Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 01, 2026
Application No. 19/208,151

Headrest and Work Vehicle

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
May 14, 2025
Priority
May 15, 2024 — JP 2024-079512
Examiner
CHEN, JOSE V
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Kubota Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
78%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
5m
Est. Remaining
93%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 78% — above average
78%
Career Allowance Rate
1714 granted / 2198 resolved
+18.0% vs TC avg
Strong +15% interview lift
Without
With
+15.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
1y 10m
Avg Prosecution
26 currently pending
Career history
2216
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.5%
-39.5% vs TC avg
§103
39.4%
-0.6% vs TC avg
§102
15.0%
-25.0% vs TC avg
§112
33.7%
-6.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 2198 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 . 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. Claim(s) 1, 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Iwasaki et al (201801341889). The reference to Iwasaki et al teaches structure as claimed including a headrest comprising: a cushion section configured to contact the back of a user's head, wherein the cushion section comprises a hollow portion formed therein(where 18 is), and wherein the cushion section comprises a bulging portion (26 or 26 and 52) bulging toward the back of the user's head at a central portion of an opposing surface of the cushion section, the opposing surface facing the back of the user's head. Further any vehicle is a work vehicle in as much as such is defined. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 2, 3, 4 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references cited teach structure similar to applicant’s including headrest structures. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE V CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-6865. The examiner can normally be reached m-f, m-w 5:30-3:00, th5:30-2:00. 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, Daniel Troy can be reached at 571 270 3742. 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. /JOSE V CHEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

May 14, 2025
Application Filed
Sep 15, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12728781
OPEN SPACE TYPE HEADREST FOR SEAT
2y 9m to grant Granted Sep 08, 2026
Patent 12729000
DEVICE FOR TRANSMITTING A MOVEMENT
2y 1m to grant Granted Sep 08, 2026
Patent 12722541
VEHICLE SEAT FOR ONE-TOUCH SWITCHING TO RELAXATION MODE
2y 3m to grant Granted Sep 01, 2026
Patent 12721444
REMOVAL MECHANISM
1y 9m to grant Granted Sep 01, 2026
Patent 12715343
VEHICLE SEAT LONGITUDINAL ADJUSTMENT ASSEMBLY
2y 6m to grant Granted Aug 25, 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
93%
With Interview (+15.1%)
1y 10m (~5m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 2198 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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