Last updated: May 29, 2026

Application No. 17/321,233

PACKAGE WITH OPPOSING LOCKING MECHANISMS

Non-Final OA

Filed

May 14, 2021

Examiner

STEVENS, ALLAN D

Art Unit

3736

Tech Center

3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing

Assignee

Altria Client Services LLC

OA Round

3 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +50.0% interview lift. Interview already conducted in this application's prosecution history. This examiner has a 42% grant rate with +50.0% interview lift. Since an interview has already been tried, recommend written response with narrowed claims based on precedent claim evolution patterns.

Based on 628 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

STEVENS, ALLAN D View full profile →

Grants 42% of resolved cases

Career Allowance Rate

261 granted / 628 resolved

-28.4% vs TC avg

Strong +50% interview lift

Without

With

+50.0%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 9m

Avg Prosecution

39 currently pending

Career history

686

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.1%

-39.9% vs TC avg

§103

73.8%

+33.8% vs TC avg

§102

5.7%

-34.3% vs TC avg

§112

17.5%

-22.5% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 628 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Show 5 earlier events

Nov 18, 2024

Final Rejection mailed

Jan 02, 2025

Applicant Interview (Telephonic)

Jan 03, 2025

Examiner Interview Summary

Feb 18, 2025

Response after Non-Final Action

Mar 18, 2025

Request for Continued Examination

Mar 19, 2025

Response after Non-Final Action

Sep 08, 2025

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Dec 08, 2025

Response Filed

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/341,212

Patent 12637265

Vented Fluid Transfer Lid

2y 11m to grant Granted May 26, 2026

18/057,099

Patent 12630351

TEMPERATURE-PROTECTIVE PACKAGE WITH SHAPE-CONFORMING PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL (PCM)

3y 6m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

18/263,475

Patent 12629871

CLOSURE DEVICES AND MOLD COMPONENTS FOR MOLDING CLOSURE DEVICES

2y 9m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

18/538,570

Patent 12630009

TRANSFER FUEL TANK

2y 5m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

17/307,871

Patent 12593906

CAPS FOR COSMETIC IMPLEMENTS

4y 11m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

3-4

Expected OA Rounds

42%

Grant Probability

92%

With Interview (+50.0%)

2y 9m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

High

PTA Risk

Based on 628 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.