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
Claims 11-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 8/26/26.
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 and 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Turner (US 20120228028 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Turner teaches a system for damping oscillations in a drill string for use in a wellbore comprising:
a pipe string (Fig 4, 70); and
a damping system (see following elements, generally 10’) comprising,
a sleeve selectively rotatable around a portion of the pipe string (Fig 4, sleeved portion of housing 90, excluding coupling unit below) and selectively engaged to a sidewall of the wellbore (see e.g. Fig 4), and
a coupling unit configured to vary a coupling strength between the pipe string and the sleeve (Fig 4, portion 84/85/87, see Para 0046-0048).
Regarding claim 2, Turner teaches wherein the coupling unit comprises one or more magnets (Fig 4, magnets 84/85) and an electrical conduit (Para 0048, electrical connection from power source 72, controlled by processor 33), and the variation of the coupling strength is caused by varying an electrical current through the electrical conduit (Para 0048, 0050, “controlling the current to the electromagnets 84, 85”).
Regarding claim 3, Turner teaches one or more ribs on an outer surface of the sleeve that project towards the sidewall of the wellbore (Fig 4, ribs 74).
Regarding claim 7, Turner teaches wherein the coupling unit comprises a coupling selected from the group consisting of a brake type coupling and a magnetic coupling (Fig 4, portion 84/85/87, see Para 0046-0048, magnetic coupling).
Regarding claim 8, Turner teaches wherein the coupling unit comprises a magnetorheological fluid, wherein the coupling strength is varied by energizing the magnetorheological fluid (Para 0048, 0050).
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(s) 4-6 and 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Turner (US 20120228028 A1), in view of Hohl (US 20230193740 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Turner teaches wherein the damping system comprises determination means indicative of a vibration of the system in the wellbore (Para 0050, “if the processor 33 determines that the torsional vibration has exceeded a threshold”) and wherein the coupling unit varies the coupling strength in response to the vibration threshold (Para 0050).
Turner is not explicit on determination means is a sensor for sensing a vibration parameter.
Hohl teaches a sensor for sensing a vibration parameter (Abstract, Para 0006, load sensor(s)).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Turner by having the sensor(s) for sensing a vibration parameter, and the accompanying processing to determine the vibration, as disclosed by Hohl because it offers an “improved means for determining and/or estimating downhole vibrations” (Para 0005).
Regarding claim 5, Turner teaches a controller in communication with the sensor, the controller configured to initiate the coupling unit to vary the coupling strength based on the sensed vibration parameter (Para 0050, “if the processor 33 determines that the torsional vibration has exceeded a threshold”, note the modification with Hohl in the parent claim which teaches the processor to which the sensor information is transmitted, see Para 0038).
Regarding claim 6, Turner teaches wherein the controller is configured to split the sensed vibration parameter in a first and second vibration portion having a frequency from a first and second frequency range, respectively (Fig 5 of Hohl, Para 0100 process implemented via processors. See frequency ranges of Fig 6B).
Regarding claim 9, Turner teaches wherein at least one of the first and second frequency range is a discrete frequency value (Fig 5 of Hohl, Para 0100 process implemented via processors. See frequency ranges of Fig 6B with discrete values).
Regarding claim 10, Turner teaches wherein at least one of the first and second frequency range is a static frequency component (Fig 5 of Hohl, Para 0100 process implemented via processors. See frequency ranges of Fig 6B with static component, e.g. near zero, see Para 0121).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Shen (US 20230142360 A1) teaches a torsional damping system includes a housing having an interior space. An inertia ring is located in the interior space, and a torsion fluid is located between the inertia ring and the housing.
Watkins (US 20100139977 A1) teaches an active vibration control device improves drilling by actively applying a dampening profile and/or a controlled vibration to a drill string and/or bottomhole assembly (BHA).
Gajji (US 20150259989 A1) teaches a well tool apparatus for damping torsional vibration of a drill string comprises stabilizing members projecting radially outwards from a housing that is, in operation, rotationally integrated in the drill string, to stabilize the drill string by engagement with a borehole wall.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THEODORE N YAO whose telephone number is (571)272-8745. The examiner can normally be reached typically 8am-4pm ET.
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/THEODORE N YAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676
