DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: paragraph [0001] claims priority from U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 18/766,380. However, the referenced application has now matured into U.S. Pat. No. 12,345,100 and should be identified as such.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 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 of this title, 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 1-9, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stepchinsky et al. (US 20230417111) in view of Tran (US 20180340386 – see also issued patent (US 10648262) for better drawing clarity).
Regarding claim 1: Stepchinsky discloses a cartridge 100, 102 for retrieving one or more wellbore components (Figs. 1A, 1B, 3A-3F, 5; [0021], [0022]). Stepchinsky discloses a retrieval shoulder 130 configured to engage the one or more wellbore components to remove the one or more wellbore components from a wellbore (Fig.3A; [0028]). Stepchinsky discloses a coupling slot (slot for cartridge 160) configured to receive one or more mating features associated with the one or more wellbore components (Fig. 3A; [0023]). However, Stepchinsky does not explicitly disclose that the coupling slot is axially lower than the retrieval shoulder. Tran discloses a retrieval shoulder 215 that is at the upper end of the cartridge (Fig. 2; [0030]). Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art and the benefit of the cited art to have configured the cartridge of Stepchinsky so as to include a retrieval shoulder at the upper end of the cartridge (i.e. the coupling slot would be axially lower than the retrieval shoulder) as taught by Tran. As Stepchinsky and Tran are both directed to a cartridge associated with a running tool, as Stepchinsky discloses a retrieval shoulder (but at a lower position), as load bearing shoulders are well-known in the art, and as Tran explicitly teaches a loading shoulder above a coupling slot, it would have been within routine skill to have selected a specific positional relationship among desired structures from a finite selection of positional relationships and configurations (i.e. locating a retrieval shoulder above or below a coupling slot). Such a selection/addition and configuration would have been predictable with a reasonable expectation for success and no unexpected results.
Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses a contact surface extending a contact distance from an axis of the cartridge that is larger than a retrieval distance between the retrieval shoulder and the axis of the cartridge and a coupling distance between the coupling slot and the axis of the cartridge (Stepchinsky – Figs. 1A, 1B, 3A-3F, 5; Tran – Figs. 2, 7-12). Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses one or more axial flow paths formed through the cartridge (Stepchinsky – Fig. 3A; Tran – Fig. 2 – at least one path through the bore).
Regarding claim 2: Stepchinsky discloses an opening extending into a body of the cartridge and that the opening is configured to receive one or more keys to secure the cartridge to a running tool (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 3: Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses that the one or more axial flow paths are formed along an inner diameter of the cartridge (Stepchinsky – Fig. 3A; Tran – Fig. 2 – at least one path through the bore).
Regarding claim 4: Stepchinsky discloses that the one or more axial flow paths are configured to align with flow by passages of a running tool coupled to the cartridge (Fig. 3A – central flow bores are aligned).
Regarding claim 5: Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses that the contact surface includes a lower portion that is configured to sit on a cartridge surface of a running tool (Stepchinsky – Figs. 1A, 1B, 3A-3F, 5; Tran – Figs. 2, 7-12).
Regarding claim 6: Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses that the contact surface extends for an axial length that is greater than the coupling slot (Stepchinsky – Figs. 1A, 1B, 3A-3F, 5; Tran – Figs. 2, 7-12).
Regarding claim 7: Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses that at least a portion of the contact surface includes a surface treatment (Stepchinsky – Figs. 1A, 1B, 3A-3F, 5; Tran – Figs. 2, 7-12 - the claim is extremely broad with no definition of a surface treatment (claim or disclosure); Stepchinsky and Tran disclose a “surface treatment” in that the surface is at least machined).
Regarding claim 8: Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses a plurality of coupling slots, including the coupling slot, positioned at different circumferential positions about the cartridge (Stepchinsky – Fig. 3A; Tran – Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9: Stepchinsky discloses that the cartridge is a unitary component (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 18: Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses a wellbore system comprising a running tool 302 and one or more wellbore components to be installed into a wellbore using the running tool (Stepchinsky - Figs. 1A, 1B, 3A-3F, 5; [0021], [0022], [0040]). Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses a cartridge (Stepchinsky - 100, 102) configured to couple to the running tool (see above; Stepchinsky - Figs. 1A, 1B, 3A-3F, 5; [0021], [0022], [0040]). Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses the cartridge comprising a retrieval shoulder (Stepchinsky -130; Tran – 215) arranged along an outer portion of the cartridge to engage at least a portion of the one or more wellbore components to remove the one or more wellbore components from the wellbore (see above; Stepchinsky – Fig.3A; [0028]; Tran – Fig. 2; [0030]). Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses a coupling slot (Stepchinsky - slot for cartridge 160) configured to couple to one or more features of the one or more wellbore components to install the one or more wellbore components into the wellbore (see above; Fig. 3A; [0023]). Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses a contact face forming a largest outer diameter of the cartridge and circumferentially surrounding the running tool and one or more axial flow paths (at least the through bore) formed through the cartridge (see above; Stepchinsky – Fig.3A; [0028]; Tran – Fig. 2; [0030]).
Regarding claim 20: Stepchinsky, as modified by Tran, discloses an opening extending radially into the cartridge, the opening configured to align with a slot formed in the running tool to couple the cartridge to the running tool and a load shoulder formed on the running tool to receive and support the cartridge (Stepchinsky – Fig.3A-3F).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-17 are allowed.
Claim 19 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
Running tools are very well known in the art including various locking/unlocking configurations to couple a running tool to another wellbore component needing to be installed or retrieved. Also well-known in the art is to have protective collars (cartridges) on various tubulars and other wellbore components which prevent or reduce the wellbore component’s contact with wellbore walls and decreasing surface wear of the component. Representative art which appears close to the claimed invention includes Stepchinsky et al. (US 20230417111), Tran (US 20180340386), Tran (US 10648262 – cited for clearer figures), Twardowski et al. (US 20200318460), Siwak et al. (US 20230116845), Ford et al. (US 20020092656), Bergesen et al. (WO 2020071920 — see IDS), Telfer (GB 2573314 — see IDS), Queiroz et al. (US 20210010340), Larsen et al. (US 20240117713), and Nelson et al. (US 6302211). In general, this art, alone or in combination, discloses various recited features, including but not limited to, a wellbore, a running tools, various wellbore components, slots and load shoulders in the running tools, a cartridge surrounding a running tool, the cartridge mateable with the running tool slots and shoulders, the cartridge mateable to tools to be run, the cartridge having a contact face, and keys to couple the cartridge and the running tool. The art also generally discloses various wear collars for do9wnhole tubulars. However, this art fails to disclose or fairly suggest the specifically combined structural components and operations directed at running downhole components into a wellbore or retrieving the components from a wellbore. More specifically, the art fails to disclose or fairly suggest flow passages in both the running toll and cartridge that creates a flow path when the cartridge is coupled to the running tool. It could be argued that the individual structure is generally known in the art and thus, could just be assembled to disclose the claimed invention. However, the instant invention clearly and specifically recites structural relationships, steps, and combinations, which require a greater effort than just cobbling together known structures. Further, the claimed structures are sufficiently detailed to be distinguishable when configured as claimed. The examiner can find no motivation to combine or modify the references which would define a fully functioning apparatus as claimed in the instant application. Thus, it would not have been within routine skill to glean the specifically combined limitations of the instant invention, from the art, without the benefit of hindsight reasoning or extensive experimentation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TARAS P BEMKO whose telephone number is (571)270-1830. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00 (EDT/EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Coy can be reached on 571-272-5405. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Taras P Bemko/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3672
12/19/2025