In a “First
to Invent” system, the patent for an invention is granted to the first person who
invented it even if another inventor filed first for the patent. Under the new
system, patents will be granted to the inventor that first filed the
application. This means the date an
invention was created is no longer relevant to the patenting process. However, the inventor remains central
to the US patent process. Unlike the
European "First to File" system, United States patent applications will
still be filed on behalf of the inventor and patents are only granted to inventors
or their assignees.
The cutover
date was March 16, 2013. Applications
filed before that date are unaffected by this change. While this sounds straightforward, some care needs to be taken. Common patent prosecution procedures such as
continuing, divisional and continuation-in-part applications are considered new
applications and can inadvertently move an invention to the new system.
While this
is a big change, it’s not a big deal. In
2012, there were 542,815 utility patent applications filed with the USPTO. Only 67 "interference" cases, the
USPTO term for this situation, were filed in the same period.
Below is a
summary of selected patents that have been recently issued in textile related
classification codes:
Watersports
Garment with Stitchless Seams: A
waterproof, elastic adhesive that is used as part of a process for creating
stitchless seams in swimwear. Patent #: 8539612. Inventor:
Shiue. Assignee: Shei
Chung Hsin Ind. Co., Ltd.
Shirt for a Hockey Player: An
undershirt with “gripping zones” designed to prevent protective equipment from
moving relative to the undershirt (causing discomfort). Patent #:
8539616. Inventors:
Beland and Gagnon. Assignee: Bauer Hockey.
Footwear Device: A type of
“slipper” to be worn with climbing shoes when not climbing to protect the soft
rubber sole from prematurely wearing out.
Patent #: 8539695. Inventor:
Gemmen. No Assignee.
Suspension Heel: An arrangement
for cushioning a high heel to increase comfort and stability. Patent #:
8539697. Inventors:
Healy, et. al. Assignee: TBL Licensing LLC.
Footwear Safety Apparatus Device and Method: Adding microscopic roughness (“friction
additives”) to the sole of a shoe to improve traction. Patent #: 8539698. Inventor:
Woodruff. No Assignee.
Papermaking Fabric, in Particular for Use in the Forming Section of a
Papermaking Machine: Describes a fabric
band specifically designed to be used in a paper forming machine. Patent #: 8539987. Inventor:
Rossetti. Assignee: Feltri Marone S.p.A.
Coated Textile Sleeve and Method of Construction
Thereof: A way to coat a braided tube to
make it waterproof using water based finishes.
Patent #: 8528456. Inventors:
Malloy and Avula. Assignee: Federated-Mogul Powertrain, Inc.
Method of Controlling the Size of a Fabric of a Garment: A way to temporarily attach a water soluble non-elastic
band to and elastic fabric during garment manufacture to fix the size of the
elastic fabric (i.e. prevent stretching).
The band is added as part of the sewing process and dissolves when
finished in water. Patent #: 8528492. Inventor:
Morris. Assignee: Talon Technologies, Inc.
Combination
Feeder for a Knitting Machine: A feeder
designed to add and remove inlay yarns into knitted products. While the patent also protects a specific
knitting machine, the inlay feeder is a general (not machine specific)
invention. Patent #: 8522577. Inventor:
Huffa. Assignee: Nike, Inc.
Exercise
Suit: Elastic bands incorporated into an
exercise suit to provide additional resistance during training. Patent #:
8544114. Inventor:
Williams, et.al. Not Assigned.
Material and
Methods for Maintaining Proper Body Temperature: A method of routing gases (and fluids)
through a garment to provide the heating or cooling necessary to maintain an
optimal body temperature. Patent #: 8544115. Inventors:
Gravenstein, et. al. Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation,
Inc.
Device for
Thermal Signature Reduction: A water
cooled hood that reduces the above water thermal signature of a swimmer. Patent #:
8544120. Inventor:
Apgar, et.al. Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation.
Apparatus
and Method for Transporting Fabric: A
method to transport fabric in the direction of its length without using nip
rollers. This prevents the rollers from
distorting the face of the fabric.
Patent #: 8544156. Inventor:
Morris. Assignee: Talon Technologies, Inc.
Modular
Footwear System: A footwear system which
supports interchangeable sole, including the ability to change the tread in the
sole. Patent #: 8544189. Inventor:
Chaney, et.al. Assignee: Ot Intellectual Property, LLC.
Shock Absorbing
Device for Shoe Sole in Rear Foot Part:
A shock absorbing device in the rear of the sole that deforms under
compression in such a way it that restrains the foot from inclining medially.
Patent #: 8544190. Inventors:
Nishiwaki and Senda.
Assignee: ASCICS Corporation.
Method and Apparatus
for Interconnecting Traction Cleats and Receptacles: A method for attaching cleats to shoes that
has a thinner than normal flange. Patent
#: 8544195. Inventor:
Burt, et.al. Assignee: Pride
Manufacturing Company LLC.
Method and Apparatus
for Reducing Residual Torque and Neps in Singles Ring Yarns: This is a method of putting a false twist
into the yarn feeding into the ring spinning process. This twist counteracts the twist created in
the spinning process. Patent #: 8544252
. Inventor: Tao, et.al. Assignee:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Jim Carson is
a principal of RB Consulting, Inc. and a registered patent agent. He has over 30 years of experience across
multiple industries including the biotechnology, textile, computer,
telecommunications, and energy sectors.
RB Consulting, Inc. specializes in providing management, prototyping,
and regulatory services to small and start-up businesses. He can be reached via email at James.Carson.Jr@gmail.com or by
phone at (803) 792-2183.
No comments:
Post a Comment