Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 19/143,054

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING CONTAINERS

Non-Final OA

Filed

Jun 25, 2025

Priority

Dec 28, 2022 — IT 102022000026916 +1 more

Examiner

KOTIS, JOSHUA G

Art Unit

3731

Tech Center

3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing

Assignee

I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +56.6% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (74%); +56.6% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 558 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

KOTIS, JOSHUA G View full profile →

Grants 74% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

414 granted / 558 resolved

+4.2% vs TC avg

Strong +57% interview lift

Without

With

+56.6%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 10m

Avg Prosecution

29 currently pending

Career history

588

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103

76.3%

+36.3% vs TC avg

§102

6.0%

-34.0% vs TC avg

§112

17.5%

-22.5% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 558 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jun 25, 2025

Application Filed

Jun 05, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/632,616

Patent 12667948

FASTENER DRIVING APPARATUS

2y 2m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/659,646

Patent 12654890

POUCH CONTAINMENT AND CARTON LOADING

2y 1m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/713,679

Patent 12654304

Handheld Power Tool

2y 0m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/268,995

Patent 12649602

METHOD AND MANUFACTURING DEVICE FOR STERILISING AN INTERIOR OF A PACKAGING, AND PACKAGING WITH STERILISED INTERIOR

2y 11m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/698,576

Patent 12643700

A HORIZONTAL PACKAGING APPARATUS

2y 1m to grant Granted Jun 02, 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.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

74%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+56.6%)

2y 10m (~1y 9m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 558 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.