DESIGN FIRM MAKES IP PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

A Hereford design company is putting IP at the heart of product development, by collaborating with legal experts.

Simple Design Works has teamed up with Barker Brettell Intellectual Property, based in Birmingham.

The innovative collaboration means that IP issues can be identified and addressed as an integral part of the product design process.

The company also collaborates with branding experts, and with Warwickshire-based GTMA, a trade association representing companies in precision engineering, rapid product development, tooling, metrology and other manufacturing-related products and services.

“Our focus is not just on designing a product,” said Kristo Shivachev, Managing Director of Simple Design Works. “We want to see it selling. A lot of people leave design houses with sketches on a piece of paper – we offer access to the best people to get their product to market.”

The collaboration with Barker Brettell also speeds up the process. “Preparations for registered design, trade mark and patent applications can take weeks if clients are dealing with an external IP company. We can usually get an answer the same day, allowing the process to continue through the concept stage without interruption. Of course, the full registration and protection process can still take months, or even years. However, submitting the application as soon as possible is always the key.

And, as Neil Kilpatrick, a partner at Barker Brettell, explained, IP is a vital part of the process. “Once the technical features of the design begin to crystallise, one or more patent applications should be filed to protect the invention or inventions,” he said.

“Depending on the idea and the budget, one single application covering the product as a whole may be filed, using all the preferred and discarded design concepts as optional or fallback positions.

“First and foremost, this seeks to protect the commercial product to stop copycats.

“Having the designer and patent attorney working in tandem ensures that key features are described properly and that all functionality of the concepts, in fact all of the concepts, are covered.”

No hang-ups over IP for medical lift firm

Joerns Healthcare is a leading supplier of patient handling products for the NHS and across the world. It was established in the 1950s as Oxford Hoists, but is now based in Pershore.

The company makes lifts and slings which help to get elderly or infirm patients in and out of beds and chairs.

Bringing a new overhead hoist to the market meant redesigning the clip that attaches the sling – which the patient sits in – to the hanger bar. The company was keen to ensure that the clip did not infringe any existing protections while ensuring its innovative new design could not be copied.

With IP checks cleared, and the design protected, the clip is now in the manufacturing process and should be ready for market by the summer.

Quick turnaround for rotating seat idea

Camper van specialist, Original Rusty Lee Rock & Roll Beds, restores classic VW camper vans and converts modern commercial vans into campers.

In developing a new double swivel base, which allows the front passenger seats to be turned inwards creating a living space, the Hereford firm was keen not to infringe a registered design held by a competitor, while protecting its own design.

“With the help of our IP specialists we were able to create a design that we are confident will clear the protection,” said Kristo. “We’ve even managed to add another couple of features making our client’s solution better than anything already on the market.”