Patent applicants must include drawings to facilitate the understanding of the subject matter in the application. As per the patent laws, they must furnish at least one drawing, if it is possible, to illustrate the invention via such drawings to assist the understanding of the invention. A patent application may not require drawings only if the invention relates to a chemical compound or composition or if it simply claims a method or process. In all other circumstances, the inclusion of patent drawings can help to effectively elaborate on the invention and provide it with full disclosure. These drawings will help the patent examiner better conceptualizing the invention.
For obtaining the best disclosure possible, an applicant must not simply focus on including a single patent drawing. Instead, they should rather approach it in terms of how many illustrations they should ideally include for proper demonstration of the invention. The list of drawings must include sufficient views to show various aspects of the invention. Since the patent office requires the patent applicant to submit the drawings in a particular form, it is why they must work with a professional patent illustrator. Choosing the right illustrator that has specific domain knowledge of your invention and the regulatory requirements to meet the hyper-technical specifications is important. It will help them to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the patent drawing and reduce the chances of office action or rejection. They can provide you with good and economical drawings at a faster turnaround time that has a better chance of being accepted at the patent office.
While you can file a non-provisional patent application without patent drawings, it is not recommended. It is because once you file, it is not possible to add new matter to the application. Detailed drawings are well-worth a thousand words, and even if an applicant misses out on some details in the written disclosure, the drawing can save them in the long run. The patent drawing captures the various nuances and essence of your invention and allows you to broaden the scope of your application. Hence, including multiple, detailed, and professional drawings can be beneficial and is worth the investment. The USPTO has specified various rules for the creation of US patent illustrations. The patent drawing must show the full appearance of a physical object. For 3D objects, it should include different views for effective visualization of the invention. Shading may be needed for indicating its contours and different surfaces. The standard views for patent drawings may include orthogonal and perspective views, isometric views, exploded views, partial views, sectional views, enlarged views, alternate views, among others.?
Orthogonal and Perspective Views
While an applicant doesn?t have to include orthogonal views, it can help to understand the invention better. The orthogonal views center the viewer?s eyes on one side of the object. It does not convey the depth, and the viewer?s line of sight is perpendicular to the side. It helps to portray a 3D object from different directions. In perspective view, a 3D object is shown on a 2D surface. At a properly selected angle, perspective views give a sense of a real object. Unlike orthogonal views, it gives a good sense of depth.
Isometric Views
Isometric projection visually represents three-dimensional objects in two dimensions. In this view, the three coordinate axes appear equally foreshortened, and the angle between any two coordinate axes is 120 degrees. All lines on each axis are parallel to each other, and these lines do not converge, unlike perspective drawings. It is a good way of showing measurements and how various components fit together.
Sectional Views
A sectional view helps to visually display how an object looks on the inside. It helps to expose and dimensions of the hidden lines in standard views. It is useful for showing the parts or assemblies of the invention which has complex internal features. Section lines are very light, and to sketch the sectional view of an object, one needs to draw it at an angle of approximately 45? from the eye and is spaced about 1/8″ apart. It helps to bring out the elements of a design. The USPTO does not permit a sectional view to display the interior structure if it is not a part of the claimed design.
Exploded Views
The exploded view shows the relationship or order of assembly of various components of a design. If your design includes various parts that separate during normal use, you can include exploded views in your patent application. Exploded view slightly separates various parts at an equal distance from each other from their original position to understand how these parts fit together. The parts line up with each other as if they are disassembled. An exploded view is generally displayed from above and slightly in diagonal from the drawing’s left or right side.
To Conclude:
These are the various kind of views you can deploy for visualizing your invention and making its different aspects known to the patent examiner. It will enable you to obtain full disclosure for your invention.
