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.

New Toy Inventions

2012 was a banner year for new inventions in the toy industry. The variety of toys to choose from has never been bigger than it is right now. Here are a few of the new toys introduced in 2012:

Vtech Switch & Go Dinos
This toy can transform from a vehicle to a dinosaur and back again in a few easy steps. This particular line contains seven toys. Since this is a Vtech toy, that is not all that they do. Each toy includes an LCD screen that shows educational dinosaur facts, vehicle and dinosaur sound effects and customized animation. It is made for ages 3 to 8.

Barbie Photo Fashion Doll
Barbie has always been a natural in front of the camera. However, now she has actually become the camera. Since most cell phones now contain a digital camera, it was only a matter of time before a Barbie doll had a digital camera built inside like this one does. Children can snap photos that are displayed on Barbie’s T-shirt. The doll also contains preloaded graphics that allow the child to change Barbie’s look. When there is no space left on the camera, the photos can be transferred to a computer hard drive. There is a website associated with the doll that allows kids to custom make their photos with various Barbie backgrounds. This doll is made for ages 6 and up.

Sbyke S-16
Do you have a young child that wants to join the bigger kids that are riding scooters? The Sbyke S-16 can help your child keep up with the bigger kids and train for riding a real scooter at the same time. The large wheel helps to keep the bike steady, while the wide deck will allow your child to keep their feet side by side. It includes a hand brake and rear steering. The fact that it is constructed out of lightweight materials makes it easy to lift and put in your trunk for transportation. It is made for children up to age 8.

Crayola Digital Light Designer
Old-school “coloring” will never be the same after this imaginative offering from Crayola. It uses a digital light stylus that is on a 360-degree dome. This allows children to draw using colored LED lights. They can choose to draw freehand, create animation or choose from the available activities and games. Up to 50 of the child’s creations can be stored for later playback. It is designed for children 6 and up.

K’NEX Atomic Coaster
The latest in a line of new inventions from K’NEX is a four foot tall roller coaster. It features two cars that roar to the finish along a brightly colored track that is 37 feet long. A mechanical pulley raises both cars to the beginning of the track. Children will enjoy building the roller coaster step by step. The coaster is designed for ages 9 and up.

This is just a small handful on the new inventions for toys in 2012. There are many more on the horizon. The toy industry is a competitive market. This competition between toy manufacturers can only benefit the consumer. Companies will continue to keep churning out inventive toys to educate and entertain children everywhere.

Famous Inventions: Scotchgard

When you get an idea for an invention, it is easy to consider the challenges, risks, and possible setbacks you may encounter and become discouraged. 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 invention of Scotchgard is the story of a product that was discovered entirely by accident, but which still required several years, and a great deal of patience, to develop.

Patsy Sherman, a recent graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College and Samuel Smith, were working for the 3M Company in 1952, attempting to develop a new kind of rubber for jet aircraft fuel lines. One day, a lab assistant spilled some freshly-made synthetic latex that Sherman had mixed onto his shoe. The canvas tennis shoe didn’t appear changed, but after repeated attempts Sherman and Smith were unable to dissolve the substance with a solvent or scrub it off. Instead of focusing on removing it, the two concentrated on understanding the principles of what caused the substance to behave in that way. The area resisted soiling and repelled water. The two recognized the commercial potential of its application and worked on developing it for four years; the product was first sold in 1956. It would be another several years until Sherman and Smith received their first patent for the chemical, Scotchgard, however. The patent, # 3574791 was approved in 1973. During the products development in the 1950s, Sherman was required to wait for performance results outside of the textile mill during testing, due to a rule at that time that women were not allowed in the mill. Sherman was one of few female chemists working at the time, and a rarity in the corporate environment. She was asked to speak on Minnesota Public Radio in 1969 to appeal to the housewives in the radio audience, discussing the merits of her product.

Scotchgard was the first of 13 patents that Sherman and Smith would go on to hold together in fluorochemical polymers and polymerization processes. In 1999, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began an investigation into the class of chemicals used in Scotchgard, after receiving information about the global distribution and toxicity of the key ingredient the product used. Under pressure from the EPA 3M announced the phase-out of production of products with the chemicals PFOA and PFOS in May of 2000. It took three years for the company to develop another substance that could be used in its place; in June 2003, 3M was able to replace the PFOS with a butane-based acid, which had a much shorter half-life in people than the original PFOS (slightly over one month, as opposed to 5.4 years), and the production of Scotchgard was allowed to recommence. Sherman and Smith were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2001, and Sherman was also inducted into the Minnesota Science & Technology Hall of Fame in 2011; she also received the Joseph M. Biedenbach Distinguished Service Award in 1991 from the American Society for Engineering Education. Smith accumulated 30 United States Patents in total, and retired from 3M in 1998.

The invention of Scotchgard illustrates that the process of developing a new invention requires a great deal of patience. A new product can be discovered by accident, and many are, but the true test of an invention is the ability to gradually develop the idea into a marketable product. There are many trials in front of any inventor, and not all inventions will be successful, but the story of Patsy Sherman, Samuel Smith, and their invention of Scotchgard illustrate that anyone can be an inventor.

How to Invent an Electronic Product

If you are wondering how to invent a new electronic 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 electronic product, one of the most popular products to recently come out is the Roku Streaming Stick. This invention was developed to solve the issue that plagued many home entertainment aficionados; while there are multiple methods to partake in online content, they typically all require a dedicated machine and of course they require an internet connection. The Roku Streaming Stick plugs into one of the ports included on newer TVs, has built-in WiFi and requires no dedicated power source to access streaming content from Roku’s network of providers. While many other products exist for the purpose of giving users the ability to stream content to their TV, they require the use of a secondary machine, such as a gaming system or a computer, to create the connection. The fact that the Roku is easy to use by simply plugging into the TV, added to the fact that it does not take up much space, and gets around the need for a dedicated machine to facilitate the connection between TV and content, create an experience for the user that improves on the existing products. The unit is about the length of an individual’s palm, making it unobtrusive, and the price is set at under $100, making it cheaper than most of the products available for streaming media. Roku’s product also benefits from the fact that the service Roku offers its users includes the most well-known media streaming services, so that the user not only has the convenience of the unit itself, but also is not missing out on competitive content that other machines offer.

Another successful electronic invention is the MicroVision Pico Projector. This invention expands existing projection technology in a few key ways; the projector itself is approximately the size of a greeting card, which means that it is far easier to carry than traditional projection systems. Simply by making the projector so small, the invention constitutes an improvement that many consumers want to see. The fact that it is attachable to a variety of computers, cellphones, and gaming machines means that it is a product that a variety of customers would be interested in—not just businesspeople, but also gaming enthusiasts and artists. The high quality of the projection is also a beneficial feature—while more compact projectors have existed for a few years, there are none that match the small size of the Pico Projector or its high quality of output. Finally, and the most important innovation, the Pico Projector does not only create a high-quality image on any surface, but it also turns the projection into a touch screen, courtesy of sensors that allow the person standing next to the projection to manipulate it. The fact that the projection can be manipulated without having to rely on the computer or other device that the game or program is on means that presentations can be made with greater efficiency, and games can be played at a distance from the actual console. The success of the product comes from the fact that it combines ease of use with innovative features that are unavailable in competing products and efficient size for storage and carrying.

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.

A typical project is not licensed, sold in stores or profitable.