DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claims 1-7 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, “the crack” of line 19 lacks a proper antecedent basis;
Regarding claim 1, “the lining” of lines 33-34 lacks a proper antecedent basis;
Regarding claim 7, “the inner cavity drainage joint” of lines 9-10 lacks a proper antecedent basis;
Regarding claim 7, “the crack” in line 28 lacks a proper antecedent basis;
Regarding claim 7, “the steel bar” in line 31 lacks a proper antecedent basis;
Regarding claim 7, “the lining” in line 31 lacks a proper antecedent basis.
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.
Claims 1-7 are 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.
Regarding claim 1, the claim recites “reinforced concrete lining pressure tunnel with prefabricated crack” in lines 1-2, “a reinforced concrete lining with a prefabricated crack” in line 3, “the reinforced concrete lining” in line 22, “the reinforced concrete lining with the prefabricated crack” in line 26, and multiple instances of “the crack” (e.g., line 19). The lack of consistency regarding the nomenclature of these structural elements makes the scope of the claim indefinite, because it is not clear if the prefabricated crack is also the crack, for example, or the reinforced concrete lining with predetermined crack is the same as the reinforced concrete lining. The crack issue is also present in claims 3, 5, and 7.
Further regarding claim 1, recitation of “the lining” in lines 33-34 and “a pressure tunnel lining” in lines 41-42 makes the scope of the claim indefinite, because it is not clear if the lining and the pressure tunnel lining the same as the previously recited reinforced concrete lining with prefabricated crack, or separate and distinct linings. The lining issue is also present in claims 3 and 7.
Regarding claim 2, the scope of the claim is indefinite because it is not clear if the “a crack” of line 6 is the same as the prefabricated crack or the crack recited in claim 1, or a separate and distinct crack.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 7 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, and the claim objections set forth in this Office action. Claims 3-6 would also be allowable if the rejections of and objections to claim 1 are overcome.
Claim 2 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, and the claim objections set forth in this Office action and to include 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:
Regarding claim 1, the claim is deemed to be directed to a nonobvious difference over CN 110082218 A. Claim 1 comprises a cylindrical body, a reinforced concrete lining with a prefabricated crack, a surrounding rock, a geotextile, a front flange, a rear flange, and monitoring instruments; wherein the cylindrical body is a rigid metal cylinder, and a wall thickness dthreshold of the cylindrical body satisfies the following requirements: dthreshold≥1.05d, wherein the surrounding rock abuts against an inner wall of the cylindrical body, the reinforced concrete lining with prefabricated crack is provided on an inner side of the surrounding rock, and the front flange and the rear flange are respectively fixed to both ends of the cylindrical body to form a closed internal water loading cavity capable of being filled and drained; wherein the monitoring instruments include a crack gauge configured to monitor a change in a width of the crack during the filling and draining process, a reinforcement meter, a strain gauge, an osmometer, and a soil pressure gauge that are each configured to monitor an operation condition in the pressure tunnel, and the monitoring instruments are provided in an inner wall of the crack, in the reinforced concrete lining, and between the reinforced concrete lining and the surrounding rock, so as to optimize the testing of concrete lining in tunnels.
Regarding claim 7, the claim is deemed to be directed to a nonobvious difference over CN 110082218 A. Claim 7 comprises a cylindrical body, a reinforced concrete lining with a prefabricated crack, a surrounding rock, a geotextile, a front flange, a rear flange, and monitoring instruments; wherein the cylindrical body is a rigid metal cylinder, and a wall thickness dthreshold of the cylindrical body satisfies the following requirements: dthreshold≥1.05d, wherein the surrounding rock abuts against an inner wall of the cylindrical body, the reinforced concrete lining with prefabricated crack is provided on an inner side of the surrounding rock, and the front flange and the rear flange are respectively fixed to both ends of the cylindrical body to form a closed internal water loading cavity capable of being filled and drained; wherein the monitoring instruments include a crack gauge configured to monitor a change in a width of the crack during the filling and draining process, a reinforcement meter, a strain gauge, an osmometer, and a soil pressure gauge that are each configured to monitor an operation condition in the pressure tunnel, and the monitoring instruments are provided in an inner wall of the crack, in the reinforced concrete lining, and between the reinforced concrete lining and the surrounding rock, and filling and draining water into an internal water loading cavity formed by the test device step by step to simulate an operating state of water pressure loading and unloading in the pressure tunnel; connecting a pressurized water pump to an internal water loading joint of the front flange, filling the internal water loading cavity with water step by step, and opening the inner cavity drainage joint of the rear flange to drain the water step by step when step-by-step filling stage is completed; wherein a number of water filling steps, a total number of water filling steps, and a total number of filling and drainage steps when the water filling pressure is 0.5Mpa are as follows
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166
358
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, so as to optimize the testing of concrete lining in tunnels.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20110187394 A1 discloses a method for determining damaged faulty and/or weak points in a structural seal. The seal is provided with an electrically conductive layer arranged inside or outside the structural seal and extends over substantially the entire surface of the structural seal and to which layer an electrical test voltage is applied. To establish the damaged, faulty and/or weak points, a further electrically conductive layer is used, which is electrically separated from the aforementioned electrically conductive layer by the structural seal and extends over substantially the entire surface of the structural seal. The level of the test voltage between the electrically conductive layers charged with voltage is selected such that when at least one electrically non-conductive damaged, faulty and/or weak point is present in the structural seal, the electrical disruptive strength is exceeded and an electric spark or arc is formed at the location of the damaged, faulty and/or weak point.
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/LEO T HINZE/
Patent Examiner
AU 2853
13 June 2026
/STEPHEN D MEIER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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