pic: ThunderChickens Patent

[dtengineering]

If you look closely at the label, you'll see that it is a "Design Patent".

This is significantly different from a "Patent" as it does not actually require invention.

Wikipedia sums it up well, "In the United States, a design patent is a patent granted on the ornamental design of a functional item."

Jason

[Jeffy]

First of all, this is really cool. We have been wanting to patent something on our robot for a long time, however it seems like it would turn out too exspensive for us.

I do have one question about the design of the nona-drive. If this was designed over the summer, was it originally designed for just 1 cim per side?

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Jeffy

I do have one question about the design of the nona-drive. If this was designed over the summer, was it originally designed for just 1 cim per side?

Just wondering, what makes you think that is the case?

[Jeffy]

This is the first year we were allowed 5 total cims (right?).
Either they planned for 2 cims each side, then a fp or 2 on the 9th wheel.
Or 1 cim per side, with the third on the 9th wheel, and a free cim.
Or any combination.

[EricH]

Or maybe they didn't design it over the summer, which is what I think Chris was asking you about.

As soon as you submit a patent application to the PTO, you can say, "Patent Pending" if they don't just throw it out right away. So, if they designed it during build and submitted a patent application at some point during build, there should have been plenty of time for the PTO to say "We don't see anything that would cause immediate rejection, here's your number, please be patient as we examine it closely". Then all you need to do is apply the sticker.

(PTO = Patent and Trademark Office)

[JVN]

Originally Posted by Jeffy

I do have one question about the design of the nona-drive. If this was designed over the summer, was it originally designed for just 1 cim per side?

The original Nonadrive configuration had 1CIM+1FP on each drive side, and 1CIM on the "slide wheel."

-John

[Josh Fox]

Originally Posted by JVN

The original Nonadrive configuration had 1CIM+1FP on each drive side, and 1CIM on the "slide wheel."

Did that change? If so, how?

[AustinSchuh]

Originally Posted by Josh Fox

Did that change? If so, how?

I believe it's using 5 CIMs now.

[efoote868]

Design patents are interesting in the fact that the design is not allowed to provide any utility. If it does, the PTO will reject it.
As far as why any FRC team would want to patent something is beyond me. Unless its something that can be mass produced and sold (AM 6" mecanum wheel hubs), or licensed to a company for use, there really isn't much use in a patent.

[CJmango]

Originally Posted by Cory

Did 217 patent the CCT?

That wouldn't take 8 years though, would it?

The CCT patent was filed following the 2002 season and abandoned in 2007 because it's just too expensive and there wasn't really anything to be gained. The students on the design team that year benefited tremendously just by having the patent pending when they applied to college, and I only just recently found out that we never completed the process.

I have the design documents if anyone is interested in seeing what it entailed. There is likely also an older thread in the archives discussing it.

Interestingly, the Illinois Tech Robotics team (ITR, www.iit.edu/~robotics) been using the CCT robot, Colonel, to promote FIRST in urban Chicago since 2005. More recently, the team refurbished and entered Colonel into a collegiate robotics competition this past March and made it to the semi-finals!

(My avatar is actually this very same robot from 2002.)

[RoboTIP]

a little off-topic, but where is urban Chicago? Does this mean there is a rural Chicago?