DETAILED ACTION
This is a first action on the merits of application 18580644.
Claims 1-10 are pending.
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 6 and 8 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.
The term “low speed” in claim 6 and “large” in claim 8 are relative terms which renders the claim indefinite. The term “low” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Examiner can’t determine what is considered to be a low speed or large vessel since it is not defined in the disclosure.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim KR 20180109206.
Claim 1, Kim discloses a vessel hybrid combined cycle power and propulsion system, the system comprising a steam turbine 20, at least one gas turbine 100, at least one auxiliary generator 600; an electric propulsion drive system 500 and an energy storage system [0066-0067], each connected to a section of an AC bus 400; the system further comprising a source of steam for the steam turbine 20, and a control system [inherent] for controlling operation of the steam turbine, gas turbine, auxiliary generators, electric drive propulsion system and energy storage system; wherein the primary source of steam for the steam turbine 20 is exhaust gas from the gas turbine 100; the primary source of gas for the gas turbine is boil off gas from the cargo hold [storage tank]; wherein the AC bus 400 comprises a plurality of sections of AC bus coupled together by bus ties [fig. 4] closed in normal operation forming a closed ring AC bus; and the electric propulsion drive system comprises a variable speed drive [reduction gearbox 511], driving an electric motor 510 coupled through a drive shaft 520 to a propeller 530. Though Kim does not disclose a Variable speed drive [VFD] he does disclose the gearbox which accomplishes the same goal thus, it 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 to said variable speed drive because they are art equivalents.
Claim 2, Kim discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1, he does not disclose the electric propulsion drive system comprises a permanent magnet motor. However, it is well known and common knowledge to use magnets in electric motors because they are highly efficient and provide strong torque at low RPM’s thus it 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 to use permanent magnets in the design of the electric motor.
Claim 3, Kim discloses the primary source of energy for the energy storage system is electricity generated by one of the steam turbine, gas turbine, or auxiliary generators. See fig. 4
Claim 4, Kim discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1, he does not disclose a shore connection to enable the vessel consumers to be powered from the shore supply. However, this is a well-known limitation in the marine art for vessels to use shore power when moored close to port. Thus, it 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 to use a shore supply to power the vessel while moored.
Claim 5, Kim discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1, he does not explicitly disclose the system comprises a single fuel gas turbine and one or more spark ignited auxiliary generators. He does disclose use of gas turbines and auxiliary generators disclosing a type of each is mere design choice. As such it 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 to use the specified types as interchangeable parts based on design specifications of the intended use.
Claim 6 and 9, Kim discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1, he does not disclose the propulsion system electric motor comprises a low speed bi-directional motor coupled to each drive shaft and propellor of the vessel. He does disclose the electric motor and driveshaft and propeller use but not that the motor is bi-directional. It has been held that change of direction is of ordinary skill in the art and thus it 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 to use said motor type to propel the vessel.
Claim 8, Kim discloses the vessel comprises a liquified natural gas carrier, LPG carrier, H2 carrier and other large ships. See fig. 3 and Abstract
Claim 10, Kim discloses wherein the system further comprises an onboard gas supply for the gas turbine 100. Boiler 11 produces steam from the boil off gas.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim KR 20180109206 and further in view of Ledere US 20170283023.
Claim 7, Kim discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1, he does not disclose the
propulsion system further comprises bow thrusters electrically coupled to the AC bus. Ledere
disclose a LNG ship with bow thrusters. [0063]. Thus, it 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 to have combined the disclosures to have bow thrusters to aid in
ship maneuvering.
Conclusion
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/JOVON E HAYES/Examiner, Art Unit 3615
/MARC Q JIMENEZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3615