We are in the throes of summer, which any more means extremely high temperatures coast to coast with little relief. As you might imagine, there are any number of patents that attempt to deal with keeping one cool during the hot summer months. Here are some of my personal favorites.
Water recreation device
US Patent No. 8,292,681
Issued October 23, 2012
The inventor is Glen Duff, who has been a client of mine for the last five years. The Zup™ is perhaps the most cool and innovative wake board you have ever seen. There are a number of other patent applications pending, trademark applications pending and ongoing research and development for future products.
The Zup™ is special because literally anyone can ride the board and participate in the fun. I knew that Glen was onto something when he showed me a video of an early prototype in use years ago. There was a giant fellow — 6’8″ and easily 290 pounds — who managed to get up on the board with ease. Elderly grandmothers without any wakeboard experience have also been able to ride with the Zup™. Recently I interviewed Glen on his path to commercial success. See Fun in the Sun Patent Style.
Beerbrella
US Patent No. 6,637,447
Issued October 28, 2003
Here is a great invention, and one that is particularly appropriate to profile now that the heat of the summer has arrived. This device is rather simple, it is something you don’t see every day, and completely ingenious. An umbrella for your beer! How awesome is this? While it might not directly keep you cool on a hot summer day, it will at least provide shade for your beverage.
Years ago I corresponded with the inventor of this invention, who is also a patent attorney. He explained that he felt like he needed an example of a patent application he drafted that he could show to clients. He came up with this invention, filed the application and received a patent. He obtained both a writing sample and a very interesting invention!
Golf cart cooler
U.S. Patent No. 6,601,745
Issued August 5, 2003
With golf being largely a summer activity, or at the very least an activity that can be “enjoyed” during the summer, players are often subjected to very hot weather conditions. Thus, it is helpful to stay properly hydrated when participating in the “sport.” How anyone can enjoy trying to drive such a tiny ball into such a tiny hole from such a distance while using a crooked stick is beyond me. Golf seems less a sport and more a psychological test if you ask me. As Robin Williams (or maybe it was George Carlin) once joked, you should thank your lucky stars you found the ball at all rather than hit it all over again! It has been years since I golfed, but I did get quite good at getting out of the sand and out from behind trees and very rough terrain, but I digress.
Golf cart coolers are known, but this invention provides a golf cart cooler that is portable and easy to mount to the front of almost any golf cart. The cooler provides space for storing beverages, snacks and other perishable items in a thermally insulated container. The cooler is made from a soft body construction making it easy to fold up, transport and store.
Cooling suit system
U.S. Patent No. 4,459,822
Issued July 17, 1984
This invention is not the most practical one on the list to be sure, but the patent has long since expired, so no infringement worries if you were to copy and distribute.
This invention is a cooling suit with a conduit or conduits for circulating a cooling media throughout the suit. The suit is connected through an inlet into a housing having an insert made of elastic material, which contains pieces of a solid refrigerant such as ice which is meltable. The insert is made of flexible material so that it tightly engages the ice and the thawing liquid as it is formed. A pump is used to circulate the liquid which is cooled in the housing back through the conduit of the suit.
An object of the invention is to provide a cooling suit and a heat exchanger construction that is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture. Perhaps that has been achieved here, but I’m not sure wearing a airtight suit on a 100+ degree day is a recipe for feeling refreshed, relaxed and cool.
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