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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: On page 2, line 20, it is unclear as to what is meant by “thanks to a certain number of forwards”. It is unclear as to the meaning of “forwards” in the used context; line 30, “the” is objected to because it is not capitalized, therefore it is suggested to change “the” - -The- -. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 11-20 are objected to because of the following informalities: In claims 11-20, different claim elements have the same reference character, for example, the bearing hole (8) in claim 11 and the bearing (8) in claim 19. Applicant is advised to check whether the reference characters used for the claim limitations correspond with the reference characters used in the specification, and make the necessary corrections throughout the claims. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 11-20 are 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. In claim 11, line 2, it unclear as to what is meant by “hoists that are related to pulleys”; lines 8-9, it is unclear as to what is meant by “at least one hoist……that reacts the entire load from the inside”; line 10, it is unclear as to what is meant by “at least one cable ended in a connecting element”; line 16, it is unclear as to whether “the center of gravity (CG)” is referring to the pulley or the blade root; line 19, it is unclear as to what is “the interior of the hub that react all the load from the inside. In claim 15, line 2, it is unclear as to what is meant by “the rest is released”. In claim 19, lines 10-11, it is unclear as to whether “the center of gravity (CG)” is referring to the hoist or the blade root.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the blade" in lines 3 and 6 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the hub" in lines 8 and 19 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the inside" in lines 9 and 19 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the bearing hole" in lines 10-11 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "its" in line 13 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the bearing" in line 14 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the bearing hole" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the upper one" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the lower one" in line 3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the upper piece" in line 5 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "the anchoring" in line 1 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "the hub chassis" in line 1 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "the pulleys" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "the bushings" in line 3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "the blade" in line 4 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the blade" in line 4 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the nacelle" in line 3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the hub-bearing joint" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the blade-bearing joint" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the hub" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the complete lifting elements" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the alignment and hoisting device" in lines 2-3 and 16 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the lowering device" in line 3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "them" in lines 3, 6, and 8 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the preferred embodiment" in line 4 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the blade bearing" in line 5 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the hoists" in line 6 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the corresponding hole" in lines 6-7 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the bearing" in line 7 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the T-bolt" in line 8 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the stiffening plate" in lines 12 and 20 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the plate" in line 13 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the connecting element" in line 13 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the hoist without drum" in lines 14-15 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the double set of pulleys" in line 15 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the auxiliary ring" in line 17 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the nacelle" in lines 17-18 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the off-center connecting element" in line 20 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 20 recites the limitation "the rise" in line 1 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 20 recites the limitation "the alignment and drilling device" in lines 2-3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 20 recites the limitation "the fixed bearing" in line 3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references listed on the attached PTO-892 are cited to show lowering and lifting wind turbine blades.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERMIE E COZART whose telephone number is (571)272-4528. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30am - 7:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sunil Singh can be reached at 571-272-3460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JERMIE E COZART/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
June 5, 2026
Prosecution Insights