TUBING EXPANSION TOOLS AND SYSTEMS
AND METHODS FOR LEAK DETECTION
FIRST OFFICE ACTION ON MERITS
This action is in response to the Applicant’s election of June 16, 2026.
DRAWINGS
The Applicant’s drawings have been considered and approved.
TITLE
The title has been considered and approved.
ABSTRACT
The abstract has been considered and approved.
SPECIFICATION
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. The Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which the Applicant may become aware of in the specification.
CLAIMS
In the event that the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the rationale supporting the rejection would be the same.
35 U.S.C. § 103
In accordance with 35 U.S.C. 103, 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 of this title, 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 8 - 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liao (5,705,737).
With respect to independent claim 8, Liao sets forth a system for testing pressure in a tubing system (see Fig. 3A), the system comprising:
an air input (11) coupleable to a source (P) of compressed air;
an air output (22) coupleable to a tubing system (221);
a valve (12) coupled to the air input; and
a pressure sensor (10) coupled between the valve (12) and the air output (22), wherein air flows from the air input to the pressure sensor (10) and through the air output (22) when the valve is open.
In addition, Liao sets forth the method of:
opening the valve (12);
receiving air through the air input (11) and the open valve (12);
closing the valve (12) when a specified criteria is met;
receive pressure level data from the pressure sensor (20);
determine a pressure level value for the tubing system (col. 3, lines 38+); and
determine whether a tubing system attached to the air output is sealed or leaking air based on the pressure level (col. 3, lines 38+).
However, Liao fails to set forth that a controller, having an electronic processor and a memory, is connected to the pressure sensor and the valve to carry out the method. Instead, Liao sets forth the manual control of the various valves and pressure sensors.
Nonetheless, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art armed with the Liao teaching to use a controller having an electronic processor to control the various valves and sensors.
The motivation being to monitor for leakage in a system where accessibility to the system is not practical.
With respect to claim 9, Liao sets forth that air received via the air input (11) and the open valve exits the air output (22) to the tubing system (221) to pressurize the tubing system.
With respect to claim 10, Liao sets forth that the pressure level data from the pressure sensor (10) includes multiple pressure level measurements over a time period and the determination of whether the tubing system attached to the air output is sealed or leaking air is based on the multiple pressure level measurements over time the time period (col. 3, lines 38+).
With respect to claim 11, Liao sets forth that the determination of whether the tubing system attached to the air output is sealed or leaking air is based on time passage or measured pressure level (col. 3, lines 38+).
With respect to claim 12, Liao sets forth a user interface (gauge face) to indicate results of the determination of whether the tubing system attached to the air output is sealed or leaking.
With respect to claim 13, Liao sets forth a communication interface (gauge face) to indicate results of the determination of whether the tubing system attached to the air output is sealed or leaking.
With respect to claim 14, Liao sets forth manual display gauges (10 & 20) and thus suggests a confidence level for the determination as claimed since the position of the needle within the gauge suggests the severity of the leak.
With respect to claim 15, Liao sets forth manual display gauges (10 & 20) and thus suggests a confidence level for the determination as claimed since the position of the needle within the gauge suggests the severity of the leak with a high pressure reading suggesting confidently sealed and low pressure reading suggesting confidently leaking.
With respect to claim 16, Liao fails to set forth that the system is connected to a temperature sensor and thus ambient temperature values from the temperature sensor are read or that corrections to the pressure level value are made based on pressure level values or ambient temperature values.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art armed with the Liao teaching to use a temperature sensor therein in order to compensate the measured pressure readings if the temperature is extreme in either direction due to the dependence of one on the other.
With respect to claim 17, Liao sets forth that the pressures sensor (10) is a gage pressure sensor that is capable of measuring atmospheric pressure depending on the setting of valve (12).
CITED DOCUMENTS
The Applicant’s attention is directed to the “PTO-892” form for the relevant art made of record at the time of this Office Action.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Any inquiry concerning this communication from the Examiner should be directed to Eric S. McCall whose telephone number is 571-272-2183. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Eric S. McCall/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2855
Prosecution Insights