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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 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.
CLAIM INTERPRETATION
The presence of claim limitations that are preceded by the phrases “wherein” often raises a question as to the limiting effect of the claim limitations (see MPEP §2111.04). The Examiner has interpreted the limitations following the phrase “wherein” as positively being claimed (i.e. the claim limitations are required and/or the claim limitations following the “wherein clause” limits the structure), where “wherein” is being used as a transitional phrase.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I shown in Figures 9-17 in the reply filed on July 2, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 8 and 16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species.
The claims recite “pivoting” which is discussed and/or shown in the following locations with regards to the following species: in ¶0106 with regards to Figures 24A and 24B (Species VIII), ¶0109 discloses pivoting as shown in Figures 25A and 25B (Species VIII), Figures 26 discussed in ¶0107 to have a curved or crowned surface, which is not specifically disclosed to pivot, but is believed to be able to pivot (Species IX), Figure 27 shows a position that have the connector is pivoted and discussed in ¶0110 that is believed to be able to pivot (Species X), ¶0113 discloses pivoting with regards to Figures 28 and 29 (Species XI ), ¶0116 discloses pivoting of the Species shown in Figures 30A and 30B (Species XII), ¶0119 discusses Figures 32A and 32B to pivot (Species XIV), and ¶0121-¶0122 discuss Figures 33A and 33B to pivot (Species XV).
The elected species I shown in Figures 9-17 are not disclosed to “pivot”, and therefore, the claims 2-4, 13, and 20 are also withdrawn as being directed to a non-elected species since these claims recite “pivoting”. Claims 2-4, 8, 13, 16, and 20 are withdrawn as being directed to a non-elected species.
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, 9-12, 14, 15, and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KUHN (U.S. Patent Publication US 2015/0167399A1). The Examiner would like to note, when stated below to see Figure 6 this would include Figures 6a, 6b, 6c that are not labeled but are on Sheet 4 of 10.
Regarding claim 1, KUHN discloses: a downhole assembly (see Figure 2, ¶0029), comprising:
a first shaft (12);
a second shaft (16); and
a drive connector (10, 14) (shown in Figures 1-8 and 12), coupled between the first shaft and the second shaft (see Figures 1, 3, and 6), wherein the drive connector is configured to permit an axial offset between the first shaft and the second shaft such that a central axis of the first shaft is radially offset from a central axis of the second shaft (see Figure 6), and wherein the drive connector is configured to transfer torque between the first shaft and the second shaft (see Figures 1, 3, and 6, see Abstract, ¶0003, ¶0004, and ¶0022).
Regarding claim 9, KUHN discloses: a downhole assembly (see Figure 2, ¶0029), comprising:
a first shaft (12);
a second shaft (16); and
a drive connector (10, 14) (shown in Figures 1-8 and 12) coupled between the first shaft and the second shaft (see Figures 1, 3, and 6) for transferring torque between the first shaft and the second shaft (see Figures 1, 3, and 6, see Abstract, ¶0003, ¶0004, and ¶0022), the drive connector defining both a first slidable connection between the drive connector and the first shaft permitting the drive connector to slide laterally relative to the first shaft along a first axis (see Figures 1, 3, 5A-5C and 6, where the drive connector has a key that is in a first direction, which is considered to slide the shaft along a first axis (see for example, Figures 5A and 5B that the key (41) on top is in a first direction that allows the first shaft to slide along), and a second slidable connection between the drive connector and the second shaft permitting the drive connector to slide laterally relative to the second shaft along a second axis (see Figures 1, 3, 5A-5C and 6, where the drive connector has a key that is in a second direction that is located on the bottom of (14), which is considered to slide the shaft along a second axis (see for example, Figures 5A and 5B that the key on bottom is in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and allows the second shaft to slide relative to the second axis).
Regarding claim 10, KUHN discloses: the second axis extends orthogonally relative to the first axis (see Figures 5A-5C).
Regarding claim 11, KUHN discloses: relative movement between the first shaft and the drive connector along a longitudinal axis of the first shaft is restricted (see Figure 5D that shows the sliding motion is restricted due to a triangular connection, ¶0025).
Regarding claim 12, KUHN discloses: the first slidable connection comprises a first groove and a first key slidably received in the first groove, and the second slidable connection comprises a second groove and a second key slidably received in the second groove (see Figures 1-6, ¶0025).
Regarding claim 14, KUHN discloses a downhole assembly (see Figure 2, ¶0029), comprising:
a first shaft (12);
a second shaft (16); and
a drive connector (10, 14) (shown in Figures 1-8 and 12) coupled between the first shaft and the second shaft (see Figures 1, 3, and 6) for transferring torque between the first shaft and the second shaft (see Figures 1, 3, and 6, see Abstract, ¶0003, ¶0004, and ¶0022), wherein a first slidable connection is formed between first shaft and the drive connector (see Figures 1-8 and 12, that shows the first slidable connection is between the first shaft and the drive connector) (see Figures 1, 3, 5A-5C and 6, where the drive connector has a key that is in a first direction, which is considered to slide the shaft along a first axis (see for example, Figures 5A and 5B that the key (41) on top is in a first direction that allows the first shaft to slide along the drive connector), the first slidable connection defined by a first groove and a first key slidably received in the first groove (see Figures 1-6, ¶0025); wherein a second slidable connection is formed between second shaft and the drive connector (see Figures 1, 3, 5A-5C and 6, where the drive connector has a key that is in a second direction that is located on the bottom of (14), which is considered to slide the shaft along a second axis (see for example, Figures 5A and 5B that the key on bottom is in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and allows the second shaft to slide relative to the second axis of the drive connector), the second slidable connection defined by a second groove and a second key slidably received in the second groove (see Figures 1-6, ¶0025).
Regarding claim 15, KUHN discloses: the first groove is formed in the first shaft and the drive connector comprises the first key (41) (see Figures 1, 3, 5A-5C and 6 that shows the first groove is formed in the first shaft, and that the drive connector comprises the first key (41) and ¶0025).
Regarding claim 17, KUHN discloses: the first key extends laterally along a first axis (see Figures 1, 3, 5A-5C and 6, where the drive connector has a key that is in a first direction, which is considered to slide the shaft along a first axis (see for example, Figures 5A and 5B that the key (41) on top is in a first direction that allows the first shaft to slide along the drive connector) and the second key extends laterally along a second axis (see Figures 1, 3, 5A-5C and 6, where the drive connector has a key that is in a second direction that is located on the bottom of (14), which is considered to slide the shaft along a second axis (see for example, Figures 5A and 5B that the key on bottom is in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and allows the second shaft to slide relative to the second axis of the drive connector).
Regarding claim 18, KUHN discloses: the first axis extends orthogonally relative to the second axis (see Figures 1, 3, 5A-5C and 6).
Regarding claim 19, KUHN discloses: relative movement between the first groove and the first key along a longitudinal axis of the first shaft is restricted (see Figure 5D that shows the sliding motion is restricted due to a triangular connection (“dovetail”), ¶0025).
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.
Claims 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KUHN in view of BARNES (Canadian Patent Publication CA 2748808 A1).
Regarding claim 5, KUHN discloses: the first shaft comprises a rotor of a progressing cavity pump or power section (¶0005, see Figure 16) and the second shaft comprises a drive shaft (the second shaft comprise a drive shaft that is used to rotate a bit (see Figure 2).
KUHN fails to disclose a slidable connector module.
Regarding claim 5, BARNES teaches: a slidable connector module (see Abstract, Page 2, and ¶0025 that discloses having a splined interface (44, 48) and that it is slidable (telescopically extendable) to connect to the drive shaft (lower shaft -40) that is connected to the drill bit (see Figures 1, 2, and 4).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have a slidable connector module in the downhole assembly of KUHN, in order to dampen axial vibrations and bit bounce (¶0006 of BARNES).
Regarding claim 6, KUHN further discloses: a thrust module (56) comprising:
a bearing shaft (16) (the bearing shaft is the above (50) that shows bearings surrounding the shaft) coupled to the drive shaft (the drive shaft is the shaft connected to the drive bit (72))
Regarding claim 6, BARNES further teaches: the drive shaft of the slidable connector module via an axially slidable connection configured to permit relative axial movement between the bearing shaft and the drive shaft, and wherein the axially slidable connection is configured to permit transmission of torque between the bearing shaft and the drive shaft (see the combination of KUHN in view of BARNES, where the combination results in the slidable connector module coupled to the drive shaft via an axially slidable connection (spline connection in BARNES (44, 48)) that is axially movable and slidable and permits transmission of the torque between the bearing shaft and the drive shaft (see Figure 2 of BARNES and ¶0025 and ¶0029); and
a thrust bearing (26) disposed radially between the bearing shaft (30) and an outer housing (20) of the thrust module (see Figure 2).
Regarding claim 7, BARNES further teaches: an end of the bearing shaft of the thrust module comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced splines (44) that are insertable into a plurality of circumferentially spaced grooves (48) formed in an end of the drive shaft (40) of the slidable connector module (see Figure 2).
Additional Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
BENSON (U.S. Patent 3,567,348) discloses multiple different drive connectors (see Figures 3-6, 8, 9, 11, and 14-15). BENSON specifically discloses the drive connector (16) with a key on each side (18a, 18b) that sliced in slots (14a, 14b) of shafts (13a, 13b).
CRASE (U.S. Patent 4,599.,056) discloses a drive connector (universal joint) (see Figure 3) that has keys on each side (81) that are orthogonal to one another (see Figure 3) and is used to connect two shaft portions (one connected to a pump via (5)) (see Figures 1-14).
FOOTE (U.S. Patent 5,078,650) discloses a drive connector (universal joint) (see Figures 17-19).
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARY DAVIS whose telephone number is (571)272-9965. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8 am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Essama Omgba can be reached at (469) 295-9278. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Mary A Davis/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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