Parts of a Patent Application
A patent is broken up into three distinct parts: a specification, claims, and drawings. The specification section offers a written description of the invention; that is, it must specifically detail how to re-create such an invention in its best configuration. The specification section often refers to the drawings to more clearly explain certain aspects of an invention. Drawings are mandatory for most patents with certain rare exclusions, most notably, chemical patents. The last section of a patent, and perhaps the most important in terms of patent protection, is the claims section. The claims define the extent of rights covered by a particular patent, and as such, infringement of that patent will be determined on the basis of those claims; that is, the claims actually define what the invention is that is being protected.
