Office Action 1: Non-Final Rejection (2024-08-15)
Rejection types: 102 - Lack of Novelty, 103 - Obviousness

CLAIMS:
CLAIMS

What is claimed is:

1\. A downhole tool comprising:an interior component having an outer diameter (OD) surface;
a protective housing positioned around at least a portion of the interior component and having an inner diameter (ID) surface proximate the OD surface of the interior component; and
an adjustable damper positioned between the ID surface and the OD surface and configured to change size in a transverse direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the interior component.

2\. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal axis is a rotational axis and the transverse direction is a radial direction.

3\. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the adjustable damper has a damper OD in the transverse direction greater than an ID of the ID surface.

4\. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the adjustable damper includes a piezoelectric layer.

5\. The downhole tool of claim 4, wherein the adjustable damper includes a damper layer connected to the piezoelectric layer.

6\. The downhole tool of claim 5, wherein the piezoelectric layer is closer to the OD surface than the damper layer.

7\. The downhole tool of claim 4, wherein the piezoelectric layer and damper layer are angularly adjacent to one another relative to a rotational axis of the downhole tool.

8\. The downhole tool of claim 7, wherein the piezoelectric layer applies a tension force to the damper layer to change at least one dimension of the damper layer.

9\. The downhole tool of claim 7, wherein the piezoelectric layer and damper layer surround a circumference of the OD surface of the interior component.

10\. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the adjustable damper is fixed to the OD surface of the interior component.

11\. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the adjustable damper forms a fluid seal between the interior component and the protective housing.

12\. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the adjustable damper includes a plurality of angular portions, with angular gaps therebetween, between the interior component and the protective housing relative to a rotational axis of the downhole tool.

13\. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the adjustable damper is fixed to the ID surface of the protective housing.

14\. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the adjustable damper has a contraction distance greater than 0.025 millimeters.

15\. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the adjustable damper has a contraction distance greater than 0.3% of a damper OD of the adjustable damper and interior component relative to a rotational axis of the downhole tool.

16\. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the adjustable damper has an expanded height greater than 1.5 millimeters.

17\. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the adjustable damper has an expanded height greater than 3% of a damper OD of the adjustable damper and interior component relative to a rotational axis of the downhole tool.

18\. A downhole tool comprising:an interior component having a rotational axis and an outer diameter (OD) surface in a radial direction relative to the rotational axis; and
an adjustable damper fixed to the OD surface of the interior component with an expanded height in the radial direction of the interior component and a contraction distance in the radial direction of the interior component.

19\. The downhole tool of claim 18, wherein the adjustable damper includes a piezoelectric material in a piezoelectric layer and a damper material in a damper layer.

20\. A method of assembling a downhole tool, the method comprising:actuating an adjustable damper positioned between an interior component and a protective housing in a radial direction relative to a longitudinal direction; and
moving the interior component in the longitudinal direction relative to the protective housing.

OFFICE ACTION:
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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 107 and 926.  Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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
Claims 7 and 9 are objected to because of the following informalities: in claim 7, line 1 should be amended to recite --the piezoelectric layer and a damper layer--.  In claim 9, line 1 should be amended to recite --the piezoelectric layer and the damper layer--.  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 USC 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA  35 USC 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 USC 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 1-3, 10, 12, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 USC 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by BUCHER et al. (US 2013/0216400 A1) (“Bucher”).
Referring to claim 1: Bucher teaches a downhole tool comprising:
an interior component 18 having an outer diameter (OD) surface;
a protective housing 14 positioned around at least a portion of the interior component and having an inner diameter (ID) surface 24 proximate the OD surface of the interior component; and
an adjustable damper 20, 22 positioned between the ID surface and the OD surface and configured to change size in a transverse direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis 16 of the interior component (abstract).
Referring to claim 2: Bucher teaches the longitudinal axis is a rotational axis and the transverse direction is a radial direction (abstract).
Referring to claim 3: Bucher teaches the adjustable damper has a damper OD (at a peak location) in the transverse direction greater than an ID of the ID surface (at a valley location).
Referring to claim 10: Bucher teaches the adjustable damper is fixed to the OD surface of the interior component [0065].
Referring to claim 12: Bucher teaches the adjustable damper includes a plurality of angular portions, with angular gaps therebetween, between the interior component and the protective housing relative to a rotational axis of the downhole tool (Figs. 2A and 2B).
Referring to claim 18: Bucher teaches a downhole tool comprising:
an interior component 18 having a rotational axis 16 and an outer diameter (OD) surface in a radial direction relative to the rotational axis; and
an adjustable damper 20, 22 fixed to the OD surface of the interior component [0065] with an expanded height in the radial direction of the interior component and a contraction distance in the radial direction of the interior component (abstract).
Referring to claim 20: Bucher teaches a method of assembling a downhole tool, the method comprising:
actuating an adjustable damper 20, 22 positioned between an interior component 18 and a protective housing 14 in a radial direction relative to a longitudinal direction 16; and
moving the interior component in the longitudinal direction relative to the protective housing (at least during assembly).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 USC 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary.  Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 USC 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 USC 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 4-7, 9, 11, 13-17 and 19 are rejected under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over Bucher, alone.
Referring to claims 4, 5 and 19: While Bucher teaches the adjustable damper includes a damper material in a damper layer, and Bucher teaches piezoelectric materials are known [0009], [0229], Bucher does not specifically teach the adjustable damper includes a piezoelectric material in a piezoelectric layer.  It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the damper taught by Bucher to include a piezoelectric material in a piezoelectric layer with a reasonable expectation of success since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice.  In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Referring to claims 6, 7 and 9: Bucher does not specifically teach the piezoelectric layer is closer to the OD surface than the damper layer.  It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the layers taught by Bucher so that the piezoelectric layer is closer to the OD surface than the damper layer with a reasonable expectation of success since one would be choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, namely the piezoelectric layer closer to the OD surface or the damper layer closer to the OD surface.  Further, Bucher does not specifically teach the piezoelectric layer and damper layer are angularly adjacent to one another relative to a rotational axis of the downhole tool.  However, since there is no criticality provided for only one orientation of the layers relative to one another, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have placed the layers angularly adjacent to one another, so they surround a circumference of the OD surface of the interior component, with a reasonable expectation of success as a matter of design choice.
Referring to claim 11: Bucher does not specifically teach the adjustable damper forms a fluid seal between the interior component and the protective housing.  However, since there is no criticality provided for the shape of the damper, namely solid to form a seal of in angular portions to create gaps (see claim 12), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the shape of the damper taught by Bucher a reasonable expectation of success as a matter of design choice.
Referring to claim 13: Bucher does not specifically teach the adjustable damper is fixed to the ID surface of the protective housing.  However, since there is no criticality provided for whether the damper is fixed to the ID surface of the protective housing or to the OD surface of the interior component (see claim 10), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified where the damper taught by Bucher is fixed with a reasonable expectation of success as a matter of design choice.
Referring to claim 14: Bucher likely teaches the adjustable damper has a contraction distance greater than 0.025 millimeters, based on what is shown in FIG. 1.  However, Bucher does not specifically teach the adjustable damper has a contraction distance greater than 0.025 millimeters.  It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the contraction distance taught by Bucher to be greater than 0.025 mm with a reasonable expectation of success since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art.  In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Referring to claim 15: Bucher likely teaches the adjustable damper has a contraction distance greater than 0.3% of a damper OD of the adjustable damper and interior component relative to a rotational axis of the downhole tool, based on what is shown in FIG. 1.  However, Bucher does not specifically teach the adjustable damper has a contraction distance greater than 0.3% of a damper OD of the adjustable damper and interior component relative to a rotational axis of the downhole tool.  It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the contraction distance taught by Bucher to be greater than 0.3% of the damper OD with a reasonable expectation of success since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art.  In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Referring to claim 16: Bucher likely teaches the adjustable damper has an expanded height greater than 1.5 millimeters, based on what is shown in FIG. 1.  However, Bucher does not specifically teach the adjustable damper has an expanded height greater than 1.5 millimeters.  It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the expanded height taught by Bucher to be greater than 1.5 mm with a reasonable expectation of success since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art.  In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Referring to claim 17: Bucher likely teaches the adjustable damper has an expanded height greater than 3% of a damper OD of the adjustable damper and interior component relative to a rotational axis of the downhole tool, based on what is shown in FIG. 1.  However, Bucher does not specifically teach the adjustable damper has an expanded height greater than 3% of a damper OD of the adjustable damper and interior component relative to a rotational axis of the downhole tool.  It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the expanded height taught by Bucher to be greater than 3% of the damper OD with a reasonable expectation of success since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art.  In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Reckmann (US 2023/0407712 A1) teaches a downhole tool with piezoelectric dampers [0026].

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKS
Claims 1-20 are currently pending in the application. By this amendment, claims 1, 6 and 9 will have been amended and claims 4-5, 7-8 and 18-20 will have been canceled. Applicants submit no new matter has been entered by this amendment. Reconsideration and withdrawal of the pending rejections are requested in view of the following remarks.
Acknowledgement of Allowable Subject Matter
Applicants notes with appreciation the Examiner's indication that claim 8 would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
In this regard, Applicants have amended independent claim 1 to include limitations from the base claim 8 and any intervening claims.
Accordingly, Applicants submit that claims 1 - 3, 6 and 9-17 are allowable at least for the reasons that the Examiner has indicated the claims contain allowable subject matter.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 107 and 926.
Reference character 107 can be found in paragraph [0025] of the specification. See "For instance, the bit 110 may be used with a whipstock to mill into casing 107 lining the wellbore 102."
Reference character 926 is removed from Fig. 9. Applicants submit a replacement Fig. 9.
Claim Objections
Claims 7 and 9 are objected to because of informalities. Claim 7 is canceled and Claim 9 has been amended to address the issues identified by the Examiner. It is respectfully submitted that this rejection is now moot.
35 U.S.C. § 102 and § 103
In the Office Action, claim 8 was found to be allowable. To expedite prosecution of the present application and without consideration of the merits of the claim rejections of the Office Action, Applicants have amended claim 1 to include allowable subject matter from claim 8. Applicants respectfully submit that this Amendment amends the present application to put the application in condition for allowance in accordance with the Office Action and, as such, Applicants request that the amendment be entered in this case and the claims, as amended, be found allowable.
CONCLUSION

NEXT OFFICE 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 .
EXAMINER'S AMENDMENT
An examiner’s amendment to the record appears below. Should the changes and/or additions be unacceptable to applicant, an amendment may be filed as provided by 37 CFR 1.312. To ensure consideration of such an amendment, it MUST be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee.
Authorization for this examiner’s amendment was given in an interview with Bridget Laffey on December 23, 2024.
The application has been amended as follows:
In the Claims:
In claim 2, lines 1-2 have been amended to recite --[[a]]the rotational axis--.
In claim 17, line 3 has been amended to recite --[[a]]the rotational axis--.
Conclusion

CITED REFERENCE SUMMARIES: Ref US20130216400A1: Claims:
A system for generating mechanical waves, comprising: a camshaft having plurality of rotatable cams, serially mounted on a shaft along an axis of an elastic tubular shell to form a varying phase angle along said shaft; and a plurality of cam followers arranged circumferentially about each cam, such that a rotary motion of said cams generates a linear motion of said cam followers to radially bias in internal wall said shell; wherein said variation of said phase angle is selected to generate a three-dimensional traveling wave along said shell.
a camshaft having plurality of rotatable cams, serially mounted on a shaft along an axis of an elastic tubular shell to form a varying phase angle along said shaft; and
a plurality of cam followers arranged circumferentially about each cam, such that a rotary motion of said cams generates a linear motion of said cam followers to radially bias in internal wall said shell;
wherein said variation of said phase angle is selected to generate a three-dimensional traveling wave along said shell.
The system of claim 1 , wherein said variation of said phase angle is selected such that a variation of a torque on said shaft during said rotation is below a predetermined threshold.
The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of arcs respectively mounted on said plurality of cam followers, such that said arcs engage said internal wall during at least part of said linear motion.
The system of claim 1 , wherein a number and separation of said cams along said shaft is selected such that kL/Î» is generally an integer, where k is an integer, L is a length of said camshaft and Î» is a wavelength of said wave.
The system of claim 1 , wherein a number and separation of said cams along said shaft is selected such that kL/(Î»N c ) is non-integer, where k is an integer, L is a length of said camshaft, Î» is a wavelength of said wave and N c is said number of said cams.
The system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of cam followers comprises three cam followers per cam.
The system of claim 1 , further comprising a motor operatively connected to said shaft and communication device for remote activation, control and deactivation of said motor.
The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said cams has a single-harmonic profile.
The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said cams has a multi-harmonic profile.
An autonomous self-propelled vehicle, comprising the system of claim 1 .
The vehicle of claim 10 , adapted for being introduced into a body lumen of a mammal.
The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein said body lumen selected from the group consisting of a vein, an artery, a gastrointestinal tract and a colon.
The vehicle of claim 10 , adapted for being introduced into a structure selected from the group consisting of a pipe, a channel, a building duct, a borehole and a pool.
A self-propelled endoscope system, comprising the system of claim 1 .
A pump, comprising the system of claim 1 .
A method of displacing an object, comprising introducing a self-propelled vehicle having the object into a fluid medium, wherein said self-propelled vehicle comprises: a camshaft having plurality of rotatable cams, serially mounted on a shaft along an axis of an elastic tubular shell to form a varying phase angle along said shaft; and a plurality of cam followers arranged circumferentially about each cam, such that a rotary motion of said cams generate a linear motion of said cam followers to radially bias in internal wall said shell; wherein said variation of said phase angle is selected to generate a three-dimensional traveling wave along said shell.
a plurality of cam followers arranged circumferentially about each cam, such that a rotary motion of said cams generate a linear motion of said cam followers to radially bias in internal wall said shell;
The method of claim 16 , wherein said fluid medium is characterized by a Reynolds number less than 1.
The method of claim 16 , wherein said fluid medium is in a body lumen of a mammal.
The method of claim 18 , wherein said body lumen selected from the group consisting of a vein, an artery, a gastrointestinal tract and a colon.
The method of claim 16 , wherein said fluid medium is contained in a structure selected from the group consisting of a pipe, a channel, a building duct, a borehole and a pool.
The method of claim 16 , wherein said object is at least one of: a drug, a camera, a distal end of an endoscope, a sensor, a communication device, a stent, an electrical stimulation device, and a magnetic stimulation device.
A method of pumping, comprising fixating a pump in a lumen having a fluid medium therein and activating said pump, wherein said pump comprises: a camshaft having plurality of rotatable cams, serially mounted on a shaft along an axis of an elastic tubular shell to form a varying phase angle along said shaft; and a plurality of cam followers arranged circumferentially about each cam, such that a rotary motion of said cams generate a linear motion of said cam followers to radially bias in internal wall said shell; wherein said variation of said phase angle is selected to generate a three-dimensional traveling wave along said shell.
The method of claim 22 , wherein said fluid is body liquid.
The method of claim 22 , wherein a smallest dimension of said shell is at least 1 centimeter, and wherein the fluid is liquid having a viscosity of at least 10000 cSt.
The method of claim 22 , wherein a smallest dimension of said shell is from about 1 mm to about 1 centimeter, and wherein the fluid is liquid having a viscosity of at least 1 cSt.
The method of claim 22 , wherein said fluid is a biological fluid.
Ref US20230407712A1: Claims:
A coupling device for mode shape modification of a torsional oscillation in a borehole string, comprising: an elongated coupler body configured to be deployed at the borehole string and connected to a downhole component of the borehole string, the coupler body having a longitudinal axis and a circumference, the coupler body having a torsional stiffness sufficient to transmit rotational motion to the connected downhole component; and a plurality of recesses formed in a wall of the coupler body at different positions along a longitudinal axis of the coupler body, the plurality of recesses extending along a circumference of the coupler body in a direction forming an angle of greater than or equal to 80 degrees with the longitudinal axis, the plurality of recesses configured to impart a bending stiffness that is less than or equal to a reference bending stiffness, the torsional stiffness selected to modify a mode shape of the torsional oscillation.
an elongated coupler body configured to be deployed at the borehole string and connected to a downhole component of the borehole string, the coupler body having a longitudinal axis and a circumference, the coupler body having a torsional stiffness sufficient to transmit rotational motion to the connected downhole component; and
a plurality of recesses formed in a wall of the coupler body at different positions along a longitudinal axis of the coupler body, the plurality of recesses extending along a circumference of the coupler body in a direction forming an angle of greater than or equal to 80 degrees with the longitudinal axis, the plurality of recesses configured to impart a bending stiffness that is less than or equal to a reference bending stiffness, the torsional stiffness selected to modify a mode shape of the torsional oscillation.
The coupling device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of recesses includes a plurality of slots, the plurality of slots defining a plurality of planes, wherein the plurality of planes form an angle between each other that is less than 5 degrees.
The coupling device of claim 1 , wherein the borehole string includes a damping device and the mode shape is modified to increase an effectiveness of the damping device in damping the torsional oscillation.
The coupling device of claim 1 , wherein the coupler body includes an inner fluid bore extending along the longitudinal axis of the coupler body, the inner fluid bore in fluid communication with the downhole component and configured to permit downhole fluid to flow through the coupling device.
The coupling device of claim 1 , wherein the coupler body is formed from an integral block of material and the coupler body includes a central support portion, the central support portion defining an inner fluid bore.
The coupling device of claim 1 , further comprising a flexible material disposed in at least one recess of the plurality of recesses.
The coupling device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of recesses includes a plurality of slots, each slot of the plurality of slots having a length in a circumferential direction and a radial depth extending from an outer surface of the wall to an interior of the wall, wherein the plurality of slots define parallel planes.
The coupling device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of slots include a first slot and a second slot, the first slot and the second slot each having a first circumferential end, wherein the first circumferential end of the first slot is offset from the first circumferential end of the second slot by a selected angle along the circumference of the coupler body.
The coupling device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of slots includes a first set of slots having a first angular position along the circumference of the coupler body, a second set of slots having a second angular position along the circumference of the coupler body, and a third set of slots having a third angular position along the circumference of the coupler body, the second angular position offset from the first angular position, and the third angular position offset from the first angular position and the second angular position by at least one selected angle along the circumference of the coupler body.
The coupling device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one selected angle is about degrees.
The coupling device of claim 7 , wherein at least one slot of the plurality of slots includes a stress relief feature configured to reduce bending fatigue, the stress relief feature including at least one of: curved outer edges at an outer surface of the coupler body, and curved inner edges at the interior of the wall of the coupler body.
The coupling device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of slots each extend along the circumference by more than 100 degrees.
The coupling device of claim 1 , wherein the coupler body includes at least 20 slots.
The coupling device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of slots form a bellows configuration.
A method of performing mode shape modification of torsional oscillation in a borehole string in a subterranean operation, the method comprising: deploying a borehole string in a borehole; performing the subterranean operation, the performing including rotating a downhole component connected to the borehole string; and modifying torsional oscillations occurring due to the rotating by a coupling device connected to the downhole component, the coupling device including an elongated coupler body having a longitudinal axis and a circumference, the coupler body having a torsional stiffness sufficient to transmit rotational motion to the downhole component, the coupling device including a plurality of recesses formed in a wall of the coupler body at different positions along a longitudinal axis of the coupler body, the plurality of recesses extending along a circumference of the coupler body in a direction forming an angle of greater than or equal to 80 degrees with the longitudinal axis, the plurality of recesses imparting a bending stiffness that is less than or equal to a reference bending stiffness, the torsional stiffness selected to modify a mode shape of the torsional oscillation.
deploying a borehole string in a borehole;
performing the subterranean operation, the performing including rotating a downhole component connected to the borehole string; and
modifying torsional oscillations occurring due to the rotating by a coupling device connected to the downhole component, the coupling device including an elongated coupler body having a longitudinal axis and a circumference, the coupler body having a torsional stiffness sufficient to transmit rotational motion to the downhole component, the coupling device including a plurality of recesses formed in a wall of the coupler body at different positions along a longitudinal axis of the coupler body, the plurality of recesses extending along a circumference of the coupler body in a direction forming an angle of greater than or equal to 80 degrees with the longitudinal axis, the plurality of recesses imparting a bending stiffness that is less than or equal to a reference bending stiffness, the torsional stiffness selected to modify a mode shape of the torsional oscillation.
The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of recesses includes a plurality of slots, each slot of the plurality of slots having a length in circumferential direction and a radial depth extending from an outer surface of the wall to an interior of the wall.
The method of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of slots including a first slot and a second slot, the first slot being offset from the second slot by a selected angle along the circumference of the coupler body.
The method of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of slots includes a first set of slots having a first angular position along the circumference of the coupler body, a second set of slots having a second angular position along the circumference of the coupler body, and a third set of slots having a third angular position along the circumference of the coupler body, the second angular position offset from the first angular position, and the third angular position offset from the first angular position and the second angular position by at least one selected angle along the circumference of the coupler body.
The method of claim 15 , wherein the borehole string includes a damping device, the method further comprising damping the torsional oscillations using the damping device in conjunction with the coupling device.
The method of claim 15 , wherein the coupling device is placed in the borehole string at a predetermined position along a longitudinal axis of the borehole string, and wherein the predetermined position is determined using a mathematical simulation.