Strange, crazy, or funny, there are some odd things and ideas that people get patents on. Even people that come up with weird ideas want to make sure that no one else can steal them! Just because you patent an item doesn’t mean that it is going to make you rich though.
Most of the time the concept of getting a patent is to protect and idea you had for an invention that could make you money. Just because you have a great idea does not mean you need to run out and get a patent on it. If you patented every idea you ever have you’d probably go broke.
Make sure that you have taken all the other steps there are to take before you go for the patent. You want to know your idea is going to work and be ready to announce it to the world. Otherwise, you will end up with one of these items.
Patented Ideas That You Have Never Heard Of
There are likely millions (or more) of patents out there that you have never heard of, and there will be far more over time. People patent some of the strangest things, from stuff for pets that should never have been created to fart deodorizers for people with gas issues. Here are a few to make you chuckle.
Life Expectancy Watch
Ever wanted to know exactly when you’re going to die? Well, someone patented a watch that would count down to your death day, in 1991. You would give a bunch of data on your health and the way you live your life and all of that info would be entered into this watch to help determine when you would die.
It would be great if you could know your exact date of death ahead of time so you can make sure you do everything in life you want to. However, even terminal illnesses only get an estimated mortality length, so no watch is going to give you an exact date, and what if you changed the way you life (quit smoking, started drinking, lost a lot of weight) after all your original info was entered?
Flatulence Fighter
Take some time to do a little online research on crazy patents and you’ll come up with things like the Flatulence Deodorizer, which was a pad to wear that absorbed the smell of farts. So, if you were feeling a little gassy you could head out prepared and not cause embarrassing smells (although it did nothing to muffle the sounds).
Protect Your Dog’s Ears
Another funny find was a gadget that was patented to help people with long-eared dogs. It looked similar to a couple empty toilet paper tubes, attached, that fit around a dog’s chin and help up their ears so that when they ate their meals they would keep their ears and fur out of the food. It’s more likely it annoyed dogs and made them not want to eat at all.
Want to find some more funny patents? Google it! You will be laughing your butt off in no time.