Patent drawings (also known as “drawing sheets”) are visual representations of the invention that must be included with the application, if necessary to explain the invention. Think of patent drawing as the blueprints of the invention, allowing the U.S. Patent and Trademark office (USPTO) to determine the exact purpose and look of the invention.
Your Goals
You have two related goals when preparing your drawings: (1) to illustrate how to make and use your invention, and (2) to visually represent every element of your invention for which you intend to claim patent rights. In a sense, these goals serve the same purpose. As writer/inventor David Lindsay puts it, “in the end, the whole shebang has to look like something that functions.”
You want to show how your invention achieves its result, so your views should demonstrate the steps in your process or the procedure for using your device. Your first step is to imagine the potential views needed to illustrate your invention. You can accomplish this in two ways: (1) if you have a prototype, take pictures of it and organize the photos in order of the steps of operation, or (2) if you don’t have a prototype, start with a series of elemental drawings (stick figures are fine). Once you have an idea which views you will need, choose a plan of attack based on your artistic skills, the nature of your invention, and your progress in modeling the invention.
What Should the Drawing Be Rendered With?
Patent drawings should be done on paper that is strong and sturdy – as well as non-glossy. The paper should not be folded or creased in any way and it should clearly represent the invention without multiple erase marks or jumbled drawings. The drawing should be composed in black ink – preferably India ink or another strong ink that will not smudge or fade.
The drawing should be done in black and white, unless color is needed to illustrate specifics of the invention or idea. However, the applicant must first file a patent petition fee which explains exactly why color drawings are needed and what areas of the invention they would be needed to illustrate the direct concept.
How Many Views Should Be Drawn?
There should be as many views drawn as needed to clearly illustrate the invention and its purpose. Whether it’s 3 or 30, the representatives at the patent office should be able to easily recognize what the invention is for and what it is designed to do – as well as exactly what it should look like. Some individuals hire a patent drawing artist to do this work as it can be difficult to do for those who are not experienced with scaled drawings and multiple views.
Reference Charts and Lead Lines
It’s preferred if the drawings contain a reference chart so that each specific part of the invention can be clearly labeled. Also, individuals should use numbers to label each parts of the drawing. If a number is not able to be placed on top of the exact part it correlates to, lead lines may be drawn so that each part can be clearly identified. Lead lines should be as short as possible and should sit as closely as possible to the exact part it describes so that individuals are not confused as to which part of the invention is being labeled.
Also, when using words to describe the different illustrations or reference chart, the writing should all be done in the same direction – eliminating the need for the reviewer to turn the paper in order to read the writing.
When drafting a patent drawing, it is very important that each individual rule is followed to avoid being turned down because the drawing was not in the correct format.
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