How to Invent a Cleaning Product

If you are wondering how to invent a new cleaning product, but worry that it will take too much time, be too difficult, or cost too much money there are ways to reduce these concerns. However, at the same time, new product development is something that is uncertain. It is quite a risk, much like everything in business. No company or invention can guarantee success. So when you are thinking about how to invent a new product, there are plenty of factors to consider.

For one, companies continue to be more innovative. Therefore, there are people coming up with new invention ideas every day and making prototypes as you think about how to invent your idea. That is why it is important to do research and make sure your invention idea is not already on the market. Even if there is a product like the one you came up with, there is always a demand for new or improved products from corporations or individuals with new product ideas.  These products should either solve a problem or improve something and be able to fit in with a certain company’s product line.

For example, if you are thinking about inventing a new cleaning product, one of the most popular products to recently come out is the new Lysol tool line. The products include sponges, scrubbing pads, kitchen wipes, and refillable sponge-and-reservoir tools that have Lysol’s disinfectant incorporated into them. The brilliant change in these products is that the sponges and other cleaning implements maintain antimicrobial properties over the course of a long period of daily cleaning tasks. One of the problems many individuals at home cleaning dishes and other surfaces have dealt with in the past is that, while the products they are using are expressly for cleaning, they often gather bacteria and other germs that cause them to become smelly. In addition, an environment for growing germs is hardly what a person would like to clean their counters with. Particularly in the case of parents, many are concerned with eliminating vectors for disease to spare their children the possibility of becoming sick. The products themselves have fibers that retain the Lysol disinfecting chemicals in such a way that they do not leech into dishwater or onto surfaces. This is an important specification, because the leeching away of the Lysol product would cause a shorter lifespan of the cleaning implement, and it would also potentially be a risk, since many of the chemicals Lysol uses can cause ill effects if consumed. By protecting the consumer not only from the germs that might live in a cleaning tool but also from the means of eliminating those germs, Lysol has created a product line that is extremely popular.

Another cleaning invention is the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional. While consumers have become more and more interested in cleaning products in the last several years, with parents one of the largest markets for these products, it is strange that there has not been substantive change in the technology of vacuum cleaners in many years. Particularly in homes that have wooden floors, the cleaning options are typically extremely old fashioned. The Shark Navigator allows the user to sweep and vacuum wood floors with a microfiber cloth that is positioned behind the suction nozzle. The system removes fine dust more thoroughly, even from between the crevices and cracks in hardwood floors. The system also allows the user to detach and use the motor separately, making it a more versatile tool, and comes with the Shark anti-allergen complete seal technology. This technology promises to eliminate 99.9% of allergy-causing particles. The product has been developed at an excellent time; many people with wood floors are no longer able to maintain the expense of hiring specialized companies for the purposes of keeping the finicky surfaces clean. Shark’s technology has always been considered top-of-the-line, with its products capturing a premium in the market.

Dyson is another company that has been noteworthy in the field of vacuum technology. The new products, which include the Dyson Multi-Floor and the Animal model, include multiple proprietary components that give the items a sleeker design. The products have maximum efficiency as vacuums and also include features that make them easier to use on a wider variety of surfaces. The Multi-Floor, for example, is easy to carry and features hand-held functionality which allows for individuals to easily clean once-onerous surfaces such as stair steps. The products also include improvements such as a trigger on the handle to turn the brush roll on and off, and foot-pressure on-off switches on the units themselves, which mean that the user does not have to bend over as much. The ball design allows for greater maneuverability. The Dyson product line innovations are additional proof that as consumers are increasingly maintaining their own houses, the market has moved to make that process as convenient and efficient as possible.

When figuring out how to invent your product, you may face some obstacles along the way. This can cause you to lose time, energy and money in trying to get off the ground with a product, especially if you do not know how to invent on your own.  If you face any obstacles or are having a hard time inventing a product alone, keep in mind that there are inventing companies that can help.  One of the biggest obstacles most inventors must overcome when pursuing an idea is being willing to trust someone with their idea.  Make sure to do your research and choose an inventing company that has experience with developing products and getting them on store shelves.  Also make sure that the company will sign a Confidentiality Agreement to ensure that your idea is safe.

Famous Inventions: The Aerosol Can

It is easy to become discouraged by the challenges, risks, and possible setbacks you may encounter when you get an idea for an invention. However, there are many stories of famous inventions that involved all of those setbacks and challenges—inventions that people can’t imagine living without today. While many products are the result of coming up with an idea first, and then developing it, many other projects are inspired by moments in everyday life. Some of the most famous inventions have even been invented entirely by accident. The aerosol can is an example of an invention that took several years to perfect, and is a testament to the level of patience required of prospective inventors.

The concept of an aerosol spray most likely goes back as far as 1790; however, the first patent for an aerosol spray can was granted to Erik Rotheim in 1926, with a United States patent for the same invention approved in 1931. Rotheim sold the rights to a US company for 100,000 Norwegian kroner. In 1939, the first disposable spray can was invented and patented by Julian S. Kahn. The product remained mostly undeveloped, however; Kahn’s idea was to mix cream and a propellant from two sources to make whipped cream at home, which is not a true aerosol in that sense. It was not until 1941 that the first aerosol spray can was put to use by American inventors Lyle D. Goodhue and William N. Sullivan who are credited as the inventors of the modern spray can. Their patent was filed on October 3, 1941 and approved on October 5, 1943. Their design of a refillable spray can dubbed the “bug bomb” is the founding design premise for many popular commercial spray products. Pressurized by liquefied gas, the small, portable can allowed soldiers to defend against malaria-carrying mosquitos by spraying inside tents and airplanes during World War II; the pair were later the first recipients of the Eric Andreas Rotheim Gold Medal from the Federation of European Aerosol Associations in 1970.

By 1948, three companies were granted licenses to manufacture aerosols; of the three, two—Chase Products Company and Claire Manufacturing—still manufacture aerosols. Later refinements included the “crimp-on valve,” used to control the spray in low-pressure aerosols, which was developed in 1949 by a Bronx machine shop proprietor named Robert Abplanalp. Various propellants were used until chlorofluorocarbons were discovered to have the best properties for the various products; unfortunately, CFCs were later recognized as having negative effects on the ozone layer, which resulted in the Montreal Protocol of 1989, requiring the elimination of CFCs from all products. The most common replacements are mixtures of volatile hydrocarbons, such as propane, butane, and isobutene. The majority of propellants have the disadvantage of being highly flammable; in foodstuffs, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide are common propellants, while asthma inhalers and other medical aerosols use hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs).

In addition to changes in the propellant used, over the years the cans themselves have been refined, with different materials coming into use as technology offers alternatives to bulky or inconvenient previous alternatives. A UK company has recently developed and patented a technology to generate more finely dispersed mists by using a disk of superhydrophobic material within a manual pump, in order to generate an aerosol-like result without the use of a propellant.

The invention and development of the aerosol can is an interesting story which proves that the development of a new product requires patience from the inventor. Like many products, the aerosol can depended on prior understandings of technology and adaptation of new materials, until it reached its most effective form. The understanding of the principles spurred several inventors forward, but it still took many years for the product to be viable.

George Davison’s Inventing Curriculum Now Offered at Suffolk University

Dr. Sushil Bhatia, Executive in Residence at Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School, has recently decided to incorporate George Davison’s “Idea Teacher” curriculum into three different courses being offered in Spring of this year. The courses are Chemistry New Product Development, Writing Business Plans and Global Innovation and Virtual Teams.

Dr. Bhatia has shown an interest in taking products from idea to invention; in 2006, he founded the annual Competition for Innovative Ideas, which gives Suffolk students and alumni a pathway to opportunity, offering $100,000 in grants and professional services. There are also awards under the Competition for Innovative Ideas that are open to the public, such as the Bottom of the Pyramid Award. The competition’s motto is “Your ideas can change your life.” The relationship between Dr. Bhatia and Mr. Davison has developed over the past few years, with Mr. Davison assisting in judging the Product Innovation Competition. Mr. Davison has also joined the Sawyer Business School’s I2E (Idea to Execution) board. Dr. Bhatia is the president and CEO of JMD Manufacturing, a company that manufactures and distributes marking and coding equipment worldwide. The relationship between Dr. Bhatia and Mr. Davison is not difficult to understand, taking into account that Bhatia has co-developed or invented multiple products, including unique convention/seminar name badges, laser and copier labels, binding systems and electro-sensitive paper.  He has also established a manufacturing plant in India and created a distribution network for a Fortune 200 company operating in India, China and Hong Kong.

The inclusion of Davison’s “Idea Teacher” curriculum is in keeping with Dr. Bhatia’s interest in cultivating ideas and innovation. The Idea Teacher curriculum will take students through Mr. Davison’s 9-step inventing method. The process is intended to show the students in the three classes how to go from idea to execution. Dr. Bhatia informed Mr. Davison in an e-mail that, if the Idea Teacher curriculum goes well, he will include it in more classes; he also stated that as he gets feedback and responses, he will be in touch with Mr. Davison to let him know. Mr. Davison has agreed to provide information as needed for Dr. Bhatia to impart the ideas to his students.

The Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University is internationally accredited in business and accounting by the Association to Advance the Collegiate Schools of Business International, a distinction which is shared with less than 10% of the world’s business schools. The Sawyer Business School has the goal of imparting a solid education in the fundamentals to its students, while developing leadership skills and fostering an understanding of organizational dynamics and building relationships. The curriculum embraces evolving business practices, and the faculty and students of Suffolk originate from all over the world, bringing unique outlooks and experiences into the classroom to bring the concept of the global economy to life.

If the inclusion of the Idea Teacher curriculum into Dr. Bhatia’s classes is successful, in a few years of expansion Suffolk University may become known as a school where students can actually take a class in inventing.

Famous Inventor Profiles-John Logie Baird

Throughout history there have been several individuals who have achieved fame and in some cases fortune by pursuing ideas they have had for new products. Some of these inventors have come across their creations by accident, and some of them saw a problem in their day-to-day lives that inspired them to create a solution. While there are many famous inventors, it’s important to remember that not all inventors achieve fame. However, for those individuals who have created products that fill a long-existing need, notoriety is one of the possible outcomes.

One of the most famous inventors in history is John Logie Baird, the Scottish engineer and the inventor of the world’s first practical television system. Baird also invented the first fully electronic color television tube. Although his electromechanical system was eventually displaced by purely electronic systems, Baird’s early successes have earned him a special place in the invention of the television.

In his first attempts to develop a working television, Baird experimented with an invention created by Paul Nipkow. The latter had invented a scanning disk system in 1884, called the Nipkow disk; this has been since called the “master television patent.” In early 1923, Baird moved to the south coast of England and rented a workshop in the town of Hastings. He build what would become the world’s first working television set using an odd collection of items including an old hat box, a pair of scissors, a few bicycle light lenses, a used tea chest, sealing wax, and darning needles. In February of the following year, he demonstrated to the Radio Times that a semi-mechanical analogue television system was possible by transmitting moving silhouette images. In July of the same year, he received a 1000-volt electric shock, though fortunately he survived with only a burned hand as an injury. His landlord, as a result, asked him to quit his workshop.

In his new laboratory on October 2, 1925, Baird successfully transmitted the first television picture with a greyscale image: the head of a ventriloquist’s dummy in a 30-line vertically scanned image, at five pictures per second was the first image. Baird went downstairs and found an office worker to see what a human face would look like, and 20-year-old William Edward Taynton became the first person to be televised in full tonal range. Understandably excited, Baird visited the Daily Express to promote his invention; the news editor was terrified and asked his staff to get rid of the “lunatic.” Baird repeated the transmission weeks later, on January 26, 1926 for the Royal Institution and a reporter from The Times. By this time Baird had improved the scan rate to 12.5 frames per second.

He moved on to develop the technology and on July 3, 1928, Baird demonstrated the world’s first color transmission, using scanning discs at the transmitting and receiving ends with three spirals containing filters of a different primary color. Prior to that, he transmitted a long-distance television signal over 438 miles in 1927. Baird went on to set up the Baird Television Development Company, which made the first transatlantic television transmission in 1928 from London to Hartsdale, New York. Baird’s invention would go on to provide the first program for the BBC, and Baird would also establish France’s first television company with Bernard Natan.

After mechanical televisions fell out of favor, Baird made several contributions to the field of electronic televisions. In 1939 he showed color television using a cathode ray tube with a fitted disk of color filters and in 1941 he patented and demonstrated a system of three-dimensional television. He also went on to develop an early video recording device, and helped to develop the field of fiber-optics, radio, infrared, and radar. Overall, Baird has been remembered for having a particular talent at invention; not all of his inventions were successful (he tried to create diamonds by heating graphite in his 20s and shorted out Glasgow’s electricity supply, for example), but Baird has achieved legendary status both in the UK and worldwide for the sheer volume of products and inventions he developed.

If you have an idea for a new invention, there are a number of different ways to pursue developing the idea. You can follow the traditional process of patenting your own invention and marketing and licensing it yourself or you can contact a company that specializes in new product development, who can take your idea and build prototypes and reach out to businesses that may be interested in adding your idea to their product line. Inventing is always a risk, and very few inventions are successful, but working with a reputable company may be extremely helpful, as the experienced employees of these companies could have a better understanding of what it takes to make a product successful.

Do you have an invention idea?  Click here to confidentially submit your idea. 

Inventionland in the Media

Inventionland, America’s largest invention factory at over 61,000 square feet has attracted attention from a variety of sources. The facility houses 16 unique themed sets where Davison “creationeers” work to develop new products, packaging, and marketing strategies. Featuring a pirate ship, a race track, and a giant robot head among other creative settings, Inventionland is George Davison’s response to the challenge of keeping his new product development staff inspired and motivated.

One result of the unconventional office design is that Inventionland has been featured on multiple media outlets. In 2008, approximately two years after the factory opened, Inventionland was featured in the 2008 Ripley’s Believe it or Not annual publication, “The Remarkable Revealed.” The book called Inventionland a “Tree-mendous Office,” referring to the tree house office space used by Davison’s founder and CEO, George Davison. A representative from Ripley’s said about Inventionland, "Honestly, I felt a little like Alice shortly after she fell down the rabbit hole. I was positively blown away." The book is available through stores and online.

Mr. Davison and Inventionland were also featured in Entrepreneur online magazine in 2008. The article, titled “Creative Genius,” likens Inventionland to a “real amusement park,” and profiles the facility and its creator, calling the facility a “creative wonderland” and lauding Mr. Davison for building the unconventional space to “get his employees out of their cubicles and into a place that inspires creativity.”

Another popular publication to recognize Inventionland is The Wall Street Journal. The famous magazine named Inventionland as Workplace of the Week at the end of December 2011. The write-up called the creative location a “Workplace Wonderland,” and described the way in which different locations were intended to foster various types of ideas. The article also featured pictures of the spaces, including the pirate ship Discovery, complete with creationeers hard at work on deck.

PayScale, a career and salary search service, featured Inventionland in an article about non-monetary perks. According to the article’s author, non-monetary perks such as Inventionland’s creative and playful environment, “do far more than just help retain workers. They also promote productivity and engagement, foster workplace alignment, and help work teams bond.”

These are just a few of the mentions that Inventionland has received in the media; the Davison invention workplace has been featured internationally, as curiosity about the facility’s unique features and atmosphere increases. Groups wishing to visit Inventionland can request a one-hour tour via the Inventionland website: www.inventionland.com. Inventionland offers free tours to schools and similar community-based organizations, but companies and corporations can visit as well.