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.
Claims 1-7 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 “wherein a moving mechanism is arranged on the support seat”. When looking to the specification, the moving mechanism is connected to the support plate. As such the claim is determined to be indefinite. For Examination purposes the support seat and the first support plate are assumed to be the same item.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “the first threaded rod is connected to the baffle plate through a bearing”. It is unclear if this is the same or different bearing as recited in claim 1. As such the claim is determined to be indefinite. For examination purposes, the claim is to be interpreted to be a different bearing.
Claim 3 recites the limitation “a second motor is fixedly connected to the moving rod, and a rotating rod is fixedly connected to an output terminal of the second motor, a brush is fixedly connected to the rotating rod, and the brush is slidably connected to the fixing plate”. It is unclear if these are the same or different items than those recited in claim 2. As such the claim is determined to be indefinite. For examination purposes, the claim is to be interpreted to be “wherein the second motor is fixedly connected to the moving rod, and the rotating rod is fixedly connected to an output terminal of the second motor, the brush is fixedly connected to the rotating rod, and the brush is slidably connected to the fixing plate.”
Claim 4 recites the limitation “wherein an outer side of the rotating rod is connected to a connecting block through a bearing”. It is unclear if these are the same or different items than those recited in claim 2. As such the claim is determined to be indefinite. For examination purposes, the claim is to be interpreted to be “wherein an outer side of the rotating rod is connected to the connecting block through a (third ?) bearing”
Claim 5 recites the limitation “the interior of the fixed cylinder is connected to the T-shaped rotating rod through a bearing, the first bevel gear is fixedly connected to the T-shaped rotating rod, the first bevel gear is meshed with the second bevel gear, interior of the second bevel gear is fixedly sleeved with the second threaded rod, the second threaded rod is connected to the fixed cylinder through a bearing, the second threaded rod is connected to the first support plate through a bearing”. The phrase “a bearing” lacks antecedent basis. It is unclear if this is the same or different bearing as that in claim 1. Thus the claim is determined to be indefinite. For Examination purposes the claim is to be interpreted as “the interior of the fixed cylinder is connected to the T-shaped rotating rod through the bearing, the first bevel gear is fixedly connected to the T-shaped rotating rod, the first bevel gear is meshed with the second bevel gear, interior of the second bevel gear is fixedly sleeved with the second threaded rod, the second threaded rod is connected to the fixed cylinder through the bearing, the second threaded rod is connected to the first support plate through the bearing”.
Any claim not specifically rejected above is rejected due to its dependency on a claim rejected above.
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.
Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (CN113225007a) in view of Li (US 2023/0268868).
Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses a photovoltaic power generation device with cleaning function, comprising a support seat (Item 1 and 21), wherein a moving mechanism (Item 25, 28, 29) is arranged on the support seat, a first support plate (Item 1) is fixedly connected to the support seat, a fixed cylinder is fixedly connected to the first support plate (Item 2), the rotating block is fixedly connected to a second support plate (Item 3), a regulating device (Item 7) is fixedly connected to the second support plate, the regulating device is fixedly connected to a fixed plate (Item 8), the fixed plate is provided with a photovoltaic panel (Item 9) and a cleaning mechanism (Item 15).
Liu fails to explicitly disclose interior of the fixed cylinder is connected to a rotating block through a bearing, the rotating block is fixedly connected to a second support plate
Li teaches a photovoltaic power generation device with a fixed cylinder is fixedly connected to the first support plate (Item 29), interior of the fixed cylinder is connected to a rotating block through a bearing (Item 22 and 23), the rotating block is fixedly connected to a second support plate (Item 15). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Liu to include the bearing as taught by Li. Such a modification would allow the assembly to properly rotate without binding or damage to the two rotating parts.
Please note bearings are common items in the art that are used to help transmit rotation. The claims and spec of the instant application do not discern between the different bearings so any rotating mechanism is viewed to have a bearing since Li teaches bearings being used and they are generally known.
Regarding claim 7 Liu in view of Li disclose the photovoltaic power generation device with cleaning function according to claim 1, wherein four symmetrically distributed guide grooves are provided inside the support seat, and a moving frame is slidably connected to interior of each of the four guide grooves (Liu Figure 1 shows a plurality of pin holes for sliding connection to the elongated members. Although there are only two wheels shown, one skilled in the art would understand there would be at least 3 if not more).
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (CN113225007a) in view of Li (US 2023/0268868) in view of Gong (CN103191875A).
Regarding claim 2, Liu in view of Li disclose the photovoltaic power generation device with cleaning function according to claim 1. Liu fails to explicitly disclose wherein the cleaning mechanism comprises a baffle plate, a first motor, a moving rod, a first threaded rod, a second motor, a rotating rod, a brush, and a connecting block; the fixing plate is fixedly connected to the baffle plate, the baffle plate is fixedly connected to the first motor, an output terminal of the first motor is fixedly connected to the first threaded rod, the first threaded rod is connected to the baffle plate through a second bearing, an outer side of the first threaded rod is connected to the moving rod through a screw thread, and the moving rod is slidably connected to the baffle plate.
Gong teaches a photovoltaic power generation device wherein the cleaning mechanism comprises a baffle plate (Item 9), a first motor (Item 5), a moving rod (Item 3), a first threaded rod (Item 4), a second motor (Item 12), a rotating rod (Item 11), a brush (Item 13), and a connecting block (Item 6 on right of figure 4); the fixing plate is fixedly connected to the baffle plate, the baffle plate is fixedly connected to the first motor, an output terminal of the first motor is fixedly connected to the first threaded rod, the first threaded rod is connected to the baffle plate through a bearing, an outer side of the first threaded rod is connected to the moving rod through a screw thread, and the moving rod is slidably connected to the baffle plate. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Liu to incorporate the brush rotating means as taught by Gong. Such a modification would allow the brush of Liu to rotate which would increase the cleaning power of the brush
Regarding claim 3, Liu in view of Li in view of Gong disclose the photovoltaic power generation device with cleaning function according to claim 2, wherein the second motor is fixedly connected to the moving rod (gong Figure 4), and the rotating rod is fixedly connected to an output terminal of the second motor (Figure 4), the brush is fixedly connected to the rotating rod, and the brush is slidably connected to the fixing plate.”
Regarding claim 4, Liu in view of Li in view of Gong disclose the photovoltaic power generation device with cleaning function according to claim 2, wherein an outer side of the rotating rod is connected to a connecting block through a bearing (Gong Paragraph 31), and the connecting block is slidably connected to the baffle plate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5-6 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 prior art fails to disclose the threaded rod going through the cylinder using the same bearing in multiple places.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TOM R RODGERS whose telephone number is (313)446-4849. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday 8AM-5PM EST.
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/TOM RODGERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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