Patent Crash Course:
If you want any sort of protection you will have to pay for it. It will be worth it in the end.
Remember, if you even offer to sell it before it is patent pending, it becomes public domain, forever, it can never be patented by anyone.
Get a Non Disclosure Agreement from a lawyer. If you dont, and you talk to me about it, then I patent it remember, 1 day ahead = you lose, you have no protection. I win!
Dont go with those hotline inventor places. They screw you over big time and most likely not even real legit.
The patent process takes a min of 18 months. You can start manufacturing and marketing with a patent pending, which is when your attorney files with the patent office. You will not find out if you actually have a patent or if someone else turned one in ahead of you for 18 months, unless the examiner finds that yours is a copy of someone elses, then you can go to DC WITH your lawyer and argue it.
A US patent doesnt mean crap in Japan, China, Russia or anywhere else. If you havent submitted for the patent in Japan and someone else does, your screwed. No international protection. So you pretty much have to file in every country in the world if it is going to be "big."
$20k is a low $ for a patent lawyer,those fellas make $300,000+ easily out of law school. Your looking at $7k just to file, not to mention paying a patent drafter to draw your patent to turn in with your application.
Keep your lawyer as close to you as your balls. Dont ever talk in meetings with potential buyers, investers, builders, etc because words can be interpreted differently than you meant to. Never do anything alone. Always have 2-3 witnesses + your lawyer.
BTW chances are, if you do a google search of some of the keywords relating to the device you will discover it is already patented or in the process.
TALK TO A PATENT ATTORNEY, not some ambulance chaser.