DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This action is in response to the claims filed 6/20/2025.
Claims 16-29 are presented for examination.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 9/2/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 16-23 and 25-29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Udsen in WO2019/179583 (hereinafter “Udsen”).
Regarding claim 16, Udsen discloses a wind turbine blade section, comprising: a base constructed of a fiber reinforced composite material (inherently, the disclosure is directed to a molded blade), the base comprising a suction surface, a pressure surface, and at least one outer surface portion between the suction surface and the pressure surface, the outer surface portion comprising a first base positioning feature (see annotated Fig. 2 below); and an edge element comprising an inner surface having a first edge positioning feature, the first edge positioning feature configured to engage with the first base positioning feature (see annotated Fig. 2 below), and wherein the edge element is coupled to at least one of the suction surface and the pressure surface of the base.
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Regarding claim 17, Udsen discloses the wind turbine blade section of claim 16, wherein the first base positioning feature comprises a protrusion on an outside of the base (see annotated Fig. 2 above).
Regarding claim 18, Udsen discloses the wind turbine blade section of claim 17, wherein the first edge positioning feature comprises a protrusion on the inner surface of the edge element (see annotated Fig. 2 above).
Regarding claim 19, Udsen discloses the wind turbine blade section of claim 16, wherein the first base positioning feature and the first edge positioning feature are configured such that translational movement of the edge element with respect to the base is limited in three degrees of freedom when the first edge positioning feature engages with the first base positioning feature (see Fig. 2 and 4; the leading edge section is locked in place in the blade).
Regarding claim 20, Udsen discloses the wind turbine blade section of claim 16, wherein one of the first base positioning feature and the first edge positioning feature is a receptacle, and the other one of the first base positioning feature and the first edge positioning feature is configured to be inserted into the receptacle (the leading edge section is “received” in the blade; see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 21, Udsen discloses the wind turbine blade section of claim 16, wherein the base comprises a second base positioning feature and the edge element comprises a second edge positioning feature, and wherein the second base positioning feature engages with a second edge positioning feature (see the complimentary symmetrical structure in annotated Fig. 2 above).
Regarding claim 22, Udsen discloses the wind turbine blade section of claim 20, wherein the second base positioning feature and the second edge positioning feature are configured such that translational movement of the edge element with respect to the base is limited in two degrees of freedom when the second edge positioning feature engages with the second base positioning feature (see Fig. 2 and 4; the leading edge section is locked in place in the blade).
Regarding claim 23, Udsen discloses the wind turbine blade section of claim 20, wherein one of the second base positioning feature and the second edge positioning feature is a receptacle, and the other one of the second base positioning feature and the second edge positioning feature is configured to be inserted into the receptacle (the leading edge section is “received” in the blade; Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 25, Udsen discloses the wind turbine blade section of claim 16, wherein the wind turbine blade section corresponds to one of a root section of a wind turbine blade or a tip section of a wind turbine blade (page 3 line 15).
Regarding claim 26, Udsen discloses the wind turbine blade section of claim 16, wherein the edge element is a leading edge element (Fig. 2 shows a blade leading edge).
Regarding claim 27, Udsen discloses the wind turbine blade section of claim 26, wherein the leading edge element is a leading edge protector (Fig. 2; element 4 is a shock-absorbing and erosion-resistant profile that protects the leading edge of the blade).
Regarding claim 28, Udsen discloses a method for mounting an edge positioning feature on an edge element for a wind turbine blade section, the method comprising: providing a mold including one or more predefined coupling points; placing an edge element for a wind turbine blade section in the mold, an outer portion of the edge element being in contact with the mold; and providing an edge positioning feature placement tool supporting an edge positioning feature and attaching the edge positioning feature placement tool to the mold at the one or more predefined coupling points such that the edge positioning feature contacts with the edge element (page 5 lines 21-23).
Regarding claim 29, Udsen discloses the method of claim 28, further comprising: providing a base constructed of a fiber reinforced composite material, the base comprising a suction surface, a pressure surface, and at least one outer surface portion between the suction surface and the pressure surface, the outer surface portion comprising a first base positioning feature; and providing an edge element having an inner surface with a first edge positioning feature, the first edge positioning feature configured to engage with the first base positioning feature, and positioning the edge element with respect to the base by engaging the first edge positioning feature with the first blade positioning feature; and attaching the edge element to the base (see annotated Fig. 2 above and rejection of claim 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 24 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.
Regarding claim 24, the prior art of record discloses various analogous wind turbine blade sections and leading edge protectors that attach to the leading edges of blades. The art of record, however, fails to anticipate or suggest in combination the specific shape required of claim 23.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Relevant Prior Art:
US2015/0026980 is directed to a gas turbine airfoil leading edge, but discloses the same leading edge protector required of claim 16.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELDON T BROCKMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3263. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Court Heinle can be reached at (571) 270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELDON T BROCKMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
