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Items required for a patent search:

Send a sketch, photo or video and a brief description. Formal drawings or a model are not necessary, but clarity is. While searchers are accustomed to interpreting disclosures, they cannot search what is not described. Your disclosure should direct the searcher's attention to any feature you think may be patentable (or infringing).

Describe what the invention is, not just what it does. For search purposes, the advantages of the invention are not as important as its structure (or its steps, if the invention is a method).

Be concise. Too much disclosure can hide the most important elements and consume time that could otherwise be spent searching.

Identify "prior art". List relevant patents, publications, web sites, products, manufacturers and inventors you already know of.