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 .
Prosecution History Summary
Claims 16-21 are withdrawn.
Claims 1-15 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I (claims 1-15) in the reply filed on 06/02/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 16-21 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 06/02/2026.
Applicant is reminded that upon the cancellation of claims to a non-elected invention, the inventorship must be amended in compliance with 37 CFR 1.48(b) if one or more of the currently named inventors is no longer an inventor of at least one claim remaining in the application. Any amendment of inventorship must be accompanied by a request under 37 CFR 1.48(b) and by the fee required under 37 CFR 1.17(i).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL. A complete reply to the final rejection must include cancellation of nonelected claims or other appropriate action (37 CFR 1.144) See MPEP § 821.01.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters "106" and "406" have both been used to designate “apex”; reference characters "122", “209”, “304”, and "422" have been used to designate “blades”; reference characters "112" and "412" have both been used to designate “buoyant body”; reference characters "120", “208”, and "420" have been used to designate “nacelles”; reference characters "102", “310”, “and "402" have been used to designate “first section”; reference characters "114", “308”, “and "414" have been used to designate “second section”; reference characters "114" and "414" have both been used to designate “second yawing section”; reference characters "110" and "410" have both been used to designate “structural base beam”; reference characters "104", “118”, “404”, and “413” have been used to designate “structural beams”; reference characters "108" and "408" have both been used to designate “triangular base member”; reference characters "116", “204”, “302”, and "416" have been used to designate “yawing mechanism”. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “114” has been used to designate both “second section” and “second yawing section”; reference character “118” has been used to designate both “structural beams” and “second section structural beams”; reference character “200” has been used to designate both “embodiment” and “platform”. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 102536655B.
As per claim 1, CN teaches a wind turbine mounting apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
-a first non-yawing section (CN ‘655: Figure 4, 50; Tower); and
-a second yawing section (CN: figure 4) affixed to a first end of the first section by a yawing mechanism, the yawing mechanism arranged to permit rotation of the second section relative to the first section about a yaw axis (CN: figure 4, 40);
-wherein the second section comprises at least two wind turbines (CN: figure 4), each of the at least two wind turbines having:
-a rotor arranged to rotate about a rotor axis, the rotor axis defining a hub height of the wind turbine (CN: figure 4, 10); and
-a plurality of blades affixed to the rotor (CN: figure 4), wherein rotation of said blades in use defines a swept area of said blades (CN: pg. 7, Wind turbines have the same pitch angles during power generation process.); and
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-wherein the first section comprises a first section width, wherein the first section width is smaller at the first end thereof than at a second end distal to the first end (CN: figure 4).
As per claim 2, the apparatus of claim 1 is as described. CN teaches wherein the yawing mechanism is positioned at a yawing mechanism height, the yawing mechanism height being located above a lowermost edge of the swept area of said blades in use (CN: figure 4, 40).
As per claim 3, the apparatus of claim 2 is as described. CN teaches wherein the yawing mechanism height is located substantially at the hub height (CN: figure 4).
As per claim 4, the apparatus of claim 1 is as described. CN teaches wherein the second section comprises a second section centre of gravity, and wherein the yawing mechanism is positioned such that the yaw axis is coaxially aligned with the second section centre of gravity (CN: pg. 7, Yawing is required so that the windward direction is close to the current wind direction.).
As per claim 5, the apparatus of claim 1 is as described. CN teaches wherein the second section comprises an elongate structural member extending between proximate the yawing mechanism and a surface of the corresponding wind turbine, the elongate structural member defining a distance between the rotor axis of the corresponding wind turbine and the yaw axis (CN: figure 4).
As per claim 6, the apparatus of claim 5 is as described. CN teaches wherein the rotor axis of each of the at least two wind turbines is located equidistant from the yaw axis (CN: figure 4).
As per claim 7, the apparatus of claim 5 is as described. CN teaches wherein the distance between the rotor axis of the corresponding wind turbine and the yaw axis is equal to or greater than a radius of the swept area (CN: pg. 5, The wind generating sets are symmetrical to the longitudinal axis of the tower and symmetrically installed on the support structure connected to the tower.).
As per claim 8, the apparatus of claim 5 is as described. CN teaches wherein the elongate structural member comprises a streamlined shape (CN: figure 4).
As per claim 9, the apparatus of claim 1 is as described. CN teaches wherein the first section comprises a plurality of elongate structural members extending from proximate the yawing mechanism at the first end thereof to the second end of the first section (CN: figure 4).
As per claim 10, the apparatus of claim 9 is as described. CN teaches wherein the plurality of elongate structural members of the first section form the upstanding edges of a substantially pyramidal structure of the first section, the first end of the first section forming an apex of said substantially pyramidal structure (CN: figure 4).
As per claim 11, the apparatus of claim 10 is as described. CN teaches wherein at least three said elongate structural members of the first section extend from proximate the yawing mechanism of the second section to provide a triangulated second section (CN: figure 4, 30).
As per claim 12, the apparatus of claim 9 is as described. CN teaches wherein the elongate structural members that experience only tensile forces are tendons (CN: figure 4, 30).
As per claim 13, the apparatus of claim 1 is as described. CN teaches wherein the at least two turbines comprise: downwind wind turbines and/or upwind turbines (CN: figure 4).
As per claim 14, the apparatus of claim 1 is as described. CN teaches wherein said rotation of the yawing mechanism about the yaw axis is arranged to be driven by a motor in response to a control input indicating a prevailing wind direction (CN: pg. 7, Yawing is required so that the windward direction is close to the current wind direction.).
As per claim 15, the apparatus of claim 1 is as described. CN teaches wherein the yawing mechanism is arranged to permit yawing of the second section about the yaw axis passively (CN: pg. 7, Yawing is required so that the windward direction is close to the current wind direction.).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Baun et al. – U.S. Publication No. 2021/0277866 – Teaches a multirotor wind turbine on a tower.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHEETAL R. PAULSON whose telephone number is (571)270-1368. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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, Marc Jimenez can be reached at (571) 272-4530. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHEETAL R PAULSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615
Prosecution Insights