Mechanical devices and systems cover a broad range of appliances and equipment – fitness machines, food-preparation utensils, sport accessories, engine components, louvering mechanisms, machining tools, surgical instruments, and convenience gadgets, to name a few. The prior art is replete with a variety of uses and implementations of numerous mechanical inventions born from engineering ingenuity, making IP strategy and patent drafting even more critical for what may appear to be simple gizmos.
A common theme that spans the range of mechanical patents is the need for high-quality, well-defined drawings during the patent-drafting process. In the Mechanical Arts more than others, the drawings typically communicate the invention better than even the description. The description serves as a link between the drawings and the understanding of the operation of an apparatus, as well as a place to expound on the variations in implementation that have been contemplated in order to broaden the scope of the invention as part of the IP strategy.
Mechanical-patent drawings should not be just manufacturing blueprints, but accurate depictions of the patentable aspects of the invention with enough perspective views to convey the interrelationships of the parts of the device or system. Claiming such inventions often requires isolating the elements in their most basic form – first identifying function, and then establishing the structure that embodies such functionality the most broadly.
FlashPoint IP, a leader among intellectual property firms, factors these wide-ranging aspects into the process of securing patent protection, whether in performing a patent search of the prior art, engaging in patent drafting of applications, selecting how and where to file, or prosecuting your claims to an invention to help you maximize value in an extensive array of practice areas. Having Ph.D. degrees and industrial experience, our patent attorneys are adept at synthesizing the many facets needed to create a winning formula for your IP. Contact us to discuss your options regarding IP strategy and positioning, and how best to secure your rights.
