Beginning at NYU in Jan 2013 within the context of a Patents Translation course delivered online, this blog seeks to uncover the patents that rock our daily lives....
Bugaboo® also produces a patented high chair called The Giraffe®. The Bugaboo® Giraffe gets its name from the design of its legs, which mimetize a giraffe’s legs. Giraffe-like legs that offer strength and stability for its modular design.
The Bugaboo® Giraffe design is modular as it is intended to adjust and cooperate with various accessories to accommodate a child from infancy to kindergarten. Indeed, even adults could conceivably use the Bugaboo® Giraffe, since Bugaboo® Giraffe high chairs can support up to 100 kgs in weight (approx. 220 lbs).
The Bugaboo® Giraffe design is patented. The US design patent, USD1076472S, titled High chair with adjustable footrest for children or babies was awarded to Simon de Jong, on May 27th, 2025.
The extracted patent Figure 1.1 depicts a perspective view of the high chair. An image of the marketed Bugaboo® Giraffe is also included.
Bugaboo® strollers are equipped with patented swivel wheels. Consider, for example, the US utility patent US7497449, titled Child buggy with wheel with suspension, wheel with suspension and swivel wheel with suspension, granted to Stéphane Logger, on March 3rd, 2009.
The patent abstract is included below, together with the patent Figure 1, indexed in the abstract.
The invention relates to a swivel wheel (10) with suspension (14), comprising a wheel frame (11), a wheel element (12) able to turn about a horizontal wheel axle (13), a suspension (14) and an arm (15). At one end the arm (15) is attached to the wheel frame (11) such that it can pivot about a horizontal arm axis (17) and at the other end it supports the wheel axle (13) Some distance away from the arm axis (17). The Suspension (14) engages on the arm (15) at an arm engagement point (18) and on the wheel frame (11) at a frame engagement point (19). The arm engagement point (18) and the frame engagement point (19) define a straight Suspension axis (20) running through these points. The wheel furthermore has an adjustment mechanism (30) that is equipped for setting the distance (D) from the suspension axis (20) to the arm axis (17) by moving the arm engagement point (18) and/or the frame engagement point (19) along an adjustment track (31). [AbstractUS7497449]
Interestingly, the scope of the invention is such that the patent recites a swivel wheel where the swivel wheel frame (11) could be part of the stroller frame or part of the wheel. Thus, when the swivel wheels are not built in as part of the stroller frame, the swivel wheels might be replaced when worn. As a result, several different swivel wheel models are available as accessories for the corresponding Bugaboo® stroller models.
Below, images of accessory Bugaboo® rear swivel wheels for the Butterfly®, Dragonfly® and Bee® 6 stroller models.
If you are looking for a buggy for your baby with the excellence of patented engineering, the Bugaboo® is for you! Variously equipped with such features as single-hand operation, advanced suspension and brake systems, and/or swivel wheels for unrivaled maneuverability, Bugaboo® strollers boast hundreds of patents, both design and utility. In other words, utility patents were granted for specific stroller functionalities, as well as design patents for particular ornamental aspects of the strollers. Bugaboo®, a Dutch company, has been pioneering advanced parenting products since 1990.
Consider, for example, the US utility patent application, US2022/0194457A1, titled Foldable stroller, foldable bassinet, foldable seat, stroller, and stroller and luggage system. The application was filed on December 17th, 2021. The inventors on record are Marco Willem Hendricus Nieuwenhuizen, Mattijs Hogeland, and Daan Jans Vos.
The patent recites some of the prized mechanical modularity of the Bugaboo® strollers. For example, infant bassinet (i.e., pram) and toddler seat configurations are interchangeable on a single stroller frame. Different configurations that were designed to accommodate a growing child. Strollers are foldable with the seat or bassinet attached for easy storage and travel. And, the possibility of placing a child alternatively facing a parent or caretaker, or forward-facing, with their back to the parent or caretaker.
The three patent figure drawings below, Figures 1A, 1B, and 1C, respectively depict the three configurations a given Bugaboo® stroller model: toddler seat facing-forward, toddler seat facing-parent or caretaker, and infant bassinet.
The three patent drawings, Figures18H, 17J, and 3E, respectively correspond to the folded forms of the toddler and infant stroller configurations shown in Figures 1A, 1B, and 1C.
The Youtube video below demonstrates some of the valued Bugaboo® modularity, particularly switching from folded to unfolded bassinet pram, and from folded to unfolded toddler stroller.
On May 20th, 2025—amidst re-escalating tensions in the Middle East, the fragile onset of the Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations, and in the aftermath of Pope Francis’s death—the popular press and broadcasting networks were proud to announce the birth of Evie*…! Evie?
Peppa Pig’s baby sister! A breath of fresh air, and very popular British children’s cartoon character, Peppa Pig is four years old. She lives with Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig and her little brother George, in Peppatown, in the United Kingdom.
Just shy of two weeks before the Peppa Pig meets the Baby motion picture release (on May 30th), Evie promises to add to the multi-billion dollar Peppa Pig industry for the five-and-under crowd. A multibillion-dollar industry that includes theme parks and a television channel, in addition to all the licensing and merchandising of the cute little pig and her family.
Newsworthy indeed, Peppa Pig has had her fair share of surprising controversies, since 2004 when she was first aired in the UK. In May 2018, for example, she made headlines when she and her whole family, including the hashtag #PeppaPig, were censored in China (Qin, 2028). Assumed slovenly, the bossy big sis piggy and her familly ran counter to the desired cultivation of young generations.
Then again, she made headlines during the pandemic when she became the second most-watched children’s television cartoon in the US after SpongeBob SquarePants, surpassing audience demand in the UK by 112% (Yang, 2021). Popularity that was feared to result in giving American children a posh British accent. A Peppa effect that was causing American children to start calling their Moms “Mummy” instead of Mommy, and “biscuits” instead of “cookies”.
Finally, most recently in 2024, Peppa Pig was accused of making American children “rude” (Leiber, 2024). Picking up on Peppa’s reactions, parents heard their kids say “Yuck” when served new (surely unpalatable) foods. A “no, no” indeed among parents who see Peppa as brash, too direct and berating her father when she chides him about his big belly. A bit of a backlash, according to the Wall Street Journal, for all the self-assertiveness, self-confidence and authenticity that the multinational Hasbro conglomerate professes in response.
Luckily for this blog, Peppa Pig is also a US registered Trademark and logo, with Evie sure to follow. The included Peppa Pig US Trademark was filed on July 9th, 2005, and granted on Sept 23, 2008 to HASBRO, and then renewed. Below, an image of the US registered Trademark No. 3506452 and of the cartoon logo.
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* Evie pronounced "eevee".
References
HASBRO
https://shop.hasbro.com/en-us
Leiber, C. (Feb. 25 2024). ‘Peppa Is a Brat’: Parents Turn on the Cheeky Preschooler Pig. Wall Street Journal.
Chaired by Wolfgang M. Heckl, theDirector General of the Deutsches Museum in Munich, the European Patent Office 10-member jury, for the Young Inventors Awards, largely consisted of former Young Inventor finalists (seven members), together with three former European Inventor Award Finalists.
The Young Inventor proposals do not necessarily have to be patented inventions, although they are all required to be otherwise publicly published initiatives.Likewise, the Young Inventors competing do not have to be from countries that are members of the European Patent Convention. All of the proposals received are evaluated for form and compliance with the competition rules, before they are forwarded to the Jury for selection of the ten finalists, theTomorrow Shapers.
Below, a list of the ten members of the Jury, together with the YouTube videos that present their work, previously honored by the European Patent Office.
Catia Bastioli is currently CEO of the Novamont Group, and inventor of bio-degradable plastics.
Khaoula Ben Ahmed is the co-founder and CEO of GEWINNER, and co-inventor of the MOVOBRAIN wheelchair, a wheelchair controlled in multiple ways, including facial and brain-driven modes.
Rafaella de Bona Gonçalves is a designer focussed on social innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability. In particular, she designed and developed sanitary products to fight "period poverty" in her native Brazil.
Filipa de Sousa Rocha is a PhD student in informatics at the University of Lisbon, focusing on inclusive and accessible education, in particular for blind and visually impaired children.
David Devos is currently a professor of medical pharmacology at the University of Lille, and an expert in developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease).
Fionn Ferreira is a scientist, inventor and sustainability advocate dedicated to eradicating microplastics from water and driving the circular economy forward. In particular, he developed a magnet-based method to safely and efficiently remove microplastics from water.
Valentyn Frechka isco-founder and Chief Technical Officer at Releaf Paper, the world's first producer of pulp and paper made of green wastes.
Rochelle Niemeijer is the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Nostics. She is the inventor of an AI-driven test kit to identify bacteria, within the context of Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR).
G. Fertram Sigurjonsson is currently the CEO of Kerecis, a biotechnology company that advances healing human wounds with fish skins.
Erin Smith is an entrepreneur and inventor of FacePrint, a screening tool that uses AI to analyze facial expressions that indicate the onset of Parkinson's.
References
European Patent Office (EPO)
www.epo.org
EPO - Young Inventor Finalists: Meet the Tomorrow Shapers.
The European Patent Office (EPO) Young Inventors Awards Ceremony will take place on June 18th, in Reykjavik, Iceland. All of the finalists, called Tomorrow Shapers, will receive a €5000 prize. Additionally, three €15,000 prizes willeach be awarded to jury-selected young inventors, plus one €5000 People’s Choice prize.
The three additional €15,000 prizes are awarded for inventions addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular:
The World Builders Prize to the young innovators who strive to promote circular economies, ensuring a better future for everyone. Their inventions typically fall within the scope of the SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 17.
The Community Healers Prize to the young innovators who develop solutions to secure access to food, water, education, and jobs. Their inventions typically fall within the scope of the SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10,16,17.
The Nature Guardians Prize to the young innovators who strive to mitigate climate change and to protect ecosystems and the flora and fauna within. Their inventions typically fall within the scope of the SDGs 13, 14, 15, 17.
YOU are also invited to participate in the June 2025 Young Inventors Awards Ceremony, by voting for the People’s Choice winner. The rules for participating in the People’s Choice award empower you to vote for one invention every day. You have till June 18th to vote each day. Just click HERE to select one invention today.
Then, watch what happens through a young Inventor's eyes!
In 2025, theEuropean Patent Office (EPO) is celebrating young inventors (30 years and under) inventors. Ten inventions have been shortlisted. The inventions fall within the framework of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A vast 15-year program designed to end world poverty, divided into 17 SDGs*.
The following ten inventions are in competition for a 2025 European Patent Prize:
Mark Kennedy Bantugon (Philippines): Material to prevent fuel leakages in planes
Alisha Fredriksson (Sweden/Canada) and Roujia Wen (China): Retrofit carbon capture system for cargo ships
Pilar Granado, Pablo Sosa Domínguez and Luis Chimeno (Spain): Smart labels for food
Laurynas Karpus, Vykintas Jauniškis and Irmantas Rokaitis (Lithuania): AI platform for creating and enhancing enzymes
Franziska Kerber (Austria): Sustainable paper components for electronic devices
Neeka Mashouf and Leila Mashouf (US): Process to transform CO2 emissions into cellulose
Sandra Namboozo and Samuel Muyita (Uganda): Sachets for extending the shelf life of fruit
Mariana Pérez (Colombia): Air pollution capture and cleaning technology
Teja Potočnik (Slovenia): Automated manufacturing platform for nanomaterial-based semiconductor devices
Marie Perrin (France/US): Recycling rare earth elements from electronic waste
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*#1No poverty,#2Zero Hunger, #3Good Health and Well-being,#4Quality Education, #5Gender Equality, #6Clean Waterand Sanitation, #7Affordable and Clean Energy, #8Decent Work and Economic Growth, #9Industry, Innovation and infrastructure, #10Reduced Inequalities, #11Sustainable Cities and Communities, #12Responsible Consumption and Production, #13Climate Action, #14Life below the Water, #15Life on Land,#16Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and #17Partnerships for the Goals.
