inventions and innovations related to boats

[zmfmd]

Hi everybody,
Designed a recreational 21 ft. fiberglass powerboat that is unsinkable, self-bailing and selfrighting abilities.
questions:
1. Is any body aware of other boats that has the above criteria?. (not including RIBs or sailing boats)
2. Does this qualify to be patented?
3. Suggestions as to where to go from here?
zmfmd

[rasorinc]

Build one and subject it to testing. A design is just lines on paper and on a small craft the only true data is acuality. If it does all your design says it does then you may have a winner and want to protect your design.

[alan white]

Originally Posted by zmfmd

Hi everybody,
Designed a recreational 21 ft. fiberglass powerboat that is unsinkable, self-bailing and selfrighting abilities.
questions:
1. Is any body aware of other boats that has the above criteria?. (not including RIBs or sailing boats)
2. Does this qualify to be patented?
3. Suggestions as to where to go from here?
zmfmd

I'm sure many boats incorporate those attributes in one way or another. The combination of several features isn't in itself patentable unless the relationship between the features is unique.
One or two or even all three features are patentable if they achieve their goals in a way no one has ever thought about before, and the new way is superior in some aspect (cheaper, simpler, stronger, new material, novel system, etc..
To consider such basic features as worthwhile candidates for patents is not likely to ever make money, but you certainly can go broke trying.
Patents are different in real life than in the movies. I gave up long ago believing that even fantastic ideas were worthwhile to pursue, simply because the process rewards the very few who are heavily capitalized or lucky.
Have fun with your inventions. I have built many of mine just to use, like my amazing Christmas tree stand that won't fall down.

[zmfmd]

Thanks for the input...well, i have already made a prototype and tested it, and it works.
Yes there are a lot of boats that fulfill some of the criteria..and again i emphasize that i'm referring to a recreational powerboat, and not a sail boat or other specialized boat, like rescue or life boats...iv'e researched most of the well known brands, e.g. Boston whaler. Sea ray, Roballo, Yamaha, and dozens of others..none have the selfrighting ability...
Regarding patentability, i thought that it may be a difficult path..but everybody i talk to raises this issue....i'm not particularly concerned about it as much as i would like to start this thing going and see it manufactured...i'm sort of obcessed with the issue of safety.

[masalai]

Get an independent authority to rigorously test it and if it exceeds expectations you may have something, then you will need lots of money and marketing skills to get your idea making money for you in a depressed market.... I wish you good luck....

[waikikin]

Zman, I reckon Mas is on the money there, I read some good advice once, might even have been here! that patents are usually ego stroking & to spend the patent money on marketing. All the best in your endeavours from Jeff.

[Meanz Beanz]

My great great grandfather patented the "dipping acetylene head light" for automobiles. By the time he'd done it they had the electric head light The moral of the story... make sure the reward is worth the effort.

[Knut Sand]

I was once involved in the design/ testing of this one (why is always testing done, wintertime, in Norway....):

http://www.norsafe.no/index.php?aid=3104

The box in front of the driver is larger than normal, watertight, makes the boat very unstable in the inverted position, will then tilt to one side, righten and selfbail.....
It's totally foamed in between the deck/ hull - will not sink, like the "Boston Whaler". Waterjet makes it pretty fun also.

In flat water, you'll need to push a little (one person, shoulders above water will righten it), in waves, it'll flip around and righten by it self.

Engine is equipped with cut switch for the engine in inverted position, so, after a flip, righten or watch it righten, enter the boat (better do it before all water is bailed (easier...)), wait for the water to bailout, check enginecompartment for water, turn ignition, drive....

Boss didn't belive the calculations or my idea, so at the workshop, after testing I stumbled across a targa beam with foamed inside....

Another way of making a self rightening boat is making the above waterstructure watertight and partially out of center (inverted position).

We didn't apply for a patent though... so, now you can't either, if anything of the above is close to your idea... If you're idea was something similar to this, I've saved you the money, its not new. IF you have another/ better idea, advice is to keep your cards close to your body.

On the other hand.... our design wasn't 21'.....

[Knut Sand]

Originally Posted by zmfmd

1. Is any body aware of other boats that has the above criteria?. (not including RIBs or sailing boats)
2. Does this qualify to be patented?
3. Suggestions as to where to go from here?
zmfmd

1) If your idea is different to the above mentioned from me, and not with an inflatable/ fixed bag/ container on a targa beam (also known). I'm unsure...

2) MAYBE... It need to be new and innovative etc...

3) Do searches in the patent databases available, like
http://www.patentstyret.net/en/engli...nal_Patenting/
If you dont not find anything similar; contact a patentcompany consultant, and there, the money starts to fly.... (Believe they're also called "Intellectual property rights consultants"). Yo can also file the papers yourself, but its not exactly a walk in the park.....

4) If you have a new idea; be careful with what you say/ write in public, if the idea becomes public known before you file for a patent, you're screwed.

[safewalrus]

Unsinkable? now where have I heard that before?.........................oh yes some ship backalong.......................called the something ic, now what was it.......................oh yes TITANIC!

Take care it might not quite be all you say it is! Could have some bad connotations there

[alex folen]

Cool. If you’re rambunctious you can go to USPTO on line and research similar patents. Then if you believe you got something unique you can send a very detailed description with 10$ and a "limited patent protection" can be in place while you do your testing. You have to do this every two years and also send yourself a registered copy and do not open it. A lawyer will charge 1,500.00 and you'll spend 10 + reg mail fee. This is what i did 7 years ago.

[masalai]

Only in USA does not apply to the rest of the world unless you have billions in revenue and a team of international lawyers on the payroll....

[alan white]

In most cases having a jump on the competition is far more useful than a patent. Don't worry that someone else could patent it--- they can't if it's being sold (or has sold) on the market (neither can yoo).
Especially with a product like a boat, which has big name recognition (unlike lampshade manufacturers for example), customers will usually buy the original if it is well done and reasonably priced.
Anyone can of course copy your ideas freely, but their product will suffer from copy-cat syndrome, unless it is truly better built and less expensive than the original, and has huge brand recognition already.
Besides, as said, internationally, many don't care that you've got a patent, international or just USPTO. Especially in China, they will steal anyone's idea without hesitation.
No matter what, you personally will have to see the process through from contracting independant testing, marketing in the boating press, tooling and manufacturing. Not cheap! But good luck if you choose to do it.

[zmfmd]

thanks for the resposes.
#5, masalai: as i mentioned, i have already tested the prototype...but getting an independent authority to rigorously test it sounds like a good idea..
questions:
1. Like who?..can you give me names to contact?
2. How much would it cost?
3. What exactly is that going to serve?..to confirm its success, or to protect one's right?..or what ?

Your little piece "I want to be confident of peace in this world", is inspiring..i have ideas to start a personal mission / campaign to develop a perfect boat, the safest boat if you will..
so..my little piece will be: "I want to be confident that all boats are safe..as best as we can make them."
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#8, Knut Sand: since the 'conception' of my idea about 2 years ago, and researching the net for similar boats, Norsafe came up..beautifull line of boats..but these are specialized rescue boats. Yes my prototype is something similar to this..but applies to a recreational 21 foot boat, that is affordable (much cheaper), and actually the concept can be applied to any boat, of any size.

Since you were involved in the design/ testing of such boats..do you mind if i ask you a whole lot of questions related to this issue?
-----------------------------------------

#11, alex folen: so can you share with us your experience with the patent, what happened 7 years ago?
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#13, alan white: also you seem to have had some experience with patenting..so what happend?

I'm almost conviced to drop the issue of patenting..it seems too complicated and expensive..
Now to your last paragraph: (" No matter what, you personally will have to see the process through from contracting independant testing, marketing in the boating press, tooling and manufacturing. Not cheap! But good luck if you choose to do it.")
It summerized it all, in terms of what i need to do. The problem is i need a "team" to accomplish this..

One easy way is to make an allaince with a recognised boat manufacturer, and could even modify one of their boats to fullfill the three safe criteria..particularly the selfrighting criteria. This could actually help them against the competition, and in the current depressed market....they will have the only recreational boat in the market that has these criteria..the safest and cheapest (by comparision).
The other option is to actually build a small factory and do it !!?

p.s. Please take a look at the thread i started almost 2 years ago..that was when i first got the idea/obcession with this concept..it was called "My perfect boat vs The perfect boat"..it shows how things evolved...

[Guest625101138]

If you really think you have something of value but do not want to go to the trouble of a patent yet, then you could consider establishing a provisional patent.

It gives you a priority date and then opens the door to put it in the public domain for real world evaluation.

Here is one firm offering a quick and relatively cheap path:
https://patentmatch.net/
It is not that hard to lodge your own provisional patent but it pays to get some professional help.

I can tell you that if you are not in a particular line of business then it is very unusual to create something that is patentable and will actually make you money.

The main advantage of a provisional patent is that you could make money out of your idea even if someone else copies it and goes into production. You probably need deep pockets to defend it and stop them but, on the other hand, they will have great difficulty stopping you if you have the priority date.

I have found the wording in some patents is obscure to prevent others from readily retrieving the idea with a logical search. This is just a way of delaying others experienced in the field from learning about your idea and then making a variation that defeats the patent. Wording the patent in these circumstances requires a sharp mind and keen appreciation of what represents the novel component. In these circumstance a boat might become vehicle for water transport or rigid flotation device.

Copyright is a cheaper and potentially more effective means of defending something that has market appeal. THe next level of protection is a Trademark. It is a matter of getting a really catchy name for the invention that is obvious, meaningful and catchy so it becomes the standard name that you register as a trademark. Something like SSB (the Super Secure Boat) but a lot catchier. There are classics and more modern ones. You "hoover" the floor or you "google" the www. If your invention is stunning and has real appeal as well as being of superior quality then a trademark and copyright on advertising material can provide a measure of protection. It also has clarity rather than the complexity that might surround an idea.
ttp://www.lawmart.com/searches/difference.htm

Rick W