USPTO Examiner GARDNER NICOLE - Art Unit 3753

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
18661685HYDROGEN SUPPLY COMBINATION VALVE HAVING FLOW REGULATION AND PRESSURE STABILIZATION FUNCTIONSMay 2024August 2024Allow300NoNo
18580923ROBOTIZED MANIFOLD SYSTEM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BISTABLE VALVESJanuary 2024March 2025Allow1400NoNo
18545378PISTONS FOR USE IN FLUID EXCHANGE DEVICES AND RELATED DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODSDecember 2023May 2025Allow1610NoNo
18558572PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICE FOR HIGH PRESSURE VESSELNovember 2023June 2025Abandon2010NoNo
18385836SAFETY HANDLE FOR FAUCETOctober 2023April 2025Allow1710NoNo
18465846CRANE SYSTEMS AND PUMP MANIFOLD SYSTEMS, AND RELATED METHODS, FOR PUMPING OPERATIONSSeptember 2023April 2025Allow1940YesNo
18243794DRY PIPE VALVESeptember 2023March 2024Allow610NoNo
18242441SPRING CONTROLLING VALVESeptember 2023June 2025Allow2120YesNo
18237166Butterfly ValveAugust 2023February 2025Allow1810NoNo
18447353CHEMICAL DISPENSING SYSTEMAugust 2023February 2025Allow1820YesNo
18364232HYDRANT ENCLOSURE WITH INTEGRAL FAUCETAugust 2023June 2024Allow1110NoNo
18362473ENERGY AND HYDROGEN TRANSPORT SYSTEMJuly 2023February 2025Abandon1930NoNo
18360138NON-POWERED WATER LEAKAGE BLOCKING DEVICEJuly 2023June 2025Abandon2301NoNo
18343022VALVE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLYJune 2023March 2024Allow810NoNo
18251610METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC OPERATION AND FUNCTIONAL VERIFICATION OF LINE VALVES INSTALLED IN FLUID DISTRIBUTION NETWORKSMay 2023April 2025Abandon2310NoNo
18141810POOL CLEANING SYSTEM CONTROLLER VALVEMay 2023October 2024Allow1700NoNo
18034584Method for Producing a Fuel Rail for a Pressure Vessel System, Fuel Rail, Pressure Vessel System, and Motor VehicleApril 2023December 2024Allow2010NoNo
18302388UMBRELLA CHECK VALVEApril 2023June 2024Allow1420NoNo
18178812MAGNETIC COUPLING FOR SPRAYHEADSMarch 2023March 2024Allow1210NoNo
18174788HOT SWAPPABLE FRACTURING PUMP SYSTEMFebruary 2023April 2024Allow1410NoNo
18170513SPRING VALVEFebruary 2023September 2024Abandon1910NoNo
18164567FLUID CONTROL VALVE UNIT AND VALVE TIMING CHANGING DEVICEFebruary 2023May 2025Allow2720NoNo
18156724ELECTROMAGNETIC VALVE MANIFOLDJanuary 2023September 2024Allow2000NoNo
18154453InsertJanuary 2023November 2024Abandon2220NoNo
17923095SAFETY VALVE SYSTEM FOR A COMBUSTION GAS VEHICLE, COMBUSTION GAS VEHICLE, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT, AND STORAGE MEANSNovember 2022April 2025Abandon2910NoNo
17959677HIGH-PRESSURE GAS TANK CONNECTION STRUCTUREOctober 2022December 2023Allow1510NoNo
17958758Magneto Strictive Actuated Pressure Regulator Module For Inflation SystemOctober 2022September 2024Allow2410NoNo
17952766VALVE ASSEMBLYSeptember 2022September 2024Allow2310NoNo
17935114VALVE HAVING LOCKING FUNCTIONSeptember 2022September 2024Allow3310NoNo
17951235RADIALLY EXPANDABLE LOCKS FOR VALVE SYSTEMSSeptember 2022September 2024Allow2410NoNo
17931983METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING TANK UNITSeptember 2022May 2024Allow2010NoNo
17894268ACTUATOR ARRANGEMENT FOR MULTI-VALVE ASSEMBLYAugust 2022April 2025Allow3211NoNo
17883818VALVE ACTUATORAugust 2022January 2024Allow1810NoNo
17818100PLANETARY FLUID CONTROL VALVEAugust 2022September 2023Allow1410YesNo
17874411VALVE WITH INTEGRATED PRESSURE REGULATORJuly 2022September 2024Allow2620YesNo
17872516HOT SWAPPABLE FRACTURING PUMP SYSTEMJuly 2022October 2022Allow300NoNo
17870337VALVE ACTUATORJuly 2022April 2024Allow2111NoNo
17808106LIQUID STORAGE TANKJune 2022December 2023Allow1830NoNo
17843380JETTED CHECK VALVEJune 2022March 2023Allow910NoNo
17839730WATER DIVERSION VALVE AND SHOWER DEVICEJune 2022September 2024Abandon2710NoNo
17824018Valve AssemblyMay 2022May 2023Allow1210NoNo
17748283PADDLE VALVE AND HOUSING THEREFORMay 2022March 2024Abandon2220NoNo
17747249VALVEMay 2022June 2025Abandon3741YesNo
17663574VALVE DEVICE FOR HIGH PRESSURE GAS STORAGE TANKMay 2022June 2024Abandon2520NoNo
17732129SLAM-SHUT SAFETY DEVICES FOR A FLUID REGULATORApril 2022July 2024Allow2721NoNo
17727920POPPET-STYLE VALVE ARRANGEMENTSApril 2022January 2024Allow2111YesNo
17716046VALVE FOR THROTTLING GAS FLOW FROM A SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING TOOLApril 2022March 2024Allow2430YesNo
17716811THREE-WAY PIEZOELECTRICALLY-ACTUATED MICROVALVE DEVICE AND METHOD OF FABRICATIONApril 2022June 2023Allow1410NoNo
17766839SAFETY VALVEApril 2022June 2024Allow2700NoNo
17712720METHOD OF SHUTTING OFF WATER AND A WATER OUTLET DEVICEApril 2022March 2024Allow2410YesNo
17707292METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPTIMIZED GAS DELIVERY WITH AUTOMATED REDUNDANT PRESSURE REGULATION SAFETY FEATUREMarch 2022March 2024Allow2411NoNo
17655546Dialysis Treatment Facility Wall-Box ApparatusMarch 2022June 2024Allow2710NoNo
176933633-2 WAY EXPANSION VALVEMarch 2022April 2023Allow1310NoNo
17690092POPPET AND SEAT CARTRIDGE VALVE SUBASSEMBLYMarch 2022February 2024Allow2320YesYes
17686652HYDRANT ENCLOSURE WITH INTEGRAL FAUCETMarch 2022April 2023Allow1410NoNo
17686842CRYOGENIC FLUID COUPLINGMarch 2022February 2025Allow3620NoNo
17679558VALVE RECOVERY CONTROL APPARATUS FOR HYDROGEN TANKFebruary 2022March 2024Allow2520YesNo
17671283PISTONS FOR USE IN FLUID EXCHANGE DEVICES AND RELATED DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODSFebruary 2022August 2023Allow1820NoNo
17575818BUTTERFLY VALVE ASSEMBLYJanuary 2022October 2023Allow2120NoNo
17563303Valve Assembly for Downhole Pump of Reciprocating Pump SystemDecember 2021September 2024Allow3321YesNo
17541646VALVEDecember 2021September 2024Allow3430NoNo
17540658Pressure Regulating Check ValveDecember 2021March 2023Allow1610NoNo
17536192Fluid manifold apparatus, in particular water distribution apparatusNovember 2021September 2023Allow2210NoNo
17527522PRESSURE OR FLOW REGULATION METHOD FOR GASEOUS HYDROGEN DISPENSING SYSTEMNovember 2021August 2024Allow3330NoNo
17524476DUAL SOLENOID INITIATOR VALVE FOR COMPRESSED FLUID SOURCESNovember 2021April 2025Abandon4140NoNo
17520061FLUID END USING CARTRIDGE CHECK VALVE AND WEDGE RETENTION SYSTEMNovember 2021July 2024Allow3240NoNo
17512670HYDROGEN REFUELING STATION EVALUATION DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOFOctober 2021August 2023Allow2210NoNo
17512690SAFETY VACUUM SUPPLY GAS CYLINDEROctober 2021September 2024Allow3540NoNo
17498465ENCLOSURE VENT ASSEMBLYOctober 2021January 2025Abandon3921NoYes
17494200TRAVELING RELIEF VALVEOctober 2021June 2023Allow2140NoNo
17598881Damper Adjusting ArrangementSeptember 2021December 2024Allow3840NoNo
17440270CHECK VALVE DAMPINGSeptember 2021July 2025Allow4540NoNo
17477329MANIFOLD FOR SERVICING MULTIPLE WELLS AND METHODSeptember 2021November 2024Abandon3830NoNo
17464342BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICESeptember 2021April 2023Allow2010YesNo
17464231INLINE SAFETY VALVESeptember 2021September 2023Abandon2420NoNo
17446144PLATE ARMATURE DAMPING DEVICE FOR A TILTING ARMATURE VALVE, PLATE ARMATURE, AND TILTING ARMATURE VALVE WITH A PLATE ARMATURE DAMPING DEVICEAugust 2021March 2023Allow1910NoNo
17434285RELIEF VALVE FOR GASAugust 2021September 2023Abandon2510NoNo
17408183SERIAL METERING ORIFICES FOR A METERING VALVEAugust 2021September 2023Abandon2520NoNo
17403532Butterfly ValveAugust 2021September 2023Abandon2520NoNo
17398508TOILET FILL VALVE WITH VALVE LOCKAugust 2021June 2025Allow4620NoYes
17427674FASTENING BOLT AND HYDRAULIC CONTROL DEVICEAugust 2021November 2024Abandon4012NoNo
17300524Composite valve handleJuly 2021September 2023Abandon2520NoNo
17383727JETTED CHECK VALVEJuly 2021September 2022Allow1411NoNo
17424139INTERGRATED CHECK VALVEJuly 2021December 2023Allow2920NoNo
17375776GAS SUPPLY APPARATUSJuly 2021June 2023Abandon2310NoNo
17372901PRESSURE REGULATOR VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR IMPROVED FLUID FLOW IN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONJuly 2021March 2024Abandon3230NoNo
17371065SAFETY OPENING/CLOSING VALVE FOR EASY CHECKING OF OPENED/CLOSED STATE THEREOFJuly 2021June 2022Allow1210NoNo
17416690POPPET VALVEJune 2021June 2025Abandon4840NoYes
17334062SENSORS FOR VALVE SYSTEMS, VALVE SYSTEMS INCLUDING SENSORS AND RELATED METHODSMay 2021December 2023Allow3130YesNo
17315065FLEXIBLE PIPE CONNECTION SYSTEMS AND METHODSMay 2021September 2022Allow1610NoNo
17243068GEAR TRAIN FOR A VALVE ACTUATORApril 2021November 2024Abandon4340NoNo
17240311Valve Apparatus and SystemApril 2021January 2023Allow2110YesNo
17229984COMPRESSOR VALVE ASSEMBLY WITH REMOVABLY AFFIXED GUIDE IN A RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORApril 2021May 2022Allow1310NoNo
17197067VALVE DEVICEMarch 2021December 2023Allow3310NoNo
17191186FLUID CONTROLLER, IN PARTICULAR AS PART OF A HYDRAULIC STEERING UNITMarch 2021March 2024Allow3610NoNo
17186417SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LEAKAGE MITIGATIONFebruary 2021December 2022Allow2201NoNo
17183869OVERMOLDED OR PRESSED-IN SLEEVE FOR HYDRAULIC ROUTING OF SOLENOIDFebruary 2021September 2022Allow1910NoNo
17182252Gas-filling deviceFebruary 2021June 2023Abandon2710NoNo
17270709SAFETY VALVE AND RADIATOR USING SUCH SAFETY VALVEFebruary 2021May 2023Abandon2720NoNo
17175506POP-UP EMITTERFebruary 2021March 2022Allow1310NoNo

Appeals Overview

This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner GARDNER, NICOLE.

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
8
Examiner Affirmed
4
(50.0%)
Examiner Reversed
4
(50.0%)
Reversal Percentile
78.4%
Higher than average

What This Means

With a 50.0% reversal rate, the PTAB reverses the examiner's rejections in a meaningful percentage of cases. This reversal rate is in the top 25% across the USPTO, indicating that appeals are more successful here than in most other areas.

Strategic Value of Filing an Appeal

Total Appeal Filings
27
Allowed After Appeal Filing
11
(40.7%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
16
(59.3%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
65.5%
Higher than average

Understanding Appeal Filing Strategy

Filing a Notice of Appeal can sometimes lead to allowance even before the appeal is fully briefed or decided by the PTAB. This occurs when the examiner or their supervisor reconsiders the rejection during the mandatory appeal conference (MPEP § 1207.01) after the appeal is filed.

In this dataset, 40.7% of applications that filed an appeal were subsequently allowed. This appeal filing benefit rate is above the USPTO average, suggesting that filing an appeal can be an effective strategy for prompting reconsideration.

Strategic Recommendations

Appeals to PTAB show good success rates. If you have a strong case on the merits, consider fully prosecuting the appeal to a Board decision.

Filing a Notice of Appeal is strategically valuable. The act of filing often prompts favorable reconsideration during the mandatory appeal conference.

Examiner GARDNER, NICOLE - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner GARDNER, NICOLE works in Art Unit 3753 and has examined 437 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 72.3%, this examiner has a below-average tendency to allow applications. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 28 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner GARDNER, NICOLE's allowance rate of 72.3% places them in the 28% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner has a below-average tendency to allow applications.

Office Action Patterns

On average, applications examined by GARDNER, NICOLE receive 2.12 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 71% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues a slightly above-average number of office actions.

Prosecution Timeline

The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by GARDNER, NICOLE is 28 months. This places the examiner in the 54% percentile for prosecution speed. Prosecution timelines are slightly faster than average with this examiner.

Interview Effectiveness

Conducting an examiner interview provides a +15.0% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by GARDNER, NICOLE. This interview benefit is in the 58% percentile among all examiners. Recommendation: Interviews provide an above-average benefit with this examiner and are worth considering.

Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Effectiveness

When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 24.3% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 26% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs show below-average effectiveness with this examiner. Carefully evaluate whether an RCE or continuation is the better strategy.

After-Final Amendment Practice

This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 35.4% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 45% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner shows below-average receptiveness to after-final amendments. You may need to file an RCE or appeal rather than relying on after-final amendment entry.

Pre-Appeal Conference Effectiveness

When applicants request a pre-appeal conference (PAC) with this examiner, 75.0% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 59% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: Pre-appeal conferences show above-average effectiveness with this examiner. If you have strong arguments, a PAC request may result in favorable reconsideration.

Appeal Withdrawal and Reconsideration

This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 66.7% of appeals filed. This is in the 47% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 62.5% occur early in the appeal process (after Notice of Appeal but before Appeal Brief). Strategic Insight: This examiner shows below-average willingness to reconsider rejections during appeals. Be prepared to fully prosecute appeals if filed.

Petition Practice

When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 44.1% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 48% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions show below-average success regarding this examiner's actions. Ensure you have a strong procedural basis before filing.

Examiner Cooperation and Flexibility

Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 40% percentile). This examiner makes examiner's amendments less often than average. You may need to make most claim amendments yourself.

Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 2.5% of allowed cases (in the 68% percentile). This examiner issues Quayle actions more often than average when claims are allowable but formal matters remain (MPEP § 714.14).

Prosecution Strategy Recommendations

Based on the statistical analysis of this examiner's prosecution patterns, here are tailored strategic recommendations:

    Relevant MPEP Sections for Prosecution Strategy

    • MPEP § 713.10: Examiner interviews - available before Notice of Allowance or transfer to PTAB
    • MPEP § 714.12: After-final amendments - may be entered "under justifiable circumstances"
    • MPEP § 1002.02(c): Petitionable matters to Technology Center Director
    • MPEP § 1004: Actions requiring primary examiner signature (allowances, final rejections, examiner's answers)
    • MPEP § 1207.01: Appeal conferences - mandatory for all appeals
    • MPEP § 1214.07: Reopening prosecution after appeal

    Important Disclaimer

    Not Legal Advice: The information provided in this report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. You should consult with a qualified patent attorney or agent for advice specific to your situation.

    No Guarantees: We do not provide any guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the statistics presented above. Patent prosecution statistics are derived from publicly available USPTO data and are subject to data quality limitations, processing errors, and changes in USPTO practices over time.

    Limitation of Liability: Under no circumstances will IronCrow AI be liable for any outcome, decision, or action resulting from your reliance on the statistics, analysis, or recommendations presented in this report. Past prosecution patterns do not guarantee future results.

    Use at Your Own Risk: While we strive to provide accurate and useful prosecution statistics, you should independently verify any information that is material to your prosecution strategy and use your professional judgment in all patent prosecution matters.