DETAILED ACTION
The present application and its arguments have been reviewed and currently claims 56-60 are rejected, claims 8-10, 14-22, and 53-55 are allowed, and claims 1-7, 11-13, 23-52 are cancelled.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 4/20/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 9, filed 4/20/2026, with respect to 8-10, 14-22, and 53-55 have been fully considered and are persuasive because Vila does not disclose a device comprising a single threaded engagement. Therefore, the 103 rejection of claims 8-10, 14-22, and 53-55 has been withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 56, 57, and 60 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Allread (U.S. Patent No. 5,290,075).
Claim 56, Allread discloses:
A low profile flexible coupling (see fig. 2) for pneumatic systems to provide transfer of a gas between first (18) and second conduits (near 40 before 52), the flexible coupling comprising:
an annular inner member (64) defining a spherically shaped convex seal receiving surface extending from a first end to a second end and interrupted by a radially inward extending seal ring assembly groove (68) that extends circumferentially around the inner member;
an annular outer member (42) assembled over the inner member,
the outer member defining a spherically shaped first concave seal receiving surface (58) conforming to the convex seal receiving surface;
a locking member (22) assembled over the inner member,
the locking member defining a spherically shaped second concave seal receiving surface (near 32),
the second concave seal receiving surface conforming to the convex seal receiving surface and the outer member being positioned over the locking member (see fig. 2); and
a single threaded connection (28) securing the inner member, the outer member, and the locking member to one another,
wherein the single threaded connection is the only threaded engagement in the flexible coupling.
Claim 57, Allread discloses:
The flexible coupling of claim 56, the inner member being connected to the first conduit and the outer member being connected to the second conduit (see fig. 2, where both are connected to conduits),
wherein the flexible coupling has a profile ratio of a coupling radial thickness to a conduit diameter (see fig. 2, where the coupling has multiple thicknesses and the conduit has a diameter),
wherein the coupling radial thickness is defined as a radial thickness of the outer member (ex., thickness near threads; ex., thickness near 42) and the conduit diameter is defined as a diameter of the first conduit or the second conduit (ex., the outer or inner diameter of the conduit).
Claim 60, Allread discloses:
The flexible coupling of claim 56, wherein the single threaded connection comprises a first thread (see near 28) on the outer member and a complementary second thread on the locking member (see near 28).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 58-59 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Allread as applied to claim 57 above.
In regards to claims 58, Allread discloses:
The flexible coupling of claim 57, but does not disclose the profile ratio is less than approximately 0.17.
However, while Allread does not expressly disclose “the profile ratio is less than approximately 0.17”, the “profile ratio” or “the radial thickness of the outer member” and “the conduit diameter” may be determined through the use of routine experimentation during the engineering design process to optimize the functionality of the device, suited to the intended use and desired parameters.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filling date to modify the coupling of Allread to have the “profile ratio to be less than approximately 0.17”, as the “the radial thickness of the outer member” and “the conduit diameter” may be optimized to the desired operational parameters through the use of routine experimentation. A person of ordinary skill in the art undertaking such experimentation would have had a reasonable expectation of success and the results would have been predictable because modifying known parameters (ex., the conduit diameter) to meet the needs of the system would not produce any new or unexpected results. See MPEP 2144.05(II)(A).
In regards to claims 59, Allread discloses:
The flexible coupling of claims 57, but does not disclose the profile ratio is between approximately 0.13 and 0.14.
However, while Allread does not expressly disclose “the profile ratio is between approximately 0.13 and 0.14.”, the “profile ratio” or “the radial thickness of the outer member” and “the conduit diameter” may be determined through the use of routine experimentation during the engineering design process to optimize the functionality of the device, suited to the intended use and desired parameters.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filling date to modify the coupling of Allread to have “the profile ratio between approximately 0.13 and 0.14”, as “the radial thickness of the outer member” and “the conduit diameter” may be optimized to the desired operational parameters through the use of routine experimentation. A person of ordinary skill in the art undertaking such experimentation would have had a reasonable expectation of success and the results would have been predictable because modifying known parameters to meet the needs of the system would not produce any new or unexpected results. See MPEP 2144.05(II)(A).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-10, 14-22, and 53-55 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regards to claims 8-10, 14-22, and 53-55, Keays discloses the best reference comprising:
A low profile flexible coupling (see fig. 4 hereinafter) for low temperature and low pressure pneumatic systems to provide transfer of a gas between first and second conduits (6:33-37, where gas or liquids are used), the flexible coupling comprising:
an annular inner member (8) defining a spherically shaped convex seal receiving surface extending (see near 74) from a first end to a second end,
an annular outer (40) member assembled over the inner member,
the outer member defining a spherically shaped first concave seal receiving surface (see near 62 where the outer member has an inner complementary shape) conforming to the convex seal receiving surface;
a locking member (68) assembled over the inner member,
the locking member defining a spherically shaped second concave seal receiving surface (see near 72),
the second concave seal receiving surface conforming to the convex seal receiving surface (see near 72), and
the outer member being positioned over the locking member (see near 68) and locked via a snap-ring (70),
but does not disclose:
the spherically shaped convex seal receiving surface interrupted by a radially inward extending seal ring assembly groove that extends circumferentially around the inner member, the radially inward extending seal ring assembly groove having a protrusion;
the spherically shaped first concave seal receiving surface interrupted by a first radially outward extending seal ring assembly groove that extends circumferentially in the outer member;
a first seal ring assembly disposed in the radially inward extending seal ring assembly groove,
the first seal ring assembly comprises a pair of canted seal energizers with the protrusion therebetween;
the second concave seal receiving surface being interrupted by a second radially outward extending seal ring assembly groove that extends circumferentially in the locking member,
wherein the first radially outward extending seal ring assembly groove is defined by a first side wall formed in the outer member, a second side wall formed in the outer member and opposing the first side wall, and a base formed in the outer member and connecting the first side wall to the second side wall;
a second seal ring assembly disposed in the first radially outward extending seal ring assembly groove, the second seal ring comprising a second canted seal energizer
a third seal ring assembly disposed in the second radially outward extending seal ring assembly groove, the third seal ring assembly comprising a third canted seal energizer, wherein the second and third canted seal energizers are canted in a common direction; and
a single threaded connection securing the inner member, the outer member, the first seal ring assembly, and the locking member to one another, wherein the single threaded connection is the only threaded engagement in the flexible coupling.
In regards to the seal assemblies, Vila (U.S. Patent No. 6,880,863) discloses the best reference which is a similar device (see fig. 1 hereinafter) used only for gas-systems, which discloses an inner member (29) comprising the spherically shaped convex seal receiving surface (near 32) interrupted by a radially inward extending seal ring assembly groove (76) that extends circumferentially around the inner member,
a first seal ring assembly (near 80) disposed in the radially inward extending seal ring assembly groove,
the first seal ring assembly comprises a pair of canted seal energizers (74)
an outer member (30) comprising a spherically shaped first concave seal receiving surface (32) interrupted by a first radially outward extending seal ring assembly groove (37) that extends circumferentially in the outer member;
wherein the first radially outward extending seal ring assembly groove is defined by a first side wall formed in the outer member, a second side wall formed in the outer member and opposing the first side wall, and a base formed in the outer member and connecting the first side wall to the second side wall (see near 37);
a second seal ring assembly (84, 88) disposed in the first radially outward extending seal ring assembly groove, the second seal ring comprising a second canted seal energizer (88),
a threaded connection (50) securing the inner member, the outer member, the first seal ring assembly, and the locking member to one another,
but does not disclose:
the radially inward extending seal ring assembly groove having a protrusion;
the second concave seal receiving surface of the locking member being interrupted by a second radially outward extending seal ring assembly groove that extends circumferentially in the locking member,
the locking ring comprising a third seal ring assembly disposed in the second radially outward extending seal ring assembly groove of the locking ring,
the third seal ring assembly of the locking ring comprising a third canted seal energizer,
wherein the second and third canted seal energizers are canted in a common direction,
wherein the single threaded connection is the only threaded engagement in the flexible coupling.
In regards to locking ring comprising a seal, Kuo (U.S. Patent No. 6,237,965) discloses the best reference which is a similar device (see fig. 2) used for water pipes, comprising
an outer member (1) comprising a spherical sealing surface (11),
an inner member (41) comprising a spherical sealing surface comprising a seal (6), and a locking member (6) comprising a spherical surface, and
a locking member (2) comprising a seal (3),
wherein both seals provide the benefit of stopping liquid from leaking (3:31-38).
In regards to the protrusion of the groove, Vila (U.S. Patent No. 7,883,094) is the best reference which discloses a similar device (see fig. 3 hereinafter) comprising a sealing groove with a protrusion (34).
Therefore, while certain aspects of the claim limitations are known, modifying Keays based on the teachings of the prior art references Vila, Kuo, Vila 094’ to meet all of the limitations of claims 8 and 53 would require impermissible hindsight.
Thus, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to modify Keays to meet the limitations of claims 8 and 53 because such modifications would require impermissible hindsight.
Conclusion
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/A.T.R./Examiner, Art Unit 3679
/Matthew Troutman/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3679
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