The standards specified by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for sketches, photos, flowsheets, and charts that accompany a patent application are known as patent drawing rules. The majority of patent applications include illustrations. A drawing is required for a nonprovisional patent to further clarify and define the subject matter of the patent request. It's critical to follow the USPTO's patent drawing rules to maximize the chances of a patent request being accepted.

It's not as simple as filling out a patent application, paying fees, and waiting for a response to submit a patent to the US Patent Office. An intermediary patent, on the other hand, requires at least one drawing to demonstrate how the invention works.

Rules & Regulations Stick to the rules outlined in the Guide of Patent Examination Procedures when making your designs, such as:

 Unless color is the sole method to display a section of the innovation, draw in monochrome i.e. Black & White.
 On all designs, apply India ink.
 When the design is downsized to two-thirds of its original size, ensure the design is to scale.
Over each illustration, including identifiers such as the name of the invention, the name of the creator, and the identification number.
 All drawings should be printed on an 11" × 8.5" A4 sheet. This sheet must be non-shiny, elastic, crease-free, long-lasting, and white.
 Erasures, changes, cuttings, and interlineations must all be removed.
 Make the top and left margins at least 1 inch, the right margin at 3/8 inch, and the bottom margin at 5/8 inch.
 On two catercorner boundary corners, include scan target points (cross-hairs).
 Never place one sketch on top of another.
 If required, use figures and a legend to describe the innovation.
 Solid black shading should only be used on bar charts or to indicate color.
 Use lead lines to bring the reader from the drawing to the description's accompanying symbol.
 With Arabic numerals, number each page and examine them in order.
 Make sure there are no holes in the sheet.
 Photos must adhere to the same criteria as drawings in terms of font, size, and spacing.

Keep in mind that sketches aren't just for illustrations; they may also be used to create diagrams and charts. In some cases, an image may be preferable to a painting. The US Patent Office, on the other hand, only admits photographs for service and design inventions. To show the subtleties of the invention, photos must be in high definition.
Chemicals are the only NP Patents (non-provisional) that do not necessitate any illustrations.

Color Patents

Color illustrations are uncommon in Patent Applications. They are only permitted in utility patent applications. If you believe color drawings are required, you must file an application and pay the $130 fee stipulated in Title 37 CFR 1.17(h) to obtain permission to use them.
If you're mailing your petition, ensure to add two sets of color illustrations and one Black & White photocopy of the same subject matter.

If you're filing online, you'll only require one set of drawings. You should also include the following text in the specification (written description of the invention) of your patent: "At least one color drawing can be included in this patent's file. The United States Patent and Trademark Office will supply color drawings of this patent upon request and receipt of the required fee."
Make sure the quality of your color drawings is sufficient that they can be replicated in Black & White on the reprinted patent without compromising any detail.

Required Views
Use multiple viewpoints in your drawings to show how your product looks and functions.
Also include the following viewpoints of your idea, if appropriate:
 The traditional six points of view.
 Surfaces with no ornamentation can be removed.
 Three-dimensional perspective viewpoints
 A flat object's front and back perspectives are the only views available.
 To demonstrate function, sectional views are used.
 Exploded views to demonstrate how a single component functions during the Innovations' operation.

Another important aspect of patent illustrations is shading. It has depth, substance, and contour. You can do this by using dots, lines, and complex varieties.
In the patent drawing, pointers and lead lines are also crucial. There are three times when arrows should be used:
 A freestanding arrow on a lead line depicts the full section to which it points.
 An arrow striking a line on a lead line indicates the surface represented by the line.
 To indicate the direction of motion.

The Importance of Rules
Your application is incomplete if you do not submit patent drawings or do not follow the patent drawing rules. The filing date will be postponed since it is unfinished. This could lose you a patent, particularly if other companies are attempting to patent the same innovation. Photos and color drawings have their own set of regulations to follow, so be sure to adhere to these as well.
The patent officer will be able to judge whether the innovation is non-obvious and innovative if you follow the patent drawing guidelines. These are two of the most significant barriers to obtaining a patent.
Filing with high-quality patent illustrations also aids in establishing the priority of invention by allowing for an earlier filing date, which is crucial in a first-to-file country such as the United States. To get the most out of an earlier filing date, the patent application must cover the invention in all of its variations, which is made easier with good illustrations. Patent drawings have frequently been used by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to evaluate what a skilled person would have recognized disclosed at the time of applying.
Furthermore, if something is left out of the written description, a patent design may come in handy. As a result, high-quality drawings are common, and hiring a skilled patent illustrator to develop the drawing is a great asset. That’s why following the guidelines and rules set by the authorities is a must.
Have any further queries? Drop an email to info@thepatentdrawing.com, our patent expert will reach out to you soon

Related Links :

1.The Importance of Patent Drawings for Low-Tech Products
2. What patent should we apply A Design or Utility Patent? And how is Design Patent different from Utility Patent?
3. What can Patent Attorneys do in COVID-19 Pandemic disruption on the patent filing?