Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 19/250,668

FLYING APPARATUS

Non-Final OA §102§Other
Filed
Jun 26, 2025
Examiner
BENEDIK, JUSTIN M
Art Unit
3642
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Kubota Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
86%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 7m
To Grant
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 86% — above average
86%
Career Allow Rate
740 granted / 862 resolved
+33.8% vs TC avg
Moderate +10% lift
Without
With
+10.5%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 7m
Avg Prosecution
16 currently pending
Career history
878
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.2%
-39.8% vs TC avg
§103
48.5%
+8.5% vs TC avg
§102
32.7%
-7.3% vs TC avg
§112
13.4%
-26.6% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 862 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §Other
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 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 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) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Ishikawa JP 7185971. Ishikawa discloses the limitations in the claims below: 1. A flying apparatus 10 comprising: an airframe 19; a rotor 14 (141-144) attached to the airframe; a driver (engine 30) to drive the rotor; and a cooler 11 to water-cool the driver; wherein the cooler is provided below a blade of the rotor (Clearly shown in fig. 2). 2. The flying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driver includes an engine 30; the cooler includes a radiator 1121; and the radiator is provided below the blade of the rotor (Clearly shown in Fig. 2). 3. The flying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooler overlaps a rotation path of the blade in a planar view (Clearly shown in Fig. 2). 4. The flying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a baffle (shroud 28) to guide, toward the cooler, a downward flow of air generated by rotation of the blade (The paragraph referring to Fig. 11 – beginning “The external heat exchange section 1121” … “the shroud 28 is arranged above the external heat exchange section 1121 , the shroud 28 can effectively gather the downwash toward the external heat exchange section”). 5. The flying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the baffle overlaps a rotation path of the blade in a planar view (Clearly understood from Fig. 11). 6. The flying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an upper end of the baffle is located above the blade (Shown in Fig. 11 wherein the further right portion of the shroud is above the lover blade). 7. The flying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an upper end of the baffle is located below the blade (Shown in Fig. 11 wherein the further left portion of the shroud is below the rotor blade). 8. The flying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the airframe includes a main body assembly with the driver 30 mounted thereon or therein; and the cooler 11 is located on a side of the main body assembly (Seen clearly in Fig. 2). 9. The flying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: a radiating surface of the cooler faces upward; and the baffle is provided above the radiating surface (In the paragraph regarding fig 11, beginning with “The external heat exchange section 1121 is installed” … “The external heat exchange section 1121 is arranged substantially horizontally with respect to the horizontal plane. That is, when the external heat exchange part 1121 is of the fin-and-tube type, the fins are horizontally aligned”.) 10. The flying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the baffle 28 includes a first plate and a second plate facing each other and spaced from each other, and a third plate to connect the first plate and the second plate to each other (plates being the sides, front and back as shown in Fig. 11). 11. The flying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the baffle includes an expansion portion (see upper part of the side walls of 1123 and 1122 in Fig. 3 expanding upward and outward) that gradually increases a width of a space between the first plate and the second plate in an upward direction. 12. The flying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the cooler is provided between a center of the rotor and the third plate in a planar view (1121 being in-between the walls of the shroud and the rotor blade – In Fig. 11). Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure include drone copter platforms and relevant similar components. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN M BENEDIK whose telephone number is (571)270-7824. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00-3:00. 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, Joshua Huson can be reached at 571-270-5301. 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. /JUSTIN M. BENEDIK/ Primary Examiner Art Unit 3642 /JUSTIN M BENEDIK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jun 26, 2025
Application Filed
Mar 17, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102, §Other (current)

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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
86%
Grant Probability
96%
With Interview (+10.5%)
2y 7m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 862 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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