Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/835,520

AMBULATORY PEST TRAPPING DEVICE

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Aug 02, 2024
Priority
Feb 18, 2022 — JP 2022-023978 +1 more
Examiner
ELLIS, CHRISTOPHER P
Art Unit
3644
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Kuraray Trading Co. Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
82%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
7m
Est. Remaining
82%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 82% — above average
82%
Career Allowance Rate
627 granted / 762 resolved
+30.3% vs TC avg
Minimal +0% lift
Without
With
+0.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 7m
Avg Prosecution
8 currently pending
Career history
772
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.7%
-38.3% vs TC avg
§103
50.1%
+10.1% vs TC avg
§102
20.2%
-19.8% vs TC avg
§112
6.3%
-33.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 762 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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 . Specification The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The “Solution to Problem” section consists entirely of claim language. This is not permitted. It is recommended to delete this section as it is unnecessary. 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) 1-4, 8-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Hortel et al. US 20180027794. Referring to figure 8, para. 46, Hortel discloses an insect trap having an entrance comprising an upper sheet 312, lower sheet 314, a corrugated sheet 340. Adhesive is applied to the sheets as in the claimed invention, para. 29. A passage block or back also exists, figs. 1, 13. An attaching adhesive strip 650, fig. 13, para. 29, is shown in order to configure a plurality of traps or optionally a solo trap can be deployed. Attractants are utilized in order to attract various insects, paras. 6, 29, for example, bed bugs or cockroaches. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action: A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made. Claim(s) 5, 6, 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hortel et al 20180027794. Hortel, as described above, does not mention obvious characteristics such as elevation angle, adhesive strength, or separation distance, as recited in applicant’s claims 5, 6, 7, respectively. However, these features are considered obvious design choices that would have been initially implemented depending upon desired effect and efficacy. Therefore, the Examiner takes Official Notice and these features do not patentably distinguish the claimed invention. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER P ELLIS whose telephone number is (571)272-6914. The examiner can normally be reached normal business hours. 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, Tim Collins can be reached at 571.272.6886. 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. /CHRISTOPHER P ELLIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3644
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 02, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 05, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103 (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
82%
Grant Probability
82%
With Interview (+0.1%)
2y 7m (~7m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 762 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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