American Inventor 6/13/07

ping · 06-14-2007, 10:49 AM

Two words: Baby Bidet

Surprised the treetopper is still in there considering what my prior art search revealed last week. I know they probably can't search them all before audition, but at this stage they really should.

Neenahboy · 06-14-2007, 10:54 AM

I thought the wheelchair guy and the flower girls got hosed.

ping · 06-14-2007, 10:59 AM

I agree on flower girls, but the wheelchair was up against the paper RC cars/etc. which I thought was awesome.

unicorngoddess · 06-14-2007, 11:46 AM

I thought the paper rc kit was stupid. He didn't really INVENT anything. He made a box full of parts for OTHER people to invent things.

I thought the flowers were a great idea. Much better than those "stylish" gel disc room air freshners...at least theirs was pretty.

And, hey, at least the family with the hearing aide invention got their $3000 back...

Fleegle · 06-14-2007, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ping

Two words: Baby Bidet

Surprised the treetopper is still in there considering what my prior art search revealed last week. I know they probably can't search them all before audition, but at this stage they really should.

I think this is different that what you found. This is a pressurized container with a melt-away switch. Very different mechanism than what you found, although both appear similar on and have a similar purpose.

ping · 06-14-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fleegle

I think this is different that what you found. This is a pressurized container with a melt-away switch. Very different mechanism than what you found, although both appear similar on and have a similar purpose.

No, the last one I found (US3171493, which turned out to be the earliest--1965) is exactly that. I can't find a public source for the patent, but if you have an account on Delphion you can read the details.

I won't post the whole PDF, but here is an exerpt from the first claim:

Quote:

A fire extinguishing device for mounting upon a Christmas tree and comprising a heat releasable sprinkler head contained within and supporting a substantially hollow open bottom ornament, means for attaching the sprinkler head and ornament to the apex portion of a tree, a flask containing fire extinguishing liquid under gas pressure, ...

Now, the fact that it's so old means that ABC will have no problem using this design if he wins. It also means that nobody will have a problem using this design (and I'd imagine that would be a strike against a given invention in this show).

ElJay · 06-14-2007, 02:38 PM

I'm new to this show and I thought that everybody who had three affirmative votes was going to get $50k to develop their idea... I guess not! This seems to mean that the judges can give yes votes to anybody and avoid looking nasty or cruel (e.g. the old man's battery tester or the hearing aid clip.) After that yes they can then just ignore these people later in the private conference for the $50k decision. It leaves me puzzled over all of that overflowing "yes" joy that was bursting out from the contestants.

+1 on the flower girls.

zuko3984 · 06-14-2007, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unicorngoddess

I thought the paper rc kit was stupid. He didn't really INVENT anything. He made a box full of parts for OTHER people to invent things.

I thought the flowers were a great idea. Much better than those "stylish" gel disc room air freshners...at least theirs was pretty.

And, hey, at least the family with the hearing aide invention got their $3000 back...

The RC guy did invent something. Just go and try to take paper and turn it into a remote control car. It seemed to me the main part of his invention was the computer software that allows anyone to design and make a radio controlled anything out of paper and the tools to turn that paper into that device. I would love to go to my computer have a simple program that allows me to design a small radio controlled airplane then print out the design on paper and then have easy to follow instructions on how to fold and put that paper together into a plane that actually flies. Cool idea that I can see really selling.

getreal · 06-14-2007, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ping

Now, the fact that it's so old means that ABC will have no problem using this design if he wins. It also means that nobody will have a problem using this design (and I'd imagine that would be a strike against a given invention in this show).

I was thinking of Copyrights, which last 50 years after the death of the copyright holder, but patents are subject to different rules:

Quote:

How Long Is A Patent?

A patent typically lasts 20 years from the date it was filed at the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office). Design patents only last 14 years.

Once the patent term has expired, the individual holding the patent rights will lose the right to exclude others from the invention. Therefore, it is important to begin marketing (and hopefully profiting) from inventions as soon as the patent application is filed.

In order to ensure that a utility patent actually lasts through the maximum length of its term, the patent holder will need to pay periodic maintenance fees. These fees must be paid by specific dates in order to keep the patent in force. Maintenance fees are due at 3, 7, and 11 years from the date the patent is granted. There is a 6-month grace period for paying the maintenance fees without a surcharge.

If the maintenance fees are not paid by a certain time, then the patent will be abandoned.

Todd · 06-14-2007, 09:15 PM

Can someone explain why the old guy with the weird little battery tester was allowed to go through in the first round? He didn't really invent anything (2 contacts with 2 lights in between...seriously, come on) and much better battery testers already exist, like those little strips you hold up to each contact.

Marc · 06-14-2007, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd

Can someone explain why the old guy with the weird little battery tester was allowed to go through in the first round?

I was wondering the same thing myself. For him to claim that there wasn't anything else like this in the market seemed rather ludicrous. Sure, my battery tester doesn't have light bulb eyes, but I doubt that's enough of an invention in and of itself.

JLucPicard · 06-14-2007, 11:22 PM

Old man. Invention 40+ years in the making. Give him a thumbs up, a little bit of a stroke for the old guy (the good kind of old guy stroke

), then don't let him any farther into the competition. Totally a sap move.

Neenahboy · 06-14-2007, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLucPicard

Old man. Invention 40+ years in the making. Give him a thumbs up, a little bit of a stroke for the old guy (the good kind of old guy stroke

), then don't let him any farther into the competition. Totally a sap move.

I guess, but if they were into sap moves, why not do that with children who applied instead of the old man?

The diaper kid's idea was better than this old guy's anyway.

realityboy · 06-15-2007, 02:55 AM

Was anyone else confused by the auditions being in two cities at once? I couldn't remember which were from LA and which were from San Francisco. Since 2 episodes=2 cities, why did they divide it this way as opposed to LA the first week, etc?

I like the Christmas tree thing, but he doesn't have a working concept, yet. Most everyone else had something tangible. Are they looking for an invention or an idea?

JLucPicard · 06-15-2007, 06:28 AM

One of the laugh out loud moments? The guy with the wrist bracelets revealing the "nothing" saying, "you'll have to bring me back to see it" and the near immediate and resounding, "Don't let the door hit you in the arse on your way out!"

Honorable mention to 'what you've got there is a glove stick' - 'No, it's a glove inverter' - 'No, it's a stick'. I wonder who some of these people are surrounded by if they have the idea that their "inventions" will revolutionize people's lives!

And I nearly freaked when Spanx-lady was arguing for the Therapy Buddy as one of the top inventions in whatever city until she made it clear she was coming from the standpoint of it being a gag gift and being able to sell well as such.

getreal · 06-15-2007, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLucPicard

Honorable mention to 'what you've got there is a glove stick' - 'No, it's a glove inverter' - 'No, it's a stick'. I wonder who some of these people are surrounded by if they have the idea that their "inventions" will revolutionize people's lives!

Remember last year when the one guy came in with a bigger stick, and an easel pad with drawings of different wild animals (cougar, wolf, bear, etc.) and tried to call his invention something like an animal repeller. The Brit judge called it a "stick" and was corrected that it was an animal repeller.

Hey, I just invented an ear-wax remover. You may call it a toothpick, but I call it the XJ-17 EarWax Dis-LODGE-u-la-TOR. <--- gotta say that in Marvin the Martian's voice.

Fleegle · 06-15-2007, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLucPicard

One of the laugh out loud moments? The guy with the wrist bracelets revealing the "nothing" saying, "you'll have to bring me back to see it" and the near immediate and resounding, "Don't let the door hit you in the arse on your way out!"

Honorable mention to 'what you've got there is a glove stick' - 'No, it's a glove inverter' - 'No, it's a stick'. I wonder who some of these people are surrounded by if they have the idea that their "inventions" will revolutionize people's lives!

And I nearly freaked when Spanx-lady was arguing for the Therapy Buddy as one of the top inventions in whatever city until she made it clear she was coming from the standpoint of it being a gag gift and being able to sell well as such.

At $70, they're not going to sell many as gag gifts...

JLucPicard · 06-15-2007, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fleegle

At $70, they're not going to sell many as gag gifts...

A VERY true statement!

unicorngoddess · 06-15-2007, 02:26 PM

I told my friend, I *MIGHT* spend 50 cents if I could get one of on of those claw machines with all the stuff toys inside. That's as far as I would be willing to go to purchase a therapy buddy.

Fleegle · 06-15-2007, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unicorngoddess

I told my friend, I *MIGHT* spend 50 cents if I could get one of on of those claw machines with all the stuff toys inside. That's as far as I would be willing to go to purchase a therapy buddy.

The voice he chose is so alien and creepy... It's what I would expect to hear if I'm ever abducted by aliens and subjected to ... probing...

Alien: "Everything... is going to be.... alright"
Me: "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Stop, that hurts!!"

Marc · 06-15-2007, 03:49 PM

Someone needs to get one of these and change the chip inside...

"You suck! And it's all... your... fault!"

SeanC · 06-15-2007, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc

Someone needs to get one of these and change the chip inside...

"You suck! And it's all... your... fault!"

"You were an accident."

"Nobody likes you."

"That pain in your stomach is cancer."

newsposter · 06-15-2007, 06:07 PM

i wonder if 'simon' really gave that guy 3K out of his pocket? It seems like he was making a concerted effort to be nicer. I wish therapy buddy was in this ep then too.

Marc · 06-15-2007, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc

"You suck! And it's all... your... fault!"

Actually, being authentic to the original...

"Everything... IS... your fault."

eksimba · 06-15-2007, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by getreal

Remember last year when the one guy came in with a bigger stick, and an easel pad with drawings of different wild animals (cougar, wolf, bear, etc.) and tried to call his invention something like an animal repeller. The Brit judge called it a "stick" and was corrected that it was an animal repeller.

It was a wand.