To apply for a design patent for the appearance of a freezer, the following main steps need to be followed:
Confirm the application eligibility: The designer or their legal rights holder (such as an enterprise) can submit an application. It is necessary to ensure that the design is a new design with aesthetic appeal and suitable for industrial application, made for the shape, pattern, color, or combination thereof of the freezer, and has not been made public.
Prepare application materials:
Submit the "Design Patent Request", clearly stating information such as the applicant and the designer.
Provide clear pictures or photos of the design, including six views of the product (front view, rear view, left view, right view, top view, bottom view), and submit a three - dimensional view if necessary.
Write a brief description to explain the design points, whether views are omitted, etc. (it can be omitted if there is no need for explanation).
Submit the application: The application documents can be submitted through the acceptance window of the Patent Office of the National Intellectual Property Administration or through the online platform, and the application fee should be paid.
Examination process:
Preliminary examination: The Patent Office will check whether the application documents are complete, whether the format meets the requirements, and whether the design obviously does not meet the authorization conditions (such as whether it is an existing design, whether it lacks aesthetic appeal, etc.).
If the examination is passed, it will be announced; if there are problems, a rectification notice will be issued, and the applicant needs to make rectifications within the specified time.
Authorization and payment: If there is no opposition or the opposition is not established after the announcement, the Patent Office will grant the patent right. The applicant needs to pay the annual fee to maintain the validity of the patent.
Throughout the process, it is necessary to avoid conflicts between the design and existing patents, and the standardization of the application documents is crucial to the examination results.