OVERVIEW

Ensuring Safety When Accessing the Roof

Meet Joe, a UK inventor and professional roofer who turned to SHIINE® ENTERPRISE with his safety-focused invention, which functions as a Gutter Ladder Clamp. Designed explicitly to combat the frequency of ladder-related accidents, often caused by damage to brittle gutters that the ladder is laid on, or simply by the ladder slipping out of place when used by people trying to get onto roofs, Joe’s invention wraps around the back of the gutter, stabilizes the ladder in place, and shields the gutter from pressure, significantly reducing the risk of accidents and gutter damage. It can also give that vital extra confidence needed, for people that want to get onto the roof for DIY or professional work.

PATENTING & Product Development

The Patenting & Product Development Process

The initial PerfectPatent™ Search at the beginning of The Inventor’s Journey™ indicated Joe’s invention had high potential for patenting. This finding boosted Joe’s confidence and fueled his desire to secure patent rights for his innovative invention, leading him to file a full non-provisional patent application through SHIINE® ENTERPRISE at the UK Patent Office, to secure UK rights.

Joe also got product development work done at SHIINE®. During the product development phase at step 3 of The Inventor’s Journey™, we explored potential designs, including one that ‘split’ the product into multiple parts. All design variations were included in the non-provisional patent application, ensuring Joe’s highest opportunity to secure a patent, both for the ‘multiple parts’ version, and for his initial favoured design, which was also included in the patent application.

CONCLUSION

Innovative Solution

The patenting process for the Gutter Ladder Clamp was a resounding success. Despite initial resistance from the examiner, we successfully refined the claim to achieve perfect patent protection for Joe’s idea of any ladder stabilizing apparatus that hooks around the back of the gutter and has features to hold the ladder in place. Although Joe opted not to pursue international patenting, he is thrilled with securing UK patent protection, his home territory. He is now set to work with SHIINE® on further finalizing the design and aims to introduce his potentially life-saving product to the market soon.

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