Product Idea - Patents, Drawing, Prototypes

[scribblesvurt]

Hello,

I have designed a small product that i believe could be a big hit in the outdoor leisure / camping market.

I have built a few proof of concept designs from various materials and the product works. I now need to get it drawn up, patented and prototype.

Has anyone any experience doing this? I have very limited funds. I was thinking about using Odesk or peoplebyhour to get the drawings done?

Anyone with any experience if you could give any advice I would greatly appreciate it. The potential market for this product is huge.

 

[vvaannmmaann]

Go up to the Search box.Type in 'patents' plenty of stuff in there.

 

[scribblesvurt]

To add a bit more detail,

The product is made of plastic with no moving parts.
It's similar in size to a zip tie.
They will need to be made in 3 different sizes initially.

Thanks.

 

[red-source]

Send me a PM scribble, I can help with drawings/3dmodels etc right to manufacture. Doesnt sound complicated so shouldnt cost too much. I`ll give you a helping hand...im feeling generous today

 

[Swisaw]

1- Develop a good ethical values. When you sign None Disclosure Confidentiality agreement, stick to it, don't mention names. But first do a very good homework, especially before parting with your money.


2- First do all the patent application for your idea by yourself. To learn to do that get details of 'how to apply for a patent from Intellectual Property Patent Office, IPO, at www.ipo.gov.uk.


3- Familiarise yourself with all nuts and bolts of patent applications, especially how to write 'CLAIMS'. 'CLAIMS' are used to distinguish your new idea from previously known ideas, prior arts. You get a patent for what you 'CLAIM' only


4- You have to pay IPO for patent search. That is a legal requirement. So use that for a maximum benefit, for a full search. It is only £120.00 online + another £20.00 online for application


5- To use IPO for full search, use 'CLAIMS' for the full specification of your idea or claim every bits, pieces, nut and bolts of your idea. Don't worry at this stage if some of your claims are not new. You can rewrite the claims later.


6-A- IPO searches in line to what you have claimed, they don't search according to the specifications and drawings. They should find and send you details of any applications, claims, similar to yours. Ideally they should do that 100% but we live in a practical world.
6-B-Before CLAIMS by Patent Office, now Intellectual Property Office, described as meaningful full sentences to distinguish a piece of land beside exactly another piece of similar land. If this is still valid one could claim skillfully a prior art for a new use.

7- When you receive details of the search, change and rewrite your claims accordingly. You can change everything except technical details and drawings. This is a very critical stage. Try to use a patent attorney to do that if you can afford it.


8- European or world patent cooperation treaty bodies are very expensive. To patent abroad use UK IPO, which may not cost anything. First apply in UK and use the date of UK application as the priority date when you apply in any other country. Alternatively apply straight to the patent office of the country, where you want your patent be marketed.


9- Whatever, a patent attorney provides you, should become your property. So if you used one to get a patent in UK and you want to take your patent to USA, you may not need to use a patent attorney again, just use what the patent attorney gave you in UK. If you want take the patent to a None-English Speaking country, use a firm specialised to translate legal documents to translate, what your UK patent attorney gave you, to the language of that country.

10- Try to make a prototype after you applied for a patent and check if it is satisfactory. Try to make the prototype by yourself or use the service of a local small workshop. At this stage CAD or programs to control machines may be too expensive and unnecessary. For my 'A Better Cookware Concept' I have been offered CAD or programs controlling machines, costing from £2500.00 to £30k when all I needed and asked was a prototype model for my own tests.


11- If it is satisfactory, evaluate the competition, production cost and retail price. After that act accordingly, like contacting investors, super markets, manufacturers......etc.
12- UK patent grant only protects you in UK. Others can make and sell the same thing in other countries but they can’t make patent applications.
13- You can use the date of UK patent application as a priority date to apply in other countries within one year from the date of the application.
14- You can apply for a patent in any other countries as long as details of your concept is still confidential. Once the details published or you disclose it, you can not apply for a patent after that.
15- IPO publishes completed applications after 18 months. You can ask IPO not to do so with your completed application.
16- Total cost of a UK patent is £20.00 application fee + £120.00 Search Fee + £80.00 extensive search fee = £220.00 online. That is a peanut.
17- Apart from this £220.00, it doesn’t cost anything more for four years from the date of application. If you couldn’t make something out of it within these four years, you would be better to forget it, don’t renew it.
18- As the last resort, how about following this strategy:
A- Concentrate on UK, forget other countries.
B- To get UK patent to guarantee your monopoly on UK market, try to finish the application as soon as possible to get more time within the four year limit.
C- After getting the patent, disclose full technical details to encourage other people, lets call them counterfeiters, to make it and market it in other countries.
D- The counterfeiters can make it and sell it in other countries but can not patent it. If the product proved commercially viable thousands of new counterfeiters come to the market. This creates a cut throat completion. Most of them get banckrupted and the remainder are going to have a hard time.
E- None of them can make it in or imported to UK without your agreement and each one of them will want to be the first to offer you a best deal to get UK market without competition.
F- On the other hand you can use the success of counterfeiters abroad to get backing to make it for UK market and exported to compete with counterfeiters abroad.
19- You could consider to renew the patent for a few years, which have to be done on the fifth year after the year of application. First year cost is £70.00. After that each year increases by £20.00 over the previous year. It goes like this: 70, 90, 110, 130 . . . to the end.
20- Don’t worry about infringements. Infringements happen by mistake or misunderstanding, which can be rectified without costs. In any case don’t let it to be an obstacle to your ideas.
21- USA patent office offers a sort of provisional application at $150.00 or around £100.00 for a year. Check how to reconcile this with UK patent application to buy time if you want to take your patent abroad after UK.
22- Be careful of the advices to buy the saddle before the horse. I asked them to make me a prototype for my test to prove the concept, they advised me it was better for me to have CAD animation first.
23- Don’t take an idea to the grave with yourself. Let some people to benefit from it.
24- Some major companies accept submitting your ideas relevant to their line of business:
General Electric: http://www.ge.com/contact/submitted_ideas/index.html
General Motors: http://www.gmideas.com/gmideas/ideas
Rolls Royce: http://www.rolls-royce.com/contact/inventors_tech_licensing/submission_form.jsp
Ford Motor Company: https://secure.corporate.ford.com/footer/contact-ford/ford-new-ideas-form

Johnson and Johnson http://www.jjconsumerideas.com/idea-submission-process
A list of other companies: http://inventorspotforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=60