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 .
Status of the Claims
This is a non-final rejection in response to the communication filed 06/19/2025, the non-final action filed 02/22/2026 is being replaced by the instant action. Claims 1-16 are currently pending.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 1-16 are 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 1 recites the limitation "the respective wind turbine blade portions" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 3, the phrase "preferably" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following or preceding the phrase are part of the claimed invention.
Claims 2-16 are indefinite based on their dependence on claim 1.
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) 1-6, 8-11 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2011/070137 to Hibbard (Hibbard) in view of US Patent Application Publication 2017/0089323 to Yarbrough et al. (Yarbrough).
In Reference to Claim 1
Hibbard discloses a wind turbine blade (abstract) comprising an inboard wind turbine blade portion (Fig. 1, 2 for instance) and an outboard wind turbine blade portion (3 for instance) for joining together by a joint (4 for instance), each of the inboard and outboard wind turbine blade portions having an end with an aerofoil profile (at 4, see profile in figure 3 for instance), the end of each of the respective wind turbine blade portions having a plurality of inserts (5 and 6 for instance) embedded therein (p. 3, l. 12-14), each insert comprising an end portion (portions of 5 and of 6 at 4 for instance) having a connection for coupling the insert to another of the inserts (of 5 or of 6 for instance) across the joint (4) and an extension portion (portion 8 of 5 and of 6 for instance, see figure 2) which extends away from the end portion to a tip (as seen of portion 8), wherein the plurality of inserts of one of the respective wind turbine blade portions (of 2 or of 3 for instance) includes:
at least one first insert (one of 5 or one of 6 for instance); and
at least one second insert (another of 5 or of 6 for instance),
wherein the first insert has a geometry different than a geometry of the second insert (p. 4, l. 19-23 and p. 5, l. 17-24, the different configurations of inserts for instance).
Hibbard does not explicitly teach “... wherein the aerofoil profile has both concave and convex geometric portions ....,” but does teach that the wind turbine blades may have a variety of curvatures (see p. 5, l. 17-24 for instance).
Yarbrough is related to a wind turbine blade having an inboard portion (Fig. 2, 24 for instance) and an outboard portion (26 for instance), as the claimed invention, and teaches wherein an aerofoil profile (of the blade, as seen in figure 4 for instance) has both concave and convex geometric portions (see the profile of the cross-section of the blade for instance).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the system of Hibbard wherein the aerofoil profile (of the blade of Hibbard) has both concave and convex geometric portions (as taught by Yarbrough), so as to use an art known technique (of a wind turbine blade formed to have multiple curved portions as taught by Yarbrough) into the system of Hibbard and predictably provide for the flow surfaces for fluid around the aerofoil and thus the blade.
In Reference to Claim 2
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein each insert has an end portion with peripheral faces which define a cross-section, wherein the peripheral faces of the first insert define a first cross-section (Hibbard Fig. 2, 9 of one 5 for instance), and the peripheral faces of the second insert define a second cross-section (Hibbard, 9 of another of 5 for instance), and wherein the first cross-section has a geometry different than a geometry of the second cross-section (Hibbard, p. 4, l. 19-23 and p. 5, l. 17-24, the different configurations of inserts for instance).
In Reference to Claim 3
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or second cross-sections (Hibbard, of insert 5 or of insert 6 for instance) are generally quadrilateral, and preferably, wherein the first and/or second cross-sections are generally trapezoidal, rectangular or square (Hibbard Fig. 2, a quadrilateral shape of a square for instance, the can be of any form, see p. 4, l. 19-23 and p. 5, l. 17-24).
In Reference to Claim 4
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 2, wherein the first cross-section is larger than the second cross-section (Hibbard p. 4, l. 19-23 and p. 5, l. 17-24, the inserts having different sizes for instance).
In Reference to Claim 5
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 2, wherein the peripheral faces of each of the plurality of inserts (Hibbard Fig. 2, of 5 or of 6 for instance) include an end portion inner face (Hibbard, top of 5 or 6 for instance) towards an interior of the wind turbine blade portion (Hibbard, 5 or 6 as embedded in 2 or 3, see figures 3 and 4), an end portion outer face (Hibbard, portion at 9 of 5 or of 6 for instance) towards an exterior of the wind turbine blade portion (Hibbard, see figure 3 for instance), and a pair of end portion side faces (Hibbard, left and right faces of 5 or of 6 for instance).
In Reference to Claim 6
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 5, wherein each end portion side face is a substantially planar facet (Hibbard, of left and right faces of 5 or of 6 for instance, see figure 2).
In Reference to Claim 8
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 2, wherein adjacent peripheral faces of adjacent inserts are oriented normal to the circumference of the aerofoil profile at the end of the respective wind turbine blade portion (Hibbard Fig. 3, see edges of 5 for instance).
In Reference to Claim 9
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of inserts are arranged side by side around at least a portion of a circumference of the aerofoil profile at the end of the respective wind turbine blade portion (Hibbard Fig. 3, 5 arranged side by side for instance).
In Reference to Claim 10
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein each respective wind turbine blade portion has a leading edge (as taught by Yarbrough, Fig. 9, 46 for instance), a trailing edge (as taught by Yarbrough, 48 for instance), a leeward side (as taught by Yarbrough, 42 for instance) extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge and a windward side (as taught by Yarbrough, 44 for instance) extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, wherein the plurality of inserts are provided in groups (inserts of 106A, 100A, 102A and 108A as taught by Yarbrough for instance), with a first group of inserts on the leeward side near a thickest part of the aerofoil profile (Yarbrough, 100A for instance), a second group of inserts on the windward side near the thickest part of the aerofoil profile (Yarbrough, 102A for instance), a third group of inserts near the trailing edge on the windward side (Yarbrough, of 108A at 44 for instance) and a fourth group of inserts near the trailing edge on the leeward side (Yarbrough, of 108A at 42 for instance).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the system of Hibbard wherein each respective wind turbine blade portion (of Hibbard) has a leading edge (as taught by Yarbrough), a trailing edge (as taught by Yarbrough), a leeward side extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge and a windward side extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge (as taught by Yarbrough), wherein the plurality of inserts are provided in groups, with a first group of inserts on the leeward side near a thickest part of the aerofoil profile (as taught by Yarbrough), a second group of inserts on the windward side near the thickest part of the aerofoil profile (as taught by Yarbrough), a third group of inserts near the trailing edge on the windward side and a fourth group of inserts near the trailing edge on the leeward side (as taught by Yarbrough), so as to use an art known technique (of the configuration of inserts relative to an aerofoil as taught by Yarbrough) into the system of Hibbard and predictably provide connection for blade portions of a wind turbine blade.
In Reference to Claim 11
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 10, wherein the peripheral faces of each of the plurality of inserts include an end portion inner face towards an interior of the wind turbine blade portion, an end portion outer face towards an exterior of the wind turbine blade portion, and a pair of end portion side faces, and wherein the inserts of the first and/or second groups of inserts have a greater depth between their end portion inner face and their end portion outer face than the inserts of the third and/or fourth groups of inserts (Hibbard, p. 4, l. 19-23 and p. 5, l. 17-24, the different size, including length, of inserts for instance).
In Reference to Claim 15
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of inserts are sandwiched between fibre reinforced composite layers forming a shell of the wind turbine blade (see Hibbard p. 1, l. 9-10 and p. 4, l. 24-28).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2011/070137 to Hibbard (Hibbard) in view of US Patent Application Publication 2017/0089323 to Yarbrough et al. (Yarbrough) as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of US Patent Application Publication 2020/0347820 to Smith et al. (Smith).
In Reference to Claim 7
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 5, except, "... wherein the extension portion of each of the plurality of inserts includes an extension portion inner face towards an interior of the wind turbine blade portion, an extension portion outer face towards an exterior of the wind turbine blade portion, and a pair of extension portion side faces; and wherein the extension portion inner face meets with the end portion inner face, the extension portion outer face meets with the end portion outer face, and the extension portion side faces meet with the end portion side faces; and wherein a height between the extension portion inner face and the extension portion outer face reduces as it extends away from the end portion ....”
Smith is related to an insert embedded in a wind turbine blade for connection (abstract and figure 5), as the claimed invention, and teaches wherein an extension portion (Fig. 5, left portion of 105 for instance) of each of a plurality of inserts (105 for instance) includes an extension portion inner face (top face of left portion of 105 for instance) towards an interior of a wind turbine blade portion (as within blade see figures 3 and 4 for instance), an extension portion outer face (bottom face of left portion of 105 for instance, not shown) towards an exterior of the wind turbine blade portion (as within blade see figures 3 and 4 for instance), and a pair of extension portion side faces (left and right face of left portion of 105 for instance, only one face shown); and wherein the extension portion inner face meets with an end portion inner face (top face of left portion of 105 meets top face of right portion of 105 for instance), the extension portion outer face meets with the end portion outer face (bottom face of left portion of 105 meets front face of right portion of 105 for instance), and the extension portion side faces meet with the end portion side faces (left and right faces of left portion of 105 meets left and right faces of right portion of 105 for instance); and wherein a height between the extension portion inner face and the extension portion outer face reduces as it extends away from the end portion (tapering of left portion of 105 for instance).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the system of Hibbard wherein the extension portion of each of the plurality of inserts (of Hibbard) includes an extension portion inner face (as taught by Smith) towards an interior of the wind turbine blade portion (of Hibbard), an extension portion outer face (as taught by Smith) towards an exterior of the wind turbine blade portion (of Hibbard), and a pair of extension portion side faces (as taught by Smith); and wherein the extension portion inner face meets with the end portion inner face (as taught by Smith), the extension portion outer face meets with the end portion outer face (as taught by Smith), and the extension portion side faces meet with the end portion side faces (as taught by Smith); and wherein a height between the extension portion inner face and the extension portion outer face reduces as it extends away from the end portion (as taught by Smith), so as to use an art known technique (of the configuration of an insert, for connection, embedded in a wind turbine blade as taught by Smith) into the system of Hibbard (as a replacement of the insert for instance) and predictably embed an insert into a wind turbine blade for connection purposes.
Claim(s) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2011/070137 to Hibbard (Hibbard) in view of US Patent Application Publication 2017/0089323 to Yarbrough et al. (Yarbrough) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of WO 2021/018362 to Hedges et al. (Hedges).
In Reference to Claim 12
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 1, except, "... wherein the end portion of at least one of the inserts has a bushing with a threaded bore for receiving a threaded fastener ....”
Hedges is related to inserts for connection blades portions of a wind turbine blade (abstract), as the claimed invention, and teaches wherein an end portion of at least one of the inserts (Fig. 3, 122 for instance) has a bushing (124 for instance) with a threaded bore (see p. 11, l. 9-26) for receiving a threaded fastener (112 for instance).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the system of Hibbard wherein the end portion of at least one of the inserts (of Hibbard) has a bushing with a threaded bore for receiving a threaded fastener (as taught by Hedges), so as to use an art known technique (of the configuration of an insert, for connection, embedded in a wind turbine blade portion as taught by Hedges) into the system of Hibbard (as a replacement of the insert for instance) and predictably provide a means for connection of blade portions of the wind turbine blade.
In Reference to Claim 13
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough and Hedges, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 12, wherein the threaded fastener forms the connection for joining the wind turbine blade portions together (as taught by Hedges for instance).
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2011/070137 to Hibbard (Hibbard) in view of US Patent Application Publication 2017/0089323 to Yarbrough et al. (Yarbrough) and in view of WO 2021/018362 to Hedges et al. (Hedges) as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of US Patent Application Publication 2014/0140853 to Feigl (Feigl).
In Reference to Claim 14
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough and Hedges, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 12, except, "... wherein at least one of the plurality of inserts has a threaded bore diameter different than a threaded bore diameter of another of the plurality of inserts ....”
Feigl is related to connector assemblies for wind turbine blades (abstract), as the claimed invention, and teaches wherein a threaded bore has a diameter different than a threaded bore diameter of another bore (¶ [0025]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the system of Hibbard wherein at least one of the plurality of inserts (of Hibbard) has a threaded bore diameter different than a threaded bore diameter (as taught by Feigl) of another of the plurality of inserts (of Hibbard), so as to use an art known technique (of the configuration of threaded bores in a connection system as taught by Feigl) into the system of Hibbard and predictably provide connection for blade portions.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2011/070137 to Hibbard (Hibbard) in view of US Patent Application Publication 2017/0089323 to Yarbrough et al. (Yarbrough) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US Patent 10,767,624 to Monreal Lesmes et al. (Monreal Lesmes).
In Reference to Claim 16
Hibbard, as modified by Yarbrough and Hedges, discloses the wind turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the inboard wind turbine blade portion (Hibbard Fig. 1, 2 for instance) and the outboard wind turbine blade portion (Hibbard, 3 for instance) are joined together by a joint (Hibbard, 4 for instance);
except, "... wherein the joint comprises a joint member between the inboard wind turbine blade portion and the outboard wind turbine blade portion, wherein the end portion of at least one of the inserts has a bushing with a threaded bore which receives a threaded fastener projecting from an end face of the insert opposite the tip, and the joint member has a flange with a first face and a second face opposing the first face and a through hole between the first face and the second face, wherein the first face is abutting the end face of the insert, and the first and second faces of the joint member are non-parallel such that the second face is normal to a longitudinal axis of the threaded fastener ....”
Monreal Lesmes is related to a connection system for wind turbine blade portions (abstract , see also blade portions 1 and 2 in figure 1), as the claimed invention, and teaches wherein a joint (Fig. 3A, between blade portions 1 and 2 for instance) comprises a joint member (10 and 11 for instance) between an inboard wind turbine blade portion (Fig. 1, 1 for instance) and an outboard wind turbine blade portion (2 for instance), wherein an end portion of at least one of inserts has a bushing with a threaded bore (Fig. 3A, 3 and 9a for instance) which receives a threaded fastener (8 for instance) projecting from an end face of an insert opposite a tip (end of 9a for instance), and the joint member has a flange with a first face (face 17a and 18a for instance) and a second face opposing the first face (17b and 18b for instance) and a through hole between the first face and the second face (hole to host 8 for instance), wherein the first face is abutting the end face of the insert (abutting 9a for instance), and the first and second faces of the joint member are non-parallel (as extending divergent for instance) such that the second face is normal to a longitudinal axis of the threaded fastener (as intersecting the central axis of 8 for instance).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the system of Hibbard wherein the joint (of Hibbard) comprises a joint member (as taught by Monreal Lesmes) between the inboard wind turbine blade portion (of Hibbard) and the outboard wind turbine blade portion (of Hibbard), wherein the end portion of at least one of the inserts (of Hibbard) has a bushing with a threaded bore which receives a threaded fastener projecting from an end face of the insert opposite the tip (as taught by Monreal Lesmes), and the joint member has a flange with a first face and a second face opposing the first face and a through hole between the first face and the second face (as taught by Monreal Lesmes), wherein the first face is abutting the end face of the insert, and the first and second faces of the joint member are non-parallel such that the second face is normal to a longitudinal axis of the threaded fastener (as taught by Monreal Lesmes), so as to use an art known technique (of the configuration of an insert for connection of blade portions of a wind turbine blade as taught by Monreal Lesmes) into the system of Hibbard (as a replacement of the insert for instance) and predictably provide means for connection of the blade portions.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, as cited in the Notice of References Cited, are cited to show sectional wind turbine blades and inserts embedded in wind turbine structures, and joint members used in the connection of wind turbine portions.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WAYNE A LAMBERT whose telephone number is (571)270-3516. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 9 am - 7 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel E Wiehe can be reached at (571)272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WAYNE A LAMBERT/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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