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 § 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.
Claim 3 and 4 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.
Claims 3 and 4 recite “the movable seal component of the seal assembly” that lacks antecedent basis.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-12, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Hart et al. (20130175055 – Hart).
Hart discloses a wellhead, comprising:
Re claim 1:
a wellhead housing 44 (i.e., fig. 4, pgh. 32. “housing component of the well head”);
a passage 50, 74 (i.e., pghs. 34, 37, “passageway”) formed in or along the wellhead housing (i.e., figs. 4-8 depicts sleeve 40 with the passage 50, 74 positioned in the housing 44, thus it reads a passage formed in or along the wellhead housing);
a hanger 114 (i.e., pgh. 32, “tubing hanger”) configured to support a casing (i.e., tubing); and
a seal assembly 68 (i.e., fig. 5, pgh. 45, “seal”) configured to provide an annular seal across an annular space between the hanger and the wellhead housing (i.e., figs. 4 and 11);
wherein a movable seal component or the seal assembly 68 is configured to move relative to the passage 74 (i.e., figs. 5-8) to selectively enable a flow of fluid (i.e., pgh. 39, “passage way 74 to allow hydraulic fluid”), across the seal assembly via the passage (i.e., figs. 5-8 depict the passage 74 across the seal 68) .
Re claim 2, the movable seal component or the seal assembly 68 is configured to move relative to the hanger 114 to selectively enable the flow of fluid across the seal assembly 68 via the passage 74 (i.e., figs. 5-8).
Re claim 3 (as best understood, 112 issue), the movable seal component of the seal assembly 68 is configured to move axially (i.e., figs. 5-8) relative to the passage 74 to selectively enable the flow of fluid across the seal assembly via the passage.
Re claim 4, the movable seal component of the seal assembly 68 is configured to move radially (i.e., figs. 5-8) relative to the passage to selectively enable the flow of fluid across the seal assembly via the passage.
Re claim 5, an additional passage (bore of 54, i.e. pgh. 35, “The isolation sleeve 40 includes a generally cylindrical main body 54 defining a bore to allow flow of fluid (e.g., production fluid” through the isolation sleeve 40”) formed in or along the wellhead housing, wherein an additional movable seal component or the seal assembly is configured to move relative to the additional passage to selectively enable the flow of fluid across the seal assembly via the additional passage (i.e., figs. 5-8 depicts the additional passage across the seal 68).
Re claim 6, the movable seal component 68 wherein the movable seal component comprises a piston 70 (i.e., figs. 5-8, pgh. 37, “piston”)) a valve, or a plug, and the movable seal component 74 is configured to move relative to the passage 74 to selectively enable the flow of fluid across the seal assembly via the passage 74.
Re claim 7, the seal assembly 68 is integrated into the hanger 114 (i.e., figs. 10-11, pgh. 45, “an isolation sleeve 140 that creates the sealing mechanism 112 with the tubing hanger 114” – the sleeve includes the seal 68), and the movable seal component 70 is configured to move relative to the seal assembly 68 and the hanger to selectively enable the flow of fluid across the seal assembly via the passage 74 (i.e., figs. 5-8).
Re claim 8, the seal assembly is configured to move between a first axial position (i.e., figs. 5-6) and a second axial position (i.e., figs. 7-8) relative to the passage 74 and relative to the hanger 114 to selectively enable the flow of fluid across the seal assembly 68 via the passage 74.
Re claim 9, the seal assembly 68 is configured to move relative to the passage 74 to axially align the seal assembly 68 with the passage 74 to enable the flow of fluid across the seal assembly via the passage 74 (i.e., figs. 5-8).
Re claim 10, the seal assembly 68 is configured to move relative to the passage 74 to axially offset (i.e., figs. 7-8) the seal assembly 68 from the passage 74 to provide the annular seal across the annular space between the hanger 114 and the wellhead housing 44 (i.e., figs. 4-8, 11) to block the flow of fluid across the seal assembly via the passage.
Re claim 11, the seal assembly 68 is positioned axially between an inlet of the passage 74 and an outlet of the passage 74 while the seal assembly is axially aligned with the passage (i.e., figs. 4-8).
Re claim 12, the passage 74 extends through a wall of the wellhead housing 44 (i.e., fig. 4, the passage extends in the sleeve 40 that couples with a wall of the housing 44)
Claim 19:
a wellhead housing 44;
a passage 50, 74 formed in the wellhead housing;
hanger 114 configured to support a casing; and
a seal assembly 68 configured to move relative to the hanger between a first axial position and a second axial position within the wellhead housing 44 (i.e., figs. 4-8, 10-11);
wherein, in the first axial position, the seal assembly enables a flow of fluid across the seal assembly via the passage; wherein, in the second axial position, the seal assembly blocks the flow of fluid across the seal assembly via the passage and provides an annular seal across an annular space between the hanger and the wellhead housing (i.e., pghs. 6, 31, 43-45, figs. 4-8, 10-11).
Re claim 20, in the first axial position (i.e., fig. 5-6), the seal assembly 68 is axially aligned with the passage 74.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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) 13-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hart in view of Ford (20080006412)
Re claim 13, Hart discloses the flow of fluid (i.e., pgh. 39, “hydraulic flid to be routed”) but is silent on flow of fluid comprises cement returns. Ford discloses cement used in the same technical filed (i.e., pgh. 30, fig. 3B, “seal assembly 49 is actuated into sealing engagement between casing hanger 43 and bore 31 after flow by ports 51 are utilized during the cementing process”. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to try the system of Hart with cement as taught by Ford to effectively secure the system in the well.
Re claim 14, Hart discloses the method, comparing:
running a hanger 114 and a seal assembly 66, 68, 70 (of a sleeve 40, 140) into a wellhead housing 44; routing (i.e., pgh. 39) a flow of fluid across the seal assembly 68 via a passage 74 formed in the wellhead housing during a flow of fluid processing with the hanger and the seal assembly in the wellhead housing, and after the flow of fluid processing moving a movable component or the seal assembly 68 relative to the wellhead housing (i.e., figs. 4-8, 10-11) to block the flow of fluid across the seal assembly and to seal an annular space between the hanger and the wellhead housing with the seal assembly (i.e., pghs. 6, 9, 44-45, figs. 4-8, 10-11,) but is silent on cementing operations/processing. Ford teaches cementing operations/processing used in the same technical filed (i.e., pgh. 30, figs 1, 3B). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to try the method of Hart with cementing operations as taught by Ford to effectively secure the system in the well.
Combination of Hart and Ford further teaches,
Re claim 15, the seal assembly 68 is axially aligned with the passage 74 while the seal assembly (Hart) during the cementing operations (Ford).
Re claim 16, after the cementing operations (Ford), moving the seal assembly 68 axially relative to the wellhead housing 44 and relative to the hanger 114 to block the flow of fluid across the seal assembly 68 and to seal the annular space between the hanger and the wellhead housing with the seal assembly (Hart, figs 4-8, 10-11).
Re claim 17, after the cementing operations (Ford), moving the movable seal component 70 relative to the wellhead housing 44 and relative to the hanger 114 to block the flow of fluid across the seal assembly 68 and to seal the annular space between the hanger 114 and the wellhead housing 44 with the seal assembly 68, wherein the movable seal component comprises a piston 70, a valve, or a plug (Hart, figs 4-8, 10-11).
Re claim 18, the flow of fluid comprises cement returns (Ford, pgh 30).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art all shoes similar features to those of the claimed invention.
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/YONG-SUK (PHILIP) RO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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