DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
This action is in response to the claims set filed 08/28/2026 following the Non-Final Rejection of 4/01/2026. Claim 1 was amended; claim 3 was cancelled. Claims 1-2 and 4-22 are currently pending with claims 11-13 and 15-22 withdrawn from consideration as being party to a non-elected group.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 08/28/2026, with respect to claims rejected under 35 USC § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. These rejections of 04/01/2026 have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 08/28/2026, with respect to the claim objection and claim rejected under 35 USC § 102 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The objection and rejection are maintained.
The claim objection for claim 14 has not been addressed and is thus maintained. The objection is repeated below.
Applicant's point regarding overcoming the 35 USC § 102 rejection for claim 14 is not found persuasive. While claim 14 is dependent upon claim 1, this is only optional. Claim 14 recites “according to claim 1, and/or at least one ladder support assembly”. The section of “or at least one ladder support assembly” present an alternatively to claim 14 being dependent upon claim 1 where it instead includes “at least one ladder support assembly”. Amending claim 14 such that it must depend upon claim 1 would render this rejection moot.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 14, “The wind turbine equipped with” should likely read “[[The]] A wind turbine equipped with”.
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 6-9 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.
Regarding Claim 6, the limitation “wherein the mounting means is or comprises at least one frame-shaped or plate-shaped support segment surrounding the manhole at least partly” renders the claim indefinite. Claim 1, from which claim 6 depends upon, recites “wherein the mounting means comprises a support segment surrounding the manhole, the support segment comprising first and second longitudinal support element members” It is unclear if the “at least one frame-shape or plate-shaped support segment” introduced in claim 6 is meant to reference back to the single support segment in claim 1, or is separate and distinct from the support segment of claim 1.
If it is meant to reference back to the support segment of claim 1, the limitation of claim 6 reciting “surrounding the manhole at least partially” would also render the claim indefinite since claim 1 recites that “a support segment surrounding the manhole”; this being a narrower statement than what is in claim 6.
Note: “the at least one support segment”, introduced in claim 6, is also stated in claims 7-8.
Claims 7-9 are also rejected under 35 USC § 112(b) due to their dependency upon claim 6 rejected above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR101400201B1, herein referenced as Choi.
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Figure 2 of Choi
Regarding Claim 14, Choi discloses the Wind turbine (see wind turbine generator 10 in figs. 1-2) equipped with at least one wind turbine blade according to claim 1, and/or at least one ladder support assembly (see connecting rods 412,450,462 which couple/support the ladders 410,430,460 on various portions of the wind turbine assembly in figs. 1-2).
Examiner Note: this claim would be allowable if amended to recite “A wind turbine equipped with at least one wind turbine blade according to claim 1.” As it would be dependent upon claim 1 which is indicated allowable below.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 4-5, and 10 are allowed.
Claims 6-9 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.
Note: Claim 14 would be allowable if rewritten or amended such that it must depend upon claim 1.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claims 1 and its dependent claims, no prior art was found which anticipated or rendered obvious the claimed invention as now amended. Particularly, wherein the mounting means “is configured to directly or indirectly mount at least one ladder at a side of the base plate facing away from the interior of the blade, and another ladder at a side of the base plate facing the interior of the blade; wherein the mounting means comprises a support segment surrounding the manhole, the support segment comprising first and second longitudinal support element members respectively equipped with first and second fixation elements arranged at different circumferential positions relative to the manhole, each of the first and second fixation elements defining a respective fixation interface independently configured to directly or indirectly mount the at least one ladder, wherein the at least one ladder is selectively mountable to the first fixation element when the first fixation element occupies a lower position in a first rotational position of the wind turbine blade and to the second fixation element when the second fixation element occupies a lower position in a second rotational position of the wind turbine blade different from the first rotational position” in context of the other limitations recited in the claim. These amendments overcome the previously applied combination of Schuring (US 2020/0056582) in view of Forster (US 2462626) and Zeller (DE102011083152A1) in view of Forster. Forster fails to disclose the newly added claim limitations. The closest prior art found related to a ladder within a wind turbine blade is US 2025/0059780, but this reference fails to recite the other limitations recited in the claim. While references were found, such as US 576390, US 594259, US 4751982, US 2011/0158783 and US 146274 related to a mounting means for a ladder provided adjacent to a manhole or access hole, they failed to recite of “a support segment surrounding the manhole, the support segment comprising first and second longitudinal support element members respectively equipped with first and second fixation elements arranged at different circumferential positions relative to the manhole, each of the first and second fixation elements defining a respective fixation interface independently configured to directly or indirectly mount the at least one ladder, wherein the at least one ladder is selectively mountable to the first fixation element when the first fixation element occupies a lower position in a first rotational position of the wind turbine blade and to the second fixation element when the second fixation element occupies a lower position in a second rotational position of the wind turbine blade different from the first rotational position” as required by the claim. As such, claim 1 and its dependent are deemed to contain allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/W.L.F./Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/COURTNEY D HEINLE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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