Patent Pending

Oh yeah... On Monday I received a letter from the USPTO, giving me a receipt of my provisional patent application on my invention. It's valid for a year, so within this timeframe (from August 24,2007 to August 24,2008), I have to a)file for the actual patent, b)establish manufacturers and distributors, and c)market the thing.

Also as of August 24th, I can now file for an international patent, which will be protected as of that date. It's all slowly coming together. What's my invention, you ask? Well, ask and you shall receive! The patent, in a nutshell, covers an 'attachable, adjustable pour spout', fixable to pots and pans and irregular containers, via magnetic force or suction. The spout allows liquid to flow from the larger pot or pan, into a small vessel, without spilling on to a table or surface (try pouring from a pot into any container, and see if you can avoid spilling anything on a table!). An example of prior art is here. As you can see, the spout is within the bowl already. My invention allows you to use any pot or bowl of any size, and do the same thing. In addition, it also allows the straining of materials from the liquid in the larger bowl. It's a strainable, open-topped, magnetic or suction funnel.

Like any invention, this one relies on the general public's acceptance. Would you use this item? How much would you pay for something like this? Feedback is most important, so please, give me your honest thoughts. I'm hoping to put up a .PDF of the PPA (provisional patent application) soon, so you can actually see the product for yourself.