Validity search – what patent holders really should do to defend their patents

The category that has most fascinated me over the years is in the way of futon frame designs.

One of the earliest futon patents I was able to locate was for Nikita Grigoriev who filed for a futon patent in 1983 (Patent Number 4538308) for what he called "Convertible Furniture".

Another early futon design patent was filed in 1985 (Patent Number 4642823) assigned to Robert Fireman's Furniture Gallery, Inc. invented by William B. Wiggins.

In 1990 Gary Shaffield ; Robert Fireman filed a futon design patent utilizing a tension spring to facilitate movement from position to position. (Patent Number 4996730). Incorporated into this design was a tension spring that helped with the operation of the frame. It should be noted that in my studies of futon patents many other patents in futon designs are held by Robert Fireman in both tri-fold and bi-fold designs.

Another interesting futon patent that I came across was filed in 1991 by Randall L. Withers assigned to Maurice A. Warner, Jr. (Patent Number 5129114). Much like other futon patents, designs were beginning to shift towards futons being built with side arms, two connecting rails and a seat and back section. However futon bi-fold designs such as these weren't the only bi-fold designs out there.

In December 1991 Thomas L. Meade submitted a convertible furniture frame patent (Patent Number 5170519) that did not use arms in its design for assisting conversion of the futon but a hinges and stops arrangement. This patent was assigned to . who implemented this design into their successful line of futon products.

Continuing moving forward in futon designs a futon patent was filed in 1994 by Peter W. Dodge (Patent Number 5513398) for a futon that featured a tilt mechanism. This allowed a transfer from the bed position to the sofa position using guide slots or routed out grooves using rollers to move up and down the seat and back sections of the futon frame. The validity search is a specific type of patent novelty search. The former is conducted to make sure that the patent was validly granted to the patent holder. A validity search should support the decision made in a novelty search. Remember that the patent search may also be used by someone who is seeking a patent license from your existing product.