DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:On lines 4 lines of the claim “a said “ appears multiple times and appears to be typos. On top of page 3 of the claims “the said auxiliary unit” appears to be a typoAppropriate 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.
Claim 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 limitation " the wind turbine tower ". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation " attaching to said main unit the said auxiliary unit and said operative component” on top of page 3 of the claims. This limitation is unclear as to what is being claimed and appears to be a translation error possibly.
Claim 8 recites the limitation " additional to said ISO type corner castings”. It is unclear what this limitation means and if the element are being positively recited.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “the wind turbine's drivetrain”. Use of possessive language should be removed. Unclear if the component is positively recited.
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.
(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) 1- is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Baun (WO2021/164831).
Re Claim 1, as best understood, Baun discloses a wind turbine installation method for a horizontal axis wind turbine comprising a tower 3, a nacelle atop the tower and a powertrain housed in the nacelle, a rotor configured to drive the powertrain, and the nacelle further including a main frame which forms part of a load path between the rotor and the tower; the installation method including: providing a nacelle at a wind turbine erection site, said nacelle comprising: a main unit 20, arranged to be connected to the wind turbine tower and configured for housing a rotor-supporting assembly of the wind-turbine; at least one auxiliary unit 21/71/22 housing an operative component 78/27 forming part of the power conversion assembly (Fig. 2, 7; pg. 8-10), wherein: the main unit and the auxiliary unit are separate units configured to be connected by a unit fixation structure at an interface, and wherein the operative component is supportable directly on the main unit (Fig. 10-11, 27), said method further including: receiving a said main unit to a site of erection of the wind turbine, receiving a said auxiliary unit to said site of erection of the wind turbine, receiving a said operative component to said site of erection of the wind turbine (Fig. 10-11, 27), attaching to said main unit the said auxiliary unit and said operative component, and attaching a lifting yoke 261 to the main unit and hoisting the main unit together with the auxiliary unit, by means of a crane attached to the lifting yoke, wherein the auxiliary unit, is supported and lifted by the main unit during the hoisting, and installing the main unit and the attached auxiliary unit, at the tower top, and releasing the lifting yoke from the main unit (Fig. 26-27; pg. 8, 13-14).
Re Claim 2, Baun discloses the operative component is attached directly to the main unit while it is contained in the auxiliary unit (Fig. 10).
Re Claim 3, Baun discloses the operative component is first supported by the auxiliary unit, via a second supporting structure and subsequently by the main frame via a first supporting structure (Fig. 10).
Re Claim 4, Baun discloses transferring load from the second supporting structure to the first supporting structure while moving the auxiliary unit, towards an assembly position wherein the unit fixation structure connects the auxiliary unit, to the main unit (Fig. 7-11).
Re Claim 5, Baun discloses attaching the lifting yoke to the main unit via lifting castings at the main unit which lifting castings are positioned at said main unit at lower side edges thereof and thereafter hoisting the main unit together with the auxiliary unit, by means of a crane attached to the lifting yoke, wherein the main unit is suspended during said lift from said lower lifting castings at said main unit (Fig. 7-11).
Re Claim 6, Baun discloses attaching the lifting yoke to the main unit via lifting castings at the main unit which lifting castings are positioned at said main unit at upper side edges thereof, and thereafter hoisting the main unit together with the auxiliary unit, by means of a crane attached to the lifting yoke, wherein the main unit is suspended during said lift from said upper lifting castings at said main unit (Fig. 7-11).
Re Claim 7, Baun discloses said main unit comprises reinforcement beams which define a load path between said lifting castings and said main frame of said main unit (Fig. 7-11).
Re Claim 8, as best understood, Baun discloses said main unit comprises ISO type corner castings at corners thereof and wherein one or more of said lifting castings is an intermediate lifting casting additional to said ISO type corner castings (pg. 2, lines 19-26; pg. 8, 13-14).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 9-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baun in view of Gilbert (US 3253851).
Re Claim 9-10, Baun does not disclose said lifting yoke comprises a beam-type yoke having a main beam and one or more transverse beams and wherein a crane attachment point is provided at said main beam and wherein lifting connectors for attachment to said main unit are suspended from said transverse beams, said method including the step of connecting said lifting connectors to lifting points at said main unit wherein said main beam of said beam-type yoke is aligned with the main axis of the wind turbine's drivetrain and attaching the lifting yoke to the main unit via lifting fittings at the main unit which lifting fittings are provided at said main frame of said main unit and thereafter hoisting the main unit together with the auxiliary unit, by means of a crane attached to the lifting yoke, wherein the main unit is suspended during said lift from said lifting fittings at said main frame. However, Gilbert teaches a lifting yoke comprises a beam-type yoke 10 having a main beam 20 and one or more transverse beams 21/24 and wherein a crane attachment point is provided at component being lifted and wherein lifting connectors for attachment to the component are suspended from said transverse beams, said method including the step of connecting said lifting connectors to lifting points at said component (Fig. 1; col. 3) and attaching the lifting yoke to the component via lifting fittings and thereafter hoisting the component, by means of a crane attached to the lifting yoke, wherein the component is suspended during said lift from said lifting fittings at said main frame (Fig. 1; col. 3). In use in Baun said main beam of said beam-type yoke would be aligned with the main axis of the wind turbine's drivetrain. It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize a beam-type yoke, as taught by Gilbert, for the purpose of allowing efficient and reliable connection to components being lifted.
Re Claim 11, Baun discloses a step of providing a cooler arrangement 23 configured to cool power generation or power management equipment in the nacelle, and fixing said cooler arrangement atop the main unit prior to hoisting the main unit and auxiliary unit (Fig. 2; pg. 8, first paragraph).
Re Claim 12, Baun discloses fixing said cooler arrangement atop the main unit (Fig. 2; pg. 8, first paragraph) but is silent to fixing said cooler arrangement atop the main unit prior to attaching said lifting yoke to said main unit. However, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to fix the cooling arrangement first in order to ensure the components receive cooling such that it can operate efficiently and safely.
Re Claim 13, Baun discloses adjusting the position of said crane attachment point in relation to said yoke thereby to adjust the crane attachment point closer into vertical alignment with the centre of gravity of the combined assembly of said main unit and auxiliary unit (inherent that the load is adjusted to be stable in relation to center of gravity so it can be lifted straight up; Fig. 1; col. 3).
Re Claim 14, Baun discloses adjusting the position of the centre of gravity of the combined assembly of said main unit and auxiliary unit, by adjusting the position on said yoke of a displaceable ballast element 13/14 of said yoke (Fig. 1; col. 7, lines 19-46).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN J WALTERS whose telephone number is (571)270-5429. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm EST.
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/Ryan J. Walters/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
