DETAILED ACTION
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 1-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by EP 3,885,576 (“EP ‘576”; cited by Applicant).
With regard to Claim 1, EP ‘576 discloses a transport structure (1TA, Figs. 4, 6; 1NA, Figs. 5, 6; 1RA, Figs. 3, 6) for transporting a set of wind turbine components (52; 51; nacelle) on a vehicle (3, Figs. 2, 6), the transport structure comprising:
a support structure (1TA), comprising at least one frame (10F, Fig. 4); and
a set of locking interfaces (18, 33) arranged on the support structure (Fig. 7) for releasably securing the transport structure when in transit ([0038]);
wherein said at least one frame comprises attachment means (10R, Fig. 4) configured for releasably securing at least one wind turbine component (52) of the set of wind turbine components to said at least one frame ([0033]).
With regard to Claim 2, EP ‘576 discloses at least two transport modules that each supports one or more of the components of the set (Fig. 6), in use, each module comprising a set of co-operating module-to-module locks configured for releasably interconnecting the at least two modules , to form and divide the transport structure ([0035]-[0038]).
With regard to Claim 3, EP ‘576 discloses wherein the module-to-module locks comprise corner castings (18, 33, Figs. 6-7, [0021]-[0022], [0035]-[0038]).
With regard to Claim 4, EP ‘576 discloses wherein at least one module comprises multiple frames, each frame being configured to support a respective component of the set (Figs. 2, 6, [0020], [0027]).
With regard to Claim 5, EP ‘576 discloses wherein the frames are stacked to form the associated module (Figs. 2, 6, [0020], [0027]).
With regard to Claim 6, EP ‘576 discloses wherein the frames comprise releasable couplings for securing the frames together to form the associated module (18, 33, Figs. 6-7, [0021]-[0022], [0035]-[0038]).
With regard to Claim 7, EP ‘576 discloses, wherein the releasable couplings comprise corner castings (18, 33, Figs. 6-7, [0021]-[0022], [0035]-[0038]).
With regard to Claim 8, EP ‘576 discloses at least one frame that comprises a pair of orthogonal frame members coupled together (10F, 10S, Figs. 3-5).
With regard to Claim 9, EP ‘576 discloses at least one frame (1R, 1T, Figs. 3, 4)configured such that a component of the set defines a frame member of the frame ([0032]-[0033]).
With regard to Claim 10, EP ‘576 discloses wherein parallel frame members (10F, 10S) of the associated frame are fixed at opposed ends of the component defining a frame member (Figs. 3-5).
With regard to Claim 11, EP ‘576 discloses a set of wind turbine components (52, nacelle) fixed to the support structure (Figs. 4, 5).
With regard to Claim 12, EP ‘576 discloses wherein each component (51, 52) acts as a load-bearing element of the transport structure (Figs. 3, 4).
With regard to Claim 13, EP ‘576 discloses, wherein each component (51, 52) is fixed (10R, 10C) at opposed ends of the transport structure (Figs. 3, 4).
With regard to Claim 14, EP ‘576 discloses wherein the locking interfaces are configured to interface with corresponding interfaces of, or for, a standard shipping container (18, 33, Figs. 6-7, [0021]-[0022], [0035]-[0038]).
With regard to Claim 15, EP ‘576 discloses wherein each locking interface comprises a corner casting (18, 33, Figs. 6-7, [0021]-[0022], [0035]-[0038]).
With regard to Claim 16, EP ‘576 discloses the transport structure has a shape and dimensions corresponding to a standard shipping container (Figs. 2, 3, 6, [0008], [0016]-[0022]).
With regard to Claim 17, EP ‘576 discloses wherein the set of wind turbine components comprises a set of tower segments (52, Fig. 4).
With regard to Claim 18, EP ‘576 discloses wherein the set of wind turbine components comprises a set of cooler tops (Fig. 5; given that the entire nacelle is shown as being transported in the 1NA transport structure, this transport structure would inherently be capable of transporting one or more cooling tops that are used in the nacelle, as defined on page 17, line 34 – page 18, line 3 of the present Specification.
With regard to Claim 19, EP ‘576 discloses a method of transporting a set of wind turbine components (Figs. 2-7, [0030]-[0038]), the method comprising
forming a transport structure (1TA, Figs. 4, 6; 1NA, Figs. 5, 6; 1RA, Figs. 3, 6) by fixing the components (52, 51, nacelle) to a support structure (Figs. 3-5),
wherein the support structure supports a set of locking interfaces for securing the transport structure in transit (18, 33, Figs. 6-7, [0021]-[0022], [0035]-[0038]).
With regard to Claim 20, EP ‘576 discloses the method comprising mounting each component to a respective frame (Figs. 3-4), or to a respective set of frame members to form a respective frame (Fig. 5), and coupling the frames together to form the structure (Figs. 3-5).
With regard to Claim 21, EP ‘576 discloses the method comprising coupling the frames using a twist lock interface (18, 33, Figs. 6-7, [0021]-[0022], [0035]-[0038]).
With regard to Claim 22, EP ‘576 discloses the method comprising twisting the lock interface in a first direction for a pair of frames that will form part of a common transport module of the transport structure , and twisting the lock interface in a second direction for a pair of frames that will belong to different transport modules of the transport structure (The twisting direction will depend on the location and orientation of the lock interface on the frame, thereby making the twisting in different directions implicit and/or unavoidable based on the lock interface construction).
With regard to Claim 23, EP ‘576 discloses the method comprising transporting the transport structure on a vehicle (Figs. 2, 6), and then dividing the transport structure into multiple transport modules ([0027], [0035]-[0036]).
With regard to Claim 24, EP ‘576 discloses the method comprising transporting the transport modules onwards on separate vehicles ([0037], if the turbine components are off-loaded at a destination port, the use of other vehicles such as rail cars and/or semi-trucks is implicit).
Claim 1-8, 11, 15, 17, 19-20, and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR 20170115114 (“KR ‘114”; cited by Applicant; English Translation provided with this Office Action with page citations being made to this 9-page document).
With regard to Claim 1, KR ‘114 discloses a transport structure (1, Figs. 1-20, P3 – P7) for transporting a set of wind turbine components on a vehicle (P2, describing a structure for transporting modular wind tower members on a vehicle such as a flatbed or a low bed trailer), the transport structure comprising:
a support structure (400, 100, 500), comprising at least one frame (100); and
a set of locking interfaces (200/200a/200b, Figs. 1, 3-7; 220, 260, Figs. 3-4) arranged on the support structure for releasably securing the transport structure when in transit (Figs. 1, 13-20);
wherein said at least one frame comprises attachment means (110, Fig. 2) configured for releasably securing at least one wind turbine component of the set of wind turbine components to said at least one frame (P4).
With regard to Claim 2, KR ‘114 discloses at least two transport modules (100, Fig. 1) that each supports one or more of the components of the set, in use, each module comprising a set of co-operating module-to-module locks (200/200a/200b) configured for releasably interconnecting the at least two modules, to form and divide the transport structure (Figs. 13-20).
With regard to Claim 3, KR ‘114 discloses wherein the module- to-module locks comprise corner castings (200a, Figs. 1, 3, 13, 14).
With regard to Claim 4, KR ‘114 discloses wherein at least one module comprises multiple frames, each frame being configured to support a respective component of the set (Figs. 1, 20, wherein a first module can be arbitrarily defined as upper frame (500) and the top two frames (100), while the second module can be defined as the subsequent three frames (100) and the bottom frame (400) .
With regard to Claim 5, KR ‘114 discloses wherein the frames (100) are stacked to form the associated module (Figs. 1, 20).
With regard to Claim 6, KR ‘114 discloses wherein the frames (100) comprise releasable couplings (220, 260, Figs. 3-4; 430, 260, Figs. 8, 9, 15-17; 510, 220, Fig. 11-12, 19, 20; 300, Figs. 18-20) for securing the frames together to form the associated module (Figs. 1, 20).
With regard to Claim 7, KR ‘114 discloses, wherein the releasable couplings comprise corner castings (200a, Figs. 1, 3, 13, 14).
With regard to Claim 8, KR ‘114 discloses at least one frame (100) that comprises a pair of orthogonal frame members coupled together (Fig. 2).
With regard to Claim 11, KR ‘114 discloses a set of wind turbine components (wind tower module member, P4) fixed to the support structure (P4).
With regard to Claim 15, KR ‘114 discloses wherein each locking interface comprises a corner casting (200a, Figs. 1, 3, 13, 14).
With regard to Claim 17, KR ‘114 discloses wherein the set of wind turbine components comprises a set of tower segments (P4).
With regard to Claim 19, KR ‘114 discloses a method of transporting a set of wind turbine components (Figs. 13-20, P6-P7), the method comprising
forming a transport structure (1, 400, 100, 500, Figs. 1-20, P3 – P7) by fixing the components to a support structure (P5),
wherein the support structure supports a set of locking interfaces (200/200a/200b, Figs. 1, 3-7; 220, 260, Figs. 3-4) for securing the transport structure in transit.
With regard to Claim 20, KR ‘114 discloses the method comprising mounting each component to a respective frame (100, 110, Fig. 2, P3) or to a respective set of frame members to form a respective frame, and coupling the frames together to form the structure (Figs. 1, 20).
With regard to Claim 23, KR ‘114 discloses the method comprising transporting the transport structure on a vehicle (P3), and then dividing the transport structure into multiple transport modules (Figs. 13-20, wherein the disassembly is the reverse of the assembly process and the crane could be used to lift two or more frames as a module).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
It is noted that US 2010/266420, NO 327030 (also published as WO 02/04321), and US 2020/0340453 (copies of which have been provided and cited by Applicant in the March 21, 2025 IDS) have each been cited as “X” references in the corresponding PCT application, PCT/DK2023/050225. In addition, Article 33(2) rejections of all the claims based on these three references have also been provided in the April 4, 2024 Written Opinion of the International Search Authority (also provided by Applicant). Because these rejections are redundant to those listed above, they are not included in this Office Action. However, Applicant should consider these rejections when formulating their response to this Office Action.
US 2025/0035087, which is co-owned by Applicant, shows a cooler arrangement located on the top of the nacelle, confirming that the claimed “cooler top” recited in Claim 18 is capable of being transported in frame (1NA) as described above.
US 10,145,138 and US 11,015,579 describe transport structures for transporting wind turbine components, including tower segments, the transport structure disclosing one or more of the claimed features.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LYNN E SCHWENNING whose telephone number is (313)446-4861. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5 pm EST.
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, Saul Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 272 -7097. 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.
/LYNN E SCHWENNING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3652