Oh, patents! The Rolodex®

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Does anyone still use a Rolodex®? Hard to believe that the Rolodex® is almost 70 years old! The trademark Rolodex® is a portmanteau term combining “rolling” and “index”. Invented in 1958, the Rolodex® is an office supply device meant to organize index-card contacts on a cylinder that rotates. The term “rolodex” has certainly endured since people refer to their “rolodex” even when it is an electronic version. In any event, non-electronic Rolodex® organizers are still available on the market.

The Rolodex® is a patented invention. A French patent, FR1197557A, titled Fichier rotatif, was filed on July 3rd, 1958 and awarded the following year, on June 1st, 1959, to Arnold Neustadter, residing in the United States. He was the founder of Rolodex, Inc., a company manufacturing Rolodexes®, as well as many other sorts of office supplies.

Interestingly, the French patent also specifies that an earlier US patent had been filed in the United States, by Mr Hildaur Lykee Neilsen, on March 25th, 1958. An annotation that is consistent with claims by Hildaur Neilsen’s daughter, who specifies that Arnold Neustadter was the entrepreneur who manufactured and marketed patented products, whereas her father, Hildaur Neilsen, was the commissioned inventor and licensor for many years at Rolodex Inc., without ever being an employee on record (Hall, 2014).

The French patent recites an index-card organizing device where it is far easier to consult and annotate information, because the index cards are not positioned directly horizontal, relative to the user (as they might be in a tray), but rather at an angle. Thus, the invention seeks to resolve the issue of easy access to card contact-information, rotating through the stack, both forward or backward, while able to set card position at an optimal angle for consultation and annotation. The invention also seeks to minimize wear of the rotating drum.

The patent Figure 1, depicting a perspective view of the device, is included below, together with the image of a vintage Rolodex®. Specifically, the patent Figure 1 depicts a tubular metal support, comprising two opposite and similar sides connected by a transverse element 10, each side of the support further comprising a base piece 12 and an upright 14. The uprights 14, on each side of the support, rise at the same angle, and are attached at their upper end with openings for supporting pins, provided on each side of a rotor formed by a drum 20. On at least one of the pins, or to each of them, a handwheel 22 is fixed. One or two handwheels 22,  which can be operated by a user of the device to rotate the cards 26. Some of the cards 26 have tabs 30, indexed with letters of the alphabet, or numbers, to facilitate the task of locating and annotating a particular card 26.

References

Hall, A. (April 15, 2014). The Power of the Rolodex. Cooper Hewitt.
https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2014/04/15/the-power-of-the-rolodex/

Rolodex®
https://www.rolodex.com/

EPO Young European Inventors Awards – The 2025 Trophy

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The winners of the Young European Inventors Awards not only receive cash prizes. The winners also receive a trophy. A trophy masterminded by Miriam Irle, an industrial designer located in Munich, Germany. The trophy is truly special on several counts. First, the shape of the trophy is symbolic. Crafted as a “sail” (no pun intended), the trophy was designed as a symbol of the exploration and ingenuity that propels inventors on the frontiers of discovery.  Secondly, the trophy is fabricated each year from locally significant materials, in the city or country where the Awards ceremony is held. Thus, for example, in 2016, when the European Inventor Awards were held in Lisbon, Portugal, the sail trophies were each uniquely crafted from Portuguese azulejo ceramics. Likewise, in 2017, when the European Inventor Awards were held in Venice, Italy, the sail trophies were each uniquely crafted out of the famous Murano glass. 

The year 2025 was no exception. To celebrate the winning Young European Inventors, each team received a uniquely designed sail trophy, crafted from black sand and glass, by Brynhildur Þorgeirsdóttir, a renowned artist in Reykjavik, Iceland. Black sand resulting from the erosion of volcanic rock, found on the beaches at Reynisfjara, on the south coast of Iceland. And glass, reminiscent of the glacial landscape in Iceland, where a thriving community of glassmakers exists. 

Below, an image of one of the black sand and glass sail trophies that was presented on June 18^th, during the Awards Ceremony, held in Reykjavik, Iceland.

References

Brynhildur Þorgeirsdóttir

https://www.brynhildur.com/

Miriam Irle

https://www.miriam-irle.com/

EPO Young European Inventors 2025

https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/news/young-inventors-prize-2025-meet-tomorrow-shapers

Juneteenth 2025!

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Juneteenth, a portmanteau term for “June Nineteenth”, celebrates Black emancipation from slavery. Specifically, Juneteenth celebrates June 19th, 1865, when military General Orders #3 were given by Major-General Granger to proclaim the emancipation of slaves in Galveston, Texas, one of the last outposts of slavery. Orders given to implement Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation of Emancipation, dated January 1st, 1863. Orders, in fact given just a few months prior to ratification of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, on December 6th, 1865, formally abolishing slavery across the US.

 

However, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was only signed into law on June 17th, 2021, by then-President Joe Biden. At the end of the day, recognition of Juneteenth as a National federal holiday, marking Black Independence Day, rights a wrong. A wrong, because on Independence Day, July 4th, 1776, the United States declared independence from Great Britain, while Black Americans remained in bondage.

References
Juneteenth
https://juneteenth.com/

Lincoln, A. (Jan. 1, 1863). Proclamation of Emancipation. Transcript in PDF format. Library of Congress.
https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/mss/mal/172/1723200/1723200.pdf

Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution - Abolition of Slavery [Transcript]  https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-xiii

US Congress - Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, S. 475
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/475

Galveston History Staff (June 15, 2024). Juneteenth and General  Orders #3.
https://tinyurl.com/yvp8xbvw

EPO - Young Inventors Awards 2025 - The Winners!

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The winners of the Young  European Inventors Awards were announced today, at a livestream ceremony held in Reykjavik, Iceland. The ten Young European Inventor finalists, called Tomorrow Shapers, were in fact all winners as their teams each received a €5000 prize. However, the jury also selected three teams to each receive an additional €15,000 prize. The three additional prizes, called Community Healer, Nature Guardian, and World Builder, were respectively awarded to:

• Sandra Namboozo and Samuel Muyita (Uganda), for their sachet invention designed to extend the shelf life of fruit and vegetables for 30 days. 
• Neeka Mashouf and Leila Mashouf (United States), for the process they invented to transform CO₂ emissions into cellulose.
• Marie Perrin (France, United States and Switzerland), for a process designed to recycle rare earth elements from electronic waste. 

A fourth €5000 people's choice award was also announced. The popular vote went to:

• Pilar Granado, Pablo Sosa Domínguez and Luis Chimeno (Spain), for the smart food security labels they invented. 

Below, the YouTube recorded video of the 2025 Ceremony. A new selection of Young European Inventors (<30 years of age) will again be celebrated in 2027. Inventors >30 years of age will compete next year for a European Inventor Award in Berlin, Germany. 

References
European Patent Office (EPO)
www.epo.org
EPO Young Inventors Prize
https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/young-inventors-prize?size=n_15_n

Oh, patents! Land Life's Cocoon (video)

Copyright Françoise Herrmann

Land Life is participating in the World Economic Forum challenge to plant one trillion trees. One trillion trees to combat climate change and the dramatic deforestation that has occurred in the past 25 years. Indeed, trees are one of the most effective ways of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary source of greenhouse gases, which is assumed to be responsible for climate change. Trees capture more CO2 than any other existing plant. 

The video below shows how Land Life seedlings are planted in their (patented) Cocoons. 

References
Land Life (company website)

https://landlifecompany.com/en-us

World Economic Forum

https://www.weforum.org/

Oh, patents! Land Life’s Cocoon

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The Dutch company, Land Life, invented the Cocoon, a sustainable way of planting trees in degraded and harsh environments. Harsh environments where soils are arid, temperatures are extreme, and pests are abundant. Degraded lands where the earth no longer supports biodiversity and productivity, resulting in desertification due to a combination of natural causes, such as drought, and human activity, such as deforestation, unsustainable agricultural and husbandry practices, or urbanization.  

According to Land Life, two billion hectares of land (the size of the surface of China and the United States combined) are deemed degraded. Thus, the company's mission is to sustainably reforest 100 million hectares of degraded land. Reforestation will not only restore ecosystems, but most importantly serve to sink carbon dioxide (Co2), a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. The company’s Cocoon is 95%  effective at shielding young seedlings from extreme temperatures, and at keeping a moist environment for the seedling, even in a host desert environment, without the need for added water, for up to a year after planting. 

The Cocoon, an evolving, donut-shaped protection for seedlings is a patented invention, recited in several utility patents. In particular, the US patent, US103083291B2, titled Method and apparatus for planting in arid environments, recites the donut-shaped invention, and method of using the invention for sustainably planting seedlings. The patent was awarded to Jurriaan Hendrik Ruys and Eduard Willem Zanen from the Netherlands, and to Steven Caffall Finch from the United Kingdom on September 15th, 2016.  

The donut-shaped invention comprises one or several water reservoirs, depending on the aridity of the soil, each with a moisture-resistant cover, and a wick acting as a slow irrigation channel between the water reservoir and the soil beneath. At the center of the reservoir, a perforated shroud is inserted upright to shade and protect the seedling. The reservoir, its cover, and the perforated shroud are each made of biodegradable pulp, with waterproofing additives to retain moisture. The wick is made of a strip of capillary matting material such as nylon or polylactic acid (PLA) with a width that is selected according to the desired flow rate. The reservoir and cover are buried in an excavated hole, flush with the ground surface both to mechanically support the reservoir walls and to protect them from animal attack and harsh temperatures. Once the reservoir is positioned in the excavated hole, the seedling in a plug of growing medium is inserted into the perforated shroud at the center of the reservoir. Then, the reservoir is filled with water and covered. 

Thus, the reservoir, together with its cover and the shroud extending above ground, create a protective microclimate for the seedling, while slowly decomposing and eventually leaving no trace, as the seedling matures, grows roots, and establishes itself. A process that also requires initial installation training, as well as preliminary satellite survey and soil analysis. Required preliminaries to determine the choice of seedling and to devise a growing plan, considering that different soils react in different ways.

The patent Figure 15B below shows a cross-sectional view of the Cocoon apparatus. The reservoirs 40 are filled with water 54, and protected from evaporation with a lid 42. At the center of the reservoirs 40,  the shroud 20,  extends up above the ground surface 51, while the lower portion 22, of the shroud 20, is buried in the soil 53. At the bottom of the shroud 22, the seedling’s upper portion 4 protrudes from the upper portion 6 of the plug 2, comprising growing medium 5.  The wicks 43 are shown at the soil level 53 surrounding the reservoirs 40. The bottom of the plug body 10 is shown in contact with the soil 53, where roots will eventually grow. 

The image on the left shows the Land Life Cocoon with a seedling at the center of the donut -shaped reservoir, being filled with water. The image on the right shows the closed buried reservoir, now protected from evaporation and rodents, with a shrouded and growing seedling, at the center.

Below, the abstract of the invention.

An apparatus for planting a seedling (3) in an arid area comprises a vertical, downwardly tapering shroud (20) and a seedling plug (1) comprising a body of growing medium covered by a moisture-resistant cap (14) which preferably is sealingly received in a lower region (22) of the shroud. The lower region of the shroud surrounding the upper portion of the seedling is buried beneath ground level (51) with at least one water reservoir (40, 200) and supplied with water via capillary wicks (43), the reservoir being buried beneath ground level and covered by a moisture resistant cover (60) which sealingly surrounds the shroud. The shroud extends above ground level to protect and shade the seedling and together with the cap (14) and cover (60) serves to retain moisture in the planting region for the first year of growth. [Abstract US10383291B2]

References

Land Life (company website)

https://landlifecompany.com/en-us

WHO staff (16 Oct. 2020).  Climate change: Land degradation and desertification.

https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/climate-change-land-degradation-and-desertification

Oh, patents! Oscillum smart food safety labels

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Three young European inventors, founders of the Oscillum Biotechnology company, make some important points about the unreliability of  “sell by”, “best by” and expiration dates. Unreliability relative to the shelf life and quality of perishable products, such as food, cosmetics, and medicines. The inventors point out that a food product, for example, might still be in good condition past the indicated "sell by", "best by" or expiration dates, which are generally conservative estimates. And, just as important, they point out that a food product might no longer be in good condition prior to the dates specified, simply because the product might not have been stored in the required manner (e.g., the product might have thawed and then re-frozen), or because the product might have been contaminated during transportation. 

The inventors further explain how both scenarios are problematic. In the first scenario, when products are still in good condition past the expiration, "best by" or "sell by" dates, this results in large amounts of waste. Waste that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates at 1/3 of the global food production, 60% of which is wasted at the household level. Waste, which has been quantified, for food, in billions of Euros on the Oscillum Biotechnology company website. The second scenario is a public health risk. Perishable products that go bad undetected, or are contaminated, at any time prior to the indicated "sell by", "best by" or expiration dates, whether food, cosmetics, or medicines, may create serious health emergencies. 

In the absence of reliable ways to prevent such seriously problematic situations, concerning the shelf life of perishable products, such as food, and by extension cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, the inventors have designed smart labels. Smart labels, stand alone or embeded in films and packaging, placed on a product, or around it, that reliably detect physical, chemical and biological changes in a perishable product. The smart labels contain sensors that react to various stimuli. Stimuli such as chemical or biological molecules within or released by the products, and environmental changes such as temperature, which would affect product stability, over time. 

This smart label invention is recited in the Spanish patent ES1309897U, titled (in translation to English) Indicator label that allows to detect and alert the state of decomposition of a food*. The patent was awarded on Aug. 19, 2024, to Pilar Granado, Pablo Sosa Domínguez and Luis Chimeno, in Spain.  

The patent Figure 1 below depicts the gradual color change that occurs on the inventive smart label, included on a product support. The patent describes the components comprising the smart label matrix that function to detect food decomposition through chemical, biological and physical, or environmental changes. The direct sensing of changes, occurring relative to internal food composition and its interaction with external factors, provides a better and more reliable real-time indicator of perishable food decomposition. An image of the marketed product is also included below the patent figure. The image shows changes in the smart label color across time for a piece of salmon. 

A non-legally binding Google translation of the patent abstract is included below.

Indicator label that allows detecting and alerting the state of decomposition of a food through physical changes, chemical or biological changes, or through environmental changes, which is characterized because it comprises a matrix in combination with additives; and at least one agent that produces the change and acts as a sensor. [Abstract ES1309897U] 

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* The spanish title of the patent is Etiqueta indicadora que permite detectar y alertar del estado de descomposicion de un alimento.

References

Oscillum Biotechnology (website)

https://www.oscillum.com/en/

Oscillum Climate Launchpad

https://climatelaunchpad.org/finalists/oscillum-2/

United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

https://www.fao.org/home/en