When companies fail to follow the patent office guidelines on multiple rules, such as sheet size, margin, hatching, etc., they get a chance to correct patent drawing errors. The patent office creates an office action under Rules 11a and 11h that gives them a chance to correct patent drawing errors. An inventor must submit the office action within a given timeframe to overcome any penalty. This penalty can result in a delay in the patent filing process. This article explores the causes and solutions to overcome and eliminate any type of office action that allows you to file a patent in one go.
Let us begin by identifying the causes of an office action under rules 11a and 11h.
Causes of an Office Action
- Size of sheets: Patent offices usually have specific guidelines in place with regard to the size of the sheets. When sheet size is not as per the guidelines; it may result in an office action.
- Margin issues: These issues occur when the margin taken in sheet size is not correct and the drawings overlap with the boundaries.
- Hatching: This occurs when hatching is the same in all the cross-sections or hatching in the index is different from hatching used in drawings.
- Colored drawings: When filed patent drawings must possess colors.
Thus, you can follow the solutions given below to correct patent drawing errors while preparing drawings.
Solutions
- Size of Sheets: The acceptable sheet size should be – A4 (8.26 * 11.69 inches) or the Letter Size should be – (8.5 * 11 inches).
- Margin Issues: Margin differences should be visible between boundaries and drawings.
- Hatching: You must use different types of hatching for different parts and cross-sections.
- Colored Drawings: Drawings should be durable black.
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- Size of Sheets: Sheet size should always be either A4 or letter size. This is acceptable in all jurisdictions.
- Margin Issues: You must consider the margins according to the guidelines: Top 2 cm, Left – 2.5 cm, Right – 2 cm, Bottom – 2 cm.
- Hatching: There should be an index above graphs, which represents what each line type of hatch type indicates.
- Colored drawings: You must prepare the drawings in all black lines with a white background without any color.
Also Read: Importance of the Best Patent Drawing Software
Implementing Rules to Correct Patent Drawing Errors
- Size of Sheets: A patent drawing professional should prepare a default layout for both A4 and letter size.
- Margin Issues: They must include a pre-assigned margin in default layouts.
- Hatching: They must prepare the Index first so that there isn’t any confusion while assigning hatching to different parts.
- Colored Drawings: They must always prepare the drawings in durable black color. However, as some jurisdictions accept images, they can also use grayscale drawings in that place. Further, you can particularly apply this in the case of heat diagrams.
Hence, the above solutions and recommendations should serve as a guide to correct patent drawing errors before the patent filing process.
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