Five products that came off patent the week of Oct 5
Of the 3,852 US patents that lapsed in this batch, 197 made the shortlist, and these are the five that scored highest.
-
1
Bi-fold wallet made from stainless-steel woven fabric
A wallet constructed from woven stainless-steel mesh that’s stitched into layers to form card pockets. The sheets of metal fabric (back layer plus one or more front layers) surround...
77score / 100 -
2
Drill/screwdriver with a single collar that sets speed, clutch and hammer
A handheld electric drill/driver where a single rotatable collar sets modes: multiple clutch torque settings for screw driving, a drilling mode that disables the clutch, and a hammer...
75score / 100 -
3
Backpack with a dialed lace that curves the back panel
A backpack that uses a retractable lace and an adjustment device (dial) to pull a spacing panel toward the rear edge of the back panel, increasing the gap between the pack and the...
75score / 100 -
4
A foam-filled air mattress with welded cover and dual side chambers
This is a mattress that packs open-cell foam cores inside air-tight bags and uses pumpable air to change firmness. The cover can be bonded or thermally fused to the foam surface, and a...
75score / 100 -
5
A heatable sleeve that wraps a cup or bottle
A reusable sleeve that fits around a cup, bottle or can and contains an internal heater and insulation layer. The heater is activated in the sleeve and uses an exothermic chemical...
75score / 100
