Last updated: October 22, 2026

Application No. 18/977,060

ICE MAKER APPLIANCE WITH RESERVOIR ACCESSIBILITY STRUCTURE

Final Rejection

Filed

Dec 11, 2024

Examiner

FURDGE, LARRY L

Art Unit

3763

Tech Center

3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing

Assignee

Haier US Appliance Solutions Inc.

OA Round

2 (Final)

Interview Optional

— +16.7% interview lift. Interview already conducted in this application's prosecution history. This examiner has a 62% grant rate with +16.7% interview lift. Since an interview has already been tried, recommend written response with narrowed claims based on precedent claim evolution patterns.

Based on 789 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

FURDGE, LARRY L View full profile →

Grants 62% of resolved cases

Career Allowance Rate

493 granted / 789 resolved

-7.5% vs TC avg

Strong +17% interview lift

Without

With

+16.7%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 3m

Avg Prosecution

41 currently pending

Career history

836

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

1.0%

-39.0% vs TC avg

§103

53.8%

+13.8% vs TC avg

§102

8.9%

-31.1% vs TC avg

§112

31.8%

-8.2% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 789 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 11, 2024

Application Filed

Jun 23, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Sep 08, 2026

Applicant Interview (Telephonic)

Sep 08, 2026

Examiner Interview Summary

Sep 15, 2026

Response Filed

Oct 02, 2026

Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/658,631

Patent 12766928

VEHICLE THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

2y 5m to grant Granted Oct 20, 2026

18/829,432

Patent 12766921

VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM

2y 1m to grant Granted Oct 20, 2026

18/737,263

Patent 12760956

CONDENSATION MITIGATION METHOD FOR A REFRIGERATOR APPLIANCE

2y 4m to grant Granted Oct 13, 2026

18/584,042

Patent 12753943

CONTROL DEVICE AND AIR CONDITIONER

2y 7m to grant Granted Oct 06, 2026

18/588,135

Patent 12751465

METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE ENVIRONMENT IN A GROW ROOM

2y 7m to grant Granted Oct 06, 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

3-4

Expected OA Rounds

62%

Grant Probability

79%

With Interview (+16.7%)

3y 3m (~1y 4m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Moderate

PTA Risk

Based on 789 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.