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 .
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Coffey, U.S. 4,606,557.
Regarding claim 1, Coffey discloses a bend restrictor clamp (fig 1, well connector 10; col. 2, lines 12-25) having a receiving aperture (interior of lower body 16), a plurality of movable locking elements (lockdown dogs 38; col. 2, lines 40-48) and a plurality of springs (Belleville springs 46) biasing the plurality of movable locking elements (dogs 38) towards a radially inner position (col. 2, lines 54-58) wherein the locking elements have an inclined actuation face (inner tapered surface 38a; col. 2, line – 59 – col. 3, line 2).
As to claim 2, the reference discloses a connection flange (fig 1, flange at nuts and bolts 18, 20; col. 2, lines 20-25) an axial end of the bend restrictor clamp which is opposite the receiving aperture (interior of lower body 16).
As to claim 3, the reference discloses the locking elements (dogs 38) are movably arranged in channels (fig 1, lateral port 48; col. 2, lines 59-64), channel lids (fig 1, lockdown screw 42) at a radially outer end of the element channels (ports 48).
As to claim 4, the reference discloses the locking elements (dogs 38) have a pin (dog retainer bolt 40) extending through an aperture (counterbore 42) in the channel lid (screw 42) and the pin (bolt 40) extends beyond an outer surface (radial surface 42c, fig 4 is radially outward of central bore 42a) of the channel lid (lockdown screw 42) when the locking element (dog 38) is in a radially outer position (fig 4, the bolt is not in contact with the surface 42c).
As to claim 9, the reference discloses the receiving aperture (interior of lower body 16) is provided with an inclined guide face (fig 4, surface 16a is inclined or radially offset relative to at least the locking dogs 38).
As to claim 10, the reference discloses a main body (fig 1, bodies 12 and 16) that has a first main body part (12) and a second main body part (1) that are joined with a plurality of bolts (18).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH L THOMPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7037. The examiner can normally be reached Weekdays; 9:00-5:00, est.
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4 September 2026
/KENNETH L THOMPSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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