DETAILED ACTION
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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II, claims 14-19 in the reply filed on 21 July 2025 is acknowledged.
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 14-19 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.
With respect to claim 14, it is unclear what structure is being claimed in regards to the “coupling assembly.” The claim recites “the coupling assembly comprises:” and then nothing is further recited. Examiner’s best guess is that Applicant intended for the coupling assembly to comprise the threaded sleeve with the first set of threads on the first axial end and the second set of threads on the second axial end. However, as currently written, based upon the indentations, there is no structure related to the coupling assembly. For the purpose of examination, the limitation will be interpreted as the threaded sleeve is the coupling assembly.
With respect to claim 15, it is unclear if “at a first threaded connection” is located at the first set of threads of the threaded sleeve or if there are additional threads.
With respect to claim 17, it is unclear if “at a second threaded connection” is located at the second set of threads of the threaded sleeve or if there are additional threads.
Claims 15-19 are rejected for depending from a rejected claim.
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 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Page (US 2,534,528) in view of Shanks (US 2015/0048611).
With respect to claim 14: Page discloses a method for joining housing components, comprising:
assembling a connection, wherein the connection comprises:
an inner housing assembly (11, ; Figs. 1-3), wherein the inner housing assembly comprises
an upper housing (11), comprising a lower axial end (end of 11 near 21a in Fig. 2) and
a lower housing (90, 91, 92, 83), comprising an upper axial end (end of 91 that connects to 21 in Fig. 2)
a coupling assembly (21), wherein the coupling assembly comprises:
a threaded sleeve (21), comprising
a first set of threads (threads connecting 21 to 21a at 21b in Fig. 2) on a first axial end (Fig. 2); and
a second set of threads (threads connecting 21 to 91 in Fig. 2) on a second axial end (Fig. 2); and
a threaded split ring (21a; Col. 5, lines 19-32; Fig. 2) and
installing a packer assembly (61, 70, 75, 76) within the connection (Figs. 1-3; part 76 of the packer is within, i.e., radially inside of, the lower housing 83), and
placing the connection comprising the packer assembly inside an outer housing (B or 21 and 29; Figs. 1-3; the connection is radially inside of the outer housing).
Page does not disclose the connection is an other end connection. Shanks teaches it is known in the art to have either an other end connection or a standard connection (¶ [0014]). It would be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to substitute the other end connection of Shanks for the generic connection of Page with a reasonable expectation of success since doing so would perform the same predictable result of forming a connection between components.
With respect to claim 15: Page from the combination of Page and Shanks further teaches assembling the other end connection comprises threading the lower housing to the threaded sleeve at a first threaded connection (Fig. 2 shows the lower end of 21 threaded to 91).
With respect to claim 16: Page from the combination of Page and Shanks further teaches assembling the other end connection comprises stacking the upper housing on the lower housing (Figs. 1-3 show the upper housing “stacked” above the lower housing).
With respect to claim 17: Page from the combination of Page and Shanks further teaches stacking the threaded split ring on the upper housing (part of the threaded split ring, 21a, is “stacked” on the upper housing, 11, due to the shoulders) and threading the threaded split ring to the threaded sleeve at a second threaded connection (Fig. 2 shows the upper end of 21 threaded to 21a at 21b).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-19 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, 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:
The art of record does not teach or make obvious the configuration of (1) a housing anti-rotation key between the upper housing and the lower housing preventing relative rotation between the structures or (2) a backout prevention screw inserted through the threaded split ring to contact the inner housing assembly; in combination with the other claim limitations.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRISTYN A HALL whose telephone number is (571)272-8384. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Coy can be reached at (571) 272-5405. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KRISTYN A HALL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3672