Why does one need patent drawings?
What is the difference between common technical drawings and those for a patent application?
Can I create patent drawings in Word or PowerPoint?
This article will try and answer some questions which are raised when it comes to a patent application.
“The basis of a UK patent is a legal documentation called a specification. Its contents determine whether a patent can be granted. You should be well advised to seek professional assistance when preparing your patent application. A patent specification includes:
- a full description of your invention, plus any drawings referred to
- one or more claims.” (source: Intellectual Property Office)
The specification (patent application) should include:
- Description
- Claims
- Abstract
- Drawings
Why does one need patent drawings?
The drawings are an important part of a patent application as they are considered a valuable support for the invention that is described and claimed in the application.
The drawings should provide sufficient detail to illustrate to the intellectual property officer your invention.
The Patents Act 1977 states that a patent application cannot be granted unless it describes an intention fully enough an clearly enough for someone else to be able to carry it out. In short, if the information is not sufficient – the application will be refused.
Further, once the description has been filed, one cannot add any information to it.
What is the difference between common technical drawings and those for a patent application?
Technical drawings, which are also referred to as manufacturing/engineering drawings are not required nor accepted for a patent application.
The Intellectual Property office has set out how they expect the drawings to be presented in regards to style and presentation. This includes paper size, margins, numbering etc. Factsheets are available for download from the Intellectual property office indegenerique.be.
There are companies specialised in creating such drawings which should be considered in order to aid in the success of a patent application.
Can I create patent drawings in Word or PowerPoint?
In some cases, it might be sufficient to provide drawings created in packages such as MS Word or PowerPoint.
However, in many cases there is more detail required such as isometric views, exploded views or section views of the invention which exceed the capability of such packages. As mentioned previously in this article…if the information is not sufficient – the application will be refused.