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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 1-14 and 16-24 objected to because of the following informalities:
In regards to claim 1, line recites “A pre-assembled cable assembly”, it should be –A cable assembly--.
In regard to claims 2-14, line 1, recites “An assembly”, it should be –The cable assembly--.
In regard to claims 16-24, line 1, recites “An assembly”, it should be –The cable assembly--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4-7, 9, 14-15, 17-18, and 24-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Frey (US. 2012/0100737 A1).
In Regards to Claim 1:
Frey teaches a pre-assembled cable assembly (Fig. 3) for a penetrator body or pothead (22), comprising:
at least one cable (39) located in a volume seal disc (51) is considered a volume in the penetrator body (22) and one that surrounds the cable (39) of the penetrator body or pothead (22); the volume around the cable (39) being encapsulated in a low temperature alloy. (Paragraph 15, The cylindrical shaped portion of the first insulator includes a plurality of integral annular boot seal retaining and support rings extending into the first bore to provide sufficient support to the boot seal during low-temperature operations in which the boot seal has not expanded into a portion of a volume of the boot seal cavity between adjacent rings of the plurality of annular rings)
In Regards to Claim 2:
Frey teaches an assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cable (39) includes a spliced electrical connection located a volume of the penetrator body or pothead (22) the volume around the spliced electrical connection being encapsulated in a low temperature alloy. (Paragraph 15, The cylindrical shaped portion of the first insulator includes a plurality of integral annular boot seal retaining and support rings extending into the first bore to provide sufficient support to the boot seal during low-temperature operations in which the boot seal has not expanded into a portion of a volume of the boot seal cavity between adjacent rings of the plurality of annular rings)
In Regards to Claim 4:
Frey teaches an assembly according to claim 1, wherein penetrator is a motor penetrator (16). (Paragraph 4, an electrical cable to an electrical submersible pump electric motor)
In Regards to Claim 5:
Frey teaches an assembly according to claim 1, wherein penetrator is a wellhead or packer penetrator. (Paragraph 4, an electrical cable to an electrical submersible pump electric motor)
In Regards to Claim 6:
Frey teaches an assembly according to claim 1, wherein there is included a tube (69) surrounding the cable (39), and end fittings which seal the tube (69) and seal around the cable (39).
In Regards to Claim 7:
Frey teaches an assembly according to claim 1, wherein lead rings (121) are included for metal-to-metal seals at tool and cable (39) junctions.
In Regards to Claim 9:
Frey teaches an assembly according to claim 1, wherein the volume is defined by a void space for a wellhead or packer penetrator (16).
In Regards to Claim 14:
Frey teaches an assembly according to claim 1, wherein the low temperature alloy is selected based on the desired melting point depending on the anticipated well bore (10) temperature. (Paragraph 33, operation at lower temperatures and/or before extensive well fluid contact. The desired volume of cavity 60 in relation to the volume of e.g. rubber or other sealing material forming the boot seals 51)
In Regards to Claim 15:
Frey teaches a cable assembly (Fig. 3) for at least one cable (39) includes a spliced electrical connection, comprising;
at least one spliced cable (40); and a splice tube (69) surrounding the at least one spliced cable (40), defining a volume between the cable (39) and the splice tube (69); the volume being encapsulated in a low temperature alloy. (Paragraph 15, The cylindrical shaped portion of the first insulator includes a plurality of integral annular boot seal retaining and support rings extending into the first bore to provide sufficient support to the boot seal during low-temperature operations in which the boot seal has not expanded into a portion of a volume of the boot seal cavity between adjacent rings of the plurality of annular rings)
In Regards to Claim 17:
Frey teaches an assembly according to claim 15, wherein there is included end fittings which seal the tube (69) and seal around the cable (39).
In Regards to Claim 18:
Frey teaches an assembly according to claim 15, wherein lead rings (121) are included for metal-to-metal seals at tool and cable (39) junctions.
In Regards to Claim 24:
Frey teaches an assembly according to claim 15, wherein the low temperature alloy is selected based on the desired melting point depending on the anticipated well bore (10) temperature. (Paragraph 33, operation at lower temperatures and/or before extensive well fluid contact. The desired volume of cavity 60 in relation to the volume of e.g. rubber or other sealing material forming the boot seals 51)
In Regards to Claim 25:
Frey teaches a method of disassembling a pre-assembled cable assembly (Fig. 3) for a penetrator body or pothead (22), the assembly having at least one cable (39) located in a volume of the penetrator body or pothead (22) and the volume around the cable (39) being encapsulated in a low temperature alloy, the method comprising remelting the low temperature alloy. (Paragraph 15, The cylindrical shaped portion of the first insulator includes a plurality of integral annular boot seal retaining and support rings extending into the first bore to provide sufficient support to the boot seal during low-temperature operations in which the boot seal has not expanded into a portion of a volume of the boot seal cavity between adjacent rings of the plurality of annular rings)
In Regards to Claim 26:
Frey teaches a method of assembling a cable assembly (Fig. 3) for a penetrator body or pothead (22), the assembly (Fig. 3) having at least one cable (39) located in a volume of the penetrator body or pothead (22) and the volume around the cable (39) being encapsulated in a low temperature alloy, the method comprising enclosing the assembly and applying pressurized fluid to the assembly via a pressure test port to confirm the integrity of seal. (Paragraph 15, The cylindrical shaped portion of the first insulator includes a plurality of integral annular boot seal retaining and support rings extending into the first bore to provide sufficient support to the boot seal during low-temperature operations in which the boot seal has not expanded into a portion of a volume of the boot seal cavity between adjacent rings of the plurality of annular rings)
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 3, 12-13, 16, and 22-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Frey (US. 2012/0100737 A1).
In Regards to Claim 3:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 1, Frey does not teach wherein cable is metal clad.
However, it would have been obvious to one have ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have cable is metal clad, since it has been held to be with the general skill of worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. To provide a method and pothead assembly for forming a seal around each one of a set of conductors extending down a well bore and into a motor housing of an electrical submersible pump. (Frey, Paragraph 11)
In Regards to Claim 12:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 1, Frey does not teach wherein the low temperature alloy is bismuth or a bismuth alloy.
However, it would have been obvious to one have ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have low temperature alloy is bismuth or a bismuth alloy, since it has been held to be with the general skill of worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. To provide a method and pothead assembly for forming a seal around each one of a set of conductors extending down a well bore and into a motor housing of an electrical submersible pump. (Frey, Paragraph 11)
In Regards to Claim 13:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 1, Frey does not teach wherein the low temperature alloy is lead.
However, it would have been obvious to one have ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have the low temperature alloy is lead, since it has been held to be with the general skill of worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. To provide a method and pothead assembly for forming a seal around each one of a set of conductors extending down a well bore and into a motor housing of an electrical submersible pump. (Frey, Paragraph 11)
In Regards to Claim 16:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 15, Frey does not teach wherein cable is metal clad.
However, it would have been obvious to one have ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have cable is metal clad, since it has been held to be with the general skill of worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. To provide a method and pothead assembly for forming a seal around each one of a set of conductors extending down a well bore and into a motor housing of an electrical submersible pump. (Frey, Paragraph 11)
In Regards to Claim 22:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 15, Frey does not teach wherein the low temperature alloy is bismuth or a bismuth alloy.
However, it would have been obvious to one have ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have low temperature alloy is bismuth or a bismuth alloy, since it has been held to be with the general skill of worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. To provide a method and pothead assembly for forming a seal around each one of a set of conductors extending down a well bore and into a motor housing of an electrical submersible pump. (Frey, Paragraph 11)
In Regards to Claim 23:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 15, Frey does not teach wherein the low temperature alloy is lead.
However, it would have been obvious to one have ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have the low temperature alloy is lead, since it has been held to be with the general skill of worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. To provide a method and pothead assembly for forming a seal around each one of a set of conductors extending down a well bore and into a motor housing of an electrical submersible pump. (Frey, Paragraph 11)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 10-11, and 19-21 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NADER J ALHAWAMDEH whose telephone number is (571)270-0571. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9Am - 6Pm EST.
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/NADER J ALHAWAMDEH/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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