Product Design That Does Not Breach Product Patents

Ryco has released new filters that highlight its commitment to engineering quality genuine specification filters. The A1557 Air Filter to suit the Holden Commodore VE and the R2648P Oil Filter to suit Toyota Aurion have had extensive product design and development to ensure they do not infringe existing patents.

"Our design philosophy is to meet or exceed OE (Original Equipment) specifications and this particular product required us to design around an existing patent. The patent on this device meant that a new design could not be a push-in device so the Ryco engineering team developed a two piece plug ... the result is an adaptor and insert design that is safe in-situ to use" says Engineering Manager George Dearden.

Using an aftermarket product that infringes a patent may have legal consequences.

While the drain plug is not a filter its design relates to the servicing of the cartridge filter. The adaptor piece is screwed into the housing, the hose then connected to the insert and pushed into the adaptor, allowing the oil to be cleanly drained. The design of the adaptor is such that once the adaptor has been screwed in it will stay in place while the oil is draining and this particular design has eliminated the risk of the plug falling out while in use.

The A1557 product development required a product that would not infringe the patent protecting the genuine filters' frameless design and was able to match its performance. The new A1557 design has been able to achieve this design brief by injection moulding the frame and the non woven media into a frame with a glued gasket. The result is the continued commitment to design integrity of Ryco filters released to market.