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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wyatt (US 20230392472 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Wyatt teaches an apparatus for surge pressure reduction for installation of well casing with a convertible diverter device comprising:
a) a housing assembly having an axial internal passageway (Fig 6, 90,100), and a diverting flow path extending from the axial internal passageway through an outer surface of the housing assembly (Fig 6, 152);
b) the housing assembly being connected within a length of a workstring on upper and lower ends of the housing assembly (Fig 6, 32, see also Para 0026);
c) a closing sleeve releasably connected to the housing assembly (Fig 6-8, 160,168);
d) the closing sleeve having a first position where its lower end is above the diverting flow path (Fig 6-7) and a second position where the closing sleeve covers the diverting flow path (Fig 8), and seals are engaged within the housing assembly so substantially no fluid passes from the axial internal passageway through the outer surface of the housing assembly (Fig 8, 166, 162);
e) a frangible activation seat containing an axial hole therethrough (Fig 6, 162, see also Fig 9, Para 0035), which is configured to catch and seal to an activation plug (Fig 7-8, 84/184, Para 0037);
f) the activation plug is conveyed through the workstring to the convertible diverter device (Fig 7-8, Para 0037);
g) the frangible activation seat is releasably connected to the closing sleeve via a supporting sleeve so that hydraulic pressure applied above the frangible activation seat causes the frangible activation seat, the supporting sleeve, and the closing sleeve to move from the first position to the second position within the housing assembly (Fig 7-8, sleeve 170);
h) the frangible activation seat subsequently releasing from the closing sleeve so the frangible activation seat falls into an impact surface (Para 0038, impact/insert 169) so that the frangible activation seat breaks into small particles and the small particles (Para 0038), along with the activation plug, are moved through the workstring and well casing (Para 0038, Fig 9); and
i) leaving the convertible diverter device with an axial passageway that is about equal in diameter to the closing sleeve or the supporting sleeve, whichever is smaller (Fig 9, passage 140).
Regarding claim 2, Wyatt teaches wherein the frangible activation seat is glass (Para 0038).
Regarding claim 3, Wyatt teaches wherein the activation plug is a ball (Fig 7-8, 84/184, Para 0037).
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wyatt (US 20230392472 A1), in view of Copeland (US 3572451 A).
Regarding claim 4, Wyatt is silent on wherein the activation plug has an elastomeric outer layer.
Copeland teaches wherein the activation plug has an elastomeric outer layer (Column 3, line 24, “rubber coated nylon ball 40”).
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 Wyatt by having the activation plug have an elastomeric outer layer as disclosed by Copeland because such a sealing/elastomeric exterior would enhance the sealing capabilities around the seated drop ball.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wyatt (US 20230392472 A1), in view of Tunes (US 20220081992 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Wyatt teaches including an integrity verification device positioned below the convertible diverter device (Fig 6, 200), the integrity verification device comprising:
a) a verification housing assembly having an axial internal passageway (Fig 6, 102);
b) the verification housing assembly being connected within the length of the workstring on upper and lower ends of the verification housing assembly (Fig 6, 32, see also Para 0026);
c) a frangible verification seat containing an axial hole therethrough, which is configured to catch and seal to the activation plug (Fig 9, seat 204, see also Para 0039).
Wyatt is silent on the verification seat’s relative movement.
Tunes teaches d) the frangible verification seat is releasably connected to the verification housing assembly via a verification supporting sleeve (Fig 8a, sleeve 13 in housing 10) so that hydraulic pressure applied above the frangible verification seat causes the frangible verification seat and the verification supporting sleeve to move from a test position (Fig 8a-8b, test position seen) to an open position within the verification housing assembly (Fig 8d, open position seen);
e) the frangible verification seat falls into an impact surface so that the frangible verification seat breaks into small particles and the small particles (Fig 8c, impact surface 16), along with the activation plug, are moved through the workstring and the well casing (Fig 8d, Para 0080, 0084);
and f) leaving the integrity verification device with an axial passageway that is about equal in diameter to the verification housing or the verification supporting sleeve, whichever is smaller (Fig 8d, at least portion 13 within housing 10).
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 Wyatt by having the frangible seat and its functionality as disclosed by Tunes because it would be a simple substitution of the frangible seat and mechanism of Wyatt for that of Tunes to obtain the predictable result of allowing a frangible seat to retain a ball before breaking as intended in a wellbore environment.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Budde (US 10190397 B2) teaches a closure device is provided to close a surge pressure reduction tool disposed in a deviated wellbore. The closure device may include a tubular body, a fin, and a rupture disk disposed in the tubular body.
Allamon (US 20140008055 A1) teaches a multi-function diverter tool is disclosed that allows positive-indication opening and closing of the tool in a downhole environment.
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