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MEMP EGRMGMT 590:08 - Sustainable Products for Green Energy Transitions

Course Guide for Pratt School of Engineering & The Nicholas School for the Environment students

Anatomy of a U.S. Patent

 

Conducting a patentability search is a crucial step in the patent application process and requires users to become familiar with keys part terms on a patent document.

Similar to a wind turbine, a patent document typically consists of several key parts, each which serves a very specific purpose.

Here are the main components of a patent:

I.  Front Page

  • Title: The name of the patent
  • Abstract: 
  • Name of inventors: 
  • Filing Date: 
  • Patent Number: 

2.  Drawings

  • Also known as "patent illustrations"
  • Visual representation of an invention included in a patent application
  • Assists in providing an illustration of the components and their interactions
  • Vital towards comprehending the invention's detailed aspects

3.  Specifications

  • Cross-References
  • Background
  • Field of Invention
  • Relaxed Art
  • Brief Description of Drawings List
  • Detailed Description

4.  Claims

  • Explanation of Invention Claims
  • The most important part of the patent
  • The primary legal part of the document
  • Always begins with a clear statement 
    • ex. "What is claimed" or "The invention is claimed"