beag_nut
Member
I was a mechanical/manufacturing engineer, for thirty years, also. I have three patents, through the companies I worked for.
A patent will cost about $5000.00, bottom line. You do NOT need a working prototype. That went out ages ago. You DO need to do a lot of research. One is supposed to quote "prior art" when describing a patent. In that way you prove that your design is different and better than anything which came before. A copyright will only cover drawings, literature, and songwriting.
Google sketchup is entirely satisfactory. AutoCad costs about $7000.00, AutoCad Lite costs about $1800.00. Neither of the latter two is needed.
I suggest you try to contact a reputable patent attorney, after you have refined your design. There may be consultants, who retired from active practice, who can help for reduced fees. In any case, create a solid contract to protect your rights. You don't need a working model to show, but you probably need it for yourself to prove its workability.
If you don't understand or can't afford some of these concepts, it might be better to find a close, trusted friend who does and will work on your behalf.
Good luck.
A patent will cost about $5000.00, bottom line. You do NOT need a working prototype. That went out ages ago. You DO need to do a lot of research. One is supposed to quote "prior art" when describing a patent. In that way you prove that your design is different and better than anything which came before. A copyright will only cover drawings, literature, and songwriting.
Google sketchup is entirely satisfactory. AutoCad costs about $7000.00, AutoCad Lite costs about $1800.00. Neither of the latter two is needed.
I suggest you try to contact a reputable patent attorney, after you have refined your design. There may be consultants, who retired from active practice, who can help for reduced fees. In any case, create a solid contract to protect your rights. You don't need a working model to show, but you probably need it for yourself to prove its workability.
If you don't understand or can't afford some of these concepts, it might be better to find a close, trusted friend who does and will work on your behalf.
Good luck.