Lo Jack - How to Make Patent Drawings

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7th Edition

A Patent It Yourself Companion

Patent Agent Jack Lo &
Patent Attorney David Pressman

Lo, Jack, author.

How to make patent drawings : a Patent it yourself companion / Patent Agent Jack Lo & Patent Attorney David Pressman. -- 7th ed.

pages cm

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-4133-2156-2 (pbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-4133-2157-9 (epub book)

1. Patents--United States--Drawings. I. Pressman, David, 1937- author. II. Title.

T223.U3L6 2015

608.022--dc23

2014043275

This book covers only United States law, unless it specifically states otherwise.

Copyright 1997, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2015 by Jack Lo and David Pressman. All rights reserved. The NOLO trademark is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Printed in the U.S.A.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission. Reproduction prohibitions do not apply to the forms contained in this product when reproduced for personal use. For information on bulk purchases or corporate premium sales, please contact the Special Sales Department. Call 800-955-4775 or write to Nolo, 950 Parker Street, Berkeley, California 94710.

Please note

We believe accurate, plain-English legal information should help you solve many of your own legal problems. But this text is not a substitute for personalized advice from a knowledgeable lawyer. If you want the help of a trained professionaland well always point out situations in which we think thats a good ideaconsult an attorney licensed to practice in your state.

I am most grateful to David Pressman for being a friend and mentor, whose generous support has been truly invaluable.

Jack Lo

Thanks to Jack Lo for his excellent drawing skills, computer knowledge, sound ideas, and friendship. Thanks also to everyone at Nolo for their invaluable help and suggestions.

David Pressman

Jack Lo is a patent agent licensed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to file and prosecute patent applications. He has a bachelors degree from the University of California at Berkeley. In his practice in Pacifica, California, he has helped hundreds of inventors patent their inventions. Unlike most patent practitioners, who handle only the written portion of a patent application, Jack also makes the formal patent drawings in addition to writing the specification and claims. Using a computer, he is adept at making purely two-dimensional drawings, as well as constructing elaborate three-dimensional computer models of inventions. The combination of writing and drawing skills enables him to produce more coherent and clearer patent applications. Jack is also an inventor with two patents, one of which he has licensed to a manufacturer and the other of which covers an ergonomic mouse he is manufacturing. In his free time, he continues to invent and enjoys collecting antiques and flying aerobatics aircraft. He is the son of the well-known artist War Ming.

David Pressman is the author of the best-selling book Patent It Yourself, published by Nolo. Dave has over 40 years of experience in the patent profession: as a patent examiner for the U.S. Patent Office; a patent attorney for Philco-Ford Corp., Elco Corp., and Varian Associates; a columnist for EDN Magazine; and as an instructor at San Francisco State University. He contributed the Patent, Trademark, and Copyright entries to the World Book Encyclopedia. Hes also an inventor, with two patents issued. When not writing, dabbling in electronics, programming, inventing, or playing his trumpet, he practices as a patent lawyer in San Francisco. Originally from Philadelphia, he has a B.S. in electrical engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He spent his first year in law school at the University of Pennsylvania and completed his second and third years at George Washington University, where he served on the Law Review and received a Juris Doctor degree. He is also active in the general semantics and vegetarian movements. His mother, the late Mildred Phillips, wrote the lyrics for numerous published songs including Bill Haleys Mambo Rock. His email address is .

If youre familiar with the Nolo book Patent It Yourself, youre already aware that most patent applications require detailed drawings showing the inventions. Although Patent It Yourself provides the basic guidelines for making patent drawings, its primary focus is on the written portion and the formal paperwork of an application. As a result, many readers of Patent It Yourself asked for a more detailed guide to, and explanation of, patent drawings. This is it.

Why do your own drawings?

Professional patent draftspersons typically charge $75 to $150 per sheet of patent drawings (each sheet may contain several figures or separate drawings). Most patent applications typically have between two and ten sheets of drawings. By reading this book and making your own patent drawings, such as the ones shown later, you can save between about $150 and $1,500 per patent application. Once you learn the skills, you can do all the drawings yourself for any subsequent patent applications you file.

Youll see by reading this book that its not essential to have drawing skills to create suitable patent drawings. Some knowledge of cameras and computers may be all thats required to prepare formal patent drawings that meet strict Patent Office requirements.