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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments have resolved the drawing objections presented in the Office Action of 1/26/26.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the prior art rejection of claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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) 1-3 and 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Costa (US 20050015963 A1), in view of Maguire (US 20040040721 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Costa teaches a liner hanger system to be positioned within a wellbore, the liner hanger system comprising:
a first tubular (Fig 3a, tubular 10);
a second tubular (Fig 3a, tubular 28) configured to be positioned within an inner diameter of the first tubular (Fig 3a, at least a portion of 28 is within “an” ID of tubular 10 at 12/24).
While Costa teaches an expander (Fig 3a, 34) with a variety of different expanders useable in different directions (Para 0101, 0098), Costa is silent on the particulars of the first expansion tool and the first tubular including one or more setting features positioned along at least a portion of its outer diameter.
Maguire teaches the first tubular including one or more setting features positioned along at least a portion of its outer diameter (Fig 1, 122 has slip/buttons 124 is around a tubular, see Para 0029).
a first expansion tool (Fig 1, expansion tool portions at least 260 U and 260 L) coupled with a mandrel (Fig 1, mandrel 150 and 270), the first expansion tool and mandrel configured to be positioned within an inner diameter of the second tubular (Fig 1-3, mandrel is within ID of the uppermost expanded tubular portion which would be 28 as a modification to Costa), wherein the first expansion tool is configured to move in a first direction during a first stage expansion (Para 0044, “when the first row 260U of rollers 264 is actuated, the expander tool 200 will move in one axial direction”), wherein the first expansion tool is configured to outwardly expand the first tubular but not the second tubular during the first stage expansion (Para 0044, note that the first stage may be selectively defined such that it is during the expansion of the lower tubular 10 of Costa), wherein the first expansion tool is configured to move in a second, opposing direction during a second stage expansion, and wherein the first expansion tool is configured to outwardly expand the second tubular and the first tubular during the second stage expansion (Para 0064, “the second row 260L of rollers 264 is opposite that of the first row 260U, the expander tool 200 reverses direction and moves downward in the wellbore. During the descent, the expandable tubular 120 is expanded further as illustrated in FIG. 3.” Please note that the second stage may be selective defined such that it encompasses the reverse direction movement when the tubular section of 12/24 of Costa is expanded).
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 Costa by having each tubular have the setting features and using the expansion tool, and it accompanying operation configuration, as disclosed by Maguire. First regarding the use of the setting features, it would allow the tubulars to have enhanced sealing and gripping features with the wellbore tubular in which it is mounted (Para 0030-0031). Second, regarding the use of the expansion tool as disclosed by Maguire it would be beneficial because it “avoids the risk of uneven expansion of the tubular” (Para 0012).
Regarding claim 2, Costa as modified teaches wherein the first tubular is configured to couple with an inner diameter of a casing via the one or more setting features, and wherein the first tubular is configured to contact the casing during the second stage expansion (Para 0031 of Maguire, “slip member 124 is used to provide an improved grip between the expandable tubular 120U and the upper string of casing 110”, see also Fig 3 of Maguire, modified to include the expander and its operation configuration, the second stage may be defined to include subsequent operations of 260L in which the tubulars is brought into contact with the wellbore, see Para 0067).
Regarding claim 3, Costa as modified teaches a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to couple the second tubular to the first tubular prior to the second stage expansion (Fig 3a, locking mechanism 210 coupling during run-in), and wherein the first tubular and second tubular are stationary during the second stage expansion (Fig 3b, the first and second tubular 10 and 28 are in the same relative axial position).
Regarding claim 8, Costa teaches an apparatus to be positioned in a wellbore, the apparatus comprising:
a first tubular (Fig 3a, tubular 10);
a second tubular (Fig 3a, tubular 28) configured to be positioned within an inner diameter of the first tubular (Fig 3a, at least a portion of 28 is within “an” ID of tubular 10 at 12/24).
While Costa teaches an expander (Fig 3a, 34) with a variety of different expanders useable in different directions (Para 0101, 0098), Costa is silent on the particulars of the first expansion tool and the first tubular including one or more setting features positioned along at least a portion of its outer diameter.
Maguire teaches the first tubular including one or more setting features positioned along at least a portion of its outer diameter (Fig 1, 122 has slip/buttons 124 is around a tubular, see Para 0029);
a mandrel (Fig 1, mandrel 150 and 270, and expander 200 generally) configured to be positioned within an inner diameter of the second tubular (Fig 1-3, mandrel is within ID of the uppermost expanded tubular portion which would be 28 as a modification to Costa), wherein the mandrel includes a first expansion tool (Fig 1, expansion tool portions at least 260 U and 260 L), wherein the first expansion tool is configured to outwardly expand the first tubular but not the second tubular during a first stage expansion (Para 0044, “when the first row 260U of rollers 264 is actuated, the expander tool 200 will move in one axial direction”; Para 0044, note that the first stage may be selectively defined such that it is during the expansion of the lower tubular 10 of Costa), and wherein the first expansion tool is configured to outwardly expand the second tubular and the first tubular during a second stage expansion (Para 0064, “the second row 260L of rollers 264 is opposite that of the first row 260U, the expander tool 200 reverses direction and moves downward in the wellbore. During the descent, the expandable tubular 120 is expanded further as illustrated in FIG. 3.” Please note that the second stage may be selective defined such that it encompasses the reverse direction movement when the tubular section of 12/24 of Costa is expanded).
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 Costa by having each tubular have the setting features and using the expansion tool, and it accompanying operation configuration, as disclosed by Maguire. First regarding the use of the setting features, it would allow the tubulars to have enhanced sealing and gripping features with the wellbore tubular in which it is mounted (Para 0030-0031). Second, regarding the use of the expansion tool as disclosed by Maguire it would be beneficial because it “avoids the risk of uneven expansion of the tubular” (Para 0012).
Regarding claim 9, Costa as modified teaches wherein the first expansion tool is configured to move in a first direction during the first stage expansion (see movement from Fig 1 to Fig 2 of Maguire), and wherein the first expansion tool is configured to move in a second direction during the second stage expansion, wherein the second direction is opposite of the first direction (Para 0064 of Maguire, “the second row 260L of rollers 264 is opposite that of the first row 260U, the expander tool 200 reverses direction and moves downward in the wellbore. During the descent, the expandable tubular 120 is expanded further as illustrated in FIG. 3.”).
Regarding claim 10, Costa as modified teaches wherein the first tubular is configured to couple with an inner diameter of a casing via the one or more setting features, and wherein the first tubular is configured to contact the casing during the second stage expansion (Para 0031 of Maguire, “slip member 124 is used to provide an improved grip between the expandable tubular 120U and the upper string of casing 110”, see also Fig 3 of Maguire, modified to include the expander and its operation configuration, the second stage may be defined to include subsequent operations of 260L in which the tubulars is brought into contact with the wellbore, see Para 0067).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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
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