CHAIRS AND SEATS

Classification 297/all - subclasses >> view this class definition

U. S. PATENT RESOURCES

As general guidance, a complete search of U. S. patents in this art area will include the following:

1. A classified search of the original classification class and subclass for the subject matter and the other highly relevant art areas in the US patent documents
2. A text search of the US patent documents; patents, PG PUB, and OCR databases:
• Broad text search for the general inventive concept(s), not limited by classification
• Narrow text search for the specific claimed invention
• Boolean text search employing the relevant inventive terms

The resources listed below are internal USPTO search tools. However, the information that they cover is available either commercially, on the USPTO web site, or in the Public Search Facility on the USPTO Headquarters campus and the Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries.

EAST/WEST

EAST Coverage: 1971 - present, Full Text: 1971 - present

WEST Coverage: 1971 - present, Full Text: 1971 - present

Full text patent and inventor searching.

Classified search is the most useful. Text search is most helpful when a material is claimed. Design patents are sometimes useful. Backward and forward citation searching has proven to be useful for this class.

BRS Search/USOCR Database

EAST Coverage: 1920 - 1970, Full Text: 1920 - 1970

WEST Coverage: 1920 - 1970, Full Text: 1920 - 1970

Full text of U.S. patent grants.

Classified search is the most useful. Text search is most helpful when a material is claimed. Design patents are sometimes useful.

PGPUBS

EAST Coverage: 2001 - present, Full Text: 2001 - present

WEST Coverage: 2001 - present, Full Text: 2001 - present

U.S. published applications.

Classified search is the most useful. Text search is most helpful when a material is claimed. Design patents are sometimes useful.

FOREIGN PATENT RESOURCES

Searched separately from the U.S. Patent Search. These databases consist of abstract documents. Text searching abstracts requires the use of different search logic e.g. the use of broad Boolean and/or operators instead of narrow proximity operators.

Derwent World Patents Index and the contents of the EPO Abstracts and JPO Abstracts are available commercially.

EPO Abstracts, Text and Classification Search

EAST Coverage: 1978 - present, Full Text: - N/A

WEST Coverage: 1978 - present, Full Text: - N/A

English abstracts database of patents and published applications from EPO, WO/PCT, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Switzerland. USPC searching is limited to documents added to the database from 1978 to September 30, 1995.

EPO esp@cenet

esp@cenet Coverage: 1920 - present, Full Text: 1920 - present

National patent information from all member states of the EPO as well as bibliographic data from patents worldwide.

FPAS3

Coverage: - , Full Text: -

USPTO foreign document retrieval system.

JPO Abstracts, Text and Classification Search

EAST Coverage: 1976 - present, Full Text: - N/A

WEST Coverage: 1976 - present, Full Text: - N/A

English abstracts database of Japanese published unexamined applications. USPC searching is limited to documents added to the database from 1978 to September 30, 1995.

JPO Industrial Property Digital Library

NCIPI Coverage: 1976 - present, Full Text: 1976 - present

Japanese patent information.

NON-PATENT LITERATURE RESOURCES

The resources listed are those that USPTO staff have found consistently yield the most relevant search results. Commercial databases available through a single vendor can generally be searched simultaneously, although it is preferable to search full text and bibliographic databases in separate groupings. In addition to the use of subscription databases and public Internet sites, it is recommended that books, manuals, standards and specifications be considered in the search for prior art.

ABI/INFORM

Dialog Coverage: 1971 - present, Full Text: 1991 - present

STN Coverage: 1971 - present, Full Text: 1991 - present

Covers worldwide business and management issues.

Includes details on virtually every aspect of business, including company histories, competitive intelligence, and new product development. This resource may be useful when looking for manufacturing information.

Automotive Engineering International

STIC online catalog Coverage: - , Full Text: 1998 - present

Covers advances in automotive technology that can be applied to the design of new or improved vehicle systems.

Useful for keeping up with trends in the industry.

Automotive News

EBSCOHost Coverage: 1993 - present, Full Text: 1996 - present

ProQuest Coverage: 1989 - present, Full Text: 1999 - present

Articles, special reports, interviews, business profiles, legislation, forecasting, late news, statistics and financial information on manufacturing and sales on all aspects of the automobile manufacturing industry worldwide.

Useful for keeping up with trends in the industry.

CSA Technology Research Database (TRD)

Dialog Coverage: 1963 - present, Full Text: - N/A

Megafile of the technical bibliographic databases provided by Cambridge Scientific Abstracts.

Subjects covered include materials science, engineering, aerospace, and high technology. Includes journal articles, conference papers, technical reports, books and standards.

EMA (Engineered Materials Abstracts)

STN Coverage: 1986 - present, Full Text: - N/A

Bibliographic database covering the worldwide literature on the development, processing, and production of ceramic, composite, and polymeric materials.

Knovel

Knovel Coverage: Dates - vary, Full Text: Dates - vary

Science and engineering books and databases.

Full text engineering and scientific reference books with interactive tables and graphs. Titles include Mark's Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers. This resource is useful when a material is claimed.

NTIS: National Technical Information Service

Dialog Coverage: 1964 - present, Full Text: - N/A

STN Coverage: 1964 - present, Full Text: - N/A

U.S. government-sponsored research, development, and engineering reports.

RAPRA: Rubber and Plastics

Dialog Coverage: 1972 - present, Full Text: - N/A

Questel Orbit Coverage: 1972 - present, Full Text: - N/A

STN Coverage: 1972 - present, Full Text: - N/A

Covers technical and commercial aspects of rubber, plastics, adhesives and polymeric composites.

INTERNET SEARCH TOOLS

An Internet search should be considered when a search of the resources listed above fails to locate relevant prior art. A preliminary Internet search may be performed to obtain an overview of the technology, and to identify additional search terms and related product information.

Google TM

Google Coverage: - N/A, Full Text: - N/A

Internet search engine.

This resource may be useful for locating manufacturer web sites.

Internet Archive

Internet Archive Coverage: - N/A, Full Text: - N/A

Provides permanent access to historical collections that exist in digital format.

Wayback Machine useful for locating web site dates.

Public Comments on the Search Templates

Public comments on the search templates are invited. Comments should address the points enumerated in the Criteria for Evaluating Recommended Search Resources. Comments can be submitted via the Search Template Project e-mail link on each template page or by mail addressed to:

Mail Stop Patents Search Template Comments
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
Electronic submission is preferred. The Office will respond to comments in writing.