In most cases, a patent applicant will have to provide drawings in a patent application to enable understanding of the invention clearly.

Refer to an article at the below link to understand the importance of patent drawings:

http://www.invntree.com/blogs/patent-drawings-and-their-importance-in-a-patent-specification

Broadly, there are three types of patent drawings based on the type of patent application:

1.Utility Patent Drawing

2.Design Patent Drawing

3.Plant Patent Drawing

1. Utility Patent Drawings

A patent application should enable a “person having ordinary skill in the art” to make and use the disclosed invention. This enablement requirement is satisfied by providing a detailed description of the invention, and in most cases by additionally providing drawings.

Ideally, drawings should show all the elements mentioned at least in claims. Further, in some cases illustrating processing steps helps in understanding the claimed invention. 

Drawings in a utility patent application may illustrate:

• Line drawings showing shapes of objects
• Flow charts
• Block diagrams
• Electric circuits
• Chemical formulas, among others.

Further, one may choose to provide different views to enable understanding of the invention. Some of the views that may be included in a utility patent application are listed below:

• Orthogonal and perspective views
• Isometric views
• Exploded views
• Partial views
• Sectional views
• Enlarged views
• Alternate views, among others

2. Design Patent Drawings

A design patent covers the ornamental design of a functional item; some examples are:

• Jewellery
• Furniture
• Beverage containers
• Computer Icons

Design patent applications primarily include drawings that aid in understanding the appearance and aesthetic of the invention. Shading should be very clear to show the shape, contour and material textures of the invention. Drawings in a design patent do not have reference numbers, unlike utility patents.

Some of the views that may be included in a design patent application are listed below:

• Standard views
• Isometric views
• Exploded views
• Sectional views
• Enlarged views
• Movable parts

3. Plant Patent Drawings

Similar to design patent, reference characters are generally not used in plant patent drawings. The drawings can be in colour or black-and-white; although, colour drawings may be often found in plant patent applications. The colour drawings may be in the form of photographs, or may be made either in permanent water colour or oil.

I hope you found this article helpful. 

Please feel free check our patent illustration services page to find out if we can cater to your patent requirements. You can also contact us to explore the option of working together. 

Best regards – Team InvnTree   

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