Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 17, 2026
Application No. 18/925,159

VACUUM INSULATED GLASS PANELS FOR AN AUTOMOBILE

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Oct 24, 2024
Examiner
NORDMEYER, PATRICIA L
Art Unit
1788
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
Fca US LLC
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
56%
Grant Probability
Moderate
1-2
OA Rounds
1y 1m
Est. Remaining
94%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 56% of resolved cases
56%
Career Allowance Rate
652 granted / 1155 resolved
-8.5% vs TC avg
Strong +37% interview lift
Without
With
+37.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 11m
Avg Prosecution
58 currently pending
Career history
1206
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
50.1%
+10.1% vs TC avg
§102
23.1%
-16.9% vs TC avg
§112
17.0%
-23.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1155 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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 . 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. (a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claims 7, 8, 10, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Koran et al. (USPGPub 2006/0157186 A1). Koran et al. disclose glass panel (Figures; Abstract; Paragraphs 0015 – 0017) comprising: a first laminate (Figure 1, #12); a second laminate attached to the first laminate (Figure 1, #14; Paragraphs 0015 – 0017); and an evacuated space between the first laminate and the second laminate (Paragraph 0015); wherein each of the first laminate and the second laminate include a glass layer, a resin layer, and an acrylic layer (Paragraph 0018, 0024, 0027 – 0033); and the acrylic layers face each other with the evacuated space therebetween (Figures 1 and 2, #26; Paragraphs 0015 – 0018, 0024, 0027 – 0033) as in claim 7. With respect to claim 8, the resin layers are formed of polyvinyl butyral (Paragraphs 0030 – 0033). Regarding claim 10, a spacer is positioned between the first laminate and the second laminate (Paragraphs 0015 – 0017). For claim 12, the evacuated layer restricts the transfer of heat from the first laminate to the second laminate (Paragraph 0017). 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. Claim1, 2, 4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koran et al. (USPGPub 2006/0157186 A1) in view of Hochart (FR 2516646 A1). A machine-generated translation of FR 2516646 A1 accompanies this action. In reciting this rejection, the examiner will cite this translation. Koran et al. disclose glass panel (Figures; Abstract; Paragraphs 0015 – 0017) comprising: a first laminate (Figure 1, #12); a second laminate attached to the first laminate (Figure 1, #14; Paragraphs 0015 – 0017); and an evacuated space between the first laminate and the second laminate (Paragraph 0015); wherein each of the first laminate and the second laminate include a glass layer, a resin layer, and an acrylic layer (Paragraph 0018, 0024, 0027 – 0033); and the acrylic layers face each other with the evacuated space therebetween (Figures 1 and 2, #26; Paragraphs 0015 – 0018, 0024, 0027 – 0033) as in claim 1. With respect to claim 2, the resin layers are formed of polyvinyl butyral (Paragraphs 0030 – 0033). Regarding claim 4, a spacer is positioned between the first laminate and the second laminate (Paragraphs 0015 – 0017). For claim 6, the evacuated layer restricts the transfer of heat from the first laminate to the second laminate (Paragraph 0017). However, Koran et al. fail to disclose a vehicle body having a plurality of openings; and a plurality of glass panels respectively provided in each of the plurality of openings. Hochart teach a vehicle body having a plurality of openings (Pages 1 and 2; Abstract, military vehicles); and a plurality of glass panels respectively provided in each of the plurality of openings (Pages 1 and 2; Abstract, military vehicles), having a first laminate (Figures 1 and 2); a second laminate attached to the first laminate (Figures 1 and 2); and a space between the first laminate and the second laminate (Figure 1, #11; Figure 2, #26 and 28) for the purpose of adding extra protection to a vehicle (Abstract). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a vehicle with the glass panels of Koran et al. in order to add extra protection to a vehicle as taught by Hochart. Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koran et al. (USPGPub 2006/0157186 A1) in view of Hochart (FR 2516646 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Shaffer (USPN 3,625,792). Koran et al., as modified with Hochart, disclose the claimed invention except for the acrylic layers are in the form of a cast sheet having a thickness that ranges between about 1.5 mm to about 2.5 mm. Shaffer teaches a glass laminated panel (Abstract) containing acrylic layers are in the form of a cast sheet (Column 6, lines 6 – 17) having a thickness that ranges between about 1.5 mm to about 2.5 mm (Column 7, lines 61 – 63) for the purpose of forming a stronger glass article (Column 6, lines 18 – 31). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a cast sheet of acrylic in the modified Koran et al. in order to form a stronger glass article as taught by Shaffer. Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koran et al. (USPGPub 2006/0157186 A1) in view of Shaffer (USPN 3,625,792). Koran et al. disclose glass panel (Figures; Abstract; Paragraphs 0015 – 0017) comprising: a first laminate (Figure 1, #12); a second laminate attached to the first laminate (Figure 1, #14; Paragraphs 0015 – 0017); and an evacuated space between the first laminate and the second laminate (Paragraph 0015); wherein each of the first laminate and the second laminate include a glass layer, a resin layer, and an acrylic layer (Paragraph 0018, 0024, 0027 – 0033); and the acrylic layers face each other with the evacuated space therebetween (Figures 1 and 2, #26; Paragraphs 0015 – 0018, 0024, 0027 – 0033). However, Koran et al. fail to disclose the acrylic layers are in the form of a cast sheet having a thickness that ranges between about 1.5 mm to about 2.5 mm. Shaffer teaches a glass laminated panel (Abstract) containing acrylic layers are in the form of a cast sheet (Column 6, lines 6 – 17) having a thickness that ranges between about 1.5 mm to about 2.5 mm (Column 7, lines 61 – 63) for the purpose of forming a stronger glass article (Column 6, lines 18 – 31). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a cast sheet of acrylic in Koran et al. in order to form a stronger glass article as taught by Shaffer. Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koran et al. (USPGPub 2006/0157186 A1) in view of Hochart (FR 2516646 A1) as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of Liu et al (CN 111497382 A). A machine-generated translation of CN 111497382 A accompanies this action. In reciting this rejection, the examiner will cite this translation. Koran et al., as modified with Hochart, disclose the claimed invention except for the spacer includes an opening that permits the space between the acrylic layers to be evacuated before being closed by a plug to seal the space. Liu et al. teach a glass substrate with a spacer (Abstract) that includes an opening that permits the space between the layers to be evacuated before being closed by a plug to seal the space (Claim 6) for the purpose of improving the insulation of the glass substrate (Abstract). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a spacer that includes an opening that permits the space between the layers to be evacuated before being closed by a plug in the modified Koran et al. in order to improve the insulation of the glass substrate as taught by Liu et al. Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koran et al. (USPGPub 2006/0157186 A1) in view of Liu et al (CN 111497382 A). A machine-generated translation of CN 111497382 A accompanies this action. In reciting this rejection, the examiner will cite this translation. Koran et al. disclose glass panel (Figures; Abstract; Paragraphs 0015 – 0017) comprising: a first laminate (Figure 1, #12); a second laminate attached to the first laminate (Figure 1, #14; Paragraphs 0015 – 0017); and an evacuated space between the first laminate and the second laminate (Paragraph 0015); wherein each of the first laminate and the second laminate include a glass layer, a resin layer, and an acrylic layer (Paragraph 0018, 0024, 0027 – 0033); and the acrylic layers face each other with the evacuated space therebetween (Figures 1 and 2, #26; Paragraphs 0015 – 0018, 0024, 0027 – 0033). A spacer is positioned between the first laminate and the second laminate (Paragraphs 0015 – 0017). However, Koran et al. fail to disclose a spacer includes an opening that permits the space between the acrylic layers to be evacuated before being closed by a plug to seal the space. Liu et al. teach a glass substrate with a spacer (Abstract) that includes an opening that permits the space between the layers to be evacuated before being closed by a plug to seal the space (Claim 6) for the purpose of improving the insulation of the glass substrate (Abstract). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a spacer that includes an opening that permits the space between the layers to be evacuated before being closed by a plug in Koran et al. in order to improve the insulation of the glass substrate as taught by Liu et al. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Patricia L Nordmeyer whose telephone number is (571)272-1496. The examiner can normally be reached 10am - 6:30pm EST, Monday - Friday. 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, Alicia Chevalier can be reached at 571-272-1490. 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. /Patricia L. Nordmeyer/ Primary Examiner Art Unit 1788 /pln/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1788 July 10, 2026
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Oct 24, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 14, 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
56%
Grant Probability
94%
With Interview (+37.1%)
2y 11m (~1y 1m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1155 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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