Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/955,549

Retainer with Assembly Prevention and Verification

Non-Final OA

Filed

Nov 21, 2024

Priority

Dec 04, 2023 — provisional 63/605,650

Examiner

LAVINDER, JACK W

Art Unit

3677

Tech Center

3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce

Assignee

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +28.1% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (65%); +28.1% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 1786 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

LAVINDER, JACK W View full profile →

Grants 65% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

1167 granted / 1786 resolved

+13.3% vs TC avg

Strong +28% interview lift

Without

With

+28.1%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 6m

Avg Prosecution

41 currently pending

Career history

1809

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.3%

-39.7% vs TC avg

§103

54.3%

+14.3% vs TC avg

§102

13.3%

-26.7% vs TC avg

§112

20.3%

-19.7% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1786 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 21, 2024

Application Filed

Apr 23, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/587,351

Patent 12678641

D-RING WITH MULTIPLE OPENINGS

2y 4m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/646,851

Patent 12672685

CUMMERBUND TENSIONING SYSTEM

2y 2m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/900,543

Patent 12672701

ATTACHMENT SYSTEM FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

1y 9m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/515,336

Patent 12669141

VEHICLE MODULE CLIP

2y 7m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

17/622,722

Patent 12653279

THERMAL COMPENSATION SYSTEM FOR FLUIDIC DECORATION CAPSULE

4y 5m to grant Granted Jun 16, 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

65%

Grant Probability

93%

With Interview (+28.1%)

2y 6m (~10m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1786 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.