 The FIRST STEP is to search the Rapid Prototyping US Patent Database or available public web resources for the key words, technical terms, inventors or other specific items of interest. Depending on the reason for the search, this may provide sufficient information to answer your question. Reading the uncovered abstracts may be all that is necessary to yield the expeditious understanding you seek. Often, however, you will want to know more.
 Two useful web resources are:
US Patent and Trademark Office...
Google...
The US PTO site includes drawings and full electronic text downloads. It has coverage all the way back to 1790. Some early materials are only available in image format, however, so text keywords may not appear in search results. A definitive patentability search may thus require a visit to a patent depository library in some cases. The library addresses can be found on the PTO web site. You may also require a browser plug-in to view .TIF format drawings.
GOOGLE began indexing patents in 2007. Coverage for issued patents appears to be complete, but the site can't be used for definitive searching until published applications are indexed, as well. Keyword search results are also not presented in a thoroughly organized fashion, either. The site does, however, provide a means to obtain images quickly and without the use of browser plug-in software required by the US PTO web-site. Google's patent database can be accessed from the main page by clicking on More.../Patents.
The European Patent Office also has an excellent web site which offers great depth and access to many other worldwide government patent sites. A great deal of work in the field is being done in the EC, with considerable emphasis on rapid manufacturing.
IP Newsflash The IP Newsflash web-site provides timely patent-related news, case law and notices for patent offices around the world. You can also search patent families including complete legal status where available for free. There are direct links to the available full text of patent family members. The data of the patent families corresponds to the INPADOC database. The site has extensive directory resources, as well.
These are superb resources, but they are so large and additive fabrication so diverse in application and terminology, that it's difficult to make certain that you have covered the ground thoroughly. That's where you might find our database most helpful.
Searching Deeper for Patents and Literature...
|
