How to Write a Provisional Patent Application

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HOW TO W PROVISION
TE A PATENT
APPLICATION By Thoughts To Paper
www.thoughtstopaper.com
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INTRODUCTION

• To properly write a provisional patent
  application, it should have
• A complete description of how the invention
  works.
• A set of technical drawings that help explain how
  the invention works.
• The key concept is that a provisional patent
  application must fully describe how the
  invention works, including the components that
  make up the invention and how the components are
  arranged. If any portion of the invention is not
  clearly described, it is not protected!

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YOU PROTECT ONLY WHAT YOU DESCRIBE, SO WRITE AS
MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
It is a common misconception that a provisional
patent application does not need to be written
in detail. After all, its just a provisional or
temporary patent application right? Wrong! What
is not explained is not protected. Think about
it, if I filed a patent application with one
sentence and it said, A machine that can travel
through time, do you think I can stop anyone
from ever making a time machine or prevent
anyone from saying they invented a time machine
before I did? Of course not. Unless I actually
know how to make a time machine, including all
the components that it needs, and how to put it
together, I cannot get even provisional patent
protection. So the first thing to remember is
you must explain how the invention works in full
detail.
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DO YOU HAVE THE TECHNICAL BACKGROUND TO DESCRIBE
HOW THE INVENTION WORKS?
Describing the components of the invention and
how it is arranged is not something every
inventor can do properly. For example, if your
invention has an actuator, do you know what other
components it is attached to, and how it
contributes to the overall working of your
entire invention? Can you further explain it? A
provisional patent application should be written
in such detail that someone reading the
application can recreate the invention. If you
dont have an engineering background, you will
want to have a patent attorney or agent prepare
the patent application. Often, even patent
attorneys and agents further take on the help of
engineers who specialize in the field of your
invention to assist in preparing the patent
writing. This is because the quality of the
patent application heavily relies on how well
the invention is described form a technical
viewpoint. Even if you have an engineering
background, it is best to have someone else as a
professional write the patent application.
Remember, the patent application should disclose
the invention in sufficient detail for someone
else to make the invention.
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DETAIL HOW THE INVENTION WORKS, NOT WHAT THE
INVENTION DOES
A patent application needs to focus on how the
invention works, not what it does. These two are
very different. If I say I invented a machine
that can travel through time, Im talking about
what it does. However, a patent application
requires disclosure on how it works. Namely,
what components make up the invention, how those
components are assembled, and how those
components allow the invention to work. Many
inventors get carried away in describing what
their invention does, how great it is, and how it
will change the world. However, the Patent
Office cares more about how the invention works,
and less about what the invention does. If you
dont include enough detail about how the
invention works, your invention is not properly
protected in the patent application.
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PREPARE TECHNICAL PATENT DRAWINGS

• Visuals are important in helping a reader
  understand how an invention works, and we
  discussed already that the protection of a
  provisional patent application is based on how
  well the patent application allows someone to
  understand how the invention works. Therefore,
  drawings are an important part of the provisional
  patent application. For technical individuals to
  understand how an invention works, they rely on
  technical drawings. Patent drawings are often
  technical drawings done in computer aided design
  (CAD) which show all the components of an
  invention and how the components are arranged.
  Patent drawings sometimes show the invention cut
  open, or exploded, to further show how the
  components are assembled. Unless you can prepare
  technical patent drawings, it is recommended to
  have a patent professional prepare these to
  ensure your invention is properly protected in
  the patent application.

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SUMMARY
A provisional patent application protects only
the detail you clearly explain regarding how
your invention works. The less detail you write,
the less it protects. The less technical writing
or technical drawing you include, the less it
protects. Remember the above time machine
example. If I file a provisional patent
application with just a few sentences saying I
invented a time machine, I will have no
protection. Have a patent professional
understand your invention and prepare a full set
of patent writing and patent drawings to fully
explain how your invention works.
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ABOUT THOUGHTS TO PAPER
Thoughts to Paper helps you to Provide affordable
quality services to inventors for the
development, nurture, and protection of new
ideas. We provide Provisional Patent Application,
Design Patent and Utility Patent Services in the
US. We work for our customer satisfaction.
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