Term ends no later than Nov 25, 2026 · Medium confidence
20-year base term ended Jan 27, 2026
In force on USPTO's status record and by its fee record. A terminal disclaimer on file may shorten this term, possibly to a date already past; its reference document is unresolved, so the date above is an upper bound and no earlier date is guessed.
Jan 27, 2006
Nov 25, 2026
Jan 18, 2011
This patent's term runs 302 days past its 20-year base term on prosecution delay. A terminal disclaimer is on file with no resolved reference, so no cap is applied and none is guessed. All three maintenance fees are recorded paid; no more fees are due. Confidence: Medium. from the record
How we calculated this date
| Step | Input | Date after this step | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base term, 20 years from filing | Clock starts Jan 27, 2006, when this application, 11/341,112, was filed | Jan 27, 2026 | High confidence |
| Continuity chain | Every parent in the chain resolved | no change | High confidence |
| Patent term adjustment | +302 days, USPTO patent term adjustment record | Nov 25, 2026 | High confidence |
| Terminal disclaimer cap | Disclaimer on file (approved), reference document not resolved | no cap applied, and none guessed | Medium confidence |
| Patent term extension | None on file | no change | High confidence |
| Fee events | 3 of 3 maintenance fees paid | In force | High confidence |
| Computed term end | The steps above, in order | no later than Nov 25, 2026 | Medium confidence |
Assignments
| Recorded | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 27, 2006 Reel 17525, frame 44 | Titschert, Jens; Sondermann, Achim | DBT GmbH | Assignment of Assignor's Interest |
| Nov 16, 2010 Reel 25375, frame 865 | DBT GmbH | Bucyrus DBT Europe GmbH | Change of Name |
| Dec 10, 2010 Reel 25492, frame 934 | Bucyrus DBT Europe GmbH | Bucyrus Europe GmbH | Change of Name |
| Sep 1, 2015 Reel 36526, frame 184 | Bucyrus Europe GmbH | Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH | Change of Name |
| Nov 22, 2022 Reel 61987, frame 528 | Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH | Caterpillar Inc. | Assignment of Assignor's Interest |
Sources
Google Patents · The patent document at USPTO · Assignment records at USPTO
USPTO account required: This application in Patent Center · USPTO's maintenance fee lookup
Maintenance fee events come from USPTO's own fee records. Its fee lookup asks for the patent number and the application number.
What's changing
A terminal disclaimer is on file (approved) and its reference document is not resolved. A disclaimer would cap the term earlier than Nov 25, 2026. We will not guess the cap.