DETAILED ACTION
This is on the merits of Application No. 19/104646, filed on 02/18/2025. Claims 15-30 are pending. 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 § 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.
Claims 15-19, 21-22, and 25-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2017/0074249 to Smook.
Smook discloses:
(Claim 15) An assembly for a gearbox for a wind turbine (see Abstract), the assembly comprising: a housing element (Fig. 7 element 706, par. [0103], transmission housing can be element 706); a rotational element (102); a bearing (110); a first connection feature (see Fig. 7 small bolt) for connecting said housing element to a connection element (704); a second connection feature (702) for connecting said rotational element to the connection element; said rotational element being arranged rotatably with respect to said housing element via said bearing; and, at least one of said first connection feature and said second connection feature being configured to form a movable, form-fitting connection such that, when said housing element and said rotational element are connected to the connection element via said first connection feature and said second connection feature, a relative axial movement between said rotational element and said housing element is prevented but a relative rotation between said rotational element and said housing element is enabled.
(Claim 16) wherein at least one of said first connection feature and said second connection feature is a groove (702) extending in a rotational direction and is configured to engage with a portion of the connection element such that a rotational movement of said connection element relative to and along said groove is enabled and an axial movement of the connection element relative to said groove is prevented.
(Claim 17) wherein one of said first connection feature and said second connection feature is configured to form a fixed connection (screw of Fig. 7) such that a relative movement between the connection element and one of said rotational element and said housing element is prevented.
(Claim 18) wherein at least one of said first connection feature and said second connection feature is configured to form a releasable connection such that, when the releasable connection is released, a relative axial movement between said rotational element and said housing element is enabled (see Fig. 7).
(Claim 19) wherein said first connection feature and said second connection feature are accessible from outside of said housing element such that the connection element is connectable to said housing element and said rotational element via said first connection feature and said second connection feature from outside of said housing element (see Fig. 7, 706 is the transmission housing and connections are shown to be outside of 706).
(Claim 21) wherein: said rotational element is a shaft (102); and, said housing element is a gearbox housing (Par. [0103], 706 can be transmission (gearbox) housing) or a part of a gearbox housing (Fig. 7).
(Claim 22) wherein: said rotational element is a gearbox input shaft (102) or a gearbox output shaft; and, the housing element is a gearbox housing (Par. [0103], 706 can be transmission (gearbox) housing) or a part of a gearbox housing.
(Claim 25) An arrangement (Fig. 7) comprising: the assembly of claim 15; and, a connection element (704) connected to said housing element and said rotational element via said first connection feature and said second connection feature such that a relative axial movement between said rotational element and said housing element is prevented but a relative rotation between said rotational element and said housing element is enabled.
(Claim 26) wherein said connection element is a plate having a ring shape or a ring segment shape (704 is a disc, thus ring shaped).
(Claim 27) A kit comprising: the assembly of claim 15; and, a connection element (704) configured to be connected to said housing element and to said rotational element via said first connection feature and said second connection feature.
(Claim 28) A gearbox (104) for a wind turbine, the gearbox comprising the assembly of claim 15.
(Claim 29) A method for transporting an assembly for a gearbox, the method comprising: providing an assembly including a housing element, a rotational element, a bearing, a first connection feature for connecting the housing element to the connection element, and a second connection feature for connecting the rotational element to the connection element; the rotational element being arranged rotatably with respect to the housing element via the bearing; and, at least one of the first connection feature and the second connection feature being configured to form a movable, form-fitting connection such that, when the housing element and the rotational element are configured to be connected to the connection element via the first connection feature and the second connection feature, a relative axial movement between the rotational element and the housing element is prevented but a relative rotation between the rotational element and the housing element is enabled (see claim 15 above); connecting the housing element to the connection element via the first connection feature; connecting the rotational element to the connection element via the second connection feature (Fig. 7); and, transporting the assembly with the connected connection element (Par. [0034]).
(Claim 30) A method for assembling a wind turbine, the method comprising: providing an assembly including a housing element, a rotational element, a bearing, a first connection feature for connecting the housing element to the connection element, and a second connection feature for connecting the rotational element to the connection element; the rotational element being arranged rotatably with respect to the housing element via the bearing; and, at least one of the first connection feature and the second connection feature being configured to form a movable, form-fitting connection such that, when the housing element and the rotational element are connected to the connection element via the first connection feature and the second connection feature, a relative axial movement between the rotational element and the housing element is prevented but a relative rotation between the rotational element and the housing element is enabled (see claim 15 above); bringing the arrangement into a desired position within the wind turbine; and, releasing at least one of the connections between the connection element and the housing element and between the connection element and the rotational element formed via the first and the second connection feature (Par. [0104], no function between 704 and 102 once assembled).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 23-24 are allowed.
Claim 20 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 prior art of record does not disclose nor render obvious the limitations of claims 20 and 23. Particularly in claim 20, said first connection feature is arranged outside of said housing element; said second connection feature is arranged inside of said housing element; and, said housing element defines a slot through which the connection element can be inserted to reach said second connection feature. Particularly in claim 23, the assembly being a planetary gearbox with said rotational element being a planet carrier.
Smook is the closest prior art of record. Smook does not disclose the above limitations. It would not have been obvious to modify Smook without improper hindsight reasoning as none of the prior art of record disclose nor render obvious these limitations.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 04/24/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that because under normal operation the plate and groove have no function that they do not prevent axial displacement and that there is no disclosure of applicant’s form-fitting connection and no blocking of axial movement.
However, par. [0104] explicitly discloses the groove preventing the shaft from moving in the axial direction. Further, just looking at Fig. 7 shows that axial movement is limited to the air gap between the groove and plate. Looking at pages 9 and 10 of applicant’s specification, axial movement is prevented within the groove but allows for slight movement before hitting against an axially facing wall. In ideal operating conditions, wouldn’t this groove also be functionally useless? Functionally, I would say these are no different. In non-normal operating conditions, such as harsh conditions in which the wind turbine is shaking, any possible relative axial movement of 706 would be prevented by the groove 702. Further, even if these were not functionally the same, only the features of claim 1 are examined regardless of function. The groove of Smook is configured to form a movable form-fitting connection such that a relative axial movement between the rotational element and housing element is prevented while allowing for relative rotation between them, thus the rejection is maintained.
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 TIMOTHY HANNON whose telephone number is (571)270-1943. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10-6.
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/TIMOTHY HANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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