DETAILED ACTION
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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 11/17/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s argument is that the drive ring of Takunaga does not teach the amended limitations. Examiners notes that Takunaga is a teaching reference to show that scroll features on a drive ring is known in the art. In Takunaga, the scroll features are defined by elements 20 defined by adjacent grooves (Fig. 3). The primary reference Elcock disclosed the amended limitations; that is the drive ring (115a) surrounds and hold the rotating ring (114) (see. Fig. 1). The combination of reference teaches the amended limitations in claims 1, 6 and 10.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Elcock et al. (US 2021/0048035 A1) hereinafter Elcock in view of Tokunaga et al. (US 2022/0128092 A1) hereinafter Tokunaga.
Regarding claim 1 Elcock teaches a pump system comprising: a pump having a housing (104) and a pump outlet and that is driven by a rotating shaft (102) (Fig. 1; paras. 0052-0053); and
a mechanical seal assembly coupled to and surrounding the rotating shaft that seals a fluid in a chamber (112) of the pump so that liquid in the chamber exits the pump via the pump outlet, the mechanical seal assembly being disposed in the housing and including:
rotating and stationary rings (114, 116) (Fig. 1, paras. 0061-0062) configured so that the rotating ring rotates with the shaft and relative to the stationary ring;
and a drive ring (115a), wherein the drive ring surrounds and hold the rotating ring in a fixed relationship relative to the rotating shaft (Fig. 1; paras. 0055 and 0063).
Elcock does not teach the drive ring includes scrolled features on an outer diameter thereof that offset from a rotational axis of the drive ring by and angle.
However, Tokunaga drawn to a pump teaches a sealing assembly comprising a sealing ring (6), the sealing ring including scrolled features (15 and 20) (the scrolled are defined between adjacent grooves (16); (Figs. 2-3), on an outer diameter thereof that are offset from a rotational axis of the sealing ring by an angle (Figs. 2-3; paras. 0027-0030). The scrolled features are defined by grooves which generate dynamic pressure in the sealing assembly.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Elcock by providing scrolled features on the drive ring as taught by in order generate dynamic pressure in the mechanical seal (Tokunaga, para. 0027-0030).
Regarding claim 2, Elcock as modified by Tokunaga teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 1. Elcock as modified by Tokunaga further teaches the features are shaped as parallelograms (features 15 in Tokunaga, Figs. 2-3 are parallelogram shape).
Regarding claim 3, Elcock as modified by Tokunaga teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 2. Elcock as modified by Tokunaga further teaches adjacent features are separated by grooves (15; Tokunaga, Figs. 2-3).
Regarding claim 4, Elcock as modified by Tokunaga teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 1. Elcock as modified by Tokunaga further teaches the features extend beyond a front of the rotating ring drive ring (Tokunaga, Figs. 2-3).
Regarding claim 5, Elcock as modified by Tokunaga teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 1. Elcock as modified by Tokunaga further teaches a gland plate coupled to the housing such that it defines a cooling chamber (12, Elcock; Fig. 1) between the housing and the rotating and stationary rings, the gland plate including a flush inlet that is in fluid communication with the chamber (Elcock, annotated FIG. 1 below).
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Regarding claim 6, Elcock teaches a pump system comprising: a pump having a housing (104) and a pump outlet and that is driven by a rotating shaft (102) (Fig. 1; paras. 0052-0053); and
a mechanical seal assembly configured to be coupled to rotating shaft of a machine, the seal assembly comprising:
rotating and stationary rings (114, 116) (Fig. 1, paras. 0061-0062) configured so that the rotating ring rotates with the shaft and relative to the stationary ring; and a drive ring (115a) wherein the drive ring holds the rotating ring in a fixed relationship relative to the rotating shaft (Fig. 1; paras. 0055 and 0063).
Elcock does not teach the drive ring includes scrolled features on an outer diameter thereof that offset from a rotational axis of the drive ring by and angle.
However, Tokunaga drawn to a pump teaches a sealing assembly comprising a sealing ring (6), the sealing ring including scrolled features (15 and 20) (the scrolled are defined between adjacent grooves (16); (Figs. 2-3), on an outer diameter thereof that are offset from a rotational axis of the sealing ring by an angle (Figs. 2-3; paras. 0027-0030). The scrolled features are defined by grooves which generate dynamic pressure in the sealing assembly.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Elcock by providing scrolled features on the drive ring as taught by in order generate dynamic pressure in the mechanical seal (Tokunaga, para. 0027-0030).
Regarding claim 7, Elcock as modified by Tokunaga teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 6. Elcock as modified by Tokunaga further teaches the features are shaped as parallelograms (features 15 in Tokunaga, Figs. 2-3 are parallelogram shape).
Regarding claim 8, Elcock as modified by Tokunaga teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 6. Elcock as modified by Tokunaga further teaches adjacent features are separated by a trough (15, Tokunaga, Figs. 2-3).
Regarding claim 9, Elcock as modified by Tokunaga teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 7. Elcock as modified by Tokunaga further teaches the features extend beyond a front of the rotating ring drive ring (Tokunaga, Figs. 2-3).
Regarding claim 10, Elcock teaches a method of operating pump including a mechanical seal assembly, the method comprising: coupling the mechanical seal assembly to a rotating shaft (102) that drives the pump, wherein the mechanical seal assembly is coupled to shaft so that it surrounds the shaft and seals a fluid in a chamber of the pump so that liquid in the chamber exits the pump via a pump outlet (Fig. 1; paras. 0052-0053, the mechanical seal assembly including:
rotating and stationary rings (114, 116) (Fig. 1, paras. 0061-0062) configured so that the rotating ring rotates with the shaft and relative to the stationary ring; and
and a drive ring (115a), wherein the drive ring surrounds and hold the rotating ring in a fixed relationship relative to the rotating shaft (Fig. 1; paras. 0055 and 0063);
rotating the shaft to cause cooling fluid in a region near the mechanical seal assembly to rotate around the drive ring (Fig. 1; paras. 0055 and 0063).
Elcock does not teach the drive ring includes scrolled features on an outer diameter thereof that offset from a rotational axis of the drive ring by and angle.
However, Tokunaga drawn to a pump teaches a sealing assembly comprising a sealing ring (6), the sealing ring including scrolled features (15 and 20) (the scrolled are defined between adjacent grooves (16); (Figs. 2-3), on an outer diameter thereof that are offset from a rotational axis of the sealing ring by an angle (Figs. 2-3; paras. 0027-0030). The scrolled features are defined by grooves which generate dynamic pressure in the sealing assembly.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Elcock by providing scrolled features on the drive ring as taught by in order generate dynamic pressure in the mechanical seal (Tokunaga, para. 0027-0030). The modification discloses “rotating the shaft to cause cooling fluid in a region near the mechanical seal assembly to rotate around the drive ring due to the scrolled features”.
Regarding claim 11, Elcock as modified by Tokunaga teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 1. Elcock as modified by Tokunaga further teaches the features are shaped as parallelograms (features 15 in Tokunaga, Figs. 2-3 are parallelogram shape).
Regarding claim 12, Elcock as modified by Tokunaga teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 10. Elcock as modified by Tokunaga further teaches adjacent features are separated by a trough (15, Tokunaga, Figs. 2-3).
Regarding claim 13, Elcock as modified by Tokunaga teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 10. Elcock as modified by Tokunaga further teaches the features extend beyond a front of the rotating ring drive ring (Tokunaga, Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 14, Elcock as modified by Tokunaga teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 10. Elcock as modified by Tokunaga further teaches coupling a gland plate to a housing such that it defines a cooling chamber (12, Elcock; Fig. 1) between the housing and the rotating and stationary rings, the gland plate including a flush inlet that is in fluid communication with the chamber (Elcock, annotated FIG. 1 above).
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-8, 10-12 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Elcock in view of Roddis et al. (US 9,897,213 B2) hereinafter Roddis.
Regarding claim 1, Elcock teaches a pump system comprising: a pump having a housing (104) and a pump outlet and that is driven by a rotating shaft (102) (Fig. 1; paras. 0052-0053); and
a mechanical seal assembly coupled to and surrounding the rotating shaft that seals a fluid in a chamber (112) of the pump so that liquid in the chamber exits the pump via the pump outlet, the mechanical seal assembly being disposed in the housing and including:
rotating and stationary rings (114, 116) (Fig. 1, paras. 0061-0062) configured so that the rotating ring rotates with the shaft and relative to the stationary ring;
and a drive ring (115a), wherein the drive ring surrounds and hold the rotating ring in a fixed relationship relative to the rotating shaft (Fig. 1; paras. 0055 and 0063).
Elcock does not teach the drive ring includes scrolled features on an outer diameter thereof that offset from a rotational axis of the drive ring by and angle.
However, Roddis in the same field teaches a sealing assembly in a pump comprising a drive ring (113, 13) (Figs. 3 and 5), the drive ring including scrolled features (Roddis annotated FIG. 5 below), on an outer diameter thereof that are offset from a rotational axis of the sealing ring by an angle (Roddis, annotated FIG. 5 below). The scrolled features are defined by grooves (16, 15) which cause barrier fluid to flow in the same direction (Col. 6, line 45-Col. 7, line 3).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Elcock by providing scrolled features on the drive ring as taught by Roddis in order generate dynamic pressure in the mechanical seal (Roddis, Col. 6, line 45-Col. 7, line 3).
Regarding claim 2, Elcock as modified by Roddis teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 1. Elcock as modified by Roddis further teaches the scrolled features are shaped as parallelograms (Roddis, annotated FIG. 5 above).
Regarding claim 3, Elcock as modified by Roddis teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 2. Elcock as modified by Roddis further teaches the adjacent scrolled are separated by trough (Roddis, Col. 6, line 45-Col. 7, line 3; annotated FIG. 5 above).
Regarding claim 5, Elcock as modified by Roddis teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 1. Elcock as modified by Roddis further teaches a gland plate coupled to the housing such that it defines a cooling chamber (12, Elcock; Fig. 1) between the housing and the rotating and stationary rings, the gland plate including a flush inlet that is in fluid communication with the chamber (Elcock, annotated FIG. 1 above).
Regarding claim 6, Elcock teaches a pump system comprising: a pump having a housing (104) and a pump outlet and that is driven by a rotating shaft (102) (Fig. 1; paras. 0052-0053); and
a mechanical seal assembly configured to be coupled to rotating shaft of a machine, the seal assembly comprising:
rotating and stationary rings (114, 116) (Fig. 1, paras. 0061-0062) configured so that the rotating ring rotates with the shaft and relative to the stationary ring; and a drive ring (115a) wherein the drive ring holds the rotating ring in a fixed relationship relative to the rotating shaft (Fig. 1; paras. 0055 and 0063).
Elcock does not teach the drive ring includes scrolled features on an outer diameter thereof that offset from a rotational axis of the drive ring by and angle.
However, Roddis in the same field teaches a sealing assembly in a pump comprising a drive ring (113, 13) (Figs. 3 and 5), the drive ring including scrolled features (Roddis annotated FIG. 5 below), on an outer diameter thereof that are offset from a rotational axis of the sealing ring by an angle (Roddis, annotated FIG. 5 below). The scrolled features are defined by grooves (16, 15) which cause barrier fluid to flow in the same direction (Col. 6, line 45-Col. 7, line 3).
Regarding claim 7, Elcock as modified by Roddis teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 6. Elcock as modified by Roddis further teaches the scrolled features are shaped as parallelograms (Roddis, annotated FIG. 5 above).
Regarding claim 8, Elcock as modified by Roddis teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 7. Elcock as modified by Roddis further teaches the adjacent scrolled are separated by trough (Roddis, Col. 6, line 45-Col. 7, line 3; annotated FIG. 5 above).
Regarding claim 10, Elcock teaches a method of operating pump including a mechanical seal assembly, the method comprising: coupling the mechanical seal assembly to a rotating shaft (102) that drives the pump, wherein the mechanical seal assembly is coupled to shaft so that it surrounds the shaft and seals a fluid in a chamber of the pump so that liquid in the chamber exits the pump via a pump outlet (Fig. 1; paras. 0052-0053, the mechanical seal assembly including:
rotating and stationary rings (114, 116) (Fig. 1, paras. 0061-0062) configured so that the rotating ring rotates with the shaft and relative to the stationary ring; and
and a drive ring (115a), wherein the drive ring surrounds and hold the rotating ring in a fixed relationship relative to the rotating shaft (Fig. 1; paras. 0055 and 0063);
rotating the shaft to cause cooling fluid in a region near the mechanical seal assembly to rotate around the drive ring (Fig. 1; paras. 0055 and 0063).
Elcock does not teach the drive ring includes scrolled features on an outer diameter thereof that offset from a rotational axis of the drive ring by and angle.
However, Roddis in the same field teaches a sealing assembly in a pump comprising a drive ring (113, 13) (Figs. 3 and 5), the drive ring including scrolled features (Roddis annotated FIG. 5 below), on an outer diameter thereof that are offset from a rotational axis of the sealing ring by an angle (Roddis, annotated FIG. 5 below). The scrolled features are defined by grooves (16, 15) which cause barrier fluid to flow in the same direction (Col. 6, line 45-Col. 7, line 3).
Regarding claim 11, Elcock as modified by Roddis teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 6. Elcock as modified by Roddis further teaches the scrolled features are shaped as parallelograms (Roddis, annotated FIG. 5 above).
Regarding claim 12, Elcock as modified by Roddis teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 7. Elcock as modified by Roddis further teaches the adjacent scrolled are separated by trough (Roddis, Col. 6, line 45-Col. 7, line 3; annotated FIG. 5 above).
Regarding claim 14, Elcock as modified by Roddis teaches all the claimed limitations as stated above in claim 10. Elcock as modified by Roddis further teaches coupling a gland plate to a housing such that it defines a cooling chamber (12, Elcock; Fig. 1) between the housing and the rotating and stationary rings, the gland plate including a flush inlet that is in fluid communication with the chamber (Elcock, annotated FIG. 1 above).
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 MAXIME M ADJAGBE whose telephone number is (571)272-4920. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8-6.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NATHANIEL E WIEHE can be reached at 571-272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MAXIME M ADJAGBE/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745