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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 2/9/26 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4, 10-12, 21-22, 24-25 and 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schuknecht et al. (US 2021/0180832 A1).
With regard to claim 1: Schuknecht et al. discloses a solar panel alignment system (figs. 1 and 10A-12B), comprising:
a plurality of bi-directional panel mounts (310) connected to or connectable to a torque tube (30), and that facilitate the installation of a plurality of solar panels (50) onto the torque tube (30) (figs. 1 and 10A-12B), the bi-directional panel mounts (110a) each comprising:
a first retaining feature assembly comprising a retaining channel (A), the first retaining feature assembly being operable to receive a first side of a first support frame or a first support rail of a first solar panel of the plurality of solar panels (50), and wherein at least a portion of the first solar panel is received with the retaining channel (A) of the first retaining feature assembly (figs. 11A-11B and 12A-12B; par. [0067]), and
a second retaining feature assembly comprising a retaining channel (B), the second retaining feature assembly being operable to receive a second side of a second support frame or a second support rail of a second solar panel of the plurality of solar panels (50), and wherein at least a portion of the second solar panel is received within the retaining channel (B) of the second retaining feature assembly (figs. 11A-11B and 12A-12B; par. [0067]),
wherein one or both of the first retaining feature assembly or the second retaining feature assembly includes an alignment structure (230) moveable relative to the retaining channel (A, B) of the respective one or both of the first of second retaining feature assemblies to ensure lateral edges of the first solar panel are aligned with lateral edges of the second solar panel when the first solar panel and the second solar panel are fully engaged with the first retaining feature and the second retaining feature (B), respectively (figs. 11A-11B; par. [0058]).
PNG
media_image1.png
626
861
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Fig. 11A: Schuknecht et al. (US 2021/0180832 A1)
With regard to claim 2: Schuknecht et al. discloses that the lateral edges (short edges) of the first and second solar panels (50) are aligned in parallel with the torque tube (30) (figs. 1-2 and 10A-11B).
With regard to claim 4: Schuknecht et al. discloses that the alignment structure (230) includes a pin or protrusion adapted to be received by a panel support aperture when installing the respective solar panel (figs. 10A-12B), wherein the pin or protrusion and the panel support aperture (receiving 230) are each positioned to ensure alignment of the lateral edges of adjacently installed solar panels (50) of the plurality of solar panels (50), including the first and second solar panels (figs. 1-2 and 10A-11B).
With regard to claim 10: Schuknecht et al. discloses that the pin or protrusion is part of a lead-in latch assembly (362a, 362b, 364a, 364b) (figs. 11A-11B).
With regard to claim 11: Schuknecht et al. discloses that the lead-in latch assembly includes a facial lead-in latch (362b) and an edge lead-in latch (364b) as part of the first retaining feature assembly (fig. 11B).
With regard to claim 12: Watson et al. discloses that the lead-in latch assembly includes a second facial lead-in latch (362a) as part of the second retaining feature assembly (B) (fig. 11B).
With regard to claim 21: Schuknecht et al. discloses that the bi-directional panel mounts (310) are attachable to, attached to, or integrated with a plurality of torque tube clamps (140), and the torque tube clamps (140) are attachable to, or attached to, a torque tube (30) (fig, 10A).
With regard to claim 22: Schuknecht et al. discloses that the torque tube clamps (140) include a torque tube collar having an inner surface geometry that when locked on the torque tube (30) having an at least partially matching cross-sectional outer surface geometry, the bi-directional panel mounts (310) are prevented from rotating about the torque tube (30) by slippage, and only rotate about the torque tube (30) in coordination with the rotational movement of the torque tube (30) (figs. 10A-10B).
With regard to claim 24: The alignment system of Schuknecht et al. provides, during installation, for solar panel alignment of the plurality of solar panels (50) in three directions, including:
a) alignment of the lateral edges of adjacently installed solar panels of the plurality of solar panels (50), including the first and second solar panels, wherein the lateral edges are positioned in parallel with the torque tube (30) (figs. 1-2 and 10A-12B);
b) centering alignment of the solar panels of the plurality of solar panels (50), including the first and solar panels, individually to provide substantially equal spacing between the adjacently installed solar panels of the plurality of solar panels (50), including the first and second solar panels (figs. 1-2 and 10A-12B); and
c) rotational alignment of individual solar panels of the plurality of solar panels (50), including the first and second solar panels, to follow rotation of the torque tube (30) without rotational slippage (figs. 1-2 and 10A-12B).
With regard to claim 25: The solar panel alignment system of Schuknecht et al. is capable providing for solar panel alignment when installed via automation.
With regard to claim 27: Schuknecht et al. discloses that the first and second solar panels are framed solar panels supported by the first and second support frames (200), respectively (figs. 1-2 and 10A-12B).
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) 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schuknecht et al. (US 2021/0180832 A1) in view of Watson et al. (US 11,502,638 B2).
With regard to claim 26: Schuknecht et al. does not disclose that the first and second solar panels are frameless solar panels supported by the first and second support rails, respectively.
However, Watson et al. discloses that the first and second solar panels (12) are frameless solar panels supported by the first and second support rails (12a), respectively (fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary of skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the solar panel alignment system of Schuknecht et al. to have the solar panels be frameless solar panels supported by support rails such taught by Watson et al. in order to provide a desired aesthetic. Schuknecht et al. as modified by Watson et al. would disclose the first and second solar panels are frameless solar panels supported by the first and second support rails, respectively.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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 combination of all the elements of the claimed solar panel alignment system including a plurality of bi-directional panel mounts connected to or connectable to a torque tube, one or both the first retaining feature assembly or the second retaining feature assembly of each bi-directional mount including an alignment structure moveable relative to the retaining channel of the respective one or both of the first or second retaining feature assemblies to ensure lateral edges of the first solar panel are aligned with lateral edges of the second solar panel when the first solar panel and the second solar panel are fully engaged with the first retaining feature and the second retaining feature, respectively, in particular the first retaining feature assembly or the second retaining feature assembly including a biasing structure to provide consistent centering and substantially equal spacing between adjacently installed solar panels of the plurality of solar panels, including the first and second panels is not adequately taught or suggested in the cited prior art of record.
Response to Arguments
The previous rejection of claims 1-4, 10-12, 17-18, 21-22 and 24-27 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, been withdrawn in view of the amendment filed 2/9/26.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSIE T FONSECA whose telephone number is (571)272-7195. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00am - 3:30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Glessner can be reached at (571)272-6754. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JESSIE T FONSECA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3633