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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action responds to the amendment filed on 02/19/2026. Claims 1-20 are pending in the application. Claims 1, 8-10, 12, and 14 have been amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-9, filed on 02/19/2026, with respect to the rejection of the amended claims 1, 8 and 14 in view of Schroter and Gallagher have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Schroter, Priyadarshana and Alexander et al. as indicated in the below rejection.
Objections Withdrawn
Applicant’s arguments, see p6, filed on 02/19/2026, with respect to the objection of the claim 12 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of the claim 12 has been withdrawn.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schroter (US 11,385,085) and in view of Priyadarshana (US 2019/0186967) and Alexander et al. (US 4,080,837).
With regards to claim 1:
Schroter discloses (refer to Fig. 1 below) a flow conditioner apparatus (100), comprising:
a flow conditioner (160) configured for insertion with a process pipe (130) with respect to an ultrasonic flow meter (134), wherein the flow conditioner (16) is characterized by an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the process pipe (130), wherein the ultrasonic flow meter includes a flow meter body that comprises a flow tube, and wherein the flow conditioner (16) is connected to the flow tube of the flow meter body; and
a front insert assembly (162), wherein the front insert assembly is configured to securely fix the flow conditioner (160) within the process pipe (130).
Schroter does not disclose a front insert assembly comprising a flange, thread, or welding connection, wherein the flow conditioner is extended outward from the flow meter body; and wherein a length of the flow conditioner is approximately three times that of the inner diameter of the flow tube.
Alexander discloses (refer to Fig. 2 below) an ultrasonic flow meter includes a flow meter body comprises a flow tube (16), and a flow conditioner (22) that is extended outward from the flow meter body (flow tube (16)) and wherein the length of the flow conditioner (22) is approximately three times that of the inner diameter of the flow tube (16).
Priyadarshana discloses (refer to Fig. 3 below) a flow conditioner apparatus of a flow meter comprising a flow conditioner (120) configured for insertion with a process pipe (125), a front insert assembly configured to securely fix the flow conditioner (120) within the process pipe (120, 105), wherein the front insert assembly comprise a flange connection (F, 110, 115).
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It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the front insert assembly of Schroter to have design as disclosed by Priyadarshana comprising the flange connection configured to securely fix the flow conditioner within the process pipe, and configure the flow conditioner that is extended outward from the flow meter body and wherein the length of the flow conditioner is approximately three times that of the inner diameter of the flow tube as taught by Alexander to provide the flow meter with flow conditioner that can be fixed to the flow meter body and inserted in the process pipe with improving the flow condition (longer flow conditioner) in the process pipe before entering the flow meter for better flow measurement.
Schroter, as modified, disclose the flow conditioner apparatus of claim 1.
With regards to claim 2:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the flow conditioner apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow conditioner is configured to provide a uniform and symmetrical flow profile within the process pipe.
With regards to claim 3:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the flow conditioner apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow conditioner is further characterized by a construction suitable for limited installation space (Schroter, Column 2, lines 37-49).
With regards to claim 4:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the flow conditioner apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front insert assembly is integrally connected to the flow conditioner for efficient installation and assembly.
With regards to claim 5:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the flow conditioner apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flange, thread, or welding connection of the front insert assembly is adaptable to various process pipe configurations.
With regards to claim 6:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the flow conditioner apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow conditioner (160) comprises a series of flow-controlling elements (164, 166) to achieve the uniform and symmetrical flow profile.
With regards to claim 7:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the flow conditioner apparatus of claim 6, wherein the flow-controlling elements (flow straightener) are strategically positioned and shaped to minimize turbulence and enhance the flow conditioning performance.
With regards to claim 8:
Schroter, as modified, discloses a flow conditioner apparatus, comprising:
a flow conditioner configured for insertion with a process pipe, wherein the flow conditioner comprises an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the process pipe, wherein the ultrasonic flow meter includes a flow meter body that comprises a flow tube, and wherein the flow conditioner is connected to the flow tube and extended outward from the flow meter body; and
a front insert assembly that securely fixes the flow conditioner within the process pipe, wherein a length of the flow conditioner is approximately three times that of the inner diameter of the flow tube.
With regards to claim 9:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the flow conditioner apparatus of claim 8, wherein the front insert assembly comprises a connection mechanism (flange connection) for fixing the flow conditioner within the process pipe.
With regards to claim 10:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the flow conditioner apparatus of claim 9, wherein the connection mechanism comprises at least one of: a flange, a thread or a welding connection.
With regards to claim 11:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the flow conditioner apparatus of claim 8, wherein the flow conditioner provides a uniform and symmetrical flow profile within the process pipe.
With regards to claim 12:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the flow conditioner apparatus of claim 8, wherein the flow conditioner comprises a configuration suitable for limited installation space (Schroter, Column 2, lines 37-49).
With regards to claim 13:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the flow conditioner apparatus of claim 8, wherein the front insert assembly is integrally connected to the flow conditioner for efficient installation and assembly.
With regards to claim 14:
In making and/or using the modified device of Schroter, one would necessarily perform the method of assembling a flow conditioner, comprising:
positioning a flow conditioner inside a process pipe with respect to an ultrasonic flow meter, wherein the ultrasonic flow meter includes a flow meter body that comprises a flow tube, and wherein the flow conditioner connected to the flow tube and extended outward from the flow meter body;
ensuring that the outer diameter of the flow conditioner is smaller than the inner diameter of the process pipe;
selecting a front insert assembly with a flange, a thread, or a welding connection; and
securing the flow conditioner within the process pipe using the front insert assembly, wherein a length of the flow conditioner is approximately three times that of an inner diameter of the flow tube.
With regards to claim 15:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the method of claim 14, further comprising configuring the flow conditioner to provide a uniform and symmetrical flow profile within the process pipe.
With regards to claim 16:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the method of claim 14, further comprising constructing the flow conditioner with features suitable for limited installation space (Schroter, Column 2, lines 37-49).
With regards to claim 17:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the method of claim 14, further comprising integrally connecting the front insert assembly to the flow conditioner for streamlined installation and assembly.
With regards to claim 18:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the method of claim 14, further comprising selecting the flange, the thread, or the welding connection for the front insert assembly that is adaptable to various process pipe configurations.
With regards to claim 19:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the method of claim 14, further comprising integrating a series of flow-controlling elements into the flow conditioner to achieve a uniform and symmetrical flow profile.
With regards to claim 20:
Schroter, as modified, discloses the method of claim 19, further comprising strategically positioning and shaping the flow-controlling elements within the flow conditioner to minimize turbulence and enhance flow conditioning performance.
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 Minh Le, whose telephone number is 571-270-3805. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:30AM-5:00PM EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors can be reached by phone. Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881 or Craig Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MINH Q LE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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