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 .
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 allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). 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, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 6/11/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 3-6, 9, 10, 12, 27-29, 31, 33, and 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hallundbaek et a. (US 9,322,244).
Regarding claims 1, 3-6, 9, 10, 12, 27-29, 31, 33, and 34, Hallundbaek teaches (claims 1 and 28) a manifold 4 (fig. 6A) configured to circumscribe a tubular 12 which includes a flow control device 29 (fig. 7), the manifold comprising a plurality of circumferentially arranged inlet ports 22 for receiving a fluid into the manifold; and a fluid outlet 24 to be arranged in communication with the flow control device to, in use, communicate fluid from the manifold to the flow control device; (claims 3-6) wherein the inlet ports 22 each have substantially the same flow area; wherein the manifold is formed of a conduit; wherein the manifold fully or partially circumscribes the tubular (manifold fully circumscribes the tubular); wherein the manifold defines a manifold flow path therein (flow path including between the inlet and outlet), the plurality of inlet ports 22 opening into said manifold flow path; (claims 9, 10, and 12) configured to be immersed in a wellbore fluid within a wellbore annulus (a production casing in the well; col. 1, lines 32-34); an outlet arrangement 8 fluidly connected to the manifold and defining the fluid outlet 24; wherein the outlet arrangement comprises an extended flow conduit (“extended” to the extent of applicant’s conduit); (claim 27) wherein the fluid intake system comprises a temporary barrier 29 to prevent or minimize flow into the fluid intake system while the barrier is in place (valve 29 prevents flow); (claims 29 and 33) wherein the flow control device comprises an inlet 22, an outlet 34, and a flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the fluid intake system is in fluid communication with the inlet of the flow path (the inlet 22 is the inlet into the system and the inlet of the valve member 29); (claim 31) wherein the flow control device 29 comprises a control arrangement 30, 33 for controlling flow through the flow control device, wherein the fluid intake system is in fluid and/or pressure communication with the control arrangement; (claim 34) wherein the fluid intake system is in communication with both the inlet 22 and the control arrangement 30, 33 of the flow control device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 41 and 43 are allowed.
Claims 2, 7, 8, 11, 13-26, 30, 32, and 35-38 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Hallundbaek et al. fails to disclose (claim 2) wherein the inlet ports are evenly circumferentially distributed on or about the manifold; (claims 7 and 8) wherein the manifold flow path extends between closed ends; (claim 11) wherein the outlet arrangement comprises a flow cap; (claim 13) wherein the extended flow conduit at least partially circumscribes the tubular; (claims 14 and 15) wherein the extended flow conduit is provided in at least one of a coiled or serpentine form; wherein the extended flow conduit is configured to manipulate a characteristic of the fluid flowing from the manifold to the outlet; (claim 28) a pressure controller; (claims 22, 37, and 38) a coating; (claim 30) the valve member being moved in a reverse direction; (claim 32) a sealed pilot chamber; (claim 35) a second fluid intake system; (claim 41) a second fluid intake; (claim 43) a pressure controller.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to P. MACADE NICHOLS whose telephone number is (571)270-5428. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:00-5:00 P.M..
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/P. MACADE NICHOLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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