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 Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 1, “comprising” should be
--comprising:--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 4 recites “a safety device configured to mitigate overpressure”. It is unclear what is meant by mitigate. The specification further describes a safety device as a bypass valve (relief valve). A relief valve prevents overpressure in hydraulic systems. Mitigate is defined as making something less harsh or severe. Is applicant claiming a safety device that allows an overpressure in the lubrication system to happen but makes it less severe?
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 1-6 and 8-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR20110041858.
As per claims 1 and 14, KR20110041858 discloses a lubrication system (Background) and method for lubricating a bearing arrangement (104) [shaft support bearing] (figs. 1-3) of a wind turbine, the bearing arrangement defining an interior space (space between 201 and 205, fig. 3, not occupied by bearings), the lubrication system comprising:
KR ‘858 describes a device (133) [pump] to forcibly circulate lubricant through a bearing arrangement (104), a gearbox (105) and a generator (111) (page 2, lines 10-15) but only show (fig. 1) the device configured to extract at least a portion of lubricant from a gearbox (105) and generator (111).
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to forcibly circulate lubricant through a gearbox also, as taught by KR ‘858, for the purpose of filtering gearbox impurities and maintaining proper lubricant temperature.
As per claim 2, KR20110041858 as set forth above, discloses a filter (131) (Page 2, line 19) configured to filter the extracted lubricant.
As per claim 3, KR20110041858 as set forth above, discloses a pressure measurement unit (113) (fig. 1) configured to determine a pressure of the extracted lubricant.
As per claim 4, KR20110041858 as set forth above, discloses a safety device (135) [bypass valve] (fig. 1) configured to mitigate overpressure in the lubrication system.
As per claim 5, KR20110041858 as set forth above, discloses a conditioning arrangement (129) [control module] configured to at least one of determine and adjust a condition of the extracted lubricant. (Page 2, lines 20-25, when a temperature (condition) of the lubricating oil is sensed the control module can open a cooling valve to a cooler or a heating valve to a heater to adjust the lubricating oil)
As per claim 6, KR20110041858 as set forth above, discloses said conditioning arrangement (129) includes at least one of:
a first sensor system configured to determine the condition of the extracted lubricant (Page 2, lines 20-25); and,
an adjusting unit (127) [cooler], (125) [heater] configured to adjust the condition of the extracted lubricant;
wherein the condition includes at least one of a particle distribution in the extracted lubricant, a temperature of the extracted lubricant (Page 2, lines 20-25), a flow rate of the extracted lubricant and a secondary fluid content in the extracted lubricant.
As per claim 8, KR20110041858 as set forth above, discloses a control unit (129) being configured to control (fig. 5) at least one of said device (133) and further elements of the lubrication system.
As per claim 9, KR20110041858 discloses a bearing system (page 1, para 3) for a wind turbine (Background) comprising
a bearing arrangement (104) defining an interior space (space between 201 and 205, fig. 3, not occupied by bearings);
KR ‘858 describes a lubrication system (Background) including a device (133) configured to extract at least a portion of a lubricant from a bearing arrangement (104), a gearbox (105) and a generator (111) and to supply the extracted lubricant to at least one region of the bearing arrangement, gearbox and generator (page 2, lines 10-15) but only show (fig. 1) the device configured to extract and return at least a portion of lubricant from a gearbox (105) and generator (111).
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to forcibly circulate lubricant through a gearbox and return it to a region of the gearbox also, as taught by KR ‘858, for the purpose of filtering gearbox impurities and maintaining proper lubricant temperature.
As per claim 10, KR20110041858 as set forth above, discloses said bearing arrangement includes a bearing housing (figs. 2, 3) defining said interior space; and, said bearing housing further includes at least one lubricant inlet (201) (fig. 3) in said at least one region for supplying the extracted lubricant into said interior space.
As per claims 11 and 12, KR20110041858 as set forth above, discloses said bearing arrangement defines an opening (near 205) in a lower region of said interior space; and, said device is fluidically connected to said opening for extracting the lubricant out of said interior space (Page 2, lines 26, 27).
As per claim 13, KR20110041858 as set forth above, discloses the bearing arrangement (104) is a rotor bearing arrangement (Page 2, line 8).
As per claim 15, KR20110041858 as set forth above, discloses determining a value of a preset operating condition (hydraulic pressure of pump 133); extracting the lubricant out of the interior space if the value of the preset operating condition is within a specified range (Page 2, lines 10-16); and, continuously monitoring a condition of the extracted lubricant (monitoring hydraulic pressure of pump 133) (Page 2, lines 16-18).
Claims 7 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR20110041858 in view of Matsubara et al., U.S. Patent Publication 2014/0007657.
As per claim 7, KR20110041858 as set forth above, does not disclose a second sensor system configured to determine an external condition associated with at least one of the lubrication system and the bearing arrangement. However, Matsubara et al. in their Status Monitoring System and Status Monitoring Method for Rolling Device teach the use of a vibration sensor (70) for use on a main shaft bearing device (461) (fig. 21) as part of a wind turbine (para [0210]. Further, that use of a vibration sensor on a bearing arrangement it becomes possible to detect vibrations caused by any abnormality (para ]0216].
Therefore, 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 invention of KR ‘858 with a vibration sensor system, as taught by Matsubara et al., for the purpose of detecting bearing arrangement abnormalities enabling maintenance to be performed before bearing failure.
As per claim 16, KR20110041858 as set forth above, does not disclose determining a value of an external condition associated with at least one of a lubrication system and the bearing arrangement; and, extracting the lubricant out of the interior space at specified time intervals, wherein a length of the time intervals is dependent upon the determined value of the external condition. However, Matsubara et al. in their Status Monitoring System and Status Monitoring Method for Rolling Device teach the use of a vibration sensor (70) for use on a main shaft bearing device (461) (fig. 21) as part of a wind turbine (para [0210]. Further, that use of a vibration sensor on a bearing arrangement it becomes possible to detect vibrations caused by any abnormality (para ]0216].
Therefore, 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 invention of KR ‘858 with a vibration monitor, as taught by Matsubara et al. for the purpose of shutting down the wind turbine and repairing bearing abnormalities before bearing failure.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR20110041858 in view of Frydendal, U.S. Patent Publication 2011/0274383.
As per claim 17, KR20110041858 as set forth above, does not disclose determining a condition of the extracted lubricant; at least one of outputting a warning signal and interrupting the extracting of at least the portion of the lubricant out of the interior space if at least one of a following is determined: a value corresponding to the determined condition deviates from a threshold value; and, a malfunction associated with a lubrication system of the bearing arrangement. However, Frydendal in his Bearing, in Particular for a Wind Turbine invention teaches a bearing (1) for a wind turbine (figs. 1, 8) along with a pump (17) and filter (18) to pump oil from a bottom region (near 6) to a top region (8) of the bearing (fig. 8). As long as oil flows through filter (18), which is supplied from drain through pipe (9) and compartment (16) this indicates that there is oil in the top region of the bearing. To monitor this the pressure drop through filter (18) is monitored and as long as the pressure drop through the filter is in a certain interval this indicates that a sufficient amount of oil flows through the filter. If the pressure drop is outside a predetermined interval an alarm is triggered and eventually the wind turbine is stopped.
Therefore, 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 invention of KR ‘858 with pressure monitoring through a filter, as taught by Frydendal, for the purpose of alarming an operator if the pressure drop is outside a predetermined interval indicating insufficient lubricant flow and the turbine can be stopped to prevent damage from insufficient lubrication.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARK KENNETH BUSE whose telephone number is (571)270-3139. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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/M.K.B/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/ROBERT W HODGE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654