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Invention Development

Your Invention Development

Consulting to HVAC Manufacturers on Component / System Design - With 29 years in the HVACR trade, 50 invention designs (several industry standards) and 6 patents, John Rocheleau offers unique insight from a "hands on" HVACR perspective. Having been a naive inventor in the beginning, then realizing through successes and failures what it takes to create a winning design, John has the creativity and industry know-how to envision and create proven successful products that sell in the millions each year.

Consulting to Independent Inventors - Not quite sure if you should proceed with the development of your invention? Not even sure if what you've created is an "invention"? John can help you understand the process of developing and licensing, or manufacturing your invention. John can save you money and sweat and tears through one-on-one guidance. From making a go/no-go decision, to negotiating deals with Licensees, John has been there many times over. John will send you an industry-accepted Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), free of charge, and the name, address and phone number of the lawyer who created it.

With experience creating, developing and licensing inventions for the HVACR trade, I can easily take your trade invention and guide its development and locate licensee candidates in the industry. I will provide you with a free non-disclosure agreement (NDA) right away, then evaluate what it will take to to get you to the end result: making money from your creative idea.

My Invention Development

See the following YouTube videos for the story as told by John.

In 1996, I took a leap of faith with tool and component design ideas for the HVAC trade. I embarked on a 2-year inventor development odyssey that culminated in the development of over 50 designs and 2 license agreements with a prominent manufacturer in the industry - Taco, Inc. . To know more you can read my autobiographical story of the experience leading up to receiving quarterly royalty checks - "Lessons in Invention Development - The Niave Years".

Also, I've appeared as an expert on independent inventing on numerous radio talk shows, including: "The Exchange," on WEVO 89.1 FM - an NPR member station, WSMN (in Nashua, NH) with host, Deborah "Arnie" Arnesen (The 2nd woman to run for Governor in New Hampshire), and WKXL 102.3 FM, in Concord, NH.

Furthermore, I've been the Guest Speaker at numerous lectures on the subject of inventing, at elementary schools and M.I.T., workshops, monthly inventor meetings, judge at invention competitions, and am a former president of the New Hampshire Inventors Association, where I designed an educational curriculum for beginning inventors. Lastly, I merged the Association with the New Hampshire High Technology Council before resigning to finish a management degree.

I continue to invent, and to-date have been granted 6 patents. Other patents remain pending, or have been abandoned. Taco, through Fish & Richardson, PC, applied and failed to receive a patent on any of my valve designs, and with a few 'obvious' changes, others were successful in being granted patents. Clearly, to "one of ordinary skill in the art" most of these patents could easily be challenged and reversed on the "obvious" premise, as were my designs as applied for.

Any issued patents can be viewed at the following links:

6,935,361 - "Pipe, Piping System, Radiant Heating System, And Kit". Date of Patent: August 30, 2005. This patent can be purchased for $25,000 - inquire within!

6,742,816 - "Pipe Flange And Piping System". Date of Patent: June 1, 2004

6,712,027 - "Hot Water Heating System And Connector For Use Therewith". Date of Patent: March 30, 2004

6,546,898 - "Hydronic Heating System And Kit". Date of Patent: April 15, 2003

6,283,157 - "Sweat Flange, Piping System And Method Of Use". Date of Patent: September 4, 2001

5,839,331 - "Flange Tightening Tool". Date of Patent: November 24, 1998

(The theme in the page banners of this website consists of actual patent drawings of some of my inventions.)

The products mimicking my designs, or inspired by them, were all invented by me in the 1990s, the valve and flange designs have become industry standards. The following is a partial listing of purveyors of my designs. These products can be purchased at Lowes, Home Depot, F.W. Webb Co., Granite Group, etc., or contact the manufacturers for a sales representative in your area. There's nothing in it for me.

Taco, Inc. - "The Freedom Flange"
Webstone Valves - "The Isolator"
Watts Regulator - "Shut-off Flange"
Grundfos Pumps Corp. - "Sweat Flange"
Raven Products - "Sweat Flange & Threaded Flange"
F.W. Webb - PurePro - "Shut-off Flange"
Bell & Gossett - an ITT company

Inventions Image Gallery

Aspects of my invention development, including new flange and valve standards presently on the market.