Copyright © Françoise Herrmann
An ornamental variation of the original LifeStraw®
personal “straw” water filter, equipped with an offset mouthpiece, is also patented in the US. The offset mouthpiece
design is patented in USD782609S1, titled WaterPurifier. As a reminder: a utility patent protects the way an article is used and works (35 U.S.C. 101), while a design patent protects the way an article looks (35 U.S.C. 171) [MPEP Chapt. 1502.01; [R-07.2015]]. This is an important distinction, since the LifeStraw® personal water filters are also the recipients of many US utility patents, disclosing the filtration processes used to guarantee both the safety and undistorted taste of the cleaned water.
To the right, the design patent Figure 3, showing the offset mouthpiece variation in the ornamental design of the LifeStraw® personal straw filter. To the left, a "before and after" image of just how much turbidity (i.e; dirt) the straw filters are actually able to remove.
References
LifeStraw®
MPEP – Chapt. 1502-01 – Distinction between design and utility patent
