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have substituted the attachment mechanism for the cited perforated water pipes of Alwitt et al., as modified above, for the attachment mechanism, fixation clip, suggested by Ni et al., because the simple substitution of an element known in the prior art, in the instant case an attachment mechanism for a perforated water pipe in a photovoltaic solar system, supports a prima facie obviousness determination (see MPEP 2143 B).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 9, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant notes the newly added claimed limitations are not found within the previously cited prior art references. However, this argument is addressed in the rejections of the claims above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 DUSTIN Q DAM whose telephone number is (571)270-5120. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
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/DUSTIN Q DAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721 September 17, 2026
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