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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the junction box having the electrical circuit and battery as disclosed in claims 1, 9 must be shown. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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) 1, 3 – 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ott et al (US 2005/0280334).
Ott et al discloses, regarding,
Claim 1, A system for converting vibrations to electrical energy, comprising: a mechanical device 33, 70 (see Fig. 3), wherein the mechanical device produces vibrations during operation or use [0042]; a flexible piezoelectric sheet [since the piezo bends, 0079], wherein the flexible piezoelectric sheet comprises; at least one protective layer 76, 78, a piezoelectric element layer 74, at least one electrode layer 75, each at least one electrode layer comprising an electrical connection point (see Figs. 3A, 3B), and an adhesive layer configured to attach the flexible piezoelectric sheet to the mechanical device 33, 70 [0008, 0049], wherein the piezoelectric element layer is configured to convert the vibrations into an electric charge [0046], wherein the piezoelectric element layer 74 is provided between a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer 75 (see Fig 3) such that the first electrode layer is physically separated from the second electrode layer (see Fig. 3), and wherein the at least one protective layer 78 is provided on an outer surface of the flexible piezoelectric sheet (see Fig. 3); and a junction box comprising an electrical circuit (rectifier 86 and electrical connections; see Fig. 4A) and battery (see Fig. 4A), wherein the junction box is configured to collect and store generated electrical energy, wherein the junction box is electrically connected by a first electrical connector to a first electrical connection point located on the first electrode layer 75 (top electrode) of the flexible piezoelectric sheet and by a second electrical connector to a second electrical connection point located on the second electrode layer 75 (bottom electrode) of the flexible piezoelectric sheet (see Figs. 4A, 4B).
Claim 3, the flexible piezoelectric sheet has a total thickness of less than 5 mm [0051, see Fig. 3].
Claim 4, the piezoelectric element layer has a thickness of less than 1 mm [0051].
Claim 5, the piezoelectric element layer comprises a Rochelle salt, a polymer composite, a polymer nanocomposite, a piezoelectric ceramic material, a piezoelectric crystal material, or a semiconductor [0048, 0049].
Claim 6, the flexible piezoelectric sheet comprises more than one piezoelectric element layer (see Figs. 3, 3A).
Claim 7, the at least one electrode layer comprises a conductive metal [0049].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 2, 8 – 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ott et al in view of Buchanan et al (US 6,011,346).
Ott et al discloses, regarding,
Claim 11, the flexible piezoelectric sheet has a total thickness of less than 5 mm [0051, see Fig. 3].
Claim 12, the piezoelectric element layer has a thickness of less than 1 mm [0051].
Claim 13, the piezoelectric element layer comprises a Rochelle salt, a polymer composite, a polymer nanocomposite, a piezoelectric ceramic material, a piezoelectric crystal material, or a semiconductor [0048, 0049].
Claim 14, the flexible piezoelectric sheet comprises more than one piezoelectric element layer (see Figs. 3, 3A).
Claim 15, the at least one electrode layer comprises a conductive metal [0049].
Claim 9, A method for converting vibrations to electrical energy, comprising: locating a mechanical device at site, wherein the mechanical device produces vibrations during operation; disposing a flexible piezoelectric sheet on the mechanical device, wherein the flexible piezoelectric sheet comprises; at least one protective layer, a piezoelectric element layer, at least one electrode layer, each at least one electrode layer comprising an electrical connection point, and an adhesive layer configured to attach the flexible piezoelectric sheet to the mechanical device, wherein the piezoelectric element layer is configured to convert the vibrations into an electric charge, wherein the piezoelectric element layer is provided between a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer such that the first electrode layer is physically separated from the second electrode layer, and wherein the at least one protective layer is provided on an outer surface of the flexible piezoelectric sheet; electrically connecting, to a junction box, a first electrical connection point located on the first electrode layer of the flexible piezoelectric sheet using a first electrical connector, wherein the junction box comprises an electrical circuit and battery, and wherein the junction box is configured to collect and store generated electrical energy; electrically connecting, to the junction box, a second electrical connection point located on the second electrode layer of the flexible piezoelectric sheet using a second electrical connector; harvesting the generated electrical energy and storing the generated electrical energy in the junction box; and providing the stored electrical energy from the junction box to a device requiring power located at the site (see rejection for claim 1 above since the method is disclosed mutatis mutandis).
The problem to be solved appears to implement using a piezoelectric device in a wellsite. Such implementation of using piezoelectric devices in a wellsite is well known. For example, Buchanan et al discloses, locating a mechanical device at a wellsite and using piezoelectric devices in the wellbore (column 1, lines 28, 29; column 4, lines 55 – 59; column 3, lines 59 – 67). Moreover, the power produced by the piezoelectric devices is used by a device requiring power located at the wellsite (column 4, line 65 – column 5, line 11).
Buchanan et al further discloses, regarding,
Claims 2, 10, the mechanical device comprise a flow limiter located at a well site (see Fig. 6; column 4, lines 55 – 59; column 1, line 28, 29).
Claims 8, 16, each of the at least one electrode layer has a thickness of from 1 mm to 2 mm since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to disclose the system/method as disclosed by Ott et al and to modify the invention per the limitations disclosed by Buchanan et al for the purpose of providing a simple, dependable, and maintenance free power source.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Julio C. Gonzalez whose telephone number is (571)272-2024. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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/Julio C. Gonzalez/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2831
September 24, 2026
