Patent drawings are an important part of a patent application. Drawings help patent examiners understand how your invention works. The way you can do patent drawings is heavily regulated by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
The most important goal for every patent drawing is to showcase how your invention works. The drawings, therefore, have to be very simple, and they have to provide as much clarity as possible. Be as specific as you can — the more general or vague you are with your description, the more likely your patent application will get rejected. So more drawings are better than fewer drawings.
Our tips on how to prepare your drawings:
Most patent applications have multiple sheets of drawings, describing different aspects of the invention. To patent software, include system drawings, showing software and hardware components; and flowcharts to show how your software functions. If you want to patent an object, use different angles or views in your drawings. If your invention has components, you have to detail each of them in separate drawings correctly. If your invention is a method or process, the use of flowcharts is recommended. You can't include too many drawings with your application. Remember, the more drawings you do, the better.
Follow the strict guidelines of the USPTO. The use of colors, photographs, and other forms of illustrations are rarely allowed. The formatting rules are also stringent, in terms of the size of the paper, the lines and the font. If you don't follow the guidelines, your drawings may be rejected.
You can do it yourself. However, even if you do the drawings on your own, it is highly advised to have an expert review that your work meets the USPTO guidelines. For more complex innovations, we always recommend to hiring a professional patent illustrator or asking a patent agent to help you out.
You can file your patent without drawings, but it is not recommended.
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