DETAILED ACTION
The amendments filed on 01/27/2026 have been entered.
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.
Claims 1, 8-9, 16-17 and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Steele et al. (US 20180313156) and Ding (CN115906318A)
Regarding claims 1 and 8, Steele discloses a downhole tool, comprising: an isolation system for placement at a junction between a first wellbore (12) and a secondary wellbore (12b) (fig 10), the isolation system including: an elongated tubular (200), the elongated tubular having an opening (opening of 200 @ 12b) connecting an interior of the elongated tubular and an exterior of the elongated tubular (fig 10); a slot (slot containing 230) located in the elongated tubular (fig 10), the slot spanning the opening and having an uphole no-go profile (130b) and a downhole no-go profile (130a) (fig 10); an isolation sleeve (230) located within the isolation system (fig 10), the isolation sleeve configured to slide within the slot between the uphole no-go profile and the downhole no- go profile to either isolate the interior of the elongated tubular from the exterior of the elongated tubular or provide access between the interior of the elongated tubular and the exterior of the elongated tubular (fig 10), the uphole no-go profile and the downhole no-go profile preventing the isolation sleeve from sliding out of the isolation system (fig 10); and a first (seal @ 130a, fig 10) and second I-shaped seal (seal @ 130b, fig 10) located in an annulus between the elongated tubular and the isolation sleeve (fig 10), the first and second I-shaped seals located on opposing sides of the opening (fig 10).
Steel is silent regarding the fact that the seal has a central member separating a first and second opposing members, the central member defining first and second fluid cavities, the central member and the first and second opposing members formed of a continuous piece of material.
Ding teaches the seal has a central member (2) separating the first (annotated fig 1) and second opposing members (annotated fig 1), the central member defining first (annotated fig 1) and second fluid cavities (annotated fig 1), the central member and the first and second opposing members formed of a continuous piece of material (annotated fig 1).
Before the effective filling date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Steele and Ding before him or her, to substitute the seal discloses by Steele with the seals taught by Ding in order to allow higher sealing performance (abstract).
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Regarding claims 9,16-17, and 24, Steele discloses a well system, comprising: a first wellbore (12) (fig 10); a secondary wellbore (12b) extending from the first wellbore (fig 10); wellbore casing (200) located in the first wellbore (fig 10), the wellbore casing having a casing window (opening @ 12b, fig 10) connecting an interior of the wellbore casing and an exterior of the wellbore casing (fig 10), the casing window located proximate a junction between the first wellbore and the secondary wellbore (fig 10); and a downhole tool positioned at the junction, the downhole tool including: an isolation system, the isolation system including: an elongated tubular (130a/b), the elongated tubular having an opening connecting an interior of the elongated tubular and an exterior of the elongated tubular (the space extending between the two fixed ends across element 230); a slot located in the elongated tubular (slots formed on the inner terminal ends adjacent seal/anchoring features, fig 10), the slot spanning the opening and having an uphole no-go profile (internal shoulder of 130b, fig 10) and a downhole no-go profile (internal shoulder of 130a, fig 10); an isolation sleeve (230) located within the isolation system (fig 10), the isolation sleeve configured to slide within the slot between the uphole no-go profile and the downhole no-go profile to either isolate the interior of the elongated tubular from the exterior of the elongated tubular or provide access between the interior of the elongated tubular and the exterior of the elongated tubular (fig 10), the uphole no-go profile and the downhole no-go profile preventing the isolation sleeve from sliding out of the isolation system (fig 10); and a first (seal @ 130a, fig 10) and second I-shaped seal (seal @ 130b, fig 10) located in an annulus between the elongated tubular and the isolation sleeve (fig 10), the first and second I-shaped seals located on opposing sides of the opening (fig 10).
Steel is silent regarding the presence of a seal with a central member separating a first and second opposing members, the central member defining first and second fluid cavities, the central member and the first and second opposing members formed of a continuous piece of material.
Ding teaches a seal with a central member (2) separating the first (annotated fig 1) and second opposing members (annotated fig 1), the central member defining first (annotated fig 1) and second fluid cavities (annotated fig 1), the central member and the first and second opposing members formed of a continuous piece of material (annotated fig 1).
Before the effective filling date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Steele and Ding before him or her, to substitute the seal discloses by Steele with the seals taught by Ding in order to allow higher sealing performance (abstract).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4-7, 10, 12-15, 18 and 20-23 are 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 01/27/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant states that Steele and Ding are silent regarding the fact that the uphole no-go profile and the downhole no-go profile preventing the isolation sleeve from sliding out of the isolation system. The examiner respectfully disagrees. In the current rejection, the no-go profiles have been identified in Steele reference as 130a and 130b. In fig 10, the isolation sleeve 230 is sandwiched between 130a and 130b and prevented from sliding out during that phase of the operation.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 DANY E AKAKPO whose telephone number is (469)295-9255. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am - 5pm.
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/DANY E AKAKPO/Examiner, Art Unit 3672
03/06/2026