Last updated: April 24, 2026

Application No. 18/779,200

Untitled Application

Unknown

Filed

3600

Examiner

PATEL, VISHAL A

Art Unit

3675

Tech Center

CATERPILLAR INC.

Assignee

Caterpillar Inc.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

This examiner grants 59% of cases after interview

— +21.7% interview lift. A telephonic interview to clarify the technical implementation could significantly improve the outcome.

Based on 820 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

PATEL, VISHAL A View full profile →

Grants 59% of resolved cases

Career Allow Rate

483 granted / 820 resolved

-1.1% vs TC avg

Strong +22% interview lift

Without

With

+21.7%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 1m

Avg Prosecution

48 currently pending

Career history

868

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.1%

-39.9% vs TC avg

§103

36.8%

-3.2% vs TC avg

§102

33.0%

-7.0% vs TC avg

§112

25.7%

-14.3% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 820 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

3600

Application Filed

Oct 15, 2025

Non-Final Rejection (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/979,868

Patent 12601404

Internally clamping rectangular seal

2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026

18/426,952

Patent 12590634

Piston Seal Ring Bypass

2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 31, 2026

17/275,505

Patent 12584556

SLIDING MEMBER

2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026

17/203,132

Patent 12569962

HIGH PRESSURE LIQUID-JET SEAL ASSEMBLY CARRIAGE

2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 10, 2026

18/685,139

Patent 12560239

SLIDING COMPONENTS

2y 5m to grant Granted Feb 24, 2026

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

AI Strategy Recommendation

Get an AI-powered prosecution strategy using examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

59%

Grant Probability

81%

With Interview (+21.7%)

3y 1m

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 820 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.