Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 17, 2026
Application No. 18/533,926

VEHICLE MOUNT

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Dec 08, 2023
Priority
Jun 16, 2023 — RE 10-2023-0077150
Examiner
RODRIGUEZ, PAMELA
Art Unit
3616
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Kia Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
88%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
98%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 88% — above average
88%
Career Allowance Rate
853 granted / 970 resolved
+35.9% vs TC avg
Moderate +10% lift
Without
With
+10.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 6m
Avg Prosecution
25 currently pending
Career history
989
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.7%
-39.3% vs TC avg
§103
42.7%
+2.7% vs TC avg
§102
32.8%
-7.2% vs TC avg
§112
18.2%
-21.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 970 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . Election/Restrictions Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A in the reply filed on June 29, 2026 is acknowledged. Claim 20 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on June 29 2026. Drawings Figure 1 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. 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 5, 9, 15, and 16 are objected to because of the following informalities: In line 4 of Claim 5, the term “a stacked structure” should read –the stacked structure--, since this term was previously introduced in Claim 1, from which this claim depends therefrom, in line 3 of Claim 9, the term “the fork projections” should read –the fork protrusions—to be consistent with the previous claim terminology, in lines 4, 6, and 9 of Claim 15, the terms “the main flow path” should all read –each main flow path--, as multiple main flow paths were previously claimed, and in the last two lines of Claim 16, the term “the main flow path” should again read –each main flow path--. Appropriate correction is required. 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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by PG Publication No. 2007/0246870 to Siemer et al. Regarding Claim 1, Siemer et al disclose a vehicle mount 1 comprising: an internal pipe 2 coupled to a vehicle-mounted device; an insulator 6 molded to be integrated with the internal pipe 2 (see Figures 3 and 4), wherein the insulator 6 includes a stacked structure 7/8 formed therein and configured to allow a plurality of chambers 19,20 and 22,23 filled with a fluid to be vertically spaced from each other (see Figures 3 and 4 and paragraphs 0030 and 0031); a flow path plate 13 (see Figure 9) formed to provide a flow path 25/26 configured to allow the fluid to be movable between the chambers 19,20 or 22,23 in a state of being coupled to an external peripheral surface of the insulator 6 and sealing the chambers including the stacked structure 7/8 (see Figures 2-4 and paragraph 0031); and an external pipe 9 coupled to and configured to surround the insulator 6 and the flow path plate 13 and coupled to a vehicle body side portion (see Figures 1 and 2 and paragraph 0027). Regarding Claim 2, Siemer et al further disclose a fork portion 5 provided in a state of being coupled to the internal pipe 2, the fork portion 5 including fork protrusions (see Figure 2 and the ends of element 5), each of the fork protrusions pressurizing a corresponding one of the chambers 19,20 or 22,23 in a state of being embedded in the insulator 6 (see Figure 2 and paragraph 0027). Regarding Claim 3, Siemer et al further disclose that the fork portion 5 includes a horizontally symmetrical shape on a cross section of the mount 1, the cross section being taken in a transverse direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the internal pipe 2 (see Figure 2). Regarding Claim 4, Siemer et al further disclose that the fork portion 5 further includes a plurality of fork protrusions (see Figure 2 and the ends of element 5) respectively formed on a left side of the fork portion and a right side thereof on the cross section of the mount 1 (see Figure 2). Regarding Claim 5, Siemer et al further disclose that the insulator 6 includes a horizontally symmetrical shape on the cross section of the mount 1, wherein the insulator 6 includes the stacked structure 7/8 formed therein and configured to allow the plurality of chambers 19,20 or 22,23 to be vertically spaced from each other on a left side of the insulator 6 and a right side thereof (see Figures 2-4), and wherein each of the fork protrusions (ends of element 5) is disposed to be located between the chambers 19,20 or 22,23 vertically spaced from each other (see Figure 2). Regarding Claim 6, Siemer et al further disclose the insulator 6 includes a vertically symmetrical shape on the cross section of the mount 1 (see Figure 2), and wherein the plurality of chambers 19,20 or 22,23 include: a plurality of upper chambers 19 formed to be disposed on an upper left side of the insulator 6 and an upper right side thereof on the cross section of the mount 1 (see Figures 3 and 4); and a plurality of lower chambers 20 formed to be disposed on a lower left side of the insulator 6 and a lower right side thereof on the cross section of the mount 1 (see Figures 3 and 4). Regarding Claim 7, Siemer et al further disclose that the fork portion 5 further includes a vertically symmetrical shape on the cross section of the mount 1 (see Figure 2). Regarding Claim 8, see Claim 6 above. Regarding Claim 9, Siemer et al further disclose that the fork portion 5 includes a plurality of fork protrusions (see Figure 2 and the ends of element 5), and wherein each of the fork projections is disposed to be located between the chambers 19,20 or 22,23 vertically spaced from each other in the insulator 6 (see Figures 2-4). Regarding Claim 10, Siemer et al further disclose that the fork portion 5 further includes a vertically symmetrical shape on the cross section of the mount 1 (see Figure 2). Regarding Claim 11, Siemer et al further disclose the insulator 6 includes a vertically and horizontally symmetrical shape on a cross section of the mount 1, the cross section being taken in a transverse direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the internal pipe 2 (see Figures 2-4), and wherein the insulator 6 includes a stacked structure 7/8 formed therein and configured to allow the plurality of chambers 19,20 or 22,23 to be vertically spaced from each other on an upper portion of the insulator 6 and a lower portion of the insulator 6 (see Figures 2-4). Regarding Claim 12, Siemer et al further disclose that each of the chambers 19,20 or 22,23 of the insulator 6 is provided by forming a chamber groove in the external peripheral surface of the insulator 6, the chamber groove including a predetermined width and depth (see Figures 2-4), and wherein each of the chambers 19,20 or 22,23 includes a fluid inlet/outlet disposed on the external peripheral surface of the insulator 6 and configured to allow the fluid to enter and exit between the chamber and the flow path 25/26 of the flow path plate 13 (see Figures 2-4 and paragraph 0031). Regarding Claim 13, Siemer et al further disclose that the plurality of chambers 19,20 or 22,23 are formed in a direction extending horizontally on the cross section of the mount 1 (see Figures 2-4), wherein the chambers 19,20 or 22,23 form the stacked structure 7/8 at the upper portion of the insulator 6 and the lower portion of the insulator 6 (see Figures 3 and 4). Regarding Claim 14, Siemer et al further disclose that the flow path plate 13 includes a first flow path plate (see Figure 9 and the top half of element 13) coupled to an upper portion of the external peripheral surface of the insulator 6 (see Figures 2-4), and a second flow path plate (see Figure 9 and the bottom half of element 13) coupled to a lower portion of the external peripheral surface of the insulator 6 (see Figures 2-4), and wherein the first flow path plate and the second flow path plate are located between the insulator 6 and the external pipe 9 in a state of being combined in a circular shape (see Figures 2-4 and 9). Regarding Claim 15, Siemer et al further disclose that each of the first flow path plate and the second flow path plate (i.e., the top and bottom halves of element 13 respectively) includes a main flow path 25 and 26 formed on an external peripheral surface thereof in contact with an internal peripheral surface of the external pipe 9 (see Figures 2-4), wherein each main flow path 25,26 is formed to extend in a circumferential direction of the external peripheral surface (see Figures 2-4), and wherein each main flow path 25,26 includes flow path holes formed to pass therethrough, wherein each of the flow path holes is disposed at a position corresponding to each of the chamber 19,20 or 22,23 of the insulator 6 and configured to allow the fluid to be movable between a corresponding chamber among the plurality of chambers 19,20, or 22,23 and each main flow path 25, 26 (see Figures 2-4 and 9 and paragraphs 0031-0033). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 16-19 are 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. U.S. Patent No. 5,286,011 to Strand, PG Publication No. 2021/0199169 to Morton et al., PG Publication No. 2021/0222753 to Abe, PG Publication No. 2022/0196107 to Gaspar et al., PG Publication No. 2022/0290733 to Kim, PG Publication No. 2023/0055754 to Kim, PG Publication No. 2024/0309935 to Kim, and PG Publication No. 2026/0036184 to Yun all disclose vehicle mounts similar to applicant’s. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAMELA RODRIGUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7122. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 7 AM - 5 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, Robert Siconolfi can be reached at 571-272-7124. 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. PAMELA RODRIGUEZ Primary Examiner Art Unit 3616 /PAMELA RODRIGUEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616 07/15/26
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 08, 2023
Application Filed
Jul 17, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

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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
88%
Grant Probability
98%
With Interview (+10.4%)
2y 6m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 970 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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