DETAILED ACTION
1. Claims 1-20 of U.S. Application 18/987613 filed on December 19, 2024 are presented for examination.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on December 19, 2024 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
4. 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.
5. Claims 1, 3, 4, 6-9, 11, 12, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kulikov (RU 2394333, see English Machine Translation attached).
Regarding claim 1, Kulikov teaches (see fig. 3 below) a power take-off device (electric generator, see title, Abstract),
the device comprising: a shaft member (6); a first end plate (7) and a second end plate (14), the first and second end plates (7, 14) coupled to opposing ends of the shaft member (6) (pages 3 and 4); and
a first cord (8) and a second cord (15), each cord having opposing ends, the opposing ends (9, 10) of the first cord (8) secured to the first end plate (7) to form a first loop having an end point (18) and the opposing ends (16,17) of the second cord (15) secured to the second end plate (14) to form a second loop having an end point (19) (pages 3 and 4),
wherein the first and second loops are configured to be wound into a twisted state or a hyper-twisted state when the shaft member (6) is rotated in a first direction, and wherein, when opposing tensile forces are applied to respective end points (18, 19) of the first and second loops, the shaft member (6) is configured to rotate in a second opposing direction, thereby creating a moment of inertia such that the first loop and the second loop are rewound into the twisted state or the hyper-twisted state (Abstract; pages 3 and 4).
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Regarding claim 3/1, Kulikov teaches (see fig. 3 above) one or more bearings (3, 4) coupled to the shaft member (6) (pages 3-4).
Regarding claim 4/1, Kulikov teaches (see fig. 3 above and fig. 2 below) the first and second end plates (7, 14) have a cylindrical or disk shape (fig. 2; pages 3-4).
Regarding claim 6/1, Kulikov teaches (see fig. 3 above) a handle (18, 19) at each end point of the first and second loops (Abstract; pages 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 7/1, Kulikov teaches (see fig. 3 above) one or more permanent magnets affixed to the shaft member (6) and a stator (2) positioned circumferentially around at least a portion of the shaft member (6), wherein rotation of the shaft member (6) within the stator (2) is configured to create a magnetic field to induce an electrical current (Abstract; pages 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 8/1, Kulikov teaches (see fig. 3 above) an electromagnetic generator coupled to the shaft member (6) (Abstract; pages 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 9/8/1, Kulikov teaches (see fig. 3 above) the electromagnetic generator is coupled to the shaft member (6) at a central location, the shaft member (6) extending through a center of the electromagnetic generator along a common axis (Abstract; pages 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 11/1, Kulikov teaches (see fig. 3 above) the device is configured for use in human power applications (Abstract; pages 1, 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 12/1, Kulikov teaches (see fig. 3 above) the device is configured for use in a wave energy converter (intended use application, not given patentable weight, Abstract; pages 1, 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 19, Kulikov teaches (see fig. 3 above) a method of producing electrical energy using a power take-off device (Abstract, pages 1-2),
wherein the power take-off device comprises a shaft member (6), a first end plate (7) and a second end plate (14), the first and second end plates (7, 14) coupled to opposing ends of the shaft member (6) (Abstract, pages 3 and 4),
a first cord (8) and a second cord (15), each cord having opposing ends, the opposing ends (9, 10) of the first cord (8) secured to the first end plate (7) to form a first loop having an end point (18) and the opposing ends (16, 17) of the second cord (15) secured to the second end plate (14) to form a second loop having an end point (19) (Abstract, pages 3 and 4), and
an electromagnetic generator (composed of rotor 5, stator 2 and associated components) coupled to the shaft member (6) (Abstract; pages 3 and 4),
the method comprising: (a) rotating the shaft member (6) in a first direction to wind the first and second loops into a twisted state or a hyper-twisted state; and (b) applying opposing tensile forces to respective end points of the first and second loops which rotates the shaft member (6) in a second opposing direction to create a moment of inertia of the shaft member (6) relative to the electromagnetic generator, wherein the moment of inertia of the shaft member (6) rewinds the first loop and the second loop into the twisted state or the hyper-twisted state (Abstract; pages 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 20/19, Kulikov teaches (see fig. 3 above) the method according to Claim 19, further comprising repeating step (b) to continue rotation of the shaft member (6) relative to the electromagnetic generator (Abstract; pages 3 and 4).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. Claims 2, 13, 14, 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kulikov in view of Liu (WO 2015039532, see English Machine Translation attached).
Regarding claim 2/1, Kulikov teaches the device of claim 1 but does not explicitly teach the first and second cords comprise a flexible, synthetic material.
However, Liu teaches (see fig. 3 below) first and second cords (113) comprise a flexible, synthetic material (polyester, see page 4) in order to provide a lightweight structure (Kulikov, page 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device Kulikov and provide the first and second cords comprise a flexible, synthetic material l as taught by Liu in order to provide a lightweight structure (Kulikov, page 4).
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Regarding claim 13, Kulikov teaches (see fig. 3 above) a power take-off device (electric generator, see title, Abstract),
the device comprising: a shaft member (6); a first end plate (7) and a second end plate (14), the first and second end plates (7, 14) coupled to opposing ends of the shaft member (6) (pages 3 and 4);
a first flexible cord (8) and a second flexible cord (15), each cord having opposing ends, the opposing ends (9, 10) of the first flexible cord (8) secured to the first end plate (7) to form a first loop having an end point (18) and the opposing ends (16, 17) of the second flexible cord secured to the second end plate (14) to form a second loop having an end point (19) (pages 3 and 4),
an electromagnetic generator (composed of rotor 5, stator 2 and associated components) coupled to the shaft member (6) (Abstract; pages 3 and 4),
wherein the first and second loops are configured to be wound into a twisted state or a hyper-twisted state when the shaft member (6) is rotated in a first direction (Abstract; pages 3 and 4),
wherein, when opposing tensile forces are applied to respective end points (18, 19) of the first and second loops, the shaft member (6) is configured to rotate in a second opposing direction, thereby creating a moment of inertia such that the first loop and the second loop are rewound into the twisted state or the hyper-twisted state (Abstract; pages 3 and 4).
Kulikov does not explicitly teach the first and second flexible cord comprise a synthetic material.
However, Liu teaches (see fig. 3 above) the first and second flexible cord (113) comprise a synthetic material (polyester, see page 4) in order to provide a lightweight structure (Kulikov, page 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device Kulikov and provide the first and second flexible cord comprise a synthetic material as taught by Liu in order to provide a lightweight structure (Kulikov, page 4).
Regarding claim 14/13, Kulikov in view of Liu teaches the device of claim 13, Kulikov further teaches teaches (see figs. 2 and 3 above) the first and second end plates (7, 14) have a cylindrical or disk shape (fig. 2; pages 3-4).
Regarding claim 16/13, Kulikov in view of Liu teaches the device of claim 13, Kulikov further teaches (see fig. 3 above) a handle (18, 19) at each end point of the first and second loops (Abstract; pages 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 17/13, Kulikov in view of Liu teaches the device of claim 13, Kulikov further teaches (see fig. 3 above) the electromagnetic generator is coupled to the shaft member (6) at a central location, the shaft member (6) extending through a center of the electromagnetic generator along a common axis (Abstract; pages 3 and 4).
7. Claims 10 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kulikov in view of Prud’Hon (US 4979733).
Regarding claim 10/8/1, Kulikov teaches the device of claim 8 but does not explicitly teach the electromagnetic generator is off-axis from the shaft member and coupled to the shaft member via a belt or geared transmission.
However, Prud’Hon teaches (see fig. 1 below) the electromagnetic generator (87) is off-axis from the shaft member (11) and coupled to the shaft member (11) via a belt or geared transmission (80) (col. 8: 21-34) in order to provide efficient power generation in a compact device (Kulikov, page 3).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device Kulikov and provide the electromagnetic generator is off-axis from the shaft member and coupled to the shaft member via a belt or geared transmission as taught by Prud’Hon in order to provide efficient power generation in a compact device (Kulikov, page 3).
Regarding claim 18/13, Kulikov teaches the device of claim 13 but does not explicitly teach the electromagnetic generator is off-axis from the shaft member and coupled to the shaft member via a belt or geared transmission.
However, Prud’Hon teaches (see fig. 1 above) the electromagnetic generator (87) is off-axis from the shaft member (11) and coupled to the shaft member (11) via a belt or geared transmission (80) (col. 8: 21-34) in order to provide efficient power generation in a compact device (Kulikov, page 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device Kulikov and provide the electromagnetic generator is off-axis from the shaft member and coupled to the shaft member via a belt or geared transmission as taught by Prud’Hon in order to provide efficient power generation in a compact device (Kulikov, page 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
8. Claims 5 and 15 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.
Conclusion
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER A SINGH whose telephone number is (571)270-0243. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am to 5pm.
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/ALEXANDER A SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
