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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of the invention of Group I in the reply filed on 22 May 2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)). Claims 12-20 have been canceled by the amendment of 22 May 2026.
Claim Objections
Claims 4 and 7 are objected to because of the following informalities: in lines 1-2 of claim 4, “the second surface of the sealing body” should be replaced with --the second sealing body surface--; in lines 1-2 of claim 7, “the first surface of the sealing body” should be replaced with --the first sealing body surface--; in line 2 of claim 9, the term “sealing” between “the” and “guide” should be deleted. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 8 is 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 8 recites the limitation "the shoulder" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claims 1 and 3-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (US 2023/0265924).
Regarding claim 1, Kim, as indicated in the annotated figures below and the references herein, teaches a sealing cartridge (300/800/900, see fig. 4) for a hydroblasting tool (par. 2; fig. 1) comprising:
a sealing body (900) comprising a first through hole (922), a first sealing body surface, and a second sealing body surface;
a support (800) comprising a second through hole, a first support surface, and a second support surface; and
a guide (300) comprising a first guide surface delimiting an opening and a second guide surface disposed around the opening;
wherein the first through hole, the second through hole, and the opening are axially aligned and define a fluid passage; the first support surface connects with the first sealing body surface; the second support surface connects with the second guide surface; and the first guide surface connects with the second sealing body surface.
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Annotated Figure 3 of Kim for Claim 1
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Annotated Figure 4 of Kim for Claim 1
Regarding claim 3, Kim teaches the sealing cartridge described regarding claim 1, and further wherein the hydroblasting tool is a rotating nozzle (par. 4; fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, Kim teaches the sealing cartridge described regarding claim 1, and wherein the first surface of the sealing body has a frusto-conical shape (par. 32; fig. 3) and the first support surface has a shape corresponding to the frusto-conical shape of the first sealing body surface (par. 30; fig. 4).
Regarding claim 5, Kim teaches the sealing cartridge described regarding claim 1, and further wherein at least one part of the opening has a cylindrical shape and the second sealing body surface has a circular cross-section (figs. 1, 4).
Regarding claim 6, Kim teaches the sealing cartridge described regarding claim 1, and wherein a joint (960) provides a seal between the first guide surface and the second sealing body surface (fig. 4).
Regarding claim 7, Kim teaches the sealing cartridge described regarding claim 6, and further wherein the second surface of the sealing body comprises a shoulder, wherein the joint is disposed on the shoulder, as shown in the annotated figure below.
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Annotated Figure 3 of Kim for Claim 7
Regarding claim 8, Kim teaches the sealing cartridge described regarding claim 6, and wherein the joint has a toroidal shape (Fig. 3; par. 34 – joint is an “O-ring”, which is shaped like a donut, or “toroidal”) and the shoulder has a circular shape (see annotated figure above – the shoulder is radiused).
Regarding claim 9, Kim teaches the sealing cartridge described regarding claim 6, and further wherein the sealing body, the support, the sealing guide, and the joint are arranged coaxially with respect to a geometric axis (see fig. 4).
Regarding claim 10, Kim teaches the sealing cartridge described regarding claim 9, and further wherein the first and second support surfaces comprise circular shoulders arranged concentrically around the geometric axis (X), as shown in the annotated figure below. Both of these shoulders extend circumferentially about the central, longitudinal axis of the cartridge.
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Annotated Figure 4 for Claim 10
Regarding claim 11, Kim teaches the sealing cartridge described regarding claim 9, and further wherein the fluid passage is parallel to the geometric axis (see fig. 4).
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Schaer, III et al. (US 2012/0006910).
Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses the sealing cartridge described regarding claim 1, but not explicitly wherein the support is manufactured from a metallic material.
Schaer, III teaches a sealing cartridge (100, see fig. 3) comprising a sealing body (104) and a support (106), wherein the support is manufactured from a metallic material (par. 4; clm. 7).
It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the sealing cartridge of Kim to make the support from a metallic material, as taught by Schaer, III, since this was a material known to be suitable for this application (see Schaer, III – par. 4).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lendi (US 2019/0314875), Wright (US 8,573,599), and Hardy et al. (US 5,964,414) all disclose sealing cartridges having elements of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CODY J LIEUWEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4477. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8-5, Friday varies.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arthur Hall can be reached at (571) 270-1814. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CODY J LIEUWEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752
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