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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-7 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 1-2 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (CN115217725) in view of Burner (WO 2009042478), and further in view of Grigorian (US 5474098).
Regarding claim 1;
Zhang discloses a method of purging used grease from a main bearing of a main shaft of a wind turbine (see abstract), the method comprising: the main bearing cover surrounding the main shaft to form a seal between an inner surface of the main bearing cover and the main shaft (Zhang discloses a main bearing seat body (1) that surrounds the main bearing and shaft; the cleaning is performed without disassembling the bearing seat and cap), the main bearing access opening being disposed radially outward from the main shaft (Zhang discloses grease discharge ports 101, 102, 103 in the lower area of the bearing seat body, disposed radially outward of the central shaft); delivering a cleaning fluid to the main bearing while causing the wind turbine main shaft to rotate (Zhang discloses injecting cleaning fluid via an oil pump connected to a grease injection port and idling the turbine during cleaning to circulate the fluid through the bearing); and draining the used grease from a drain port in the main bearing cover (Zhang teaches draining waste grease through the discharge ports in the bearing seat body, the second discharge port at the lowest point is designated for drainage during cleaning).
Zhang fails to teach removing at least one bearing inspection plate from a main bearing cover of the wind turbine to provide a main bearing access opening in the main bearing cover without removing the main bearing cover from the main bearing; affixing at least one adapter plate to the main bearing access opening, and delivering the cleaning fluid via the at least one adapter plate.
Burner teaches the bearing housing includes end plates (528a-2) that are removably screwed to the housing body by fasteners such as threaded fasteners (529, 531). Removal of the end plates provides up-tower access to the bearing chamber to allow for inspection of the bearing chamber and removal of hardened and dried grease from the bearing chamber. The removable end lates are secured such that they create an access opening with the housing remaining sealed around the shaft (the radially outer section 528a-2 is removed to provide access opening to the overall housing all without the need to remove the bearing assembly or loosening the lock nut; “To facilitate access to the bearing chamber and the anti-friction liner, at least one of the endplates, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, comprises a radial inner section and a radial outer section which are mechanically and removably connected together approximate a junction of the radially inner and outer endplate sections. The radially outer endplate section is removably secured to the housing body, and the ring seal seals against the radially inner endplate section. The endplate radially outer section can be removed to allow access to the anti-friction liner and the bearing chamber”). Under such a configuration, the main bearing cover remains attached to the shaft with the sealing section remaining while the inspection plate is the outer portion (528a-2) that can be removed. The fastener locations that secure the inspection plate remain available for mounting another plate at the same opening.
Grigorian teaches the utilization of an adapter plate at an existing service opening of an assembled machine and delivering cleaning fluid through the adapter plate. The adapter plate (7) is affixed to an existing filter port (30) to deliver the flushing fluid, and a companion adapter (11) is affixed at the drain port to return the used fluid. The primary adapter is screwed into place on the oil filter port (Col. 10, lines 1-2). Additional adapters can be utilized to optimize for the specific placement.
Zhang and Burner both relate to wind turbine main shaft bearing maintenance with Zhang to grease purging and Burner to bearing housing with a removable access plate; Grigorian is in the analogous field of flushing a lubricated machine assembly at an existing service port and is directed to the same problem and therefore field of endeavor as Zhang. It therefore would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Zhang such that removing at least one bearing inspection plate from a main bearing cover of the wind turbine to provide a main bearing access opening in the main bearing cover without removing the main bearing cover from the main bearing as taught by Burner and affixing at least one adapter plate to the main bearing access opening, and delivering the cleaning fluid via the at least one adapter plate as taught by Grigorian for the purposes of providing a more effective fluid delivery path and enabling bearing inspection while keeping the main bearing cover installed and sealed around the shaft.
Regarding claim 2, Zhang as modified by Burner and Grigorian teaches the method according to claim 1 above. Zhang as modified by Burner further teaches removing the at least one bearing inspection plate from the main bearing cover of the wind turbine comprises removing the at least one bearing inspection plate from the main bearing cover disposed on a downwind side of the main bearing (Burner teaches that both the upwind and downwind end plates can be configured as two-piece removable designs, Page 21, lines 1-10).
Regarding claim 5, Zhang as modified by Burner and Grigorian teaches the method according to claim 1 above. Zhang as modified by Burner and Grigorian further teaches attaching a hydraulic line to the at least one adapter plate, the hydraulic line configured to deliver the cleaning flid to the main bearing (Grigorian teaches attaching a fluid line directly to the adapter plate, including with a pump, and therefore the combination teaches the limitation).
Claims 3, 4, and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (CN115217725) in view of Burner (WO 2009042478) and Grigorian (US 5474098), and further in view of Smith (US 10036424).
Regarding claim 3;
Zhang as modified by Burner and Grigorian teaches the method according to claim 1 above. Zhang further discloses delivering cleaning fluid and draining the use grease (Paragraphs 36-37).
Zhang fails to explicitly teach the steps of delivering the cleaning fluid to the main bearing and draining the used grease from the drain port are repeated for at least two cycles.
Smith teaches a method of cleaning a main bearing in a wind turbine utilizing a flushing method with cleaning fluid and pump out the old grease operation, and then teaches that such steps can be repeated as necessary (Col. 4, Lines 1-4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Zhang such that the steps of delivering the cleaning fluid to the main bearing and draining the used grease from the drain port are repeated for at least two cycles as taught by Smith for the purposes of removing the contaminated grease to a required cleanliness level.
Regarding claim 4;
Zhang in view of Burner, Grigorian, and Smith teaches the method according to claim 3 above. Zhang further discloses utilizing cleaning agent equal to the main bearing’s initial grease charge amount (Paragraph 37).
Zhang fails to teach each of the at least two cycles comprises delivering 55 gallons of cleaning fluid.
At the top of MPEP 2144.04, it explains that various modifications, including changes in size and proportion, are “common practices which the court has held normally require only ordinary skill in the art and hence are considered routine expedients.” Specifically, §§IV. A cites, Gardner v. TEC Syst., Inc., 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 830, 225 USPQ 232 (1984), wherein the Federal Circuit held that, where the only difference between the prior art and the claims was a recitation of relative dimensions of the claimed device and a device having the claimed relative dimensions would not perform differently than the prior art device, the claimed device was not patentably distinct from the prior art device. The applicant has not disclosed that having the delivery of 55 gallons of cleaning fluid for each of the at least two cycles solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose above the fact that this was the quoted amount of fluid. Further, there is no readily apparent significance or advantage to this limitation, and it is apparent that the amount of cleaning fluid can vary depending on how much is required for to purge the bearing. Thus, the method having the claimed amount of cleaning fluid would not perform differently than the prior art device. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method of Zhang such that each of the at least two cycles comprises delivering 55 gallons of cleaning fluid as this modification does not patentably distinguish the claimed method, nor perform differently, and thus the modification of the amount of cleaning fluid would have been obvious for the purposes of sufficiently purging the bearing of grease.
Regarding claim 6;
Zhang in view of Burner and Grigorian teaches the method according to claim 1 above. Zhang as modified by Burner further teaches that removing the access plate section provides access to the bearing chamber for inspection (Burner, Page 21, Line 1-11).
Zhang as modified fails to teach inserting a borescope into the main bearing access opening and inspecting at least one bearing using the borescope.
Smith teaches the utilization of a borescope in a grease purging method in the wind turbine context. “A borescope can be used to assess the progress of the flushing/cleaning process” (Col. 3, lines 63-64).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Zhang as modified by Burner such that inserting a borescope into the main bearing access opening and inspecting at least one bearing using the borescope as taught by Smith for the purposes of assessing the condition of the purging process through visual bearing inspection tools.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (CN115217725) in view of Burner (WO 2009042478) and Grigorian (US 5474098), and further in view of Smith (US 10036424) and Kobayashi (US 20130284539).
Zhang in view of Burner and Grigorian teaches the method according to claim 1 above. Zhang further discloses regreasing the bearing after the cleaning process (Paragraphs 40-42).
Zhang fails to explicitly teach stopping the rotation of the main shaft of the wind turbine; providing a supply of new grease to the main bearing while the rotation of the main shaft of the wind turbine is stopped; and continuing to provide the supply of the new grease to the main bearing while causing the main shaft of the wind turbine to rotate.
Smith teaches a method of cleaning a main bearing in a wind turbine utilizing a flushing method with cleaning fluid and pump out the old grease operation, and then teaches that such steps can be repeated as necessary (Col. 4, Lines 1-4). Additionally, Smith teaches that the grease can be added by hand-packing (Figure 2) which would require the stopping of the rotation of the main shaft of the wind turbine. Kobayashi teaches a grease supply system for a bearing of a wind turbine which provides a supply of grease to the bearing while the main shaft of the wind turbine rotates (paragraphs 26, 29, and 40).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Zhang such that stopping the rotation of the main shaft of the wind turbine and providing a supply of new grease to the main bearing while the rotation of the main shaft of the wind turbine is stopped as taught by Smith and continuing to provide the supply of the new grease to the main bearing while causing the main shaft of the wind turbine to rotate as taught by Kobayashi for the purposes of replenishing the lubrication as a function of the rotating speed of the main shaft, establishing a minimum amount of grease to serve as a friction reducing function.
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 JUSTIN D SEABE whose telephone number is (571)272-4961. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:00-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel Wiehe can be reached at 571-272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUSTIN D SEABE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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