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 .
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-13 are withdrawn.
Claims 17-20 are newly added claims.
Claims 14-16 are amended (claim 14 is amended to be independent).
In view of the amendment, filed on 06/22/2026, the following grounds of the rejections are withdrawn from the previous office action, mailed on 05/13/2026.
Objection of claims 14-16
Rejection of claims 14-16 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tobin et al. (US ‘127) in view of Davis et al. (US ‘178).
New Grounds of the Rejections
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 19 is 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 19 recites the phrase “P-shaped transverse cross section” which renders the claim indefinite. The term “P-shaped” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite scope of such terminology, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
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) 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) / (a)(2) as being anticipated by Tobin et al. (US 2019/0152127)
As to claim 14, Tobin et al. (US ‘127) disclose a mold assembly (200, ¶ [0069]) for carrying out a method of manufacturing a part for a wind turbine blade wherein the mold assembly comprises:
- a mold (the mold body 222, ¶ [0068]) comprising: a mold surface (top surface 246 of the top plate 240, ¶ [0069]), and
- one or more channel members (the platform 266, wherein the platform 266 are raised relative to the top surface 246, ¶ [0069]) secured or positioned on the top surface (¶ [0069]: the platform 266 coupled to or otherwise positioned on the top surface 246 of the top plate 240) extending along a longitudinal axis and having an inner surface (the bottom surface of the platform 266) and an opposing outer surface (the top surface of the platform 266),
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (A 1st lateral edge )][AltContent: textbox (One or more channel members (266))][AltContent: textbox (A mold assembly (200))]
[AltContent: textbox (A 1st portion of the channel member which is curved.)][AltContent: textbox (A plurality of slits (272 and 274))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (A 2nd portion of the channel member comprises a straight wall at least toward its tail portion)][AltContent: textbox (A mold surface (246))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (an opposing 2nd lateral edge)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (A mold (222))]
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (One or more channel members (266))][AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: textbox (One or more extending webs extending from the inner surface)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Longitudinal axis)][AltContent: arrow]
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- wherein each of the one or more channel members (the platform 266, ¶ [0069]) comprises a plurality of slits (one or more grooves 272 and one or more vacuum ports 274, ¶ [0071]) formed therein, the plurality of slits (272, 274) extending through the inner surface and the outer surface, the plurality of slits (one or more grooves 272 and one or more vacuum ports 274, ¶ [0071]) having an orientation that is substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of each of the one or more channel members (the platform 266, ¶ [0069]), and
- wherein an inner surface of each of the one or more channel members (the platform 266, ¶ [0069]) faces towards the mold surface (top surface 246 of the top plate 240, ¶ [0069]) when a respective channel member (the platform 266, ¶ [0069]) of the one or more channel members is fastened to the mold surface (top surface 246 of the top plate 240, ¶ [0069]) of the mold (the mold body 222, ¶ [0068]).
As to claim 15, Tobin et al. (US ‘127) teach each channel member (the platform 266, ¶ [0069]) has a first lateral edge (one side-edge of the platform 266, see the above annotated Figure 21) and an opposing second lateral edge (another side-edge of the platform 266, see the above annotated Figure 21), wherein each of the plurality of slits (one or more grooves 272, ¶ [0071]) passes through the second lateral edge (see the above annotated Figure 21).
As to claim 16, Tobin et al. (US ‘127) disclose each channel member (the platform 266, ¶ [0069]) comprises a first portion (the upper band portion of the platform 266, see the above annotated Figure 20) and a second position (the two lower band portions of the platform 266 that are parallel, see the above annotated Figure 20), the first portion (the upper band portion of the platform 266) extending along the longitudinal axis of the channel member (the platform 266, ¶ [0069]) and defining a hollow passageway, the second portion (the two lower band portions of the platform 266 that are parallel, see the above annotated Figure 20) being laterally adjacent to the first portion and extending along the longitudinal axis (see the above annotated Figure 20).
As to claim 17, Tobin et al. (US ‘127) teaches the first portion of the channel member (the upper band portion of the platform 266, see the above annotated Figure 20) comprises an arched wall (see the annotated fig. 20), and the second portion of the channel member (the platform 266, ¶ [0069]) comprises a straight wall, at least toward its tail portion (see the annotated fig. 20).
As to claim 18, Tobin et al. (US ‘127) discloses the first portion of each of the one or more channel members (the upper band portion of platform 266) comprises one or more longitudinally extending webs (see the annotated fig. 20) extending from the inner surface of each of the one or more channel members.
As to claim 19, Tobin et al. (US ‘127) teach each of the one or more channel members (the upper band portion of platform 266) has a substantially P-shaped transverse cross section. (see the above figs. 20-21)
As to claim 20, Tobin et al. (US ‘127) disclose the outer surface of each of the one or more channel members (the platform 266, ¶ [0069]) comprises an alignment feature comprising an indentation in the outer surface of each of the one or more channel members (the platform 266, ¶ [0069]), each of the indentations extending along a length of the channel members (the platform 266, ¶ [0069]).
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Suselbeek et al. (US 2022/0055323) disclose a prefabricated root section for use in the manufacture of a wind turbine blade, the prefabricated root section comprising: an outer shell formed as a cured composite laminate, the outer shell extending longitudinally in a spanwise direction between an inboard end and an outboard end and extending transversely in a chordwise direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge; a root plate arranged at the inboard end of the outer shell; and one or more root inserts projecting from the root plate, the or each root insert being arranged along an arcuate path and being embedded within the outer shell between inner and outer layers of the laminate, wherein the root plate comprises datum features for aligning with corresponding datum features of a face plate of a wind turbine blade mold
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed on 06/22/2026, with respect to claim(s) 14-16 have been considered but are moot in view of the above new grounds of the rejections.
Applicant’s arguments are mainly directed to the newly added limitations to claim 14 and that the cited reference of Tobin et al. (US ‘127) fail to disclose the newly added limitations. However, in the above new ground of the rejection, new disclosure from the prior art of Tobin et al. (US ‘127) is introduced that fully address and anticipates the newly added limitations to claim 14 as it can be seen in detail in the body of the above rejection. Therefore, arguments are moot in view of the above new grounds of the rejections.
Applicant’s arguments that in Tobin, “the groove (272) are formed in the mould body and are permanent structures which cannot be changed according to the article/preform to be manufactured, thus essentially requiring an entire replacement of the mould body” is not found persuasive. Per amended claim 14, it recites “one or more channel members securable to the mold surface”. The phrase “securable to the mold surface” does not mean that the channel members are necessarily “attachable/detachable” to the mold surface. It just means that “the one or more channel members can be secured to the mold surface”. It should be noted that although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). On the other hand, Tobin et al. (US ‘127) disclose the platform 266 coupled to or otherwise positioned on the top surface 246 of the top plate 240 (¶ [0069]) that fully covers the newly added limitations.
Moreover, applicant’s arguments that in Tobin, “the grooves (272) are formed in the top plate 240, the grooves 272 cannot “pass through the second lateral edge”, or the edge of the U-Shaped sheets 268, which are separate components from the top surface 40.”
This is not persuasive because there is no limitation in any of the listed claim that require the plurality of slits to pass through. It should be noted that although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Finally, after a full review of the submitted remarks in view of prior art rejections of the claims, it has been concluded that there are differences in interpreting the claimed subject matter and the cited references by the Applicant and the Office. Therefore, Examiner would like to suggest that if Applicant’s Counsel believes an interview can benefit the prosecution of the instant application, Applicant’s Counsel is kindly invited to contact the undersigned examiner.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH whose telephone number is (571)272-6215. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30AM-5:00PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, SUSAN D. LEONG can be reached at (571)270-1487. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH/ Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1754 09/05/2026
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