Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/901,000

SHEET MANUFACTURING APPARATUS

Non-Final OA

Filed

Sep 30, 2024

Priority

Oct 02, 2023 — JP 2023-171148

Examiner

MINSKEY, JACOB T

Art Unit

1748

Tech Center

1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering

Assignee

Seiko Epson Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +33.5% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (69%); +33.5% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 820 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

MINSKEY, JACOB T View full profile →

Grants 69% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

564 granted / 820 resolved

+3.8% vs TC avg

Strong +34% interview lift

Without

With

+33.5%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 10m

Avg Prosecution

44 currently pending

Career history

877

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.5%

-39.5% vs TC avg

§103

68.5%

+28.5% vs TC avg

§102

2.9%

-37.1% vs TC avg

§112

1.6%

-38.4% vs TC avg

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

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 30, 2024

Application Filed

Apr 24, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/265,251

Patent 12680230

PAPER MAKING MACHINE AND PROCESS

3y 1m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/371,980

Patent 12674278

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING AND USING FIBRILLATED BIODEGRADABLE MICROFIBERS

2y 9m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

17/795,275

Patent 12668925

FIBER DIAMETER MEASURING DEVICE, INORGANIC FIBER SHEET PRODUCING DEVICE, METHOD FOR MEASURING FIBER DIAMETER, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING INORGANIC FIBER SHEET

3y 11m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/688,987

Patent 12655583

A Method for Treating Textile Fibers of Different Lengths

2y 3m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

17/979,404

Patent 12649992

NEAR-NET SHAPE SHORT FIBER REINFORCEMENT PREFORMS AND COMPOSITES

3y 7m to grant Granted Jun 09, 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

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

69%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+33.5%)

2y 10m (~1y 1m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

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