Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 18/522,764

Racket

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Nov 29, 2023
Examiner
PETERS, BRIAN O
Art Unit
3711
Tech Center
3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing
Assignee
Mizuno Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
73%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
4m
Est. Remaining
89%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 73% — above average
73%
Career Allowance Rate
455 granted / 625 resolved
+2.8% vs TC avg
Strong +16% interview lift
Without
With
+16.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 10m
Avg Prosecution
32 currently pending
Career history
658
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.7%
-39.3% vs TC avg
§103
78.8%
+38.8% vs TC avg
§102
10.7%
-29.3% vs TC avg
§112
9.1%
-30.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 625 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . DETAILED ACTION Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 11/29/2023, 12/10/2025 and 1/14/2026 was/were considered by the examiner. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 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. Claim(s) 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by McClung US 8556756. Regarding claim 1, McClung discloses a racket comprising: a handle (42); a body (44) connected to the handle (Fig. 4); and a weight part (48) movable along a peripheral portion of the body (Fig. 4), the weight part being movable continuously along the peripheral portion of the body (Fig. 4). Regarding claim 2, McClung further discloses that the body includes a rail (45, 49) provided on the peripheral portion, and the weight part is movable along the rail (Fig. 4). Regarding claim 3, McClung further discloses that the weight part is fixable to the body while having moved along the rail (via 41). Regarding claim 4, McClung further discloses that the body includes a capped end portion (ends of 47), and the capped end portion seals opposite ends of the rail along the peripheral portion of the body (Fig. 4). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN O PETERS whose telephone number is (571)272-2662. The examiner can normally be reached Tue-Sat, 12:00pm-10pm EST. 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, Eugene Kim can be reached at (571) 272-4463. 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. /BRIAN O PETERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 29, 2023
Application Filed
Feb 04, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12636586
Swing Apparatus
2y 10m to grant Granted May 26, 2026
Patent 12616890
AUXILIARY DEVICE FOR PRACTICING GOLF SWING POSTURE
2y 3m to grant Granted May 05, 2026
Patent 12614743
DISCRETIZATION MODELING METHOD FOR ELECTRO-OSMOTIC DRAG EFFECT OF WATER CONSERVATION IN A FUEL CELL
3y 6m to grant Granted Apr 28, 2026
Patent 12612920
FAN MODULE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE
1y 0m to grant Granted Apr 28, 2026
Patent 12607200
INLET NOZZLE ASSEMBLY AND TURBOMACHINE WITH AN IMPELLER AND AN INLET NOZZLE ASSEMBLY
1y 0m to grant Granted Apr 21, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
73%
Grant Probability
89%
With Interview (+16.1%)
2y 10m (~4m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 625 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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