Erich Weidner
01-29-2012, 1:16 PM
I don't know if anyone has seen this (it comes from a niche industry within a niche hobby, table top miniature wargames which happens to be one of my hobbies) and the news isn't terribly recent, but I found it interesting.
I came across a reference that a laser cutting company has filed a patent claim for laser cut foam (I assume they feel they are doing something special that no-one else has done).
There is a company which makes custom cut foam inserts for their line of carrying cases designed to specifically fit the size of the models/miniatures of this hobby as well as offering custom cutting for their customers. Seems like a (possibly) new market for existing technology and work methods, but then what do they think they have which is so special?
I'm no attorney, and am less than a rank amateur with laser cutters. Would this sort of thing be a problem for folks laser cutting foam for awards or scientific instrument protection, etc.?
http://www.livingdice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/battlefoam_patent_application.pdf
I don't know what the outcome of this was, if the patent was granted or not, the news of the application is from 2010, but I thought it might be interesting to folks here. (I hang out in the wood working forums here at SMC, but have been reading here to learn about laser engraving wood and metal, saw a post about foam and well... just thought it might be interesting to the folks in the Engravers Forum).
[Edit: see my below post, it was rejected late in 2011 by the patent office]
I came across a reference that a laser cutting company has filed a patent claim for laser cut foam (I assume they feel they are doing something special that no-one else has done).
There is a company which makes custom cut foam inserts for their line of carrying cases designed to specifically fit the size of the models/miniatures of this hobby as well as offering custom cutting for their customers. Seems like a (possibly) new market for existing technology and work methods, but then what do they think they have which is so special?
I'm no attorney, and am less than a rank amateur with laser cutters. Would this sort of thing be a problem for folks laser cutting foam for awards or scientific instrument protection, etc.?
http://www.livingdice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/battlefoam_patent_application.pdf
I don't know what the outcome of this was, if the patent was granted or not, the news of the application is from 2010, but I thought it might be interesting to folks here. (I hang out in the wood working forums here at SMC, but have been reading here to learn about laser engraving wood and metal, saw a post about foam and well... just thought it might be interesting to the folks in the Engravers Forum).
[Edit: see my below post, it was rejected late in 2011 by the patent office]