Okay, So a guy I work with has a family garage door business.

I am currently working for an employer that does not allow me to file for any patents of my own. I have roughly seventeen ideas (from simple tool improvements to a thermally efficient internal combustion engine) that may come in to fruition.

That being said, once I retire in a few months, I'm thinking about asking to work with some of his technicians to learn and understand the ins and outs of garage door mechanicals. Sure, I know how they work and understand the architecture and design, but think I could bounce a few ideas off of a guy that has been installing them for years to get a better concepts of inertia, wear, component failure, etc... to see how my ideas would hold up through time in the real world. Would this be more useful after the concept is registered and being built as a prototype {or the idea abandoned}? I have at least three ideas in this field that I haven't been able to find a patented equivalent registered.

Would it make sense for me to work for free to gain the hands on knowledge that I couldn't get otherwise? Should I move on to other ideas first before putting forth this kind of effort?

What say you?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: .38supersig,

You're planning to retire. Is this going to be some sort of a hobby or a second career?

If you have the motivation and drive go for it.

Thomas Edison did not stop with one invention.

https://www.thomasedison.org/inventions

I have had garage doors in every home I have lived in for over 50 years. I have never had one break down. Sitting here thinking about it...I don't even know anyone who has had one break down. Yeah, I know it can happen but that has been my real life experience.

I would look for something else. Take HVAC systems for example. Just about everyone I know has had some kind of a problem with theirs, including me. I have a nephew that works in that business and he told me they are booked well into August with their emergency calls!!

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:
If you have the motivation and drive go for it.

Thomas Edison did not stop with one invention.

https://www.thomasedison.org/inventions

Thomas Edison was way overrated . The article you linked to said he invented the electric utility system . Another fallacy .

quote:

Originally posted by Bassamatic:
I have had garage doors in every home I have lived in for over 50 years.
I have never had one break down.
Sitting here thinking about it...I don't even know anyone who has had one break down.
Yeah, I know it can happen but that has been my real life experience.

They definitely can break.
It just depends on how they are made, what they are made out of and where they are.
Our house and just about every house in our neighborhood has had theirs replaced or worked on one way or another.
Ours built in the the early eighties was not metal.
Replaced in 1991 with nice insulated (great to keep out Texas heat) metal door and worked great ever since with only a couple minor track adjustments along the way.
So yeah, they break just like anything but is it a business you want to get into ~ it's up to you.
Why not?
Just evaluate all the business metrics but certainly doable if that is what you want.
You most likely would need to sell them not just fix them though.
But to get into the business to research an invention might not be the best route for research though.

If you have teenage drivers in the household, you will replace them at some point.

The main component failure are the springs, generally only one goes but it's wise to replace both. Know this because we just replaced one, last one was at least 10 years ago.

Wear parts that don't get attention are a function of people failing to perform annual service such as adjusting springs, tension setting, checking opener operation and settings, new wheels, etc.

Just replaced the second set of springs, two sets in 30 years isn't bad.

Not a businessman but improving an item that rarely gets replaced seems like wasted effort. I’ve never replaced a set of doors in the decades of home ownership. Springs, garage door openers, sure. The actual doors? Never.

Back to the issue of patents . If you develop an idea while under the employ of someone else you could have some problems if you try and patent it . I think you have seen that already . Just because you are " working for free " might not matter .

Garage doors are a regional thing. Whats installed here in southwest Florida would be drastically different than Maine or California.

Im not an expert, but I do know the torsion lift system on modern doors is pretty slick. And you have to follow code.

If you have a 1970's house here and want to replace your door here, by code, you are installing a very thick, heavy duty door and track system that can withstand a CAT 4 or 5 hurricane.

You probably know this, but patents are now "first to file". So file the paperwork before you share it. You don't need a working prototype.

If you build it, install it and/or sell it before you patent it, your protections are reduced.

I'm assuming there are no drawings/emails/documents that would show the ideas were developed while your invention ownership was granted to your employer.

Standard disclaimer: I'm not a patent attorney. I have had three patents filed/granted through my employer, and have been through the process a few times now.

You need to be very careful here. The invention does not need to be reduced to practice (built) for you to file, and you can be barred from getting a patent for a number of reasons (a big one is the invention is described in a publication or in use in the US). See 35 USC 102(b).

You are going to need patent counsel eventually anyway - I would consult with them now before you do anything that could jeopardize your rights. One of the stated purposes of the America Invents Act was to encourage timely filing and disclosure of inventions so you're playing with fire the longer you wait.

Retire and go fishing.

quote:

Originally posted by selogic:
Back to the issue of patents . If you develop an idea while under the employ of someone else you could have some problems if you try and patent it. I think you have seen that already. Just because you are "working for free" might not matter.

Good point.

quote:

Originally posted by fwbulldog:
You probably know this, but patents are now "first to file". So file the paperwork before you share it. You don't need a working prototype.
If you build it, install it and/or sell it before you patent it, your protections are reduced.

Sounds like I'll need to file the ideas before product refinement.

quote:

Originally posted by DaveL:
You need to be very careful here. The invention does not need to be reduced to practice (built) for you to file, and you can be barred from getting a patent for a number of reasons (a big one is the invention is described in a publication or in use in the US). See 35 USC 102(b).
You are going to need patent counsel eventually anyway - I would consult with them now before you do anything that could jeopardize your rights.

Guess I'm thinking too far ahead.
Not so much with the garage doors themselves, but most of the ideas that I have are still relevant. Some aren't.
When I think of something as my mind wanders off or I can't sleep, I'll jot down a few notes and sketches. The next morning I'll look it over and make some more notes.

Maybe someday I can have my sleep deprivation actually pay off.

quote:

Originally posted by XLT:
Retire and go fishing.

I'd like to, but my mind won't shut up and I can't sit still long enough for the fish.

In any mechanical device working on it before refining it is a plus. Working for a garage door company would have its advantages. The device you are designing might already exist, but done in a different way, you just haven’t seen it yet.

Yes, they do break, rust through, get driven into and get hit by storms. If you really want experience work for a company on the east coast, where the storms typically come out of the Caribbean.

^^^
That was kind of what I was thinking. A craftsman who had real world knowledge of concept and design would be vastly superior than a few lines on a blue piece of paper (or screen).

I hope to be able to get the concepts registered and then follow up with the hands on experience. I guess I am getting ahead of myself.
My other ideas are for circuit boards, semi trucks, and studying ancient technology (a great way to kill a conversation at a party).

The big one (the engine) would be my ultimate goal, but it seems like everything will go electric before I could get this one brought to the real world.
I may be able to get something NHTSA approved along the way. It would be a hobby of sorts as a start. Idunno.

For what it is worth, I am no Thomas Edison. Have you seen the entrance exam they had to go through to start working for that guy? Yikes!