Vocabulary: Infundibuliform

Today’s A.Word.A.Day from wordsmith is infundibuliform, a neat word for funnel-shaped.  The word has been used in at least two dozen patents and in the claims of five: 6,276,549, 4,747,343, 4,416,404, 4,288,982,  4,054,970.  In U.S. Patent No. 4,747,343, claim 6 is directed to the  infundibuliform shape of the end of an auger, which is described in the specification:

One can imagine circumstances where a fancy word like infundibuliform might enhance the prestige of an invention, but for most applications good old “funnel-shaped” is probably the best choice

ACINIFORM – The Right Word for the Right Shape

It’s always rewarding to stumble across the perfect word to describe or claim an invention, and today’s word from a word a day has that potential: aciniform, which means shaped like a cluster of grapes.  This word has been used in 48 patents, and has been used in the claims of four patents.

In claiming a separator for a lithium ion battery, U.S. Patent No. 8,192,873 claimed the ceramic particles forming the separator has having an aciniform shape:

In describing carbon black, U.S. Patent 9,580,606 (Col. 5, lines 19-23) explained it was an aciniform, prudently adding a parenthetical definition given the vagaries of construing patents:

No Need to be your Own Lexicographer

The word of the day for December 14 from  Wordsmith.org is ensiform, meaning sword-shaped, which is a potentially useful work for patent prosecutors, and in fact has been useful to at least a few:

U.S. Patent No. 9,061,129:Col. 15: 21-25.  U.S. Patent No. 5,489,406:

Col. 3, lns. 36-47.  Lastly, U.S. Patent No. 5,460,842:

Col. 8, lns. 7-18 is a virtual thesaurus for words describing stabby things.  The English language is so rich in descriptive words that patent drafters don’t always have to make up their own.