DETAILED ACTION
Summary
This is the first action on the merits for application 18/685,683, filed February 22, 2024.
This is a 371 application depending from PCT/EP2022/074507, filed September 2, 2022, and also claiming priority to EP document 21382798.3, filed September 6, 2021.
Claims 1-15 have been preliminarily cancelled.
Claims 16-35 have been added.
Claim Objections
Claims 16, 25-27, 31 and 33 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 16 seemingly has extra spacing between words in multiple places.
Line 3 has an extra space between “system” and “comprising”.
Line 6 has an extra space between “module” and “with”.
Line 7 has an extra space between “module” and “in”.
Claim 31 seemingly has extra spacing between words.
Line 2 has an extra space between “surfaces” and “or”.
Line 2 has an extra space between “facets” and “is”.
Claim 33 seemingly has extra spacing between words.
Line 8 has an extra space between “reflectors” and “in”.
Line 9 has an extra space between “module” and “in”.
Claims 25-27 refer to “the reflecting facets” but claim 16 just uses the term “facets”. Please correct this to be consistent with the parent 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 16-33 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.
Claim 16 describes the facets to be “parallel to an azimuthal direction rotated ± 54° away from the north-south axis”, but this phrasing is unclear. It is unclear if the Applicant is referring to the rotation to occur from the angle parallel to the azimuthal direction or if the ± 54° away from the north-south axis is indicative of the angle which is parallel to the azimuthal direction. In prosecution of this application abroad, like EP 4145699A1, there is a comma between direction and rotated which indicates the angle is that which is parallel to azimuthal direction. Please make clear the intent of this terminology by utilizing a comma between “direction” and “rotated” (as in the EP application) or make clear in the description of the rotation of ± 54° away from the north-south axis from a direction parallel to an azimuthal direction.
Claims 17-32 are rejected for being dependent on the rejected base claim 16.
Claims 20-24 and 35 refer to “the solar reflectors” but this term lacks antecedent basis. It is unclear if the Applicant is referring to the specular reflectors or the facets of the reflectors, but regardless solar reflector is not introduced previously. Please correct the term to be consistent with the prior claims.
Claim 31 refers to “at least one of the reflective surfaces or facets” but it is not clear if the Applicant is referring to the “reflectors” of the body of claim 16, “reflective surfaces” of the preamble (which is unclear how it is different from the reflectors), “facets” or a different reflective surface. Please amend the term “reflective surfaces” to be clear as to what reflective surface is being discussed.
Claim 32 refers to “placing on the reflectors the plurality of facets”. This terminology does not make grammatical sense and needs correction but in the same line the Applicant states “placing said facets within the reflectors”. From these portions of claim 32, the facets are taught to be “on” and “within” the reflectors. Please amend the claim to reflect the location of the facets either within or on the reflector and correct the grammatical discrepancy by stating “placing the plurality of the facets” either in or on the reflectors (if on, please remove the language stating the facets are also within).
Claim 33 describes the facets to be “parallel to an azimuthal direction rotated ± 54° away from the north-south axis”, but this phrasing is unclear. It is unclear if the Applicant is referring to the rotation to occur from the angle parallel to the azimuthal direction or if the ± 54° away from the north-south axis is indicative of the angle which is parallel to the azimuthal direction. In prosecution of this application abroad, like EP 4145699A1, there is a comma between direction and rotated which indicates the angle is that which is parallel to azimuthal direction. Please make clear the intent of this terminology by utilizing a comma between “direction” and “rotated” (as in the EP application) or make clear in the description of the rotation of ± 54° away from the north-south axis from a direction parallel to an azimuthal direction.
Claims 34 and 35 are rejected as being dependent on rejected claim 33.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-33 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, and fix the objections above.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The closest available prior art includes the following.
PANISH (US PG PUB 2017/0222600A1) teaches a bifacial photovoltaic system (figure 4A) including metallic or substantially specular reflector surfaces (402a/402b), said bifacial photovoltaic system (401) comprising:- at least a bifacial photovoltaic module (401) mounted on a support structure (404) in a position substantially perpendicular to the east-west axis, with an allowable deviation of ± 200(shown to face north/south in figure 4A, perpendicular to east-west),- at least two metallic or substantially specular reflectors (402a/402b) on each side (while one is shown, separation of the single reflector into a plurality would have been obvious) of the bifacial photovoltaic module (401), and characterized in that the reflectors (402a/402b) are positioned are tilted to face each side of the bifacial photovoltaic module (401) (see figure 4A), so that the planes comprising the reflectors intersect the planes comprising the bifacial photovoltaic module at an angle substantially of 730, with an allowable deviation of ± 20° (paragraph [0115] including 90-50 degree angles), but PANISH fails to disclose reflectors with a diffuse reflectance being less than half of the total hemispheric reflectance, wherein a width of the reflectors in the direction perpendicular to the north-south axis is 1.67 times the height of the photovoltaic module in the direction perpendicular to the ground, with an allowable deviation of ± 30% of said width, wherein the reflectors comprise a plurality of facets parallel to an azimuthal direction rotated ± 540 away from the north-south axis with an allowable deviation of ± 200, the direction of said rotation being so that the outer ends of the facets farthest from the photovoltaic module are rotated away from the equator.
Similarly, FINKL (US Patent 5,538,563A) teaches a bifacial photovoltaic system (figure 1) including metallic or substantially specular reflector surfaces (2), said bifacial photovoltaic system (5) comprising:- at least a bifacial photovoltaic module (5) mounted on a support structure (3) in a position substantially perpendicular to the east-west axis, with an allowable deviation of ± 200 (shown to face north/south in figure 1, perpendicular to east-west),- at least two metallic or substantially specular reflectors (2) on each side (while one is shown, separation of the single reflector into a plurality would have been obvious) of the bifacial photovoltaic module (5), and characterized in that the reflectors (2) are positioned are tilted to face each side of the bifacial photovoltaic module (5) (see figure 2), and wherein the reflectors comprise a plurality of facets (“corrugated reflector sheet”, c. 3, l. 23-28), but fails to address reflectors with a diffuse reflectance being less than half of the total hemispheric reflectance, characterized in that the reflectors are tilted to face each side of the bifacial photovoltaic module, so that the planes comprising the reflectors intersect the planes comprising the bifacial photovoltaic module at an angle substantially of 730, with an allowable deviation of± 200, wherein a width of the reflectors in the direction perpendicular to the north-south axis is 1.67 times the height of the photovoltaic module in the direction perpendicular to the ground, with an allowable deviation of ± 30% of said width, wherein the reflectors comprise a plurality of facets parallel to an azimuthal direction rotated ± 540 away from the north-south axis with an allowable deviation of ± 200, the direction of said rotation being so that the outer ends of the facets farthest from the photovoltaic module are rotated away from the equator.
References such as APPELDORN et al (US Patent 4,800,868A) do not address an entire photovoltaic system, but rather show a faceted (61/62) reflector positioned at 60° relative to a collector (figure 7, and its accompanying description indicating φ=30°, therefore the angle between reflector and collector is 60° as figure 7 shows a right angle total). However, APPELDORN et al fails to disclose the plurality of facets parallel to an azimuthal direction rotated ± 540 away from the north-south axis with an allowable deviation of ± 200, the direction of said rotation being so that the outer ends of the facets farthest from the photovoltaic module are rotated away from the equator. CITRON (US PG PUB 2020/0235698A1) shares the same deficiency wherein the plurality of facets parallel to an azimuthal direction rotated ± 540 away from the north-south axis with an allowable deviation of ± 200, the direction of said rotation being so that the outer ends of the facets farthest from the photovoltaic module are rotated away from the equator, but rather show facets parallel to the central collector (figures 3 and 4).
For at least the above reasons, the claims read free of the prior art, absent the above 35 USC 112(b) and objection concerns.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2011/0197968A1 is directed to the use of deflector and reflector components at a 90 degree orientation relative to bifacial cells, which seemingly comprise a shorter bifacial cell relative to a longer reflector or deflector, but the exact sizing is not directly clear.
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/KOURTNEY R S CARLSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721 12/13/2025