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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 16, hence claim 17-32 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, line 10, the recitation of “can vary” renders the claim indefinite. (emphasis added). It appears that “can vary” should be--varies--.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "the forces" in line 10. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
As to claim 17, at line 2, it is unclear if “a same central connection point” is the same as “an attachment point” as in claim 1, line 8. Furthermore, it is unclear if “the central connection point” is the same as “a same central connection point”. Applicant needs to be consistent with claim terminology.
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) 16-20, 23-25, 29 and 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Qu (WO 2015/039483).
As to claim 16, Qu discloses a mooring device (see Figs. 1 and 16 to 19) suitable for an offshore wind turbine, the mooring device comprising at least two mooring lines (made of line 3 or line 3 and 46) comprising a first end configured to be attached to a first attachment point of a floating offshore wind turbine platform, and at least three anchoring elements (4) configured to anchor the floating offshore wind turbine to a seabed, wherein each mooring line (3) is flexibly retained through at least one anchoring element (using pulleys 2 fixed to anchors 4), a second end of the mooring lines (3) being attached to an attachment point (submarine buoys 1) in order that a first mooring line length extending between the floating offshore wind turbine platform (first mooring line lengths are shown in Figs. 1 and 16 to 18) and the anchoring element (4) can vary in function of the forces exerted on the floating offshore wind turbine platform (length is varying as explained in paragraphs [0160] to [0162] describing Fig. 1 ).
As to claim 17, Qu discloses (Fig. 1) second ends of the mooring lines linked to the same central connection point and a second mooring line length extending between the central connection point (7) and the anchoring element (4).
As to claim 18, Qu discloses a central connection point comprising a buoying device (7 is described as a mooring buoy).
As to claim 19, Qu discloses a central connection point anchored to the seabed (through anchors 4).
As to claim 20, Qu discloses a central connection point configured to be linked to a floating offshore wind turbine (Fig. 1 is applicable to an offshore wind turbine as mentioned in paragraph [0032]).
As to claim 23, Qu discloses (Figs. 16 to 18) second ends of the mooring lines 3 attached to a different buoying device 1.
As to claim 24 and 31, Qu discloses (Figs. 16 to 18) mooring lines 3 equipped with buoying devices 1. Fig. 19 shows mooring line portions (sub-anchor ropes 46 and portion of line 3) located between the anchoring elements 4 and the second attachments 22 equipped with a buoying device 1.
As to claim 25, Qu discloses wherein at least one anchoring element 4 comprises a pulley 2 having at least two degrees of freedom.
As to claim 29, Qu discloses an offshore wind turbine comprising a turbine, a platform and a mooring device (see Figs. 16-18 and paragraph [0032]).
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.
Claim(s) 22, 26-28, 30, and 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qu (WO 2015/039483).
As to claim 22, Qu discloses (Fig. 17) mooring lines passing through a first and a second anchoring element. Fig. 17 does not show the mooring line being linked to a second attachment point of the offshore wind turbine platform. However since Qu suggests to connect the submarine buoys 1 to the platform with an auxiliary rope 46 (see Fig. 15) in order to increase the mooring force, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention would consider this option for the arrangement of Fig. 17 and arrive at the mooring device without the exercise of inventive skill.
As to claims 26, 28 and 32, the provision of a bracket and buckle would have been obvious matter of design choice, since a bracket and buckle relate to slight constructional changes that one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Since doing so provides the expected benefit of mooring an offshore platform.
As to claim 27, Qu does not disclose a sacrificial anode. However since Qu mentions in paragraph [0173] that the pulleys can be made of steel, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would consider the use of a sacrificial anode without the exercise of inventive skill since it belongs to customary practice in the field (see paragraph [0034] of D3).
As to claim 30, Qu discloses (Fig. 19) a tether 64 connecting a floating platform to a central connection point (connection point on central anchor 4) for an offshore platform. The offshore platform of Fig. 19 is not a wind turbine platform. However since
Qu shows offshore wind turbine platforms in (Figs. 16 to 18) with similar mooring systems, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would consider the arrangement of Fig. 19 as an alternative to the ones of Figs. 16 to 18 without the exercise of inventive skill, the length of the tether being determined by normal design procedures.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 21 would be allowable if rewritten 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 to include 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: as to claim 21, the prior art of record fails to show or suggest wherein the central connection point comprises a tie in point to which the second end of at least two mooring lines are linked, the tie-in point comprises a connection port for a tether linking the central connection point to the floating offshore wind turbine platform.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FREDERICK L LAGMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-7043. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesday-Friday 8am-6:00pm.
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/FREDERICK L LAGMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678