Edison New Filling System?

[FredRydr]

It's a battery-powered digital eyedropper.

 

Fred

[GardenWeasel]

Patiently waiting...

[Brian C]

Anyone heard anything on this yet?

[jordanjay29]

Oh, this sounds like fun.

[BMG]

I spoke w/Brian a little more than a year ago and he mentioned that a piston filler was in the works. Don't know if that's what the buzz is all about or if there's something else in the pipeline but I watch and wait…

[dneal]

I'd love to see an Edison piston filler, as long as he doesn't go the route Bexley did with that pre-fab mechanism.

[captain1796]

Somehow, I think if it was a piston filler it wouldn't be much of a challenge and it would be in production already.

[dsolmei]

Brian, if you're keeping track of this thread, when do you expect to be unveiling the new filling system?

[AustinMalone1999]

Also waiting.

[dneal]

Somehow, I think if it was a piston filler it wouldn't be much of a challenge and it would be in production already.

 

A piston filler is more complicated than you think, particularly if you are machining the parts and not having them injection molded. Molding requires tooling. Then there's the problem of making sure you don't infringe on existing patents.

[rpsyed]

The machining challenges I understand, but don't patents expire after like 15 years? I don't know much about intellectual property law, though. Would any fountain pen piston mechanism (expect the Conid Bulkfiller) still have a valid patent?

Edited April 16, 2015 by rpsyed

[dneal]

The machining challenges I understand, but don't patents expire after like 15 years? I don't know much about intellectual property law, though. Would any fountain pen piston mechanism (expect the Conid Bulkfiller) still have a valid patent?

 

The problem is searching the patents to make sure you're not infringing on one. Otherwise you only find out when you're sued...

[bgray]

Hey Everyone. The new filler is taking a lot longer than I had thought. I'm at one particular design obstacle that has been giving me trouble for a bit more than a month.

 

I won't release something that I'm not 100% confident with, and this design obstacle is not allowing me to get there yet. So when I know for sure what's going on, I'll give an update. Thanks!

[rpsyed]

 

The problem is searching the patents to make sure you're not infringing on one. Otherwise you only find out when you're sued...

The USPTO makes it pretty easy to search through patents online, though. Am I missing something?

[dneal]

The USPTO makes it pretty easy to search through patents online, though. Am I missing something?

 

Theoretically, yes. I've used their online search page, and I wouldn't call it "easy". "Haphazard" would be a more accurate descriptor.

[rpsyed]

 

Theoretically, yes. I've used their online search page, and I wouldn't call it "easy". "Haphazard" would be a more accurate descriptor.

I didn't find it that bad but I'm used to having to dig through huge amounts of data for work and research for classes.

 

I guess I just have trouble seeing how a straight forward piston mechanism would have any applicable patents in effect. Has a fountain pen company been sued in the US for a filling system patent violation in at any point over the last, say, thirty or forty years? If you're building something that's been around for decades, I was just wondering why there would any need to worry about being sued.

[captain1796]

Don't forget, most of the piston mechanisms just like the "pump filler" are made by another company and installed as a unit. Not a knock against anyone, even most of the big makers don't make every component, it wouldnt be feasable. So as we try to figure out if he's going to make a regular piston filler, which I doubt, I'd be sure it isnt a patent issue.

[GardenWeasel]

🕙. Is it time yet?

[Frank C]

I didn't find it that bad but I'm used to having to dig through huge amounts of data for work and research for classes.

 

I guess I just have trouble seeing how a straight forward piston mechanism would have any applicable patents in effect. Has a fountain pen company been sued in the US for a filling system patent violation in at any point over the last, say, thirty or forty years? If you're building something that's been around for decades, I was just wondering why there would any need to worry about being sued.

 

The general length of a US Patent is 17 years. While many pen filling mechanisms were designed years ago, someone may have tweaked something and been given a patent for that tweak. The penalty for Patent Infringement can be triple damages. Therefore, a guy like Brian might have to turn over his house to the patent holder. Some large companies with in-house attorneys only have to threaten a patent infringement law suit to scare a small competitor off. The cost of litigation would be huge and the results unpredictable.

[Orioes]

The USPTO makes it pretty easy to search through patents online, though. Am I missing something?

Using the website is relatively easy. Knowing whether your product infringes is not. As could probably be surmised from the fact that patent attorneys must be engineers or have similarly rigorous technical training in addition to being admitted to the practice of law.

 

If you're building something that's been around for decades, I was just wondering why there would any need to worry about being sued.

Firstly, because just because a technology is old doesn't mean you can't develop a novel and non-obvious improvement or an improvement that appears vaguely novel and sorta non-obvious to the patent examiner. Secondly, just because a patent doesn't apply to you doesn't mean there isn't a non-practicing entity out there willing to threaten you with legal action if you don't pay up. Until fairly recently you were on the hook for your attorney fees even if you won a frivolous patent lawsuit. In such a case it is actually cheaper to pay off your blackmailer than defeat them in court.

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Back to the issue at hand. Hmm... should I wait to get my first Edison until whatever new coolness is revealed or order now and have to come up with an explanation for why I have not one but two expensive custom thesis writing pens. Decisions... Decisions.....