Getting a utility patent for something truly useful is extremely difficult, time consuming and
expensive. Most good and useful product ideas have already appeared. Getting a utility patent in
the headgear space is nearly impossible. Here’s why:
Before our utility patent was granted, no one had ever patented the use if a centrifugal fan to be
used with headgear and certainly not in a detachable configuration. The headgear space is
extraordinarily tight and limited. People have been filing patents in the headgear space for a very
long time. But of primary importance to a clear understanding: Prior Art is the biggest obstacle
to getting a granted utility patent. Prior Art does not have to be something patented. It is literally
anything that has been in the public domain. If a YouTube video has appeared that shows a
proposed invention or just an innovative device, it is Prior Art. Everything that is filed through the
patent process (whether it is a granted patent or not) is Prior Art. Every component of any device
that has been in the public domain is Prior Art. So every spring or switch or plug or clip etc., that
has been in the public domain is Prior Art.
I filed 3 utility patents and got only one. And that was a miracle. To demonstrate how hard it is
to get a utility patent in the headgear space, I have included here a diagram from a utility patent
I filled that was rejected by USPTO and another diagram of the device that caused my filed patent
application to be rejected. Please notice the massive differences between what I filed for and
what blocked me from getting a utility patent.
(A)
My First utility patent filed (2017) that was rejected by USPTO. General Cooling Hat–William E.
Otey
The device I filed for in diagram (A) uses Centrifugal Fans (very different from other fans)
built into the underside of a headgear brim and rear of shell:
(B)
Patented design that blocked the first utility patent I filed: Air-cooled hard hat–Darin L.
Danelski
The device that blocked my first filed patent, diagram (B) has a Box Fan (very different than
centrifugal fan) that is stationed inside a hole above the brim and close to the forehead.
