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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-14, 18 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aanerud (EP 3971343 A1) in view of Yamazaki et al. (EP 3343183 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 9, 14, 18 and 19, Aanerud discloses a plurality of catenary shaped offshore mooring structures [Figs. 3-5] intended to connect an offshore surface wind turbine assembly [10] to an underwater anchor [B], comprising: a high voltage cable [Fig. 3] comprising at least one conductor [2]; at least an external armor layer [5] surrounding the high voltage cable [1]; an end fitting, mounted on the high voltage cable [inherent it must have some sort of “fitting” to connect at its end segments].
Aanerud fails to disclose details of the end fitting.
Yamazaki teaches a catenary shaped offshore wind turbine mooring structure [Figures 1-3] comprising a cable [11] with an end fitting [12], the end fitting mounted on the cable, the end fitting defining at least one chamber [13] receiving and immobilizing an end segment of at least an armor element of the armor layer [24], the cable having a free end portion [17] extending beyond the end fitting opposite a main portion [D] of the cable.
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of Aanerud by substituting the end fitting as described by Yamazaki to increase the strain detection capability and accuracy of the internal wires such that they can be precisely strained by the tension applied to the cable body, thereby improving the cable tension detection accuracy to maximize cable efficiency and reduce the potential for damage and costly repairs.
Regarding claims 2 and 3, Yamazaki further teaches the end fitting comprises an end vault surrounding the high voltage cable and applied to the high voltage cable and an outer cover, the end vault and the outer cover defining at least one chamber receiving the end segments of the at least one armor element, the at least one armor element being fixed in the at least one chamber; and wherein the end segments of the at least one armor element is are fixedly embedded in a resin and/or is clamped in the at least one chamber [Paragraphs 41-46 & Figures 1-4].
Regarding claims 4 and 5, although not explicitly taught in the combination, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a radial load withstanding layer and a leak-proof sheath to prevent crushing and water damage from wave/tide/wind/impact forces that are present in an offshore application.
Regarding claims 6-8, Aanerud further discloses the high voltage cable is a one-conductor cable or a three-conductor cable; the high voltage cable comprises, surrounding the at least one or each conductor, a dielectric system, and at least one an outer layer, the high voltage cable further comprising a common outer serving positioned around the at least one or each outer layer; and the at least one outer layer is a metal or polymeric continuous sheath or is a metal open screen [Paragraphs 55-58 & Figures 1-5].
Regarding claim 10, Yamazaki further teaches the at least one anchor comprises an external base and at least an internal leg introduced in a the ground at the bottom of the body of water, the end fitting being attached to the base, the at least one anchor comprising at least a flexible link connecting the end fitting to the external base [Paragraphs 41-46 & Figures 1-4].
Regarding claims 11 and 12, Aanerud further discloses the at least one anchor comprises an anchor electrical connector, the free end portion of the offshore mooring structure being electrically connected to the anchor electrical connector; at least one collection or distribution strip passing at the anchor, the at least one anchor electrical connector electrically connecting the free end portion of the offshore mooring structure to the at least one collection or distribution strip [Paragraphs 55-58 & Figures 1-5].
Regarding claim 13, Yamazaki further teaches the free end portion of the offshore mooring structure has at most one external armor layer [Paragraphs 41-46 & Figures 1-4].
Regarding claims 2 and 3, Yamazaki further teaches the end fitting comprises an end vault surrounding the high voltage cable and applied to the high voltage cable and an outer cover, the end vault and the outer cover defining at least one chamber receiving the end segments of the at least one armor element, the at least one armor element being fixed in the at least one chamber; and wherein the end segments of the at least one armor element is are fixedly embedded in a resin and/or is clamped in the at least one chamber [Paragraphs 41-46 & Figures 1-4].
Regarding claims 4 and 5, although not explicitly taught in the combination, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a radial load withstanding layer and a leak-proof sheath to prevent crushing and water damage from wave/tide/wind/impact forces that are present in an offshore application.
Regarding claims 6-8, Aanerud further discloses the high voltage cable is a one-conductor cable or a three-conductor cable; the high voltage cable comprises, surrounding the at least one or each conductor, a dielectric system, and at least one an outer layer, the high voltage cable further comprising a common outer serving positioned around the at least one or each outer layer; and the at least one outer layer is a metal or polymeric continuous sheath or is a metal open screen [Paragraphs 55-58 & Figures 1-5].
Regarding claim 10, Yamazaki further teaches the at least one anchor comprises an external base and at least an internal leg introduced in a the ground at the bottom of the body of water, the end fitting being attached to the base, the at least one anchor comprising at least a flexible link connecting the end fitting to the external base [Paragraphs 41-46 & Figures 1-4].
Regarding claims 11 and 12, Aanerud further discloses the at least one anchor comprises an anchor electrical connector, the free end portion of the offshore mooring structure being electrically connected to the anchor electrical connector; at least one collection or distribution strip passing at the anchor, the at least one anchor electrical connector electrically connecting the free end portion of the offshore mooring structure to the at least one collection or distribution strip [Paragraphs 55-58 & Figures 1-5].
Regarding claim 13, Yamazaki further teaches the free end portion of the offshore mooring structure has at most one external armor layer [Paragraphs 41-46 & Figures 1-4].
Claim(s) 1-14, 18 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamazaki et al. (EP 3343183 A1) in view of Aanerud (EP 3971343 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 9, 14 and 18 Yamazaki discloses a catenary shaped offshore wind turbine mooring structure [Figures 1-3] comprising a cable [11] with an end fitting [12], the end fitting mounted on the cable, the end fitting defining at least one chamber [13] receiving and immobilizing an end segment of at least an armor element of the armor layer [24], the cable having a free end portion [17] extending beyond the end fitting opposite a main portion [D] of the cable.
Yamazaki fails to disclose the cable is specifically a high voltage cable.
Aanerud discloses a plurality of catenary shaped offshore mooring structures [Figs. 3-5] intended to connect an offshore surface wind turbine assembly [10] to an underwater anchor [B], comprising: a high voltage cable [Fig. 3] comprising at least one conductor [2]; at least an external armor layer [5] surrounding the high voltage cable [1]; an end fitting, mounted on the high voltage cable [inherent it must have some sort of “fitting” to connect at its end segments].
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of Yamazaki by substituting the regular cable for the high voltage cable as described by Aanerud to increase the versatility of the device such that it can be utilized in a greater number of applications, specifically for those of modern offshore power farms that generate large amounts of electricity, thereby increasing the profitability of the device.
Regarding claims 2 and 3, Yamazaki further discloses the end fitting comprises an end vault surrounding the high voltage cable and applied to the high voltage cable and an outer cover, the end vault and the outer cover defining at least one chamber receiving the end segments of the at least one armor element, the at least one armor element being fixed in the at least one chamber; and wherein the end segments of the at least one armor element is are fixedly embedded in a resin and/or is clamped in the at least one chamber [Paragraphs 41-46 & Figures 1-4].
Regarding claims 4 and 5, although not explicitly taught in the combination, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a radial load withstanding layer and a leak-proof sheath to prevent crushing and water damage from wave/tide/wind/impact forces that are present in an offshore application.
Regarding claims 6-8, Aanerud further teaches the high voltage cable is a one-conductor cable or a three-conductor cable; the high voltage cable comprises, surrounding the at least one or each conductor, a dielectric system, and at least one an outer layer, the high voltage cable further comprising a common outer serving positioned around the at least one or each outer layer; and the at least one outer layer is a metal or polymeric continuous sheath or is a metal open screen [Paragraphs 55-58 & Figures 1-5].
Regarding claim 10, Yamazaki further discloses the at least one anchor comprises an external base and at least an internal leg introduced in a the ground at the bottom of the body of water, the end fitting being attached to the base, the at least one anchor comprising at least a flexible link connecting the end fitting to the external base [Paragraphs 41-46 & Figures 1-4].
Regarding claims 11 and 12, Aanerud further teaches the at least one anchor comprises an anchor electrical connector, the free end portion of the offshore mooring structure being electrically connected to the anchor electrical connector; at least one collection or distribution strip passing at the anchor, the at least one anchor electrical connector electrically connecting the free end portion of the offshore mooring structure to the at least one collection or distribution strip [Paragraphs 55-58 & Figures 1-5].
Regarding claim 13, Yamazaki further discloses the free end portion of the offshore mooring structure has at most one external armor layer [Paragraphs 41-46 & Figures 1-4].
Regarding claim 19, Aanerud further teaches
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16 and 17 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record fails to disclose, teach or suggest – either alone or in combination – a high-strength mooring cable comprising a radial load withstanding layer has at least a wire wound at short pitch between the high voltage cable and the at least one external armor layer; as explicitly recited in the instant claims nor would it have been obvious to produce such a winding and positioning combination without the improper use of hindsight reasoning.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Han et al. (CN 114537586 A) discloses an offshore structure having a combination mooring line and high voltage cable similar to that of the claimed invention, however, it does not appear to feature the end portion details and short pitch windings.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYLE A ARMSTRONG whose telephone number is (571)270-1184. The examiner can normally be reached M-F ~10-6.
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KYLE ARMSTRONG, P.E.
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3678
/KYLE ARMSTRONG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619
