Utility Patent Archives - Solidlines

Numbering of Sheets of Drawings and Views

thesolidlines — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 15:52:03 +0000

The sheets of drawings should be numbered in consecutive Arabic numerals, starting with 1, within the sight. These numbers, if present, must be placed in the middle of the top of the sheet but not in the margin. The numbers can be placed on the right-hand side if the drawing extends too close to the middle of the top edge of the usable surface. The drawing sheet numbering must be clear and larger than the numbers used as reference characters to avoid confusion. The number of each sheet should be shown by two Arabic numerals placed on either side of an oblique line, with the first being the sheet number and the second being the total number of sheets of drawings, with no other marking.

The different views must be numbered in consecutive Arabic numerals, starting with 1, independent of the numbering of the sheets and, if possible, in the order in which they appear on the drawing sheet(s). Partial views intended to form one complete view, on one or several sheets, must be identified by the same number followed by a capital letter. View numbers must be preceded by the abbreviation “FIG.” Where only a single view is used in an application to illustrate the claimed invention, it must not be numbered and the abbreviation “FIG.” must not appear.

Numbers and letters identifying the views must be simple and clear and must not be used in association with brackets, circles, or quotation marks. The view numbers must be larger than the numbers used for reference characters.

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Drawing Requirements While Applying New Application

thesolidlines — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 15:51:25 +0000

Information on drawing requirements is based substantially on 37 CFR § 1.84.

Black and white drawings are normally required. India ink, or its equivalent that secures black solid lines, must be used for drawings. For nonprovisional utility applications, the “sheets” of drawings should be contained in an electronic document in PDF format filed via EFS-Web together with the other application documents in PDF format. Drawings made by hand should be scanned into PDF format for filing via EFS-Web. The following margins are required:

On 21.6 cm by 27.9 cm (8 1/2 by 11 inches) drawing sheets, each sheet must include a top margin of at least 2.5 cm (1 inch), a left-side margin of at least 2.5 cm (1 inch), a right-side margin of at least 1.5 cm (5/8 inch), and a bottom margin of at least 1 cm (3/8 inch) from the edges, thereby leaving a sight (the usable surface) no greater than 17.6 cm by 24.4 cm (6 15/16 by 9 5/8 inches).

On 21 cm by 29.7 cm (DIN size A4) drawing sheets, each sheet must include a top margin of at least 2.5 cm (1 inch), a left-side margin of at least 2.5 cm (1 inch), a right-side margin of at least 1.5 cm (5/8 inch), and a bottom margin of at least 1 cm (3/8 inch) from the edges, thereby leaving a sight no greater than 17 cm by 26.2 cm.

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Special Requirements for Patent Drawings

thesolidlines — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 15:50:12 +0000

Drawings shall be executed in durable, black, sufficiently dense, and dark, uniformly thick, and well-defined, lines and strokes without colorings.

Cross-sections shall be indicated by oblique hatching which should not impede the clear reading of the reference signs and leading lines.
The scale of the drawings and the distinctness of their graphical execution shall be such that a photographic reproduction with a linear reduction in size to two-thirds would enable all details to be distinguished without difficulty.
When, in exceptional cases, the scale is given on a drawing, it shall be represented graphically.
All numbers, letters, and reference lines, appearing on the drawings, shall be simple and clear. Brackets, circles, or inverted commas shall not be used in association with numbers and letters.
All lines in the drawings shall, ordinarily, be drawn with the aid of drafting instruments.
Each element of each figure shall be in proper proportion to each of the other elements in the figure, except where the use of a different proportion is indispensable for the clarity of the figure.
The height of the numbers and letters shall not be less than 0.32 cm. For the lettering of drawings, the Latin and, where customary, the Greek alphabets shall be used.
The same sheet of drawings may contain several figures. Where figures on two or more sheets form in effect a single complete figure, the figures on the several sheets shall be so arranged that the complete figure can be assembled without concealing any part of any of the figures appearing on the various sheets.
The different figures shall be arranged on a sheet or sheets without wasting space, preferably in an upright position, clearly separated from one another. Where the figures are not arranged in an upright position, they shall be presented sideways with the top of the figures at the left side of the sheet.
(The different figures shall be numbered in Arabic numerals consecutively and independently of the numbering of the sheets.
Reference signs not mentioned in the description shall not appear in the drawings, and vice versa.
The same features, when denoted by reference signs, shall, throughout the international application, be denoted by the same signs.
If the drawings contain many reference signs, it is strongly recommended to attach a separate sheet listing all reference signs and the features denoted by them.

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Words in Drawings

thesolidlines — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 15:49:39 +0000

The drawings shall not contain text matter, except a single word or words, when absolutely indispensable, such as “water,” “steam,” “open,” “closed,” “section on AB,” and, in the case of electric circuits and block schematic or flow sheet diagrams, a few short catchwords indispensable for understanding.

Any words used shall be so placed that, if translated, they may be pasted over without interfering with any lines of the drawings.

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Margins – Patent Drawing Sheet Margins

thesolidlines — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 15:48:49 +0000

On sheets containing drawings, the surface usable shall not exceed 26.2 cm x 17 cm. The sheets shall not contain frames around the usable or used surface.

The minimum margins shall be as follows:

Top: 2.5 Cm

Left Side: 2.5 Cm

Right Side: 1.5 Cm

Bottom: 1.0 Cm

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Size of Sheets – Patent Drawing Sheet Size

thesolidlines — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 15:47:51 +0000

The size of the sheets shall be A4 (29.7 cm x 21 cm). However, any receiving Office may accept international applications on sheets of other sizes provided that the record copy, as transmitted to the International Bureau, and, if the competent International Searching Authority so desires, the search copy, shall be of A4 size.

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Black and White Drawings Are Normally Required

thesolidlines — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 13:23:39 +0000

The drawing disclosure is the most important element of the application. Every design patent application must include either a drawing or a black and white photograph of the claimed design. As the drawing or photograph constitutes the entire visual disclosure of the claim, it is of utmost importance that the drawing or photograph be clear and complete, that nothing regarding the design sought to be patented is left to conjecture. The design drawing or photograph must comply with the disclosure requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph. To meet the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112, the drawings or photographs must include a sufficient number of views to constitute a complete disclosure of the appearance of the design claimed.

Drawings are normally required to be in black ink on white paper. Black and white photographs, in lieu of drawings, are permitted subject to the requirements of 37 CFR §1.84(b)(1) and §1.152. Applicant should refer to these rules, included at the end of this guide. These rules set forth in detail the requirements for proper drawings in a design patent application.

Black and white photographs submitted on double weight photographic paper must have the drawing figure number entered on the face of the photograph. Photographs mounted on Bristol board may have the figure number shown in black ink on the Bristol board, proximate the corresponding photograph.

Black and white photographs and ink drawings must not be combined in a formal submission of the visual disclosure of the claimed design in one application. The introduction of both photographs and ink drawings in a design application would result in a high probability of inconsistencies between corresponding elements on the ink drawings as compared with the photographs. Photographs submitted in lieu of ink drawings must not disclose environmental structure but must be limited to the claimed design itself.

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The Difference Between Design and Utility Patents

thesolidlines — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 13:23:16 +0000

A “utility patent” protects the way an article is used and works, while a “design patent” protects the way an article looks. Both design and utility patents may be obtained on an article if invention resides both in its utility and ornamental appearance.

While utility and design patents afford legally separate protection, the utility and ornamentality of an article are not easily separable. Articles of manufacture may possess both functional and ornamental characteristics.

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