Above all else, this is a community service. I would like to contribute to the bike community, along with informing and inspiring others to try, fail, and succeed. I have a skill (at least my mom says I do) and desire to bring these ideas to the public, and I’d like others to enjoy them.
I do not claim to be an expert at anything I’m writing, but I have the ability to bring real expert’s voices straight to you. That is the advantage of this website. There is nobody better at understanding the intricacies of a new technology more than the people that actually create them. Too often, the people behind new technologies (in any industry) are ignored and not given the credit that’s due to them. These are boring and intricate documents, and no one actually like reading them. I enjoy reading and describing the ideas in a fun, simplified manner for all of you.
The intent of these articles is to educate the biking industry of state-of-the-art technologies that may be of interest to the public. I do my best to not compare technologies, attempting to open a discussion about the specific document in question. IP describing developed technologies are often published for public consumption before the “official” release by the companies/individuals themselves, so we can see what these manufacturers are developing before they release the idea.
An IP document is a pseudo-engineering document that defines the scope of an idea, where the inventors trade full disclosure for exclusive rights. Manufacturers/inventors must present everything they want to protect in these documents. If it’s not in the document, it cannot be considered protected. The benefit to us is that this information would not typically be shared by the manufacturers themselves, but since the manufacturers/ inventors want them protected, they need to put the information in this document. This means we are able to read what is going on behind closed doors in great detail.
I have started this series to blend my professional skills with my personal hobbies. Specifically, I stay up to date on recent patent filings and analyze the most up to date technology to share with the biking community. The biking industry is developing new products at an incredible pace and I hope that these articles bring excitement and insight to their inner workings. I am also doing this as a repository of information for future reference. In 30 years, we’ll be able to see what was being developed and think “oh my gosh, I can’t believe the industry even tried that”!
Although I do write for companies when asked, these articles will not include any marketing input. None, zero. The USPTO does not care, nor do they want, marketing bullshit and these articles will explain exactly what the designers and engineers have created, and what the companies want to protect, without telling you that it’s the next big thing. That’s for you to decide.
The content of these articles are a summary of public information via the USPTO. Patents are typically published, by the USPTO, 18ish months after the initial filing of a patent application and are available to the public. This website is not legal advice, so don’t use it as such. Don’t even consider this legal advice. This is for fun, only. If you have legal questions, contact an attorney or you can contact me and I’ll set you up with one.
I do not publish inventor names out of respect for their privacy. If you are a named inventor on a patent, and want the recognition, shoot me an email and I’ll get your name in the article ASAP.