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 .
Prosecution History Summary
Claims 12, 15-17, and 19 are cancelled.
Claims 1-11, 13-14, 18, and 20-25 are pending.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters "54" and "115" have both been used to designate “aft part”; reference characters "51" and "53" have both been used to designate “bow region”; reference characters "52" and "117" have both been used to designate “fore part”; reference characters "25" and "103" have both been used to designate “stern”; reference characters "56" and "101" have both been used to designate “junction”; reference characters "55" and "93" have both been used to designate “keel plate”; reference characters "57" and "73" have both been used to designate “port side”; reference characters "59" and "75" have both been used to designate “starboard side”; reference characters "77" and "95" have both been used to designate “upper deck”. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “51” has been used to designate both “midship regions” and “bow region”; reference character “53” has been used to designate both “bow section” and “bow region”; reference character “27” has been used to designate both “turbine tower” and “tower attachment flange”; reference character “93” has been used to designate both “keel plate” and “chain table”; reference character “77” has been used to designate both “upper deck” and “forecastle deck”; reference character “95” has been used to designate both “upper deck” and “outer barge upper deck”; reference character “58” has been used to designate both “fabrication arch” and “joining arch”. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 1, 4-5, 8-9, 11, 14, 18, and 20-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Richard et al. (GB 2595521A) in view of Mechiche (FR 3021027A1).
As per claim 1, Richard teaches a floating structure (1) (Richard: figure 1) for supporting a horizontal axis wind turbine (6) supported on a wind turbine tower (27) (Richard: 33), the floating structure (1) comprising, a central buoyant body (3) (Richard: 3), a first buoyant body (5) (Richard: 5) located on one side of the central buoyant body (3) and a second buoyant body (7) (Richard: 7) located on the other side of the central buoyant body (3), wherein at least a part of the central buoyant body (3) is interposed between the first buoyant body (5) and the second buoyant body (7) (Richard: figure 1), a bracing arrangement (9) (Richard: 13) that connects the first buoyant body (5) to the central buoyant body (3) and that connects the second buoyant body (7) to the central buoyant body (3) (Richard: figure 1), wherein the bracing arrangement (Richard: 13) (9) acts to hold the first buoyant body (5) and the second buoyant body (7) away from the central buoyant body (3) in order to create a flow passageway between each of the first buoyant body (5) and the second buoyant body (7) and the central buoyant body (3) (Richard: pg. 14; at least one member acts to hold the first and second buoyant bodies away from the central buoyant body in order to create a flow passageway between the buoyant bodies.), a turbine tower support structure (29) that is located within the aft half of the length of the floating structure (1) (Richard: pg. 14; central buoyant body located within the aft half of the floating structure.), and a forecastle (46) (Richard: 21) located at the fore end of the central buoyant body (3) (Richard: figure 1), the central buoyant body (3) further comprising a mooring attachment (15) (Richard: 15) that is located within the fore half of the length of the floating structure (1) and that is suitable for attachment to a geostationary mooring (Richard: pg. 9; central buoyant body comprising a mooring attachment located within the fore half of the floating vessel and suitable for attachment to geostationary mooring.), and wherein when the floating structure (1) is moored for the purposes of facilitating operation of the wind turbine (6) (Richard: pg. 18-19; The wind turbine vessel is
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moored to enable it to take up the correct heading, i.e. facing directly into the wind.).
Richard does not explicitly teach the following, however, Mechiche teaches:
-wherein at least a part of each of the first buoyant body (5), the second buoyant body (5) and the forecastle (46) extend above the central buoyant body (3) (Mechiche [fr 3021027a1): pg. 2; figure 1; The buoyancy structure 2 comprises columns 3 having upright axes, each column comprising a submerged section 4 and an emergent section 5 above the waterline.),
-wherein, in use, the central buoyant body (3), the first buoyant body (5), the second buoyant body (7) and the forecastle (46) can be lowered or raised relative to the waterline (Mechiche: pg. 2; Both the emergent section 5 and the submerged section 4 of the columns are defined based on conditions.); and
-the central buoyant body (3) is located below the waterline and the tower support structure (29) and at least a part of each of the forecastle (46), the first buoyant body (5) and the second buoyant body (7) are located above the waterline (Mechiche: pg. 2; Both the emergent section 5 and the submerged section 4 of the columns are defined based on conditions.).
One of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention would have combined the teachings to provide hydrostatic stability for the wind turbine during extreme conditions of storms, swells, or damage to the structure.
As per claim 4, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard further teaches wherein at least one brace (13a, 13b) (Richard: 229) is attached between the turbine tower support structure (29) and at least one of the central buoyant body (3), the first buoyant body (5) or the second buoyant body (7) (Richard: figure 5).
As per claim 5, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard further teaches wherein at least one brace (13a, 13b) is attached between the turbine tower support structure (29) and the first buoyant body (3) and at least one brace (13a, 13b) is attached between the turbine tower support structure (29) and the second buoyant body (7) (Richard: figure 5).
As per claim 8, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard further teaches wherein the central buoyant body (3) has a keel plate (55), the first buoyant body (5) has a keel plate (93) and the second buoyant body (7) has a keel plate (93), and wherein the deck (77) of the forecastle (46), the deck (95) of the first buoyant body (5) and the deck (95) of the second buoyant body (7) are all level with each other (Richard: pg. 18; There are bolted connections between the internal beams (not shown) within the two parts 21, 23, these beams being above the keel plate and under the top deck.).
As per claim 9, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard further teaches wherein the central buoyant body (3) has a stern region (47) (Richard: 233), a transitional region (49) (Richard: 227), a midships region (51) (Richard: 223_ and a bow region (53) (Richard: 221), wherein the beam of the stern region (47) is greater than the beam of the midships region (51) (Richard: figure 5).
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As per claim 11, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard further teaches wherein the first buoyant body (5) has an upper part (97) and a lower part (99) and the second buoyant body (5) has an upper part (97) and a lower part (99) (Richard: figure 1).
As per claim 14, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard further teaches wherein the forecastle (46) is located at the bow (17) (Richard: 17) of the central buoyant body (3) and the mooring attachment (15) (Richard: 15) is attached to the fore part of the forecastle (46) (Richard: 21) in front of the bow (17) (Richard: figure 1).
As per claim 18, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard further teaches wherein the central buoyant body (3) has a deck (39) (Richard: 3), the first buoyant body (5) has a deck (95) (Richard; 7), the second buoyant body has a deck (95) (Richard: 5) and the forecastle (46) (Richard: 21) has a deck (77) (Richard: 39) and each of the four decks (39, 95, 77) is arranged such that, when the floating structure (1) is moored for the purposes of facilitating operation of the wind turbine (6), the floating structure (1) can be ballasted so that the upper deck (39) of the central buoyant body is located below the waterline and the other upper decks (39, 95, 77) are located above the waterline (Richard: pg. 13-14; pg. 17; Ballast are located within all 3 barges 3, 5, 7.).
As per claim 20, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard further teaches wherein the first buoyant body (5) and the second buoyant body (7) are the same length as each other and have their sterns aligned with the stern (25) of the central buoyant body (3) (Richard: pg. 14; Floating structure having a length divided into a fore half and an aft half.).
As per claim 21, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard further teaches wherein the turbine tower support structure (29) is located in the aft third of the central buoyant body (3) (Richard: figure 1).
As per claim 22, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard further teaches wherein each of the central buoyant body (3), the first buoyant body (5) and the second buoyant body (7) is provided with at least one ballast chamber which, in use, can be flooded with water, or partially emptied, or totally emptied (Richard: pg. 13; fixed ballast or water is added to one or more buoyant bodies of the floating structure.).
As per claim 24, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard further teaches wherein the forecastle (46) is a buoyant body (Richard: pg. 15; Forecastle 21 is part of the centre barge).
As per claim 25, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard further teaches further comprising a horizontal axis wind turbine (6) supported on a wind turbine tower (27) that is attached to the turbine tower support structure (29) (Richard: pg. 16).
Claims 2-3 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Richard et al. (GB 2595521A) in view of Mechiche (FR 3021027A1) and further in view of Yamaguchi (WO 2020203435A1).
As per claim 2, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard and Mechiche do not teach the following, however, Yamaguchi teaches wherein the turbine tower support structure (29) comprises a turbine tower pedestal (61) (Yamaguchi: 47) to which is connected a tower transition piece (67) (5) and a tower attachment flange (69) (Yamaguchi: 21b).
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One of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention would have combined the teachings to provide stability during fatigue strength due to repeated loads from the wind and waves.
As per claim 3, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard and Mechiche do not teach the following, however, Yamaguchi teaches wherein the wind turbine tower support structure (29) comprises a turbine tower pedestal (61) (Yamaguchi: 47) attached to the deck (39) (Yamaguchi: 43) of the central buoyant body (3) (Yamaguchi: pg. 2; A center column 41 arranged at the center of the floating structure. A platform 43 arranged above the 41), a tower transition piece (67) attached to the turbine tower pedestal (61) and a tower attachment flange (69) attached to the tower transition piece (67) (Yamaguchi: figure 2A).
The motivation to combine the teachings is same as claim 2.
As per claim 7, the floating structure of claim 1 is as described. Richard and Mechiche do not teach the following, however, Yamaguchi teaches wherein the bracing arrangement (9) comprises at least one cross brace (105, 107) (Yamaguchi: 44, 45) that is attached between the first buoyant body (5) and the central buoyant body (3) and at least one cross brace (105, 107) that is attached between the second buoyant body (5) and the central buoyant body (3), wherein when the floating structure (1) is moored for the purposes of facilitating operation of the wind turbine (6), the cross braces (105, 107) are located below the waterline (Yamaguchi: pg. 2; Lower brace 44 connecting the center column 41 and the side column 42 and an oblique brace 45 connecting the platform 43 and the side column 42).
The motivation to combine the teachings is same as claim 2.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6, 10, 13, and 23 when combined with independent claim would be allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Cermelli et al. – BRPI0911567B1 – Teaches a stabilized marine platform with plates.
Siegfriedsen – DE102014109212A1 – Teaches a floating foundation with a tower.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHEETAL R. PAULSON whose telephone number is (571)270-1368. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Marc Jimenez can be reached at (571) 272-4530. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHEETAL R PAULSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615
Prosecution Insights