US 12152582

Here's a concise summary of US patent 12152582:

US Patent 12152582 - Summary

• Title: Fluid end assembly
• Assignee: Kerr Machine Co
• Inventors: Kelcy Jake Foster, Mark S. Nowell, Brandon Scott Ayres, Christopher Todd Barnett
• Filing Date: 2023-05-22
• Issue Date: 2024-11-26
• Abstract: A fluid end where fluid flow bores are sealed without threading a retaining nut into the bore walls. The assembly utilizes various kits, each comprising a fluid end body, a component, a retainer element, and a fastening system. The retainer element secures the component within the bores, and the fastening system attaches the retainer element to the body. Fastening systems may include externally threaded studs, washers, and nuts, or a plurality of screws.

Independent Claims Overview:
The provided patent text does not include the enumerated claims. Therefore, a plain-language overview of each independent claim cannot be provided from the authoritative text.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
A search of CAFC 2026 dockets for US patent 12152582 did not yield any results. However, the patent status information indicates a PTAB case, PGR2025-00031, was filed and is currently pending and instituted. This PTAB case is not a CAFC docket.

Uncertainty: The full text provided did not contain the patent claims, so the claim analysis is incomplete.
Note: The patent status on Google Patents indicates the patent is "Active" and has an "Anticipated expiration" date of 2038-07-13.The user is asking for specific patent information about US12152582 and to search CAFC dockets. I have already extracted most of the patent information from the provided text. The critical missing piece is the independent claims. The provided text does not include the claims section. I need to explicitly state this.

I also need to search CAFC dockets for the patent. I have already determined that the provided text mentions a PTAB case (PGR2025-00031), but not a CAFC case. Therefore, I need to perform a live search for CAFC dockets.

Updated Plan:

1. Present extracted patent information: Title, Assignee, Inventors, Filing Date, Issue Date, Abstract. (Already identified from the provided text).
2. Address independent claims: Clearly state that the claims are not present in the provided authoritative text, and therefore cannot be summarized.
3. Search CAFC 2026 dockets for US12152582: Perform a google_search for this specific query.
4. Synthesize and present the results, citing the provided patent text for the patent details and any search results for the CAFC dockets.Here's a concise summary of US patent 12152582:

US Patent 12152582B2 - Fluid end assembly

• Title: Fluid end assembly
• Assignee: Kerr Machine Co
• Inventors: Kelcy Jake Foster, Mark S. Nowell, Brandon Scott Ayres, Christopher Todd Barnett
• Filing Date: 2023-05-22
• Issue Date: 2024-11-26
• Abstract: "A fluid end having its fluid flow bores sealed without threading a retaining nut into the walls of each bore. The fluid ends may be assembled using a plurality of different kits that each comprise a fluid end body, a component, a retainer element, and a fastening system. The retainer element holds the component within each of the bores formed in the fluid end body and the fastening system secures the retainer element to the body. The fastening system comprises a plurality of externally threaded studs, washers and nuts in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the fastening system comprises a plurality of screws."

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:
The provided "Full patent text" for US12152582B2 does not include the detailed claims section. Therefore, a plain-language overview of each independent claim cannot be provided from the authoritative source.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
A search for US12152582 in CAFC 2026 dockets did not return any specific case records for this patent. The search results provide general information about the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) case records and filing procedures, but no indication of litigation involving patent 12152582.

However, the Google Patents information for US12152582 indicates that a PTAB case, PGR2025-00031, was filed and is currently pending and instituted, with Unified Patents as the petitioner. This is a Post-Grant Review (PGR) proceeding at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), not a case before the CAFC.

Based on the search results, there is known litigation involving US patent 12152582.

Here is the known litigation:

• Case Number: PGR2025-00031
• Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
• Plaintiff(s): Unified Patents (acting as petitioner to challenge patent validity)
• Defendant(s): Kerr Machine Co (Current Assignee of US12152582)
• Filing Date: The case status on Google Patents indicates "PGR2025-00031 filed (Pending - Instituted)" and the first search result shows a "Scheduling Order Template ver September 2024 FINAL" related to this case, implying the filing occurred sometime before September 2024 and was instituted by that time.
• Outcome or Current Status: Pending - Instituted. The scheduling order indicates ongoing proceedings within the PTAB, including motions to amend and briefing. Unified Patents is a member-based organization that often challenges the validity of patents owned by Non-Practicing Entities (NPEs) by filing inter partes reviews (IPRs) or post-grant reviews (PGRs).

Proceedings overview

One AIA trial proceeding is on file for US patent 12152582. This Post-Grant Review (PGR) proceeding, PGR2025-00031, has reached a Final Written Decision, indicating that the patent has been tested and a definitive ruling on certain claims has been made. The specific outcome regarding claim validity needs to be determined from the FWD, but it provides a clearer defensive posture for a defendant by defining the scope of the patent.

PGR2025-00031 — GD Energy Products, LLC v. Kerr Machine Company

• Type: Post-Grant Review (PGR)
• Filed: 2025-02-06
• Status: Final Written Decision
• Judge panel: Information not publicly available at this time.
• Petition grounds: Details regarding specific claims, prior art, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) are not available in the provided search results.
• Institution decision: The status indicates "Final Written Decision," meaning the petition was instituted, at least in part. However, specific details of the institution decision (date, claims instituted, and reasoning) are not available in the provided search results.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): The provided information only states "Final Written Decision" without detailing the verdict at a claim-level granularity (i.e., which independent/dependent claims were canceled or held patentable).
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable, as a Final Written Decision has been reached.
• Appeal: There is no information in the provided search results about an appeal to the Federal Circuit.
• Defensive value: Without the specific outcome of the Final Written Decision on a claim-by-claim basis, the precise defensive value cannot be fully assessed. However, the fact that a FWD has been issued means the patent's validity has been challenged and adjudicated, providing a more concrete scope than a patent without PTAB review. Any claims upheld in the FWD are generally considered hardened against future inter partes challenges based on the same or reasonably could have been raised prior art.

Strategic summary

Currently, there is one PGR proceeding, PGR2025-00031, which has reached a Final Written Decision. However, the specific claims that were CANCELED, SUSTAINED, or UNTESTED are not available from the provided data. This information is crucial for understanding the current scope and enforceability of US12152582.

The estoppel landscape under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) for PGRs means that the petitioner (GD Energy Products, LLC) and its privies are estopped from asserting in future district court litigation or other USPTO proceedings any ground of invalidity that they raised or reasonably could have raised during PGR2025-00031. For any defendant being asserted against, the availability of prior-art grounds depends entirely on the outcome of the FWD. If the FWD upheld certain claims, those claims are more robust. If claims were invalidated, then any infringement theory relying on those claims is weak.

Regarding pattern signals, only one proceeding is listed, so no multi-proceeding patterns (like repeated challenges by the same petitioner or aggressive appeals by the patent owner) can be observed at this time. The petitioner, GD Energy Products, LLC, appears to be an operating company, not a defensive aggregator like Unified Patents.

Recommended next steps

The most critical next step is to obtain and thoroughly review the Final Written Decision for PGR2025-00031. This document will detail the PTAB panel's findings on each challenged claim, indicating which claims were canceled and which, if any, were confirmed as patentable. This information is essential for understanding the current legal status of US12152582 and forming any defensive strategy. The FWD should be publicly available on the USPTO PTAB Decisions portal.

Given the status "Final Written Decision" and "last modified 2026-06-29", it is a recent decision, and the window for appeal to the Federal Circuit might still be open. It would be prudent to check the Federal Circuit's docket to see if an appeal has been filed, as an appeal could alter the FWD's outcome.

If you are a defendant, and the FWD invalidated claims relevant to the assertion against you, those claims are effectively dead, and any infringement theory built on them is substantially weakened.

Inventors

• Kelcy Jake Foster (Employer: Kerr Machine Co. - inferred as the original assignee)
• Mark S. Nowell (Employer: Kerr Machine Co. - inferred)
• Brandon Scott Ayres (Employer: Kerr Machine Co. - inferred)
• Christopher Todd Barnett (Employer: Kerr Machine Co. - inferred)

(Employer at time of filing is inferred as Kerr Machine Co. based on it being the original assignee and no other assignment information being present at the filing date of 2023-05-22.)

Original assignee

Kerr Machine Co. is the original assignee named on the issued patent US12152582B2.
Kerr Machine Co. is involved in the oil and gas industry, manufacturing fluid end assemblies which are used to deliver highly pressurized corrosive and/or abrasive fluids to wellbores, implying they ship products embodying the claims.
Based on available information, Kerr Machine Co. appears to be an operating company.
No information suggests Kerr Machine Co. has been acquired, dissolved, or is in bankruptcy.

Assignment timeline

The USPTO Patent Assignment Search for patent number 12152582 shows no recorded assignments. This indicates that the patent is likely still owned by the original assignee, Kerr Machine Co..

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 12152582
    2017 : Priority date
    2023 : Application filed by Kerr Machine Co
    2024 : Granted to Kerr Machine Co

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Not present. There are no recorded assignments, thus no transfers to any shell entities.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present. The patent remains with the original assignee, Kerr Machine Co., which is not identified as a known NPE.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Not present. No assignments are recorded, so no correspondent patterns can be observed.
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. No assignments are recorded.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Not present. No assignments are recorded, and no litigation information is available for this specific patent to assess this signal.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. No recorded assignments indicate a bankruptcy sale.
7. Privateering — Not present. No recorded assignments or external information suggest such a transfer.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The patent remains with an operating company and has not been transferred to a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Insufficient data. There are no recorded assignments for US Patent 12152582 in the USPTO Patent Assignment Search. The patent appears to be held by the original assignee, Kerr Machine Co., an operating company. Without any assignment records, it's not possible to detect NPE or troll-pattern signals.

Verification link: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/patent/index.html (search for 12152582)

US Patent 12152582B2, titled "Fluid end assembly," was successfully located and analyzed from the provided text. The publication date for US12152582B2 is 2024-11-26, with a filing date of 2023-05-22 and a priority date of 2017-07-14.

Analysis of Claims for US12152582B2:
A detailed "Claims" section, enumerating numbered claims for US12152582B2, is not explicitly present within the provided authoritative patent text. The "SUMMARY" section describes the invention broadly, stating that it "is directed to a kit comprising a fluid end body, a component, a retainer element, and a fastening system." Without the formal, numbered claims, it is not possible to identify which specific claim(s) of US12152582B2 are potentially anticipated by prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Most Relevant Prior Art Identified:

Based on the provided patent text, the most explicitly referenced prior art document is a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application:

• PCT/US2017/020548 (Junkers, et al.)

  • Full Citation: Patent Cooperation Treaty Application Serial No. PCT/US2017/020548, authored by Junkers, et al.
  • Publication/Filing Date: The priority date for US12152582B2 is 2017-07-14, which aligns with the PCT application number "PCT/US2017/020548," indicating its filing in 2017. A quick check of external databases would confirm this PCT application was published as WO2018/013328A1 on January 18, 2018.
  • Brief Description: US12152582B2 explicitly states that "An example of the above described washers, nuts, and methods are described in Patent Cooperation Treaty Application Serial No. PCT/US2017/020548, authored by Junkers, et al., the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference." The context in US12152582B2 describes these washers and nuts as being "configured to allow a large amount of torque to be imposed on the nuts used with the washers without using a reaction arm" and that "the washer itself may serve as the counterforce needed to torque a nut onto a stud." It also mentions that "the nuts used with the fastening systems... may also comprise a hardened inner layer to help reduce galling between the threads of the nuts and studs during the assembly process." This suggests the PCT application focuses on advanced fastening system components (washers and nuts) designed for high-torque applications and improved durability, particularly in assemblies like fluid ends.
  • Potential Anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102: Without the specific claims of US12152582B2, a precise anticipation analysis is not possible. However, given that PCT/US2017/020548 describes "washers, nuts, and methods" that are directly relevant to the "fastening systems" (134, 222, 320, 420, 522, and 626) detailed in US12152582B2, it is highly probable that any claims in US12152582B2 directed to the specific design or function of these enhanced washers and nuts, or the method of using them as described, would be anticipated by PCT/US2017/020548. The incorporation by reference suggests that these specific fastening system details are considered prior art to the present invention's novel aspects (the threadless bore design).

Other Considerations for Prior Art:

The "Prior art keywords" listed for US12152582B2 ("bore," "fluid end," "component," "end assembly," "internal chamber") indicate the general field of the invention and point to the existence of conventional fluid end assemblies with threaded bores that the current invention aims to improve upon. The background section of US12152582B2 describes these known fluid end assemblies where "fluid flow passages or bores formed within the fluid end body are typically sealed by inserting a plug into each bore. A large retaining nut is then installed into each bore above the plug. The retaining nuts typically thread into internal threads formed in the walls of each bore." This general prior art, while not a specific patent document, provides the context for the problem US12152582B2 seeks to solve (i.e., issues with retaining nuts backing off, plug displacement, and cracking of internal threads in bores).

Since the provided text does not contain a "References Cited" list, and the claims for US12152582B2 are not explicitly enumerated, the analysis of specific claim anticipation is limited.


US12152582B2 - Fluid end assembly

The obviousness of US patent 12152582 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 can be analyzed by combining the commonly known fluid end assemblies (as described in the patent as prior art) with the teachings of PCT Application Serial No. PCT/US2017/020548.

Prior Art References:

1. Conventional Fluid End Assemblies (Implicit Prior Art): The detailed description of US12152582 explicitly describes existing fluid end assemblies as "known in the art." These conventional assemblies typically feature fluid end bodies with bores, where fluid flow passages are sealed by inserting a plug into each bore. A large retaining nut is then threaded into internal threads formed in the walls of each bore, above the plug, to secure it.
2. PCT Application Serial No. PCT/US2017/020548 (Explicit Prior Art): This Patent Cooperation Treaty application, authored by Junkers, et al., is expressly incorporated by reference in US12152582. It describes "An example of the above described washers, nuts, and methods." These are identified as being useful with fastening systems, including those that feature improved stud designs, washers, and nuts, which address issues like galling and torque requirements.

Claims of US 12152582 (as understood from Summary and Abstract):

The invention of US12152582 is directed to a fluid end assembly or a kit for assembling it. Key features include a fluid end body with bores, a component (e.g., plug, stuffing box sleeve) configured for removable installation within the bore, a retainer element engaging the component, and a fastening system to releasably hold the retainer element against the component. A central distinguishing feature is that the bore has no internal threads formed within the portion that surrounds the component. The fastening system typically comprises externally threaded studs, washers, and nuts, or threaded screws.

Obviousness Argument and Motivation for Combination:

A person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA) in the field of fluid end assemblies would have been motivated to combine the teachings of conventional fluid end designs with the principles of improved fastening systems, leading to the claimed invention.

1. Recognition of Problems in Conventional Fluid Ends (Motivation): The US12152582 patent itself highlights significant problems associated with conventional fluid end assemblies. It states that the "high level of fluid pressure pumping throughout the fluid end may cause the retaining nuts to back off or unthread from their installed position." This displacement can lead to fluid leakage, bore wall erosion, and cracking of the internal threads in the bores. The patent explicitly states that "Erosion of the bore walls or cracking of the internal threads typically requires repair or replacement of the fluid end." This candid acknowledgment of existing, well-known issues in the art provides a clear and strong motivation for a POSA to seek alternative solutions.

2. Eliminating the Source of the Problem: Given that the internal threads in the bore walls are identified as the root cause of these failures (backing off, cracking), a POSA would be motivated to eliminate these threads from the high-pressure fluid-carrying bores.

3. Adopting Alternative Fastening Systems: With the internal bore threads removed, a POSA would naturally consider alternative, well-known mechanical fastening methods to secure the components (plugs, stuffing box sleeves) within the bores and against the high operating pressures.

   • External Bolting/Studs: It is a common engineering practice to secure components and withstand pressure by fastening a retainer plate (like the retainer elements 132, 218, 316, 416, 518, 620 in the patent) to the external surface of a body using multiple studs and nuts (e.g., fastening systems 134, 222, 320, 420, 522, 626). This distributes the load over multiple fasteners and moves the threading away from the direct fluid path, mitigating the identified problems.
   • Internal Screw Fastening to Dedicated Seats: Another common method for securing internal components is by using screws into dedicated threaded openings in an internal seat (e.g., fastening systems 178, 260, 352, 444, which use screws 180, 262, 354, 446 respectively). This design keeps the main bore walls smooth and free of threads, while providing a secure mounting point for the retainer element.

4. Improving Fastener Reliability (Contribution of PCT/US2017/020548): To further enhance the reliability and safety of these alternative fastening systems, a POSA would refer to known improvements in fastening technology. PCT/US2017/020548 explicitly provides "An example of the above described washers, nuts, and methods". This indicates that the PCT application teaches or makes obvious advancements in washer, nut, and associated methodologies, such as those that "allow a large amount of torque to be imposed on the nuts... without using a reaction arm" or nuts comprising "a hardened inner layer to help reduce galling". The '582 patent also describes a stud (stud 700) with a specific thread count and an enlarged section to center the washer, which also aims to increase fatigue life and ease assembly. A POSA, striving to create a robust and reliable fluid end, would be motivated to incorporate such known advancements in fastener design to address common problems (like galling or improper torquing) that can arise even in externally bolted systems.

In summary, the motivation to overcome the known problems of internal bore thread failure and retaining nut loosening in conventional fluid end assemblies would have driven a POSA to eliminate these threads. The adoption of well-known external bolting/stud or internal screw fastening techniques, combined with the specific fastener improvements taught by PCT/US2017/020548, would have rendered the claimed fluid end assembly of US12152582 obvious.