Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 04, 2026
Application No. 18/135,209

ELectric kettle with a cover that can be opened automatically at a constant speed

Non-Final OA §102§112
Filed
Apr 17, 2023
Examiner
BRADEN, SHAWN M
Art Unit
3736
Tech Center
3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing
Assignee
Guangdong Huijun Technology Group Co. Ltd.
OA Round
2 (Non-Final)
67%
Grant Probability
Favorable
2-3
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 67% — above average
67%
Career Allowance Rate
764 granted / 1145 resolved
-3.3% vs TC avg
Strong +32% interview lift
Without
With
+32.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 10m
Avg Prosecution
19 currently pending
Career history
1165
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
33.4%
-6.6% vs TC avg
§102
33.3%
-6.7% vs TC avg
§112
24.8%
-15.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1145 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §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 . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. Claims 1-7, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 1, recites the limitation "the lid" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1, line 4 “a lower end of the upper cover is fixed A lower cover is installed” the phrase does not make sense, possible a typo. How is the upper cover fixed? How does the upper cover relate to a lower cover is installed? Claim 1, recites the limitation "the outer cover" in line 9,. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1, recites the limitation "the surface" in line 11. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is not clear what surface is being referred to? The inner surface? The outer surface? The upper surface? Claim 2, recites the limitation "the surface " in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 3, recites the limitation "the pull wire" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 3, recites the limitation "the other end of the pull wire" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 4, recites the limitation "the pull wire" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 6, recites the limitation "the lower end" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 7, recites the limitation "the guide rail cover" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 No art rejection. Conclusion THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAWN M BRADEN whose telephone number is (571)272-8026. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm. 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, Orlando E Aviles-Bosques can be reached at 571 270-5531. 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. /SHAWN M BRADEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3736
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Apr 17, 2023
Application Filed
Apr 23, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §112
Jun 29, 2026
Response Filed
Aug 03, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §102, §112
Sep 05, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12747082
PRESSURE RELIEF CONTAINER FOR FOOD TO BE HEATED AND BOX HAVING SAID CONTAINER
2y 5m to grant Granted Sep 29, 2026
Patent 12747074
CHILD-RESISTANT CONTAINER
1y 9m to grant Granted Sep 29, 2026
Patent 12741794
COLLATION OF PACKAGES AND METHOD OF RETAINING PACKAGES TOGETHER IN A COLLATION
2y 5m to grant Granted Sep 22, 2026
Patent 12728559
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RECYCLING A BARREL
1y 9m to grant Granted Sep 08, 2026
Patent 12722858
OPENING DEVICE FOR ASEPTIC CARTON PACKAGING USED FOR ENTERAL NUTRITION THROUGH CLOSED SYSTEM OR OPEN SYSTEM
2y 3m to grant Granted Sep 01, 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

2-3
Expected OA Rounds
67%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+32.4%)
2y 10m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 1145 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month