Drawings :

The patent agent must prepare good visual supporting materials that describe the invention. In fact, many patent agents would argue that the drawings are the most important part of the patent application after the claims. Some patent laws require that every claimed element be shown in a drawing. Where possible, the drawings should explain the invention in sufficient detail that reading the detailed description section merely confirms in words the information provided in the drawings. This will not be possible with all inventions. In preparing the drawings the patent agent should think of the story he wants to tell and how he wants to tell it. The patent agent should also think about the level of detail necessary to provide an enabling disclosure.

The elements shown in a patent’s drawings are typically accompanied by a short description in words and a reference number such as “clock 102.” The reader will expect to see “clock 102” in the accompanying text of the detailed description section. The patent agent should use a consistent numbering scheme for the reference numbers.

The patent application itself should contain a list of the drawings between the summary of the invention section and the detailed description section. The drawing section should begin with a statement indicating that the drawings are illustrative of one or more embodiments of the invention (and not illustrative of THE invention).