Patent factsheet: Description
How to write a description for a patent application.
The basis of a UK patent application is a legal document called a specification. Its contents determine whether a patent can be granted. You would be well advised to seek professional assistance when preparing your patent application.
A patent specification includes:
- a full description of your invention, plus any drawings referred to within your description
- one or more claims
This factsheet tells you about the description. An example is given below. Other factsheets in this series explain how to prepare claims, drawings, and an abstract (which is another essential part of an application).
Content
The description must explain your invention fully at the time of filing because information cannot be added later.
A patent will not be granted if your description does not contain sufficient information to enable others to construct or perform your invention.
Do not include any personal information in the description, such as your name, address or telephone number. If you do, when your application is published this information will be made freely available on the internet.
Title
Your description should begin with a short title which indicates the general subject of your invention. The title should not include the inventor’s name, a trade mark or other fictitious name, or the word ‘patent or ‘etc’. Also it should not give away the essential details of your invention.
Example:
‘Bicycle stabiliser’
Introduction
A typical description begins with an introduction. This sets out the background of the invention and often then explains a particular problem that your invention solves, and what it does.
Example:
‘When children are learning how to ride a bicycle, an additional pair of stabilising wheels are often fitted either side of the bicycle’s rear wheel to prevent toppling of the bicycle.
However, the use of conventional stabilisers can lead to a number of difficulties. If a rigid stabilising unit is fitted to a bicycle, the rider can become reliant on the unit and will not learn how to balance the bicycle using their own body weight. Furthermore, on uneven ground there is a risk that the bicycle will become immobilised if the rear bicycle wheel loses contact with the ground, or that the stabilising unit will cause jolting of the bicycle.’
Summary of the invention
In this section you should summarise how your invention solves the problem that you identified in the ‘Introduction’ section.
You should explain what the essential features of your invention are.
Example:
‘To overcome these problems, the present invention proposes a bicycle stabilising unit with attachment means for attaching the unit to a bicycle, a ground-engaging wheel which can freely rotate about an axis, and cushioning means such that the axis of the wheel can be displaced relative to the attachment means.’
Optional features
You can include further details of the features of your invention in this section. You cannot add any new information to your application once it is filed, so be sure to include as many optional features as you would like.
Example:
‘The cushioning means is preferably provided by a damped suspension strut, although the cushioning means may also be provided by other means, such as a torsion bar or spring.
The cushioning means may be adjustable so that the degree of cushioning can be modified to suit the terrain and the rider’s ability.
The stabilising unit may be retractable so that the ground-engaging wheel may be stored in a non-ground-engaging position.’
Brief description of drawings
You must list all the drawings you are including as part of your specification. Do not add the drawings themselves to this section.
Example:
‘The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 shows a pair of stabilising units, one fitted either side of the rear wheel of a bicycle,
Figure 2 shows a stabilising unit with an alternative cushioning mechanism,
Figure 3 shows a stabilising unit with another cushioning arrangement.’
Detailed description
The rest of the detailed description describes (with more detailed reference to any drawings), one or more particular examples of how the invention may be performed.
Do not feel that you have to limit this part of the description. Most detailed descriptions will need to extend to several pages. Note that descriptions in excess of 35 pages will incur an additional fee of £13 per page, later in the process.
Important features are indicated in the drawings using reference numbers. These numbers are then used in the description to refer to those features.
The same reference number should always be used to refer to the same feature.
Do not include text that is not directly concerned with your invention.
Example:
‘In figure 1, a stabilising unit 1 includes a vertical number 2 which is attached to the side of a bicycle by mounting bolts 3, 4. The lower end of the vertical number is freely hinged to a substantially horizontal number 5 which carries a ground-engaging wheel 6. The wheel may be solid or may have an inflatable tyre. A strut 7 with a sprung shock-absorbing unit 8 is connected between the vertical and horizontal members, and this allows vertical displacement of the ground-engaging wheel in order to cushion impacts from an uneven road surface.
If two stabilising units are fitted, one either side of the bicycle’s rear wheel, then the rider will feel supported but will also develop confidence in leaning the bicycle over when negotiating a bend. The degree of cushioning can be varied by adjusting the compression of the shock-absorbing unit, using conventional adjusting means such as a screw-threaded end-stop.
The shock-absorbing strut 7 may be permanently attached to the vertical and horizontal numbers 2, 5 for instance using welded connections. Alternatively, the shock-absorbing strut may be easily detachable from one or both numbers, for instance by using a quick-release mechanism, allowing the ground-engaging wheel and the horizontal number to be folded away if the rider is confident enough to travel without the assistance of the stabilising unit.
Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment in which the vertical and horizontal numbers 2 and 5 are rigidly attached to each other, for instance by using a rigid strut 9. The cushioning means is provided by mounting the ground-engaging wheel 6 in a sprung housing 10 on the outer end of horizontal number 5. The ground-engaging wheel is therefore vertically displaceable relative to the rest of the stabilising unit.
Figure 3 shows a further alternative embodiment in which the vertical and horizontal numbers 2 and 5 are connected via a hinge which includes a torsion spring 11. The torsion spring allows the horizontal number to rotate through a limited angle range.’
Style and presentation
The description must be in English or Welsh. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) will provide a translation of any material filed in Welsh. Type or print the pages of your description on one side only of separate sheets of white A4 paper.
Leave margins of at least 2.0cm.
Number the pages of text in order, for example 1, 2, 3, 4, at the top of each page (but below the margin) in the middle of the page.
Do not include drawings or flowcharts in your description. Any drawings should be on separate sheets.
Submitting by paper
Your text should have at least 1.5 line spacing.
The capital letters of the font or typeface you use should be more than 2mm high.
Join the pages together with a paper clip or bulldog clip at the top centre of the pages. Please do not join the pages by stapling.
Please do not fold the pages.
Getting help
It’s a good idea to seek professional assistance when preparing your patent application, as you’re more likely to succeed in getting a patent granted if you do.
You can also contact the IPO on 0300 300 2000 (local call rate) or visit our website. We are keen to help all our customers as much as possible, but regret that we cannot help with the commercial exploitation of your invention.
This factsheet is not intended to be comprehensive and necessarily omits details which may be relevant in particular circumstances.