Which of the following can anticipate claims in a patent?

The correct answer is that drawings that clearly show the claimed structure can anticipate claims in a patent. In patent law, anticipation occurs when a single prior art reference discloses all the elements of a claimed invention, such that someone skilled in the art can practice the invention without additional innovation. Clear drawings that depict the structure as claimed can serve as a complete disclosure of the invention, assuming those drawings represent the claimed invention's elements adequately.

Visual representations can effectively illustrate the functional aspects and geometrical relationships of components in a patent claim. As long as these drawings demonstrate the full structure and features that are set forth in the claims, they can fulfill the requirements for anticipation by providing sufficient detail and clarity.

The other options fall short of meeting the anticipation criteria. For instance, written descriptions alone, without accompanying drawings or specific claims, may not provide the necessary clarity or detail required to fully disclose an invention. Similarly, drawings that do not show structure are inherently deficient, as they lack the visual clarity needed to communicate how the invention works. Lastly, claims that are too vague do not provide a clear definition of the invention, making it impossible to assess whether they are anticipated by prior art. Thus, only clear and descriptive drawings that correlate directly to the claimed elements can fulfill