Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 17/908,325

Strong Elastic Bicomponent Fiber Having Unique Handfeel

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Aug 31, 2022
Examiner
IMANI, ELIZABETH MARY COLE
Art Unit
1789
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc.
OA Round
5 (Non-Final)
33%
Grant Probability
At Risk
5-6
OA Rounds
4y 7m
To Grant
58%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants only 33% of cases
33%
Career Allow Rate
311 granted / 930 resolved
-31.6% vs TC avg
Strong +25% interview lift
Without
With
+25.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
4y 7m
Avg Prosecution
77 currently pending
Career history
1007
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.1%
-39.9% vs TC avg
§103
73.5%
+33.5% vs TC avg
§102
4.9%
-35.1% vs TC avg
§112
5.5%
-34.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 930 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
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 . A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/12/25 has been entered. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. The specification as originally filed does not provide support for the limitation of a density of less than 0.867 g/m3 or more than 0.867 g/ m3 . The specification provides support of g/cm3. Applicant’s amendment is sufficient to overcome the art rejections of record because while it would be expected that a high crystallinity propylene would have a density of greater than 0.867 g/cm3 , a low crystallinity propylene would not necessarily have a density of less than 0.867 g/cm3 and there is nothing on the record to teach or suggest using a propylene having the claimed density. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIZABETH M IMANI whose telephone number is (571)272-1475. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Wednesday 7AM-7:30; Thursday 10AM -2 PM. 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, Marla McConnell can be reached at 571-270-7692. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ELIZABETH M IMANI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1789
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 31, 2022
Application Filed
Mar 20, 2024
Non-Final Rejection — §112
Jul 26, 2024
Response Filed
Oct 02, 2024
Final Rejection — §112
Dec 26, 2024
Request for Continued Examination
Dec 30, 2024
Response after Non-Final Action
Apr 14, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §112
Jul 17, 2025
Response Filed
Sep 09, 2025
Final Rejection — §112
Dec 12, 2025
Request for Continued Examination
Dec 17, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Feb 06, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12582896
SHIN GUARD MADE OF AUXETIC MATERIAL AND UNIT STRUCTURE THEREOF
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026
Patent 12559650
ADHESIVE ARTICLE
2y 5m to grant Granted Feb 24, 2026
Patent 12546083
Heavy Duty Silt Fence Using Nonwoven Silt Retention Fabric
2y 5m to grant Granted Feb 10, 2026
Patent 12540435
FABRIC FOR A FIBER WEB PRODUCING MACHINE AND A METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME
2y 5m to grant Granted Feb 03, 2026
Patent 12532943
Fiber-Bound Engineered Materials Formed as a Synthetic Leather
2y 5m to grant Granted Jan 27, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

5-6
Expected OA Rounds
33%
Grant Probability
58%
With Interview (+25.1%)
4y 7m
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 930 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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