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 .
Drawings
Figs. 1-17B in the drawings are objected to because they are not clear and do not show the proper cross-hatching of the solid parts that are being shown in section. See MPEP 608.02 V (h) “Hatching must be used to indicate section portions of an object, and must be made by regularly spaced oblique parallel lines spaced sufficiently apart to enable the lines to be distinguished without difficulty. Hatching should not impede the clear reading of the reference characters and lead lines”.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 14, “the seabed” lacks proper antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6, 8, 10-12, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kelso et al. (U.S. 2014/0374116A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kelso et al. disclose a subsea tensioning system (200, figs. 11-14 and refer to para 0069) for tethering a subsea well control equipment (40, 41) and a subsea mount (212, see figs. 11 and 13; also refer to para 0070), the system comprising:
a tethering member (section of 240 being a rope extending from end 240a; for the remainder of the rejection, it will be mapped as 241; refer to para 0081) arrangeable to tether the subsea well control equipment (40, 41; see figs. 11 and 13) to the subsea mount (212; see figs. 11-13); and
a subsea tensioning apparatus (220) arrangeable to tension the tethering member (241; refer to para 0079), wherein the tensioning apparatus (220) comprises a chain block (220 is a chain block comprising chain section of 240 as shown in fig. 13 to rope 241; also refer to para 0081), whereby the chain block (220) is arrangeable to be coupled to the tethering member (241) and the chain block (220) is configured to apply a tension to the tethering member (241; refer to para 0079).
Regarding claim 2, Kelso et al. disclose wherein the chain block (220) comprises a load chain (chain section of 240 as shown in fig. 13 to rope 241; also refer to para 0081; it will be referred to as 240 in the remainder of the rejection), wherein the chain block (220) is configured to convey the load chain (240) to apply the tension to the tethering member (241; as shown in figs. 11-13).
Regarding claim 3, Kelso et al. disclose wherein the chain block (220) comprises a first coupling (end of chain 240 attached to rope 241; see annotated fig. 13 below) and a second coupling (see annotated fig. 13 below), wherein the first coupling is a movable coupling mounted on the conveyable load chain (refer to para 0076-0077) and the second coupling is a fixed coupling mounted on a fixed portion of the chain block (as shown in figs. 13 and 17).
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Regarding claim 4, Kelso et al. disclose wherein: the chain block (220) is arrangeable in a third arrangement where the first coupling (see above) is coupled the tethering member (241) and the second coupling is coupled to the subsea mount (212; as shown in annotated fig. above).
Regarding claim 5, Kelso et al. disclose where the chain block further comprises: a rotatable chain sheave (222; fig. 17 and para 0076), configured to convey the load chain (240; see fig. 14 and refer to para 0076-0077);
a gear assembly (225; refer to para 0077) configured to rotate the chain sheave (222; see fig. 17); and
an actuator (226) configured to actuate the gear assembly (225) in response to a driving input (refer to para 0077).
Regarding claim 6, Kelso et al. disclose wherein the chain block further comprises a brake (“locking mechanism 224; also refer to para 0076: “locking mechanism or brake”), wherein the brake is configured to inhibit back rotation of the chain sheave as the tension is being applied to the tethering member (see fig. 17; refer to para 0078-0077; 0083-0084, and 0089).
Regarding claim 8, Kelso et al. disclose the tensioning apparatus (220) further comprising a buoyancy aid to aid the buoyancy of the chain block and control the orientation of the chain block during use in subsea conditions (refer to para 0083: “subsea buoy”).
Regarding claim 10, Kelso et al. disclose wherein, when the chain block (220) is coupled to the subsea well control equipment (40, 41) and the tethering member (241), the subsea tensioning apparatus (220) further comprises: a tensioning mechanism (222) arranged on the subsea mount (212; see figs. 16-17);
wherein the chain block (220) and the tensioning member (241) are arrangeable to be coupled to respective ends of the tethering member (240; see fig. 13);
wherein the tensioning member (241) is configured to apply a pre-tension to the tethering member (240; refer to para 0079);
wherein the tensioning mechanism is configured to apply the pre-tension prior to the application of the tension to the tethering member by the chain block (refer to para 0079-0080); and wherein the pre-tension is less than the tension (para 0079: “greater or less than the corresponding tensile preload”).
Regarding claim 11, Kelso et al. disclose wherein the tensioning mechanism comprises a rotatable drum (222), wherein the rotatable drum is configured to reel-in the tethering member to apply the pre-tension to the tethering member (see fig. 17 and refer to para 0076-0077).
Regarding claim 12, Kelso et al. disclose wherein the rotatable drum (222)further comprises a drum lock (224) configured to inhibit back rotation of the rotatable drum as the pre-tension is being applied (refer to para 0076-0077).
Regarding claim 14, Kelso et al. disclose a subsea method of tethering a subsea well control equipment (40, 41; see fig. 11) under tension (see fig. 13 and refer to para 0079), the method comprising:
providing a subsea mount (212, see figs. 11 and 13; also refer to para 0070);
providing a tethering member (section of 240 being a rope extending from end 240a; for the remainder of the rejection, it will be mapped as 241; refer to para 0081);
providing a subsea tensioning apparatus (220), wherein the tensioning apparatus (220) comprises a chain block (220 is a chain block comprising chain section of 240 as shown in fig. 13 to rope 241; also refer to para 0081) configured to apply a tension to the tethering member (241; refer to para 0079);
arranging the subsea mount (212; see figs. 11-13) on the seabed (12; see fig. 11 and para 0036) in spaced relationship to the subsea well control equipment (see fig. 11);
coupling the chain block (220) to the subsea well control equipment (40, 41) or the subsea mount (212; as shown in figs. 11 and 13);
coupling the chain block (220) to an end of the tethering member (241; see fig. 13);
coupling the respective other end of the tethering member (241) to the respective other of the subsea mount or the subsea well control equipment (40, 41; see figs. 11 and 13);
wherein the respective other end of the tethering member (241) is directly or indirectly coupled to the respective other of the subsea mount or the subsea well control equipment (40, 41; see figs. 11 and 13); and
actuating the chain block (220) to apply tension to the tethering member (241; refer to para 0079).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-19 and 21-24 are allowed.
Regarding claim 18, Kelso et al. disclose a subsea tensioning apparatus (200, figs. 11-14 and refer to para 0069) for tensioning a tethering member (section of 240 being a rope extending from end 240a; for the remainder of the rejection, it will be mapped as 241; refer to para 0081), wherein the tethering member (241; refer to para 0079) is configured to tether a subsea well control equipment (40, 41) to a subsea mount (212, see figs. 11 and 13; also refer to para 0070) arranged on a seabed (12; see fig. 11 and refer to para 0036), the subsea tensioning apparatus (200) comprising:
a tensioning mechanism (220) configured to be arranged on the subsea mount (212) and coupled to an end of the tethering member (241; see fig. 13), wherein the tensioning mechanism (220) is configured to apply a first tension to the tethering member (241; refer to para 0079 and 0083); and
a chain block (220 comprises chain section of 240 as shown in fig. 13 to rope 241; also refer to para 0081) configured to be coupled to the subsea well control equipment (40, 41) and coupled to an other end of the tethering member (241; as shown in fig. 13).
However, Kelso et al. fail to teach that the chain block is configured to subsequently apply a second tension to the tethering member, wherein the second tension is greater than the first tension. Only one tension force is applied to both 220 and 180.
Claims 9 and 15-16 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Forster (U.S. 11,525,338B2), Maher et al. (U.S. 11,473,387B2), Cargol (U.S. 11,028,663B1), Maher (U.S. 2020/0003025A1), Kebadze (U.S. 2016/0251817A1), and Gutierrez (U.S. 9,284,806B2).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YANICK A AKARAGWE whose telephone number is (469)295-9298. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 7:30-5:30.
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, Nicole Coy can be reached at (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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/YANICK A AKARAGWE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3672
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