I have an idea for an invention... (lawyer, profit, fund)

[Govie]

And I don't know how to go about fabricating the idea. It would be fabricated out of metal and plastic most likely but I have no background in making this idea of mine.


Any advice on how I might go about inventing the device I am?

[bumpus7]

Originally Posted by Govie

And I don't know how to go about fabricating the idea. It would be fabricated out of metal and plastic most likely but I have no background in making this idea of mine.


Any advice on how I might go about inventing the device I am?

Be careful who you share your idea with ... ... or they will get a patent on it before you do,
and they make it, and you will have nothing, and make no money.

.

[Hemlock140]

There are plenty of places that do fabrication using metal and plastics, machine shops, and even some sign shops with laser cutters and CNC routers. If this item's use is easily identified by making it, you will have to risk the idea being stolen, and you should get a patent from a drawing first. Otherwise ask around, maybe a friend or family member can recommend someone honest or maybe has a home shop and can make the prototype.

[doodlemagic]

Inventions are a really tough thing to break into. It's very expensive even just to make one prototype as you have to spend tens of thousands of dollars on molds and CAD drawing to make the molds. Not only is it very risky but its very expensive even just to get a prototype to maybe get someone to invest in or make your idea.

The other thing you need to do is get a patent, various types of patents. Patents generally cost a few thousand dollars if ou hire a lawyer even to do it yourself is not advised and pretty pricy in itself.

There are some services that advertise to help you however they all seem to be ripoffs from what I've heard.

[MJ7]

Please, it isn't hard to patent...it is hard to get one approved. Most people say, I have an invention, come to find out it was already patented some 40 years earlier. The archive search is what takes the longest amount of time.

[KaraG]

First do a patent search. If nothing similar has been patented, learn all about the industry your invention is for to see if it's something that is really needed.

Is it something that really needs a patent? Sometimes it's faster just to go to market with a product and sell while the product, as long as you're not infringing on someone else's patent.

See if you can make one working model to test to see if it will really work.

Work out your costs, can it really be made at a low enough cost so you can sell at a profit?

Do you have enough money for manufacturing your first order, marketing the product, etc?

If everything above works out positive, then look into spending the money on a patent.

[Rich_CD]

Originally Posted by Govie

And I don't know how to go about fabricating the idea. It would be fabricated out of metal and plastic most likely but I have no background in making this idea of mine.


Any advice on how I might go about inventing the device I am?

Could you can have the various parts fabricated or buy them off the shelf then do the final assembly yourself?

[doodlemagic]

Originally Posted by MJ7

Please, it isn't hard to patent...it is hard to get one approved. Most people say, I have an invention, come to find out it was already patented some 40 years earlier. The archive search is what takes the longest amount of time.

you bring up a good point, anyone can file a patent but most people who do it themselves are not going to do it correctly so it won't protect their idea.

also as you stated many peoples inventions were probably already invented. i had a friend who had an idea for a new type of rolerblade/ice skate. he spent about 11k in patent researc just to find out it had already been invented. the patent office as a very rudimentary patent search you can do but it cant be very in depth seeing as how i know many peoples who have spent thousands of dollars just to find out their invention was already patented.

[doodlemagic]

Originally Posted by Rich_CD

Could you can have the various parts fabricated or buy them off the shelf then do the final assembly yourself?

This is a good idea and it's not a bad way to start if its your only option but patents are very detailed you have to submit detailed drawings as well as a description how each part functions. patents are also very limited in the utilit of the design. say you come up wit some type of invention that uses a clip to close, i can pretty much copy you but use velcro or a latch to close and i'm not infringing on your copyright so something made off the shelf will not be how the end product would fuction as it would be CAD drawn, molds, etc so you essentially would have a patent for something that isn't your invention end product. something like your idea may work to pitchh your idea to someone to get them to fund your invention.

[SportyandMisty]

Most patents are not worth the paper upon which they are printed. When I used to teach Patents 101 for Engineers & Scientists at the large semiconductor manufacturer for which I worked, I used the following as an example of a valid patent that is useless:














Why would someone go to the effort of patenting a comb-over? I don't know. I can imagine some late-night infomercial touting "Patented Non-Surgical Method for Men with Male Pattern Baldness! Send a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope with a Check for $19.95" or the like.




Remember: almost anything under the sun can be patented with the exception of the laws of math & physics.

• There is no requirement that the thing you patent actually, you know, works.
• There is no requirement that the thing you patent can actually, you know, be made.
• There is no requirement that the thing you patent actually, you know, make economic sense.
• Getting a patent on something does not grant you the right to make the thing you patented, as doing so might very well violate existing patents.

The only thing the patent grants you is the right to prevent someone else from making, having made, using, selling, offering to sell, or import the thing you patented.

It is not a right --- it is a negative right.

There is an argument to be made NOT to research if the thing has already been patented. If you do so, and if you make & sell the thing, you could be considered to have committed willful infringement, which could result in treble damages. Not everyone thinks this way, however.


Perhaps spend a few minutes reading patents for dummies or something like the explanation found here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC526265/