Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 04, 2026
Application No. 18/964,017

WIRE HARNESS

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Nov 29, 2024
Priority
Dec 01, 2023 — JP 2023-203849
Examiner
BURNS, TREMESHA WILLIS
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Proterial Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
78%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
7m
Est. Remaining
95%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 78% — above average
78%
Career Allowance Rate
698 granted / 893 resolved
+18.2% vs TC avg
Strong +17% interview lift
Without
With
+17.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 6m
Avg Prosecution
43 currently pending
Career history
947
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.3%
-39.7% vs TC avg
§103
33.4%
-6.6% vs TC avg
§102
47.0%
+7.0% vs TC avg
§112
17.8%
-22.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 893 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . Specification The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because of the following: the abstract is greater than 150 words. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b). 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. Claims 1 – 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ito (JP 2021-121140). Regarding claim 1, in Figure 1, Ito discloses a wire harness, comprising: a plurality of large-diameter wires (11); at least one multicore wire (20) in which a plurality of small-diameter wires (21) having a smaller outer diameter than the plurality of large-diameter wires are collectively covered with a sheath (22); and a holder (40, 30) to hold the plurality of large-diameter wires and the at least one multicore wire, wherein the plurality of large-diameter wires and the plurality of small-diameter wires are each formed by covering a conductor (111, 211) with an insulation (112, 212), wherein the plurality of large-diameter wires and the at least one multicore wire are twisted together to form a twisted body (Figure 1b), wherein the twisted body comprises a portion in a longitudinal direction housed in the holder (30, Figure 1c), and a portion not housed in the holder at which the plurality of large-diameter wires and the at least one multicore wire are exposed (Figure 1c), wherein a length of a portion where the twisted body is housed in the holder is smaller than a length of a portion where the plurality of large-diameter wires and the at least one multicore wire are exposed (Figure 1a), and wherein the insulation of each of the plurality of large-diameter wires and the sheath are in contact with each other at the portion housed in the holder (Figure 1b). Regarding claim 2, Ito discloses wherein the insulation of each of the plurality of large-diameter wires and the sheath have an outer circumferential surface with a surface roughness Ra of 1 μm or more (Figure 1). Regarding claim 3, Ito discloses wherein the plurality of small-diameter wires of the at least one multicore wire are twisted together inside the sheath, and wherein a twisting direction of the plurality of small-diameter wires is the same as a twisting direction of the plurality of large-diameter wires and the at least one multicore wire in the twisted body (Figure 1). Regarding claim 4, Ito discloses wherein an outer diameter of each of the plurality of large-diameter wires is approximately the same as an outer diameter of the at least one multicore wire (Figure 1). Regarding claim 5, Ito discloses wherein the holder comprises a tightening member that tightens on the twisted body (Figure 1). Regarding claim 6, Ito discloses wherein the holder comprises a resin tube that surrounds the twisted body, and a tightening member that tightens on the resin tube (Figure 1). Regarding claim 7, Ito discloses wherein the holder comprises a resin molded body comprising holding holes formed to penetrate therethrough to respectively hold the plurality of large-diameter wires and the at least one multicore wire, and a tightening member that tightens on the resin molded body (Figure 1). Regarding claim 8, Ito discloses wherein the plurality of large-diameter wires and the at least one multicore wire of the twisted body are untwisted on an end side relative to the portion housed in the holder, and wherein the plurality of large-diameter wires and the at least one multicore wire on the end side relative to the holder comprise a portion remaining twisted together at least at an end on the holder side (Figure 1). Regarding claim 9, Ito discloses wherein in the insulation of each of the plurality of large-diameter wires and the sheath, at least an outermost layer comprises a polyurethane-based resin (Figure 1). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TREMESHA W BURNS whose telephone number is (571)270-3391. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am - 4:30 pm EST. 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, Timothy Thompson can be reached at (571) 272-2342. 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. TREMESHA W. BURNS Primary Examiner Art Unit 2847 /TREMESHA W BURNS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 29, 2024
Application Filed
Aug 26, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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ELECTRONIC MODULE WITH SELF-RETAINING FEATURE AND METHOD OF USING SAME
2y 6m to grant Granted Sep 15, 2026
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FLEXIBLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE
2y 7m to grant Granted Sep 08, 2026
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
78%
Grant Probability
95%
With Interview (+17.2%)
2y 6m (~7m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 893 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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