DETAILED ACTION
Summary
This Office Action is in response to the Amendments to the Claims and Remarks filed December 5, 2025.
In view of the Amendments to the Claims filed December 5, 2025, the rejections of claims 1-15 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 103 previously presented in the Office Action sent September 24, 2025 have been substantially maintained and modified only in response to the Amendments to the Claims.
Claims 1-10 and 12-16 are currently pending.
Claim Objections
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 15 recites, “each of the pair of mounting fee”. Appropriate correction is required.
Amending “each of the pair of mounting fee” to “each of the pair of mounting feet” would overcome the objection.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Plioska (U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0141013 A1).
With regard to claim 1, Plioska discloses a coupling assembly for use with a solar tracker, the coupling assembly comprising:
a housing (254, Fig. 2D) including
a perimeter, at least a portion of the perimeter defining a first width (as depicted in Fig. 2D and annotated Fig. 2D below, the cited housing 254 includes a perimeter, at least a portion of the perimeter defining a first width in a direction into and out of the background/foreground) and
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Annotated Fig.2D
a circular aperture (see Fig. 2D depicting the cited housing 254 as having a circular aperture at the interior opening of components 254A/254B), the housing further including
protrusions that extend out from the perimeter beyond the first width (such as depicted in Fig. 2D, annotated Fig. 2D, and annotated Fig. 2D’ below, protrusions at the flanges of 254B that extend out from the perimeter beyond the cited first width in a direction into and out of the background/foreground);
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Annotated Fig. 2D
a bearing configured to fit within the circular aperture and to rotate within the circular aperture of the housing (217 depicted in Fig. 2D as fitted within the cited circular aperture and rotated within the circular aperture of the housing; see [0029]), the bearing including
an aperture having a shape of a cross-section of a torque tube (see Fig. 2D depicting the cited bearing 217 having an aperture having a shape of a cross-section of a torque tube; see [0029] teaching “exterior surface 219 of the rail 218 may have a square cross-section but triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, or other polygonal cross-section” and “the interior surface of core 217 may have a square cross-section but triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, or other cross-section”); and
at least one hard stop configured to engage with the protrusions and limit motion of the bearing (as depicted in Fig. 2D and annotated Fig. 2D above, at least one hard stop configured to engage with the cited protrusions and limit motion of the bearing 217).
With regard to claim 2, Plioska discloses wherein
the housing is a stamped metal sheet (see Fig. 2D depicting cited housing 254 as a sheet, or thin piece of material; see [0037] teaching cited housing can be “a metal”; the cited housing 254 is cited to read on the structural requirements of the generally claimed “is a stamped metal sheet” because it is a sheet, or thin piece of material, made of a metal).
With regard to claim 3, Plioska discloses wherein
the shape of the cross-section of the torque tube is a circular shape, a rectangular shape, a hexagonal shape, an octagonal shape, a D-shape, a triple D-shape, or a square shape (see [0029]).
With regard to claim 4, Plioska discloses wherein
that at least one hard stop is a wrench-type hard stop that couples to a side surface of the bearing or a bearing-clip hard stop that clips across an outside surface of the bearing (as depicted in Fig. 2D and annotated Fig. 2D above, the cited at least one hard stop “is a wrench-type hard stop that couples to a side surface of the bearing” because it is mechanically coupled to the side surface of the cited bearing 217 and is a wrenching/twisting type hard stop which stops rotation of torque tube when the cited hard stop is twisted to abut the cited protrusions).
With regard to claim 5, Plioska discloses wherein
the at least one hard stop is a link hard stop that is configured to couple to the torque tube (as depicted in Fig. 2D and annotated Fig. 2D above, the cited at least one hard stop “is a link hard stop that is configured to couple to the torque tube” because the cited hard stop is mechanically linked, or coupled/connected/joined, to the torque tube via bearing 217 which stops rotation of the torque tube when coupled with the cited protrusions).
With regard to claim 6, Plioska discloses wherein
the housing includes a first base member and a second base member defining a first arc (as depicted in Fig. 2D, the cited housing includes a first base member, such as the left half of 254B, and a second base member, such as the right half of 254B, defining a first arc), and
a top member defining a second arc (as depicted in Fig. 2D, a top member 254A defining a second arc), and wherein
end portions of the top member are configured to couple between the first base member and the second based member to form an aperture (as depicted in Fig. 2D, left and right end portions of the cited top member 3 are coupled between the cited first base member and the cited second based member to form an aperture).
Claim(s) 12, 13, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by McPheeters (U.S. Pub. No. 2022/0103116 A1).
With regard to claim 12, McPheeters discloses a seismic resistant coupling assembly for use with a solar tracker, the seismic resistant coupling assembly comprising:
a housing (15/20/51, Fig. 3A) having
an A-shaped profile (such as depicted in Fig. 3A and annotated Fig. 3A below, an A-shaped profile), the housing including
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Annotated Fig. 3A
a circular aperture (as depicted in Fig. 3A, component 51 of the cited housing includes a circular aperture at the opening which receives 52) and
a pair of mounting feet at the base of the A-shaped profile (15 depicted in Fig. 3A as at the base of the cited A-shaped profile);
each pair of mounting fee comprising a planar mounting surface that defines a mounting aperture at the planar mounting surface (as exemplified in Fig. 4A, each cited pair of mounting feet comprises a planar mounting surface, such as the bottom most surface of the cited mounting feet 15 having a ring cross-section, that defines a mounting aperture at the planar mounting surface that is sleeved over drive coupler 12 at the upper end of the screw anchor portion 11);
a bearing configured to fit within the circular aperture and to rotate within the circular aperture of the housing (such as depicted in Fig. 3A, a bearing 52 fitted within the cited circular aperture and rotated within the circular aperture of the housing; see [0022]), the bearing including
an aperture having a shape of a cross-section of a torque tube (see Fig. 3A depicting the cited bearing 52 having an aperture having a shape of a cross-section of a torque tube TT); and
a pair of adapters (260, Fig. 4B-C) including
walls defining an aperture (such as detailed in Fig. 5C, octagonal walls defining an aperture) and
a flange configured to couple to opposite sides of the bearing (such as depicted in Fig. 4B-C and Fig. 5C, the cited adapters 260 include flanges receiving bolt 283 cited to read on the claimed “configured to couple to opposite sides of the bearing” because the flanges are mechanically coupled/connected/joined to opposite sides of the cited bearing 52 via bolt 283 received in the flanges),
the aperture having a shape of the cross-section of a torque tube (see Fig. 5C),
an inner portion of the walls configured to couple to a torque tube (see Fig. 5C depicting inner portion of the cited walls configured to couple to a torque tube via screws 284 in threaded openings 281).
With regard to claim 13, McPheeters discloses further comprising
a link hard stop that is configured to couple to the torque tube (53 depicted in Fig. 3A cited to read on the claimed “link hard stop that is configured to couple to the torque tube” because it is mechanically linked, or coupled/connected/joined, to the torque tube via bearing 52 which stops rotation of the torque tube when coupled to the sides of the opening in the top of 51), wherein
the housing includes protruding members configured to engage with the link hard stop and prevent further motion of the torque tube (as depicted in Fig. 3A, the housing includes protruding members, such as the left and right half of 51 which protrudes upward from housing components 15/20, engaging with the cited link hard stop 53 at the sides of the opening in the top of 51).
With regard to claim 14, McPheeters discloses wherein
the shape of the cross-section of the torque tube is a circular shape, a rectangular shape, a hexagonal shape, an octagonal shape, a D-shape, a triple D-shape, or a square shape (see Fig. 5C depicting an octagonal shape).
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) 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over NWI Entw Sued GmbH (DE 202023101018 U1) in view of Plioska (U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0141013 A1).
With regard to claim 7, NWI Entw Sued GmbH discloses a coupling assembly for use with a solar tracker, the coupling assembly comprising:
a housing (28, Fig. 3) including
a first housing member and a second housing member configured to be coupled together (see Fig. 3 depicting a first housing member 38 and a second housing member 40 coupled together), wherein when coupled together the first housing member and the second housing member include
a circular aperture (as depicted in Fig. 3, the cited housing 28 includes a circular aperture at the interior opening between components 38 and 40),
a pair of opposing ball bearing paths disposed along an inner surface of the circular aperture (as depicted in Fig. 3-4 and described in [0054], a pair of ball bearing paths 50 on the inner surfaces of each opposing housing component 38 and 40);
a bearing configured to fit within the circular aperture and to rotate within the circular aperture of the housing (26 depicted in Fig. 3-4 as fitted within the cited circular aperture and rotated within the circular aperture of the housing 28; see [0054]), the bearing including
an aperture having a shape of a cross-section of a torque tube (as depicted in Fig. 3, an aperture 42 having a shape of a cross-section of a torque tube), the bearing including
ball bearing races in an outer surface of the bearing; and ball bearings disposed between the ball bearing paths and the ball bearing races (see Fig. 3-4 depicting ball bearings 30/56 between the cited ball bearing paths 50 and ball bearing races, portion of 44 and portion of 46 rotatably mounted to ball bearings 30/56; see [0043] and [0046]).
NWI Entw Sued GmbH does not disclose hard stops at end portions of the pair of opposing ball bearing paths.
However, Plioska discloses a coupling assembly for use with a solar tracker (see Title and Abstract) and teaches a housing including a circular aperture (254 depicted in Fig. 2D as having an aperture at the interior opening between components 254A and 254B), a pair of opposing bearing paths 295 and 295’ disposed along an inner surface of the circular aperture (Fig. 2D), a first hard stop at one end portion of one of the pair of opposing bearing paths at a first side of the housing and a second hard stop at another end portion of the other of the pair of opposing bearing paths at the first side portion of the housing (as depicted in Fig. 2D and annotated Fig. 2D’ below, a first hard stop at one left end portion of one of the pair of opposing bearing paths 295 at a first side of the housing, the side closest to the foreground of the figure, and a second hard stop at another right end portion of the other of the pair of opposing bearing paths 295’ at the cited first side portion of the housing).
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Plioska teaches the inclusion of the hard stops allows the bearing to stop, restrict, or eliminate rotational movement of the torque tube (see [0030]).
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 coupling assembly of NWI Entw Sued GmbH to include hard stops at end portions of the pair of opposing bearing paths, as suggested by Plioska, because it would have provided for the bearing to stop, restrict, or eliminate rotational movement of the torque tube.
With regard to claim 8, independent claim 7 is obvious over NWI Entw Sued GmbH in view of Plioska under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above.
NWI Entw Sued GmbH does not disclose wherein the bearing is made of a polymer material.
However, Plioska teaches a coupling assembly (see Title and Abstract) and teaches bearings can conventionally be made of a polymer material (see [0037]).
Thus, at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have selected the polymer material exemplified by Plioska for the material of the bearing of NWI Entw Sued GmbH because the selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supports a prim facie obviousness determination (see MPEP 2144.07).
With regard to claim 9, independent claim 7 is obvious over NWI Entw Sued GmbH in view of Plioska under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above. NWI Entw Sued GmbH, as modified above, discloses wherein
each of the first housing member and the second housing member include opposing pairs of ball bearing paths (see NWI Entw Sued GmbH at Fig. 3-4, depicting each of the cited first housing member 38 and the cited second housing member 48 include opposing pairs of ball bearing paths).
With regard to claim 10, dependent claim 9 is obvious over NWI Entw Sued GmbH in view of Plioska under 35 U.S.C. 103 as discussed above. NWI Entw Sued GmbH, as modified above, discloses wherein
the bearing is a split bearing or a single-piece bearing (see Fig. 3 depicting split bearing components 44 and 46).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McPheeters (U.S. Pub. No. 2022/0103116 A1) in view of Plioska (U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0141013 A1).
With regard to claim 15, independent claim 12 is anticipated by McPheeters under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as discussed above.
McPheeters does not discloses wherein the housing is made of a metallic material, and wherein the bearing is made of a polymer material.
However, Plioska discloses a coupling assembly (see Title and Abstract) and teaches a housing can conventionally be made of a metallic material, and a bearing can conventionally be made of a polymer material (see [0037]).
Thus, at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have selected the metal material and polymer material exemplified by Plioska for the material of the housing and the material of the bearing in the coupling assembly of McPheeters because the selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supports a prima facie obviousness determination (see MPEP 2144.07).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 16 is 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 16 requires a seismic resistant coupling assembly for use with a solar tracker comprising a housing having an A-shaped profile, the housing including a circular aperture and a pair of mounting feet, each of the pair of mounting feet comprising a planar mounting surface that defines a mounting aperture at the planar mounting surface, a bearing configured to fit within the circular aperture, the bearing including an aperture having a shape of a cross-section of a torque tube, a pair of adapters including walls defining an aperture and a flange configured to couple to opposite sides of the bearing, wherein the flange of each pair of adapters extends circumferentially about the respective adapter, and in combination with the remaining limitations of claim 16.
The prior art, including McPheeters of record, does not disclose a seismic resistant coupling assembly for use with a solar tracker comprising a housing having an A-shaped profile, the housing including a circular aperture and a pair of mounting feet, each of the pair of mounting feet comprising a planar mounting surface that defines a mounting aperture at the planar mounting surface, a bearing configured to fit within the circular aperture, the bearing including an aperture having a shape of a cross-section of a torque tube, a pair of adapters including walls defining an aperture and a flange configured to couple to opposite sides of the bearing, wherein the flange of each pair of adapters extends circumferentially about the respective adapter, and in combination with the remaining limitations of claim 16 and it would not have been an obvious modification.
Conclusion
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/DUSTIN Q DAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721 March 4, 2026