ORIGINAL: DennisF
What i am trying to understand is if there are other examples of this type break system how can someone patent it, i have looked at the patent and there it list former examples of the system so again how can someone get a patent on something that has existed prior to the application the smooth stop is a separate issue and i fully understand it as this type of device had not been made prior to the application for patent.
what has BVM patented the O'ring the whole brake system did he get permission to from prior patent hold's of this type device or pay a royalty to them for this purpose.
Dennis
Hi Dennis
All Patents list prior art. You find the closest possible matches and show why they are different. The patent office then looks over your prior art and sees if they can find something else that they think is closer, then challenge you to prove them wrong, it is called an office action. The Low Operating Force Pressure Regulator (Smooth Stop) had one office action. The Patent Examiner in one case cited an Australian patent on a beer keg tapping device. The Patent Office agreed with the explanation of why that was not a valid comparison. So, many other patents are listed to show the unique properties of the new patent. By the way, patent attorneys like to see one office action, it means they claimed about as much as they can get away with. Another patent I have though my employer went through with no office actions; it bugged them.
Steven