A mechanical engineer with a wealth of knowledge

Ryan Sandor is a technical advisor in the firm’s Shrewsbury office who collaborates with our attorneys to protect clients’ intellectual property. Drawing from his extensive background in mechanical engineering, Ryan assists with patent preparation and prosecution for clean technologies, consumer products, electronics and semiconductor technologies, industrial products and transportation applications.

Before joining Patterson + Sheridan, Ryan spent eight years as a mechanical engineer for a leading national automotive manufacturer, filing 13 patent applications with 10 in the span of 18 months. Of those, five have since been granted, specifically for his design of the folding console shifter with tray table and pickup truck bed innovations. He also helped to design the cabin sleeper seats, innovative Pro-Access tailgate, tailgate worksurface and electrical outlets in the bed of a popular pick-up truck model.

Ryan understands what it means to be an inventor and leverages his IP knowledge to help craft well-thought-out and comprehensive patent applications. As an inventor, he has navigated the various stages of the process, providing valuable firsthand insight to clients.

In addition, Ryan is proficient in prototyping such as using various metal/woodworking tools, 3D printing and laser cutting, having previously conducted research as a user experience prototype engineer to understand customer pain points in vehicle design. He understands the intricacies of mechanical and electrical technologies and translates them into simpler terms to support robust patent applications across a variety of industries.

Engineering for work and play

As someone who is inherently detail-focused, Ryan can uncover a project’s finest intricacies and understands how a single missed detail could change the outcome of an application. He demonstrated this in his past roles, tweaking one seemingly minor but significant design detail of a truck that improved features still used on the road today.

Ryan earned his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech. For his senior design project, he built a prototype of a vehicle hybrid electrical system and presented the project to national judges in the EcoCAR3 National Competition. His team earned second place in the competition, and second place for the electrical team, a first in Virginia Tech’s 21 years of competition.

Outside the office, Ryan enjoys spending time with his family and dog, Buddy. He also restores antique clocks, light fixtures, vintage audio equipment and classic cars. You can often find him outdoors, especially in the mountains, cross-stitching or reading a book. Ryan is also an avid traveler: he lived in Singapore for four years and traveled to 19 countries and 26 states before the age of 8.