DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This action is in response to the claims filed 12/09/2024.
Claims 1-19 are presented for examination. Preliminary amendment is acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/6/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-5, 11, and 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. in CN105673326 (hereinafter “Wang”).
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses a pitch controlled wind turbine comprising a tower, a nacelle mounted on the tower, a hub mounted rotatably on the nacelle, and at least three wind turbine blades, wherein each wind turbine blade extends between a root end connected to the hub via a pitch mechanism, and a tip end (Fig. 1 / page 3 of translation); the wind turbine further comprising at least three blade connecting members (3), each blade connecting member extending from a connection point on one wind turbine blade towards a connection point on a neighbouring wind turbine blade, where the connection point on a given wind turbine blade is arranged at a distance from the root end and at a distance from the tip end of the wind turbine blade (Fig. 1; page 3 of translation); wherein each wind turbine blade comprises a leading edge, a leading edge extension (sleeves 10, 11 may be considered leading edge extensions), and a pitch axis about which the blade is rotated by the pitch mechanism relative to the hub, wherein the leading edge extension extends forward of the leading edge, and the connection point of the respective wind turbine blade is located forward of the leading edge on the leading edge extension (Fig. 2) and, when the blade is in an unloaded state, the pitch axis is located aft of the leading edge (this configuration is considered to be the state of the art for pitchable horizontal axis wind turbines).
Regarding claim 2, Wang discloses the pitch controlled wind turbine of claim 1, wherein each wind turbine blade is coupled to two of the blade connecting members, each of the two blade connecting members extending from respective connection points of one of the blades (see Fig. 1 and 2; each blade connects to two connecting members 3).
Regarding claim 3, Wang discloses the pitch controlled wind turbine of claim 1, wherein the blade connecting members are connected to the respective wind turbine blades via bearing structures at the respective connection points (Fig. 2; sleeves 10, 11 are bearing structures).
Regarding claim 4, Wang discloses the pitch controlled wind turbine blade claim 1, wherein the respective connection of the blade connecting members to one of the wind turbine blades are independently moveable (the sleeves are moveable).
Regarding claim 5, Wang discloses the pitch controlled wind turbine of claim 1, wherein each wind turbine blade comprises a blade shell defining a suction side and a pressure side around the blade, and the connection point on the leading edge extension is arranged forward of the leading edge and adjacent the pressure side (Fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 11, Wang discloses the pitch controlled wind turbine of claim 1, wherein the connection points on the wind turbine blades are arranged at a distance from the root end which is between 10% and 60% of the length of the wind turbine blades from the root end to the tip end (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 16, while Wang does not explicitly disclose relative positioning between his rotor and a wind turbine tower, Wang is capable of operation as an upwind turbine.
Regarding claim 17, Wang discloses the pitch controlled wind turbine of claim 2, wherein the connection points of the one of the wind turbine blades are adjacent each other on the same leading edge extension (see Fig. 2 showing the connection of elements 9 and 3 beside each other on the leading edge).
Regarding claim 18, Wang discloses the pitch controlled wind turbine blade of claim 4, wherein the connections are each moveable in two orthogonal directions (the sleeves can move up and down the length of the blade which is orthogonal to the rotational direction, or different bolt holes 15 could be utilized; Fig. 2).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 12 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang alone.
Regarding claim 12, Wang does not explicitly disclose the pitch controlled wind turbine of claim 1, wherein the connection points on the wind turbine blades are arranged at a position where a thickness-to-chord ratio of the wind turbine blade is between 20% and 50%. However, simply positioning the connection points of the blade connection members at a particular radial extent in order to achieve a desired level of support for the wind turbine blades would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang by employing different lengths of blade connecting members (and thus connection points at different radial extents and thus different blade thickness-to-chord ratio values) in order to achieve a desired degree of strengthening of the wind turbine and the result would have been predictable. See MPEP 2143.
Regarding claim 19, Wang does not explicitly disclose the pitch controlled wind turbine of claim 5, wherein the pitch axis is arranged aft of the leading edge and on the suction side. However, the Court has held that choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, with reasonable expectation of success serves as rationale for a prima facie finding of obviousness. Instantly, relative to the leading edge and suction side of the blade of Wang, there are only a few finite positions to a position a pitch axis of the blade – either forward or aft of the leading edge, and on the pressure or suction side or at the middle of the blade. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the wind turbine of Wang by utilizing a pitch axis location such as that established in claim 19 as there are a finite number of relative location to position the pitch axis and one of ordinary skill would understand that pitch axis location affects known design factors such as the force required to a pitch a blade being a function of pitch axis location. See MPEP 2143.
Claim(s) 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang as applied above against claim 1 in view of Zeng et al. in CN102536683 (hereinafter “Zeng”).
Regarding claim 13, Wang is silent to the pitch controlled wind turbine of claim 1, wherein the wind turbine further comprises at least three pre-tension members, each pre-tension member connected between one of the blade connecting members and the hub, each pre-tension member arranged to provide pre-tension in the blade connecting member to which it is connected. Zeng teaches an analogous wind turbine to that of Wang, including blade connecting members or cables extending between adjacent blades just like Wang. Specifically, Zeng teaches that it is also desirable to a employ tension members between the blade connecting members and the wind turbine hub because it enhances the wind turbine’s blade stability (translation paragraph [0015]). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified to have modified the wind turbine of Wang by employing at least three pre-tension members between blade connecting members and the hub in order to enhance wind turbine blade stability, as taught by Zeng, and the result would have been predictable.
Regarding claim 14, Wang as modified by Zeng comprises the pitch controlled wind turbine of claim 13, wherein the pre-tension members are connected to a common point arranged at or adjacent the hub (a common radial distance, or that attachment member on the hub).
Regarding claim 15, Wang as modified by Zeng comprises the pitch controlled wind turbine of claim 13, wherein the hub comprises a hub member extending from the hub substantially along a direction defined by a rotational axis of the hub, and wherein the pre-tension members are connected to the hub member (see pretensioner attachment element 15 in Zeng Fig. 2 which has been applied to Wang in the combination of art).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang as applied above against claim 1 in view of Fuglsang in US Patent Application Publication 2011/0031763 (hereinafter “Fuglsang”).
Regarding claim 6, Wang is silent to the pitch controlled wind turbine of claim 1, wherein the wind turbine blades each comprise an inboard blade part comprising the root end and an outboard blade part comprising the tip end, the inboard blade part and the outboard blade part being connected to each other at a split position, and wherein the connection points on the wind turbine blades are arranged at the split positions. Fuglsang teaches an analogous wind turbine, notably employing support members extending to radial positions on the blades like Wang. Specifically, Fuglsang teaches that such wind turbines can employ segmented blades with blade connecting members positioned at the joint between inner and outer blade sections (see paragraph [0050] and Fig. 6). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the wind turbine of Wang by employing segmented blades with reinforcing blade connecting members at the blade segment interface as taught by Fuglsang in order to make the blades larger and/or more transportable, and the result would have been predictable.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
Claims 7-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art of record, either alone or in combination, is silent to each and every limitation required of the claim. Wang, applied above and considered the closest art of record, fails to disclose or suggest the pitch controlled wind turbine of claim 6, wherein the inboard blade part is joined to the outboard blade part by a connection joint, the connection joint comprising a connector, wherein the leading edge extension is integrally formed with the connector. The other prior art of record discloses various analogous reinforced wind turbine blades and blade segment connectors, but not a structure having each and every limitation required of the claim. Claims 8-9 depend on claim 7.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest the particularly set forth fairing structure required of the claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Relevant Prior Art:
US2012/0051914 discloses a cable-stayed rotor for wind turbine blades with a connection member between adjacent wind turbine blade segments.
US2009/0208337 discloses a turbine blade support assembly with connecting members extending between adjacent blades an attaching to subsidiary hubs along the lengths of the blades.
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/ELDON T BROCKMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
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