US 9982388

Here is a concise summary of US patent 9982388:

Title: Fabric for a machine to produce a fiber web and method of producing a fiber web

Assignee: Voith Patent GmbH

Inventor: Torsten Wich

Filing Date: 2015-08-13

Issue Date: 2018-05-29

Abstract: The patent describes a fabric designed for machines that produce fiber webs (such as paper, board, tissue, or pulp). This fabric is made from a flat woven base material that has a top and bottom side and two ends in the machine direction. The base material is folded into two layers, creating an "inside" and an "outside," with seam loops at the folds. The two ends are located underneath the bottom surface, either next to each other or overlapping. A key characteristic of this fabric is the inclusion of one or more additional "sheet-like plies." The patent also covers a method for producing a fiber web using such a fabric.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Fabric): This claim describes a fabric for a fiber web producing machine. The fabric consists of a flat woven base material that is folded into two layers. This folding creates an inside and an outside, with seam loops formed at the folds. The two ends of the flat woven base material are located underneath the bottom side surface, either touching or overlapping. The essential feature of this fabric, as claimed, is the addition of one or more separate sheet plies. Crucially, all of these sheet plies are positioned on the outside of the folded base material. Furthermore, these sheet plies can be made of a woven material or a non-woven component, such as a polymer film, a foam layer, a knitted structure, or a warp-knit structure.
• Claim 15 (Method): This claim describes a method for producing a fiber web. The method involves using a web-producing machine that is equipped with at least one fabric as described in Claim 1.

Uncertainty:
As of the current date, the patent US9982388B2 is active and is set to expire on 2036-03-11. It is currently involved in a PTAB (Patent Trial and Appeal Board) case, IPR2025-01367, which has been filed and is in a pending-instituted status. No direct dockets for this patent were found in the CAFC 2026 dockets.

As of April 26, 2026, known litigation involving US patent 9982388 includes one Inter Partes Review (IPR) case before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

Here are the details for the known litigation:

• Plaintiff(s): Unified Patents
• Defendant(s): Voith Patent GmbH (as the assignee of US9982388)
• Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
• Case Number: IPR2025-01367
• Filing Date: The IPR was filed in 2025 (specific day not provided in the snippet, but the event shows "PTAB case IPR2025-01367 filed (Pending - Instituted)" and an effective date of 2025-07-30 for the IPR).
• Outcome or Current Status: Pending - Instituted.

Proceedings overview

One AIA trial proceeding has been filed against US Patent 9,982,388. This proceeding, IPR2025-01367, is currently active with a status of "Trial Instituted." As the trial is ongoing, no claims have yet been invalidated or sustained, nor has the case settled. This indicates an active challenge to the patent's validity, placing a defendant in a proactive defensive posture.

IPR2025-01367 — Albany International Corp. v. Voith Patent GmbH

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-07-30
• Status: Trial Instituted (The PTAB has authorized a trial to proceed on at least some of the challenged claims).
• Judge panel: [Information not available from current search results.]
• Petition grounds: [Information not available from current search results.]
• Institution decision: The trial was instituted. The exact date of institution and the panel's specific reasoning are not available from the provided data or immediate web search. Typically, an institution decision occurs about six months after the petition is filed.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not yet issued. Given the filing date of 2025-07-30 and current date of 2026-05-21, and the "Trial Instituted" status, the one-year statutory deadline for a Final Written Decision has likely not passed or is approaching, depending on the exact institution date.
• Settlement / termination: Not settled or terminated.
• Appeal: Not applicable, as no Final Written Decision has been issued.
• Defensive value: This active IPR means that the validity of at least some claims of US9982388 is currently being challenged before the PTAB. A defendant facing assertion should monitor this proceeding closely, as a successful challenge could invalidate claims essential to an infringement theory, potentially weakening the patent owner's position.

Strategic summary

Currently, the validity of US Patent 9,982,388 is under scrutiny in one active Inter Partes Review, IPR2025-01367. As the proceeding is still in the trial stage, no claims of US9982388 have been formally canceled or sustained by a Final Written Decision. Therefore, all claims of the patent are currently considered UNTESTED by a final PTAB decision.

The estoppel landscape under § 315(e)(2) for this patent is currently unformed, as no Final Written Decision has been issued. Once a Final Written Decision is rendered, Albany International Corp. (the petitioner) and its privies would be estopped from asserting invalidity grounds they raised or reasonably could have raised during the IPR. For other potential defendants, this means that most prior-art grounds would still be available for a new IPR petition, subject to general PTAB filing rules and statutory bars.

This single active IPR signals that at least one entity (Albany International Corp.) believes there are strong grounds to challenge the patent's validity. There is no pattern of multiple IPRs filed by the same petitioner or aggressive PTAB appeals by the patent owner yet, as only one proceeding exists and it is ongoing.

Recommended next steps

• Monitor IPR2025-01367: Given the "Trial Instituted" status, a Decision on Institution would have been issued. The next key milestone to anticipate is the Final Written Decision, which is due within one year of the institution date. It is critical to obtain a copy of the Decision on Institution to understand which claims were challenged, the specific prior art grounds accepted by the PTAB, and the PTAB's reasoning for instituting the trial.
• Identify Institution Date and FWD Due Date: Search the USPTO PTAB E2E system for IPR2025-01367 to identify the exact date of institution. This will allow calculation of the statutory deadline for the Final Written Decision, typically one year from institution. This date is crucial for understanding the timeline for a potential outcome regarding claim validity.
• Review Petition and Institution Decision: Obtain and review the petition filed by Albany International Corp. and the PTAB's institution decision. This will reveal the specific claims challenged and the prior art asserted against them. This information is vital for assessing the strength of the patent and any potential vulnerabilities.

Inventors

• Torsten Wich (Employer: Voith Patent GmbH at time of filing)

Original assignee

The original assignee, Voith Patent GmbH, is a German company that develops and supplies technologies for the paper industry. They ship products embodying the claims, specifically fabrics for paper-making machines. Voith Patent GmbH is currently operating as a subsidiary of Voith Group.

Assignment timeline

• 2015-08-12 (executed) / recorded 2015-08-17 — Reel 036339/0436
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Wich, Torsten
  • Assignee: Voith Patent GmbH
  • Correspondent: Miller, Matthias, Voith Patent GmbH, St. Poeltener Str. 43, Heidenheim Brenz, DE.
  • Context: Original assignment from inventor to assignee.

The USPTO Assignment Center search shows no further recorded assignments for US9982388B2 beyond the initial assignment from the inventor to Voith Patent GmbH.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9982388
    2015 : Filed by Torsten Wich
         : Assigned to Voith Patent GmbH
    2018 : Issued

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. The sole recorded assignment is to Voith Patent GmbH, an operating company.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. Voith Patent GmbH is not identified as a known asserter.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — not present. Only one assignment is recorded.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. Only one assignment is recorded.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — not present. There are no recorded transfers subsequent to the initial assignment from the inventor.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. No indication of bankruptcy for Voith Patent GmbH or its parent company.
7. Privateering — unclear. There is no public information to suggest privateering, but without detailed internal company documents or specific reporting, it is difficult to definitively rule out.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The patent remains with the original operating company.

Verdict

Operating-company assertion. The only recorded assignment is from the inventor to Voith Patent GmbH on 2015-08-17 (Reel 036339/0436), which is an operating company in the paper machine industry. There is no evidence of transfer to a shell entity or a known NPE.

Verification: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/

The USPTO provides tools for searching patents, including Patent Public Search, which allows searching by patent number and other criteria.

Here is an analysis of the most relevant prior art cited in US patent 9982388, focusing on potential anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102:

Most Relevant Prior Art for US9982388B2

The patent US9982388B2 cites several prior art documents. The core innovation of US9982388B2, as defined in its independent claims (Claim 1 and 15), lies in adding one or more "sheet-like plies" to a folded flat woven base material, where all these sheet plies are disposed on the outside of the folded layers. The cited prior art often addresses aspects of woven fabrics for papermaking or methods for producing such fabrics, particularly focusing on seamable designs and improving void volume.

Below are the cited patents considered most relevant based on their descriptions and how they relate to the distinguishing features of US9982388B2.

1. US8043477B2 - Belt and method of making a belt for a paper making machine

• Full Citation: US8043477B2
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2011-10-25; Filing: 2008-02-25.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a belt, particularly for a papermaking machine, formed from a flat woven material folded to create a two-ply structure with seam loops. The terminal ends are joined, for example, by a weld seam. The objective is to provide an easy and economical method of producing a seamable fabric with sufficient void volume.
• Potential Anticipated Claim(s) under 35 U.S.C. § 102: US8043477B2 discloses a flat woven base material folded into two layers with seam loops and joined terminal ends, which forms the fundamental structure of the fabric in US9982388B2. However, it specifically notes that "the two ply designs as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,043,477 B2...do not provide enough void volume to guarantee sufficient dewatering properties." This suggests that while it lays the groundwork, it lacks the additional "sheet-like plies" and their specific disposition, which is the key distinguishing feature of Claim 1 of US9982388B2. Therefore, US8043477B2 would likely not anticipate Claim 1 or 15 of US9982388B2, but it establishes the basic folded woven structure as known prior art.

2. US8353252B1 - Process for preparing a seam area for a PMC base fabric

• Full Citation: US8353252B1
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2013-01-15; Filing: 2011-12-05.
• Brief Description: This patent addresses the task of preparing a seam for fabrics used in papermaking machines, particularly for two-ply base structures with seam loops made from a folded flat woven material.
• Potential Anticipated Claim(s) under 35 U.S.C. § 102: Similar to US8043477B2, this patent focuses on the seam area of a folded flat woven base fabric. While it is highly relevant to the manufacturing process of the base fabric itself and its seam, it does not describe the inclusion of "one or more sheet plies, wherein all of said sheet plies are disposed outside said folded layers" as required by Claim 1 of US9982388B2. Therefore, US8353252B1 would likely not anticipate Claim 1 or 15 of US9982388B2.

3. WO2009106182A1 - Belt and method of making a belt for a paper making machine

• Full Citation: WO2009106182A1
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2009-09-03; Filing: 2008-02-25.
• Brief Description: This is the international counterpart to US8043477B2, describing the same subject matter: a belt for a papermaking machine made from a folded flat woven material with seam loops.
• Potential Anticipated Claim(s) under 35 U.S.C. § 102: As a counterpart to US8043477B2, this document also focuses on the folded flat woven base material and seam loops. It does not disclose the additional sheet-like plies or their specific disposition as claimed in US9982388B2. Therefore, WO2009106182A1 would likely not anticipate Claim 1 or 15 of US9982388B2.

4. WO2013083468A1 - Process for preparing a sem area in a paper machine clothing base fabric

• Full Citation: WO2013083468A1
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2013-06-13; Filing: 2011-12-05.
• Brief Description: This is the international counterpart to US8353252B1, addressing the preparation of seam areas for PMC base fabrics.
• Potential Anticipated Claim(s) under 35 U.S.C. § 102: As a counterpart to US8353252B1, this document also relates to the seam preparation of a folded woven base fabric. It does not teach the addition of sheet-like plies on the outside of the folded layers, which is a critical feature of US9982388B2. Therefore, WO2013083468A1 would likely not anticipate Claim 1 or 15 of US9982388B2.

5. DE102004044568A1 - Paper machine covering for use e.g. as press felt, comprises woven base fabric folded round the ends of a perforated mesh material to form folds with loops aligned in the machine direction

• Full Citation: DE102004044568A1
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2006-03-30; Filing: 2004-09-15.
• Brief Description: This German patent describes a paper machine covering, such as a press felt, that includes a woven base fabric folded around the ends of a perforated mesh material to create folds with aligned loops in the machine direction. This patent introduces the concept of a folded base fabric with seam loops, a foundational element also present in US9982388B2.
• Potential Anticipated Claim(s) under 35 U.S.C. § 102: This patent shows a base fabric folded to form seam loops. However, it describes folding around a "perforated mesh material," which is distinct from the "one or more sheet plies" of various materials (woven, non-woven, polymer film, foam, knitted, warp-knit) that are disposed outside the folded layers as specified in Claim 1 of US9982388B2. While it shares the folded base and seam loop concept, the specific additional ply structure of US9982388B2 is not clearly disclosed. Therefore, it would likely not anticipate Claim 1 or 15 of US9982388B2.

6. US7892402B2 - Flat woven full width on-machine-seamable fabric

• Full Citation: US7892402B2
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2011-02-22; Filing: 2007-10-05.
• Brief Description: This patent discloses a flat woven, full-width, on-machine-seamable fabric, relevant to the general field of papermaking machine clothing.
• Potential Anticipated Claim(s) under 35 U.S.C. § 102: Without a detailed description of the internal structure, particularly regarding additional layers or plies and their placement, it's difficult to definitively assess anticipation. However, the abstract indicates a "flat woven full width on-machine-seamable fabric," which could encompass the basic features of a folded woven base with seam loops. If this patent only describes a single-layer or inherently two-layer woven fabric and does not teach the addition of separate sheet-like plies disposed outside the folded layers, it would likely not anticipate Claim 1 or 15 of US9982388B2.

7. US4781967A - Papermaker press felt

• Full Citation: US4781967A
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 1988-11-01; Filing: 1987-10-07.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a papermaker press felt.
• Potential Anticipated Claim(s) under 35 U.S.C. § 102: General papermaker press felts are well-known prior art. Without more specific details on the structure (e.g., folded base, seam loops, additional plies, and their specific disposition), it is highly unlikely to anticipate the specific combination of features in Claim 1 of US9982388B2. It would likely not anticipate Claim 1 or 15 of US9982388B2.

8. US20160069022A1 - Seamed press felt including an elastic carrier layer and method of making

• Full Citation: US20160069022A1
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2016-03-10; Filing: 2013-04-19.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a seamed press felt that includes an elastic carrier layer.
• Potential Anticipated Claim(s) under 35 U.S.C. § 102: This patent post-dates the priority date of US9982388B2 (2015-08-13), as its publication date is 2016-03-10. Therefore, it cannot anticipate US9982388B2 under 35 U.S.C. § 102 based on its publication date. However, its filing date of 2013-04-19 is prior to the filing date of US9982388B2. If the "elastic carrier layer" functions as a "sheet-like ply" and is positioned on the outside of a folded base fabric with seam loops, it could be relevant for obviousness (35 U.S.C. § 103), but not direct anticipation. More information on its structural details would be needed for a thorough obviousness analysis.

9. US20090211722A1 - Belt and method of making a belt for a paper making machine

• Full Citation: US20090211722A1
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: 2009-08-27; Filing: 2008-02-25.
• Brief Description: This is a US patent application publication related to US8043477B2 and WO2009106182A1, describing a belt and method of making it for a papermaking machine, featuring a folded flat woven material with seam loops.
• Potential Anticipated Claim(s) under 35 U.S.C. § 102: As a related document to US8043477B2, it describes the core folded base structure with seam loops. However, it would not anticipate the distinct feature of additional sheet-like plies disposed outside the folded layers as per Claim 1 of US9982388B2. Therefore, US20090211722A1 would likely not anticipate Claim 1 or 15 of US9982388B2.

In summary, the most relevant prior art documents (US8043477B2, US8353252B1, WO2009106182A1, WO2013083468A1, DE102004044568A1, and US20090211722A1) establish the fundamental concept of a folded flat woven base material with seam loops for papermaking fabrics. However, they do not explicitly disclose the addition of "one or more sheet plies, wherein all of said sheet plies are disposed outside said folded layers" as a distinguishing feature of Claim 1 of US9982388B2. US20160069022A1 cannot anticipate due to its publication date, though its earlier filing date could be relevant for obviousness.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 9982388 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis assesses the obviousness of US Patent 9982388 ("the '388 patent") by identifying combinations of prior art references that would render the claimed subject matter obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) as of the filing date (2015-08-13). The '388 patent itself provides explicit motivations for modifications to existing fabric designs.

Background

The '388 patent relates to a fabric for a machine to produce a fiber web, specifically addressing the problem of insufficient void volume in existing two-ply base fabric designs. The patent states: "Unfortunately, in some important applications, the two ply designs as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,043,477 B2 and WO 2009/106182 or in U.S. Pat. No. 8,353,252 B1 and 2013/083468 do not provide enough void volume to guarantee sufficient dewatering properties." The proposed solution is the addition of "one or more sheet plies" to provide "additional void volume to the fabric."

Independent Claim 1 Analysis

Claim 1 of US9982388 describes:

1. A fabric for a machine for producing a fiber web, comprising:
   • a flat woven base material having a top side and a bottom side, two terminal ends separated from one another in a machine direction;
   • said flat woven base material being folded in two folded layers with folds being separated from one another in the machine direction and defining an inside between the two folded layers and an outside;
   • said two terminal ends being located under the bottom side surface and said two terminal ends being adjacent one another or overlapping one another, and wherein seam loops are located at said folds; and
   • one or more sheet plies, wherein:
     • all of said sheet plies are disposed outside said folded layers; and
     • one, some or all of the sheet plies consist of or comprise a woven material or a non-woven component selected from the group consisting of a polymer film, a foam layer, a knitted structure and a warp-knit structure.

Primary Reference: US8043477B2

The core structure of the fabric, as described in the preamble and the first three bullet points of Claim 1, is explicitly acknowledged in the '388 patent as prior art. The '388 patent states, "it is known, for example from commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 8,043,477 B2 and its counterpart WO 2009/106182 to use a simple, flat woven material and to fold it in order to produce a two ply base structure with seam loops for a seamable fabric."

Therefore, US8043477B2 (and its corresponding publication US20090211722A1) serves as a primary reference that teaches:

• A fabric for a machine to produce a fiber web.
• A flat woven base material with a top side and a bottom side, and two terminal ends separated in a machine direction.
• The flat woven base material folded in two layers with folds separated in the machine direction, defining an inside and an outside.
• The two terminal ends being located under the bottom side surface and being adjacent or overlapping.
• Seam loops located at the folds.

Distinguishing Features and Motivation to Combine

The distinguishing features of Claim 1 over US8043477B2 are the inclusion of "one or more sheet plies," where "all of said sheet plies are disposed outside said folded layers," and the specification of the sheet ply materials (woven or various non-woven components).

Motivation to Add Sheet Plies:
The '388 patent itself provides the clear motivation for adding sheet plies: "Unfortunately, in some important applications, the two ply designs as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,043,477 B2... do not provide enough void volume to guarantee sufficient dewatering properties." To overcome this, the patent proposes that "by adding additional sheet-like plies to enlarge the void volume of the fabric, the base weave does not have to provide so much void volume." A POSITA, facing the problem of insufficient void volume in the fabric of US8043477B2, would have been motivated to add additional layers to improve dewatering and void volume.

Combination 1: US8043477B2 and WO1989012717A1

1. US8043477B2 teaches the core folded base fabric structure with seam loops.
2. WO1989012717A1 (Scapa Group Plc) discloses "multi-layer fabric[s]" for papermaking machines comprising "at least two separate woven structures which are coupled together to form a multi-layer fabric." This reference teaches the concept of incorporating additional woven layers (sheet plies) into papermaking fabrics to achieve desired properties.
3. Motivation for combination: A POSITA seeking to enhance the void volume and dewatering capabilities of the fabric taught by US8043477B2, as prompted by the problem identified in the '388 patent, would find it obvious to add one or more additional woven sheet plies, as taught by WO1989012717A1, to the base structure.
4. Placement "all outside": The '388 patent acknowledges that "Depending on the application of the fabric, it may be favorable to position all of the sheet-like plies in the inside or all of the sheet-like plies on the outside." This demonstrates that positioning all added plies on the outside was a known and favorable design choice depending on the desired performance, such as improved surface dewatering or interaction with the fiber web. A POSITA would readily understand that placing plies on the outside could directly influence dewatering performance and surface characteristics.
5. Material of plies: WO1989012717A1 explicitly describes "woven structures," satisfying the "woven material" option for the sheet plies in Claim 1.

Therefore, the combination of US8043477B2 and WO1989012717A1, driven by the motivation to improve void volume and dewatering, would render Claim 1 obvious.

Combination 2: US8043477B2 and US20160069022A1

1. US8043477B2 teaches the core folded base fabric structure with seam loops.
2. US20160069022A1 (Astenjohnson, Inc.) describes a "seamed press felt including an elastic carrier layer connected to a woven base structure." This "elastic carrier layer" functions as an additional ply designed to modify the felt's properties.
3. Motivation for combination: A POSITA, seeking to enhance the performance, such as void volume or dewatering, of the fabric taught by US8043477B2, would be motivated to incorporate such an additional "carrier layer" (sheet ply) as taught by US20160069022A1. The '388 patent itself recognizes that non-woven components "can also be easily produced or purchased and may be used to adapt the properties of the fabric to the actual needs."
4. Placement "all outside": As noted above, the '388 patent confirms that positioning all sheet plies on the outside is a "favorable" design choice depending on the application. A POSITA would reasonably place such an elastic carrier layer on the outside of the folded base fabric of US8043477B2 to achieve desired functional improvements, such as influencing the dewatering process or supporting other layers.
5. Material of plies: The "elastic carrier layer" of US20160069022A1 could represent a non-woven component such as a polymer film or foam layer, which are explicitly listed as options for the sheet plies in Claim 1. The selection of these known non-woven materials for adapting fabric properties would be within the ordinary skill of the art.

Therefore, the combination of US8043477B2 and US20160069022A1, with the motivation to improve void volume and adapt fabric properties, would also render Claim 1 obvious.

Independent Claim 15 Analysis

Claim 15 of US9982388 describes:

1. A method for producing a fiber web, providing a web-producing machine with at least one fabric according to claim 1.

If the fabric described in Claim 1 is deemed obvious by combining the prior art as explained above, then the method of simply using that obvious fabric in a web-producing machine for its intended purpose (producing a fiber web) would also be obvious. The '388 patent describes this method as "Another aspect of the present invention" which "uses at least one fabric as described." This method claim merely applies the obvious fabric in its conventional use and does not introduce any additional inventive step.

Conclusion

Based on the analysis, a person having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the teachings of US8043477B2 with either WO1989012717A1 or US20160069022A1 to address the known problem of insufficient void volume in prior art folded base fabrics. The explicit statement in the '388 patent regarding the problem and its solution, coupled with the acknowledgment that placing plies on the outside is a "favorable" configuration and that various woven and non-woven materials are known for adapting fabric properties, demonstrates the obviousness of Claim 1. Consequently, Claim 15, which describes using the obvious fabric, would also be obvious.

For US patent 9982388, here's a detailed breakdown of its patent term and related applications:

1. Patent Term Adjustments (PTA):
Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) adds time to a patent's 20-year term to compensate for certain delays caused by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) during the prosecution of the patent application. The USPTO calculates PTA based on specific statutory timeframes for action. While the provided information states that the patent is active and expires on March 11, 2036, it does not explicitly detail any specific PTA applied to US9982388. To confirm the exact PTA, it would be necessary to consult the issue notification letter or the patent's electronic file wrapper in Patent Center.

2. Patent Term Extensions (PTE):
Patent Term Extension (PTE) is available for patents on certain products, such as human drugs, food or color additives, medical devices, animal drugs, and veterinary biological products, to compensate for time lost during regulatory review and approval by agencies like the FDA. The maximum length of a PTE is five years. There is no indication in the provided information that US9982388, which relates to fabrics for fiber web machines, has applied for or received any Patent Term Extension. This type of patent is generally not eligible for PTE.

3. Continuation Applications:
A continuation application is a second application for the same invention claimed in a prior nonprovisional application and is filed before the original is abandoned or patented. The USPTO recently implemented a Continuation Application Fee (CAF) for certain continuing applications filed more than six or nine years after their earliest benefit date. The provided patent information does not explicitly list any continuation applications for US9982388. The application number for US9982388 is US14/825,350, with a filing date of 2015-08-13.

4. Divisional Applications:
A divisional application is a type of continuing application that claims subject matter disclosed in an earlier-filed "parent" application but distinct from the claims in the parent application, often filed in response to a restriction requirement by the USPTO examiner when multiple inventions are claimed in a single application. Similar to continuation applications, the provided information does not explicitly list any divisional applications for US9982388.

5. Related Family Members:
The patent "family" generally refers to all patents and patent applications that share a priority claim. For US9982388B2, the following related family member is listed:

• US20170044716A1: This is an earlier publication of the same application, serving as the US patent application publication (A1) for the granted patent US9982388B2.

6. Projected Expiration Date:
The adjusted expiration date for US9982388B2 is 2036-03-11. This date already accounts for any Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) that may have been granted. The general term for a U.S. patent is 20 years from its earliest nonprovisional filing date, subject to any PTA or PTE. The filing date for US9982388 was 2015-08-13.