So, you already have 4% of a startup and aggressively scheduled stock options for another 4%, which seems a rather large slice of the pie, and you want a lot of

So, you already have 4% of a startup and aggressively scheduled stock options for another 4%, which seems a rather large slice of the pie, and you want a lot of money from your partners (in the form of a large share of some important patent and/or even more equity) simply because you had a valuable idea? Can you explain what sort of agreement gives you such expectations? Barring outrageously generous clauses in your contract, it doesn't sound like you are being "screwed over": having valuable ideas is your job, and you simply have so little power that the other partners don't think they need to transfer money from their pockets to your pockets to make you happy. The standard response is quitting, leaving the other partners alone with their greed; if you are as valuable and irreplaceable as you say, the vaguest hint of jumping ship should be a good starting point to negotiate a far better compensation. If you can't quit, for example because you invested your own money in the company and therefore you really want it to be successful, you just have to be nice. They might be pulling less than their weight, but they are your senior partners and you should be on the company's side, exactly like them.