Turning inventor designs to figures for a US patent

[amerdsp]

Hello,
I am very new to inventor but have managed to finish an assembly for a project that I am working on. Now, I would like to be able to generate from my work images that are compatible with the requirements of the USPTO.

Any hints or pointers as to how to go about doing this is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time and help.

-- A

[kencaz]

Well, I am not sure what they require but I imagine you need to send a dimensioned assembly and possibly dimensioned part files as well.

You will want to create an (idw, (native inventor)), file to annotate your assembly. You may also want to create a (dwg, (native AutoCAD)), compatible file which I would probably recommend over the (idw), since it is much more compatible with other drawing packages.

This would probably only mater if your filing a patent electronically over sending printed documents.

Good Luck...

KC

[JD Mather]

Patent (US) drawings are not dimensioned engineering drawings.
The closest image type from Inventor is an Illustration rendering type.

Search for similar patents should get you started.

[amerdsp]

Patent (US) drawings are not dimensioned engineering drawings.
The closest image type from Inventor is an Illustration rendering type.

Search for similar patents should get you started.

I know what the illustrations should look like I just do not know how to get Inventor to produce them. I don't seem to be able to get around not displaying hidden edges and/or shading. How do I get to Illustration rendering you mention above in Inventor 2009?

Thank you,

A

[JD Mather]

How do I get to Illustration rendering you mention above in Inventor 2009?

Set your screen background to white -

[vertical horizons]

...Any hints or pointers as to how to go about doing this is greatly appreciated...

We use a patent attorney to ensure that we meet any and all requirements of the patent office.

We were told the patent office needed each rendering to have a 1" border on all four sides. My last submission to the USPTO did not have any dimensions on it. Only leaders and text, pointing to the various components. There was a lot of paperwork associated with it that explained what the product was, and what its intended purpose was. But, as for the drawing itself, it was very basic.

[amerdsp]

Thank you! That was really helpful.

[JD Mather]

Thank you! That was really helpful.

While your attorney might not accept the Inventor Illustration directly - it should save time with the illustrator when creating the final artwork. The more you can do the fewer billable hours the attorney will charge. This is a good reason to learn as much as possible about the patent process. Pay attention to how the attorney words the description and claims. On future patents you will be better prepared to submit the most complete information to the attorney to reduce time (and costs). Also learning the process helps you help the attorney write a stronger patent.