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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is the first non-final office action on the merits. Claims 1-14 are currently pending.
Priority
The Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for priority under provisional Application No. 63/255,981, filed on 10/15/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/15/2024 has been received and considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are accepted.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-14 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 1 recites the phrase “applied to it” in line 10. It is unclear what the applicant is referring to by the term “it”. For examination purposes, the term “it” has been construed as “said restorative element”.
Claim 1 recites the phrase “when said at least one motorized wheel is actively rotated into said barrier portion, said abrasive surface forces said restorative element into said compressed position” in lines 15-16. This mixes a method/functional operating steps into an apparatus claim which creates indefiniteness. An apparatus claim must recite structural capabilities, not physical operation steps being performed. It is recommended for the applicant to change the phrasing to read “configured such that an active rotation of the at least one motorized wheel against the barrier portion compressed the restorative element…” to fix the issue.
Claims 2-14 are rejected for their dependency on claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 are rejected, but would be allowable if all rejections in view of 35 USC § 112 second paragraph are overcome.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1 and its depending claim(s) 2-14, the closest prior art reference Zhang (CN 108722929 A, provided) teaches (Fig. 1-6): A solar panel service vehicle (10), said solar panel service vehicle (10) comprising at least one motorized wheel (walking wheel 22) having an abrasive surface (Fig. 5-6), for securing said solar panel service vehicle (10) moving over a platform (40) into a predetermined area (Fig. 1 and 4); and a mechanical limiter (anti-loose wheel 28), for preventing upwards movement of said solar panel service vehicle (10) from said platform (40) when said solar panel service vehicle is in said predetermined area (Fig. 4 and 6).
Zhang fails to teach the following: a barrier portion, configured to move between a near edge position and a far edge position relative to said platform; a restorative element, coupled with said barrier portion, having a relaxed position and a compressed position, wherein in said relaxed position said barrier portion is in said far edge position and wherein in said compressed position said barrier portion is in said near edge position, said restorative element being in said relaxed position when no external force is applied to it, wherein said barrier portion in said far edge position prevents said solar panel service vehicle from passively exiting said predetermined area; wherein when said at least one motorized wheel is actively rotated into said barrier portion, said abrasive surface forces said restorative element into said compressed position, thereby causing said barrier portion into said near edge position and enabling said solar panel service vehicle to leave said predetermined area; and wherein in said far edge position, a distal end of said barrier portion engaging with said at least one motorized wheel of said solar panel service vehicle is raised to a height not greater than 3/5 of a diameter of said at least one motorized wheel.
While another reference Jin (CN 107919844 A, provided) teaches an alternate solar panel cleaning device, wherein (Fig. 1 and 7-9): a passive securing device, comprising: a barrier portion (first limiting plate 431), configured to move between a near edge position (Fig. 9) and a far edge position (Fig. 8) relative to a platform (Fig. 7-9); a restorative element (reset spring 434), coupled with said barrier portion (431)(Fig. 7-9), having a relaxed position (Fig. 8) and a compressed position (Fig. 9), wherein in said relaxed position said barrier portion (431) is in said far edge position (Fig. 8) and wherein in said compressed position said barrier portion 431) is in said near edge position (Fig. 9; para. 0099), said restorative element (434) being in said relaxed position when no external force is applied to it (Fig. 8), wherein said barrier portion (431) in said far edge position prevents said solar panel cleaning device (dust removal mechanism 4 with dust removal roller 41) from passively exiting said predetermined area (limits the dust removal roller 41; para. 0095; Fig. 8), Jin also fails to teach when said at least one motorized wheel is actively rotated into said barrier portion, said abrasive surface forces said restorative element into said compressed position, thereby causing said barrier portion into said near edge position and enabling said solar panel service vehicle to leave said predetermined area; and wherein in said far edge position, a distal end of said barrier portion engaging with said at least one motorized wheel of said solar panel service vehicle is raised to a height not greater than 3/5 of a diameter of said at least one motorized wheel.
While the reference Jin may be used to modify Zhang to include a barrier portion with a restorative element as a passive securing device for obstructing the cleaning vehicle’s rollers, it would be unreasonable to further modify the motorized wheel of Zhang’s cleaning vehicle to actively compress the restorative element with the wheel’s abrasive surface, such that the barrier portion transitions from a far edge position to a near edge position. Such a modification would require improper hindsight reasoning and modifications to a modifying reference. It is noted that Jin’s dust removal roller 41 is designed to roll down under gravity to perform dust removal and cleaning work on the panel (Jin, para. 0105), and it would be unreasonable for the roller to become a motorized wheel for actively compressing a restorative element.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure of a traveling solar panel cleaning system with a barrier: US-20130206167-A1, US-8650693-B2, US-9080791-B1, US-10277163-B1, US-10615740-B2, US-20210242828-A1, CN 110681622 B, CN 111130450 A, KR 102066066 B1, EP 2646176 B1, CN 108832884 B, CN 108282149 A, CN 106076900 B, KR 101837176 B1, WO 2016190597 A1, KR 20160012024 A.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHENG XI LIN whose telephone number is (571)272-6102. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. through Fri. 9:00am to 6:00pm EST.
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/CHENG LIN/Examiner, Art Unit 3615
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