Oh, patents! Gucci® fabric design

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The widely recognizable monogrammed fabric design, comprising two facing ‘g’s, one of which is inverted, represents the founder’s initials, Guccio Gucci. This monogrammed fabric design is patented. The US design patent, USD400360, titled Top surface of a fabric, was awarded to Domenico De Sole, on November 3rd, 1998, and assigned to Guccio Gucci S.p.A., in Florence, Italy.

Below, the sole patent Figure image depicting a front elevation view of the top surface of a fabric, showing the monogrammed design. Beneath the patent Figure, the image of one of the large Guccio Gucci Totes, unveiled during the Gucci® Cruise 2026 fashion show in Florence, Italy. The Guccio Gucci Tote shown here is made of beige canvas with the patented facing-and-inverted GG monogram. This Guccio Gucci Tote also has a black leather trim and gold-tone hardware that includes a small interlocking GG, on the equally iconic green-and-red Gucci® web stripe. The Cruise 2026 Guccio Gucci Tote comes in 17 different styles. The monogrammed canvas is otherwise used for countless Gucci® accessories. 

Reference 
Gucci® (website)
https://www.gucci.com/

Oh, patents! Vintage Gucci® bag (3)

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The vintage Gucci® Dionysus bag is a patented design. The US design patent, USD798046S, titled, Handbag, was awarded to Alessandro Michel on  September 26, 2017, and assigned to  Guccio Gucci S.p.A., in  Florence, Italy. 

The below patent Figure 1 depicts a front perspective view of the inventive design.  The chain appears with a symbolic break to indicate that the patent does not cover any part that might appear between the break, considering that the chain might slide as a single shoulder strap or double-up as a handle. 

The small emerald-green marketed Gucci® Dionysus bag, shown next to the patent Figure 1, is made of pebbled calfskin leather. The shoulder strap drop is 14.75 inches. The handle drop is 8.5 inches. The two-tone palladium-and-gold hardware, with inlaid green crystals, depicts the “twice-born” Greek God of wine Dionysus.  

Reference

Gucci® (website)
https://www.gucci.com/

Oh, patents! Vintage Gucci® bag (2)

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The vintage Gucci® Padlock bag is a patented design. The US design patent, USD772564S, titled, Handbag, was awarded to Alessandro Michel on November 29, 2016, and assigned to Guccio Gucci S.p.A., in Florence, Italy.

The below patent Figure 1 depicts a front perspective view of the inventive design. The chain appears symbolically sectioned to indicate that the patent does not cover any part that might appear above the break, considering that the chain might slide as a single shoulder strap or double-up as a handle. 

The marketed Gucci® Padlock bag shown below the patent Figure 1, is made of black calfskin. The shoulder strap drop is 18.75 inches, the handle drop is 11.25 inches.

Reference

Gucci® (website)
https://www.gucci.com/

Oh, patents! Vintage Gucci® bag (1)

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci in Florence, Italy, as a luggage and leather accessory store, Guccio Gucci S.p.A., backed by foreign investment, now operates 635 luxury stores worldwide, employing 20,000 employees, selling ready-to-wear apparel, footwear, handbags, furnishings, and perfume, with an annual revenue of 7.65 billion euros (in 2024). Rocked by internal feuds and scandals, fictionalized in the Hollywood motion picture House of Gucci, starring Lady Gaga, the prestigious luxury brand endures, with more than 1000 design patents awarded and assigned.

The following US design patent*, USD770175S, titled Handbag, was awarded to Alessandro Michele, on November 1, 2016, and assigned to Guccio Gucci S.p.A. in Florence, Italy. The patented design was marketed as the Gucci® Animalier Tiger flap purse.

 

Below, the patent figure 1 depicts a front perspective view of the handbag, together with an image of a marketed embodiment. The marketed product is crafted in black leather, with dramatic antique gold-tone tiger-head hardware.

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Note
As a reminder, a US design patent protects the ornamental aspects of an invention, or what the inventive design looks like. US design patents are different from US utility patents, which protect how an invention works or is manufactured.

References
Gucci® (website)
https://www.gucci.com/
House of Gucci (trailer). Director: Ridley Scott, 158 minutes, 2021.
https://youtu.be/pGi3Bgn7U5U?si=Us7CiRtFcQsWfOpK

International Translation Day 2026

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann 

September 30th is International Translation Day, since 2017, when the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted this day as part of the UN calendar of celebrations. The UN General Assembly’s unanimous decision was set forth in UN Resolution A/RES/71/288, which recognized:  

"The role of translation in connecting nations, and fostering peace, understanding and development." [UN A/RES/71/288]

Celebration on September 30th, each year, was specifically selected as International Translation Day because this is also the Day of the Feast of Saint Jerome in the Calendar of Saints. Saint Jerome, was a multilingual scholar in the Year 340 AD, known to have translated the Bible from the original (Old Testament) Hebrew and the Greek (Septuagint) versions, into a unified Latin version, called the Vulgate. Thus, Saint Jerome’s Latin version of the bible not only unified two previous versions, but also made the bible more accessible to a wider audience.

Each year, since 2017, the International Federation of Translators (IFT) selects a theme for International Translation Day. The 2026 theme for International Translation Day is Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights: The Power of Being Understood.

Below, the FIT/IFT poster celebrating International Translation Day 2026, together with a United Nations YouTube video, shining a multilingual light on the many translation professions at the United Nations.

References
International Federation of Translators (IFT)
https://en.fit-ift.org/international-translation-day-2026/
United Nations - International Translators Day 2026
https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-translation-day

UN Resolution A/RES/71/288

https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1288376?v=pdf 

Oh, patents! Driscoll's clamshell container.

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Titled Clamshell raspberry container, the scope of the US patent, US9469458B2*, assigned to Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc., extends well beyond raspberries. According to the patent, the clamshell invention extends to “such as various berries, grapes or other fruit or produce items”. Indeed, this is quite a recognizable clamshell container, at least on most of the large US supermarket displays.

Considering the notable fragility of berries and the extra careful handling they require, Driscoll’s clamshell invention was structurally designed to further protect produce during shipping and transport, and to enhance freshness. Protection was designed using a divider that both prevents the closed lid of stacked containers from collapsing and the containers from twisting or bending, which would damage the produce. Enhanced freshness involves a series of vents on the periphery of the lid and the bottom of the clamshell, essentially designed to allow air to continuously flow through, thereby keeping the produce cool in a cooled environment, while preventing the accumulation of too much condensation. Otherwise, the container snaps shut at corners, and a hinged spine connects the lid to the body on one side of the clamshell container. The preferred shape of the clamshell is rectangular, and is fabricated of molded plastic.

The patent Figure 1, included below, is a top plan perspective view of a closed stackable clamshell container, according to the invention. The Figure 1 depicts the top lid 24 perforated side vents 4, and two corner snaps 20. The top lid 24 is connected pivotally to the container with a spine 12 extending on the full length of one side. On the periphery of the container bottom 26, there are also side vents 34. In between each of the bottom vents 34, there are inwardly curved indentations 7 designed to push fruit away from the bottom vents 34, to prevent obstruction of the vents and/or laceration of the fruit. The top surface of the center divider 6 contacts the lid when it is closed to prevent collapsing and crushing of the fruit. The center divider has two lower shoulders 8, on each side of the center 6, designed to enable airflow. The extended center divider is also connected to the full height of the side walls, to strengthen the tray and prevent torsion. Additional airflow windows 2 enable air circulation above the container’s curved side walls 28.

The patent abstract is included below.

A container that includes a tray having a base bottom portion and one or more sidewalls having a volume for holding a product; a lid that is attachable to the tray to protect the product in the tray when attached thereto; and a divider for providing a plurality of compartments with a predetermined volume in the tray, the divider configured, dimensioned and positioned to provide support to the lid, air flow between the compartments and torsional rigidity to the tray. The most preferred container of the invention is a rectangular clamshell container as described herein that includes a spine which is pivotally hinged to the base bottom portion via the lid. This preferred container also includes a plurality of snap-locking members for attaching the lid to the tray for retaining contents therein. [Abstract US9469458B2]

---------

Note

*The patent was awarded to the following four California inventors: Malkeet Singh Padda (US); Craig R. Snedden (US); Gandhi B. Sifuentes (US); Cesar Ramirez (US).

Reference
Driscoll's (website)
https://www.driscolls.com/ 

Oh, patents! Driscoll's 31 Drisblue plant variety patents

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

 DrisBlue28 longitudinal section top row,
whole fruit bottom row, calyx side up left
and pedicel side up right. (USPP35156P2)

The following list of hyperlinked plant patents recites 31 blueberry varieties bred by Driscoll’s. Sample images extracted from the DrisBlue28 plant patent are included on the right.

• USPP36754P2 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueThirtyOne’.
• USPP35829P2  - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueThirty’.
• USPP35665P2  - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueTwentyNine’.
• USPP35156P2 – Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueTwentyEight’.
• USPP34316P2 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueTwentySeven’.
• USPP34179P2 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueTwentySix’.
• USPP33718P2 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueTwentyFive’.
• USPP34067P2 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueTwentyFour’.

• 

  DrisBlue28 variety flower clusters
    (USPP35156P2)

  USPP32876P2 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueTwentyThree’.
  
• USPP33066P2 – Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueTwentyTwo’.
• USPP32267P2 - Blueberry plant variety named ‘DrisBlueTwentyOne’.
• USPP32744P3 - Blueberry Plant Variety Named 'DrisBlueTwenty'.
• USPP31698P2 - Blueberry plant variety named 'DrisBlueNineteen'.
• USPP31649P2 - Blueberry plant variety named 'DrisBlueEighteen'.

• 

  DrisBlue28 variety leaf,
  lower surface left,
  and upper surface right 
  (USPP35156P2)
  
  

  USPP31650P2 - Blueberry plant variety named 'DrisBlueSeventeen’.
• USPP31685P2 - Blueberry plant variety named 'DrisBlueSixteen’.
• USPP28933P2 - Blueberry plant variety named ‘DrisBlueFifteen’.
• USPP27622P3 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueFourteen’.
  
• USPP26451P3 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueThirteen’.
• USPP26748P3 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueTwelve’.
• USPP26537P3 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueEleven’.
  
• USPP26643P3 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueTen’.
• USPP26287P3 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueNine’.
• USPP24568P3 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueEight’.
  
• USPP24605P3 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisblueSeven’.
• USPP24569P3 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueSix’.
• USPP24489P3 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueFive’.
• USPP24407P3 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueFour’.
• USPP20436P2 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueThree’.
• USPP20488P2 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueTwo’.
• USPP20449P2 - Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueOne’.

Reference

Driscoll's (website)

https://www.driscolls.com/

Blueberry patent wars

Copyright ® Françoise Herrmann

Blueberry patent wars are unusual in the world of infringing on Intellectual Property (IP) rights. Indeed, such activity is more readily associated with Silicon Valleys than the Yunnan Plateau, in China. However, the blueberry market has become both very lucrative and highly competitive. The International Blueberry Organization (IBO) reports an estimated 2333 million tons of blueberries produced worldwide in 2025, with 890 000 tons produced in China alone (IBO 2026).

In November 2024, under the auspices of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products (CFNA), the China Blueberry Committee (CBC) was created, in collaboration with major international players on the blueberry market (IBO3). International players such as the International Blueberry Organization and berry giants such as Driscoll’s in the United States. The China Blueberry Committee's four stated goals included: Sustainable growth‌, Quality enhancement, Global integration, and the protection of blueberry breeders’ Intellectual Property (IP) rights (IBO4).

The creation of the new China Blueberry Committee (CBC) came just one month before the Australian Mountain Blue Orchards company won a historic and much publicized lawsuit in the Intermediate People’s Court of Kunming, in the Yunnan Province, China’s largest blueberry-producing region (IBO2). This was a landmark decision because it was the first ruling that protected the IP rights of foreign plant breeders in China. The case involved plant theft identified through DNA testing at a nursery, where the theft had enabled propagation of Mountain Blue Orchards’ top-of-the-line blueberry variety, Eureka Sunrise. The lawsuit resulted in heavy punishment for the illegal Chinese growers, who were ordered to destroy all nursery crops, and to pay a $23,000 fine for fees and damages (Emont, Sept. 2026).

Following this major IP win at a Chinese Court, and continued covert inspections in nurseries, Driscoll’s filed as many as 20 lawsuits for “copycat” blueberry varieties grown in China, as well as for its proprietary greenhouse designs (IBO1; Small, 2026). However, the preferred strategy appears to have shifted towards licensing of plant varieties to Chinese growers, at least to collect royalties, and to prevent foreign companies from appearing too belligerent

References

Emont, J. (Sept. 14, 2026). Driscoll’s Gave China Its Blueberries—Then China Swiped the Secret to Growing Them. Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/business/driscolls-berry-farms-china-competition-b0b49f04?eafs_enabled=false  

International Blueberry Organization (IBO) https://www.internationalblueberry.org/  

 2026 IBO Global Blueberry Report.  International Blueberry Organization.
https://www.internationalblueberry.org/2026/09/08/navigating-volatility-and-growth-key-insights-from-the-2026-ibo-global-blueberry-report/ 

Mountain Blue Orchards
https://www.mountainblue.com.au/ 

IBO(1) - Taking on the illegal players: why Mountain Blue’s China victory signals a sea change for the blueberry industry. International Blueberry Organization.
https://www.internationalblueberry.org/2025/01/31/taking-on-the-illegal-players-why-mountain-blues-china-victory-signals-a-sea-change-for-the-blueberry-industry/ 

IBO(2) Mountain Blue Orchards wins historic lawsuit in China over illegal propagation of blueberries December 2024. International Blueberry Organization.
https://www.internationalblueberry.org/2024/12/02/mountain-blue-orchards-wins-historic-lawsuit-in-china-over-illegal-propagation-of-blueberries/ 

IBO(3) China: Blueberry Committee created and intellectual property protection of varieties announced January 2025. International Blueberry Organization.
https://www.internationalblueberry.org/2025/01/03/china-blueberry-committee-created-and-intellectual-property-protection-of-varieties-announced/ 

IBO(4) - About the China Blueberry Committee. International Blueberry Organization.
https://www.internationalblueberry.org/china-blueberry-committee/

Small, J. (Sept. 21, 2026)  Inside Driscoll’s Berry Strange Case of Corporate Espionage: How China Stole Its Secrets
https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/inside-driscolls-berry-strange-case-of-corporate-espionage-how-china-stole-its-secrets 

Oh, patents! Lego® SMART Play™

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann 

Lego® SMART Play™, winner of the Best in Show and Best Future Tech awards at CES 2026*, has added electronics to Lego® play sets. Most importantly, in response to desiderata, the new Lego® SMART Play™ sets come WITHOUT supplementary screens, batteries, wires, cameras or coding. A feat that took two and a half years to develop, involving a team of more than 300. Engineers, scientists, product designers, video-gaming experts, user-experience specialists, physicists, mathematicians, plus more, who worked together in a very large, top-secret, soundproof room, without windows, called “The Void”.

SMART Play™ Legos® comprise four components, available only in the all-in-one sets, but thereafter compatible with all SMART Play™ Lego® sets: 

1. a smart, 2x4 brick with a miniaturized ASIC chip, essentially comprising a speaker, LEDS, a speech synthesizer, and a proximity sensor**, 
2. two tags, which together with the smart brick form a new positioning system, and 
3. a wireless charger for bricks and tags, 
4. together with the themed and character Lego® SMART Play™ set (Pokémon™ and Star Wars™ for starters to launch the new SMART Play™ system). 

The beauty of the Lego® SMART Play™ system is that it is generative. One smart brick can generate an infinite number of sounds, depending on the tracker or movement of the smart brick. This differs from a database of pre-recorded word sounds. Indeed, the Lego® engineers even devised a new Figlish (Figurine English) language for the sounds that the brick can generate when it is inserted inside a figurine, and which children can interpret as they imagine. The brick comprises a miniaturized sound synthesizer that generates different sounds for every different situation or construction that is built, now and in the future.

More than 25 patents were awarded for the multiple Lego® SMART Play™ inventions. The following US, European (EP) and World Intellectual Property Organization  (WO) patents  are just a few of the Lego® SMART Play™ patents:

• EP3200886B1 – Game system.
• US20250010218A1 - Modular toy system with electronic toy modules.
• US20180071626A1 - Tag reader and system comprising a tag reader.
• US20240335761A1 - Toy construction system with function construction elements.
• US12021394B2 - Toy system having a contactless energy transfer system.
• WO2022101233A1 - Toy system for multiplayer social play.
• WO2026077559A1 - System of interactive toy and/or interactive educational construction elements.
• WO2025157950A1 - Interactive toy system with groups of associated wireless interactive toys.
• WO2020192955A1 - Rechargeable interactive toy.

For Lego® SMART Play™, one wonders who is having the most fun. The engineers who took up the challenge to create a magical modular smart brick, bringing LEGO® to life for generations to come,  or the children whose imaginations are being fired to new heights with an already fun game that has stood the test of time?

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Notes
* CES 2026 – Largest and most influential Computer Electronics Show in the United States. The show is held every year in January in Las Vegas, CA, since 1967.
** The Lego® smart brick is shown being inserted into the Pokémon™ Pikachu character.

Reference
How we made the Lego® SMART Play™ system. Lego.com
https://www.lego.com/en-us/smart-play/article/innovation 

Interlude - The Whale (2027).

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The Whale is a spectacular whale-watching center and immersive-experience museum. Scheduled to open on June 4th, 2027, The Whale is located in Andenes, at the edge of the North Atlantic, in Norway. 

The most striking feature of The Whale—as its name indicates—is the stunning biomimetics of the architecture. An architecture that not only blends into the Arctic landscape, as a gentle curve rising from the earth, but also remarkably captures a whale's low-fluking dive. The sort of shallow dive where you only see the top dorsal surface of the whale’s tale with its two wing-like flukes, sliding back into the water. The two images below, respectively, depict The Whale and a whale’s shallow fluking dive.

Dorte Mandrup, the Danish architect who won the competition to build the museum, composed in a naturally breathtaking environment, also known as one of the best places to see whales. Instead of an erected building, competing with the nearby lighthouse, The Whale looks as though it has been pushed out of the Earth’s surface. 

The Whale rooftop, shown below, curves gently into the landscape as a single piece of concrete, cladded with natural stones collected from the surrounding Arctic area. This enables anyone hiking on top to whale watch, perhaps catching a whale breaching against the Northern Lights, a whale spouting, or the graceful broad-finned tail of a whale as it is diving back into the ocean.

If The Whale delivers on Mandrup's promise “to create relevance” in June 2027—as it already has. Then, The Whale will make an already awe-inspiring destination even more magnificent, for both tourists on whale safaris and locals. 

References

Architect Dorte Mandrup’s vision for The Whale Andenes Norway (April 28, 2026) [7:26] YouTube.

https://youtu.be/WW_OHFID0ik?si=70rkshDhhuiSvkyf

Dorte Mandrup

https://dortemandrup.dk/

The Whale

https://thewhale.com/ 

Oh, Letters Patent!* D. T. Abercrombie space saving cabinets

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Abercrombie & Fitch not only catered to wilderness specialists, but they also outfitted famous outdoor enthusiasts such as Theodore Roosevelt for his 1909-1910 African Safari, Ernest Hemingway for his long stays in Cuba, and Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh for their flight gear and survival rations. Herbert Hoover and Dwight Eisenhower, famous anglers, are also known to have purchased fishing rods, waders and other gear, directly from the A&F Co., Madison Avenue flagship store in New York City: "Where the blazed trail crosses the boulevard", as shown in the advertisement depicted below. 

The US utility patent, US775766A, titled Camping outfit, illustrates a luxury camping cabinet invention for clothes storage, the lower part of which might alternatively be used as a table. The cabinet and shelves were foldable, easily stored and re-assembled for use.

The patent Figure 1 depicts a perspective view of the assembled cabinet, comprising slatted shelves 1 to 4, a canvas back 9 and canvas sides 8. Pocket shelf-holders were attached to each canvas side 8, into which the shelves 1 to 4 were separately inserted. The cabinet stood on four forked uprights 12, with two crossbars 10 from front to rear, resting on the upright forks. 

The lower part had a larger tabletop 13, resting on its own crossbars 14, lashed to the uprights 12. The lower table portion was detachable from the upper shelves for standalone use. Means might be included to suspend the upright shelves. 

Note

* US patents were initially called Letters Patent in the European tradition, dating as far back as the 15th century, and at the inception of the United States, at the end of the 18th century, according to the first US Patent Act (1790). The term Letters Patent was then used well into the 19th century, although usage began to shift, following the provisions of the third US Patent Act (1836), which established the United States Patent Office. 

    The term “Letters Patent” is derived from Latin, “litterae patens”, a form of the verb “patere”, which means “to stand open”. In other words, a term that refers to “open letters” in the sense of public or “by decree” and in contrast to private “sealed letters” (in Latin litterae clausae) 

Reference

Abercrombie & Fitch (website)

https://www.abercrombie.com/

Oh, Letters Patent!* D.T. Abercrombie’s pack carrier

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The popular Abercrombie pack carrier, comprising a rigid frame, optional tumpline(1) and chest strap, is another patented invention that was awarded to David T. Abercrombie, the founder of Abercrombie Co., in 1892. Indeed, the US patent, US1217262, titled Pack carrier, was awarded on February 27, 1917 to David T. Abercrombie, hailing from New Jersey, and assigned to the New York corporation, David T. Abercrombie Company.

The invention had a twofold purpose. First, the rigid frame was designed to prevent contact between the rucksack(2) and the user’s back so that air could circulate freely in between. Secondly, the frame was designed to prevent the rucksack from rolling during movement and in case of an uneven load, ensuring that the load's weight was consistently centrally distributed between hips and shoulders, and optionally transferred in part to the forehead and/or chest.

The included patent Figure 1 depicts a side elevation view of the invention, and a user’s body(3). The patent Figure 1 further depicts a side view of the frame a, preferably rectangular in shape, and comprising light steel rods, with rounded ends a1 to conveniently attach a tumpline g, comprising a head strap g1 and an adjustment buckle g2. Likewise, the top bar of the frame might be bent upwards at the center a2 to enable attachment of shoulder straps c, adjusted with various buckles c1. Preferably, the frame a has a flexible light canvas filler b, secured to the frame a with lacing b1. The filler material b was designed to provide additional support in case the load was shorter or smaller than the frame. Finally, two hinged thrust rods d at the lower end of the frame were joined via a transversal rod d1. Together, the three rods functioned as a bail to transfer a portion of the load's weight to the hips, where it is less inconvenient to carry.

Below, pages 34 and 35 are extracted from the 1921 Blazed Trail Abercrombie & Fitch product catalog. The pages show various rucksacks, some of which would have accommodated the present invention frame, which also had the advantage of being removable and adaptable to various rucksack models.

Notes

* US patents were initially called Letters Patent in the European tradition, dating as far back as the 15th century, and at the inception of the United States, at the end of the 18th century, according to the first US Patent Act (1790). The term Letters Patent was then used well into the 19th century, although usage began to shift, following the provisions of the third US Patent Act (1836), which established the United States Patent Office. 

    The term “Letters Patent” is derived from Latin, “litterae patens”, a form of the verb “patere”, which means “to stand open”. In other words, a term that refers to “open letters” in the sense of public or “by decree” and in contrast to private “sealed letters” (in Latin litterae clausae)  

(1) A tumpline, also called a tump strap, is a canvas forehead band designed to transfer some of the rucksack weight to the head. 

(2) A rucksack is a top-loading pack designed for heavy outdoor loading.
(3) The user’s body is drawn with broken lines to indicate context vs. object of the invention.

Reference

Abercrombie & Fitch (website)

https://www.abercrombie.com/

Oh, Letters Patent! D. T. Abercrombie's camping utensil

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

David T. Abercrombie, the founder of Abercrombie Co. in 1892 was also a multiple-time patented inventor. A surveyor by trade, his experience of the great outdoors undoubtedly informed both his entrepreneurship in high-end gear for wilderness adventurers, and his inventions in the domain of camping.

For example, the Letters Patent* No. 730731, titled Camping utensil, is one such US utility patent, awarded June 9th, 1903, to David T. Abercrombie, hailing from Newark, NJ, and assigned to the New York firm Abercrombie & Fitch. The patent recites an improvement to camping utensils, specifically to frying pans. Still in use to date, this improvement comprised a removable handle, so that the improved frying pan might be easily packed, stored, and readily assembled for use.

The patent Figure 1, included above, depicts a side elevation view of the invention. The invention comprises a frying pan 1, preferably made of aluminum. The side 2 of the frying pan comprises a socket, made of two pieces of metal 3, riveted into the side 2. The socket is tapered at the top and flared at the bottom inlet, with slightly raised edges 4 to enable cooperation with the foot 6 of the handle. 

The handle comprises a grip 12 and a shank 5 with a foot 6 turned upwards, intended to cooperate with the frying pan socket, slipping in from the bottom up. To prevent the handle foot 6 from disengaging from the frying pan socket, a retaining member, comprising a rim-engaging member 9 and a shank portion 8, is clamped together with the handle shank 5, using a slide 11, moved laterally towards the socket. The slide 11 also moves back laterally, towards the grip 12, to allow the handle foot 6 to be disengaged from the frying pan socket.  

A vintage Abercrombie & Fitch camping advertisement is also included above. On the left, the advertisement depicts a Nesting cook set comprising, in particular, a frying pan with a detached handle.  

________

Note
*  Patents were called Letters Patent as early as the 15th century in Europe, and at the inception of the United States, at the end of the 18th century, according to the provisions of the first US Patent Act (1790). The term Letters Patent was used well into the 19th century, although usage began to shift following the provisions of the third US Patent Act (1836), which established the United States Patent Office. 

    The term Letters Patent is derived from Latin, litterae "patens”, a form of the verb “patere”, which means “to stand open”. In other words, a term that refers to “open letters” in the sense of public or “by decree”, and in contrast to private “sealed letters” (in Latin litterae clausae).

Reference

Abercrombie & Fitch (website)

https://www.abercrombie.com/

Oh, patents! Bottle cap for A&F Perfume No. 1

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The square bottle cap for the signature Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) Perfume No. 1 for women is an industrial design that was registered in Canada. The Canadian industrial design CA146002, titled Cap for bottle, was registered on March 27, 2013. The applicant and registered proprietor are both Abercrombie & Fitch.

Please note that a Canadian industrial design registration protects the unique appearance of a product: its shape, configuration, pattern or ornament (or any combination of these features)

Figure 1, extracted from the Canadian industrial design registration, is shown below, together with the image of a marketed bottle of A&F Perfume No. 1 for women. The bottle has a navy colored fabric bow around its neck. The Canadian industrial design Figure 1 depicts solid lines for the cap, and broken lines—for illustration purposes only—outlining the bottle. 

The A&F Perfume No. 1, was released in 2011. This fresh floral perfume has a tangerine top note, peony middle note, and pine and sandalwood base notes.

Reference 
Abercrombie & Fitch  (website)
https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us

Canadian Intellectual Property Office – Industrial Designs

https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/canadian-intellectual-property-office/en/industrial-designs

Oh, patents! A&F Fierce cologne bottle

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Created in 2002, the  Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) Fierce fragrance for men is arguably the most famous A&F fragrance because it was pumped through A&F store ventilation systems to give customers an olfactory shopping experience. Since 2002 many variations of the Fierce fragrance have been released, including a Fierce for her edition in 2016. The bottles containing the Fierce fragrances are patented designs. 

The USD design patent, USD573035S1, titled Bottle for fragrance, perfume, eau de toilette, cosmetics or other products, was awarded on July 15, 2008 to Brett A. Dean, and assigned to the Abercrombie & Fitch Trading Co. Below, the patent Figure 4 depicts an exploded view of the smaller 2 oz travel-size bottle, together with the image of a marketed 2 oz, travel-size  Fierce cologne bottle. 

Reference

Abercrombie & Fitch (website)
https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us

Oh, patents! Abercrombie & Fitch Bra-Free collection

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Within every piece of the Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) Bra-Free collection, there is a US utility patent with a scope extending beyond the specification of the invention. Indeed, the A&F Bra-Free collection encompasses a wide variety of garments, including camisoles, maxi and mini dresses, tanks, mock-neck sleeveless tees, scoop-neck tops, high-neck tops, lace tops, and the latest ¾-sleeve pointelle cardigan-tank, each comprising breast support without underwire or padding. An invention recited in the US utility patent, USRE41654E1, titled Garment with interior bra structure and side supports. A patent, assigned to the A&F Trading Co., that was reissued and awarded on Sept. 7th, 2010, to five inventors: Lisa Powers (US), Jami Leigh Anderson (US), Tiffany Nicole Harris (US), Christine Marie Kennedy (US), and Joshua Andrew Baumer (US).

The patent recites an interior bra structure with side supports, specified different from a shelf-bra that tends to minimize the bustline and is less flattering than a real bra. The patent also recites an interior bra structure with supports, different from a built-in bra permanently attached to a garment, that might show owing to a contour unmatched to a garment neckline or its straps, or bulge owing to padding and/or underwire. Thus, the invention offers to remedy the prior art of shelf bras and built-in bras, by offering a flattering bra structure that supports women’s breasts without padding, underwire, flattening, or a contour separate from the garment neckline or straps.

The included patent Figure 1 shows a woman 100 wearing a garment that covers at least her torso 102 and embodies the present interior bra invention. Specifically, the patent Figure 1 depicts a sports camisole 10 with an interior bra structure. The exterior fabric layer 14, of the garment has an upper part 14c, comprising the interior bra fabric layer 16, a front exterior panel 14a, and a rear exterior panel 14b, connected at side seams 14d. Side support panels 18 on each side of the woman’s breasts are connected to the interior fabric layer 16 of the bra structure, near the underarm towards the front, in the area 104.

The image of a striped Bra-Free rib scoop neck tank appears next to the patent Figure 1. Below, the abstract of the invention is also included.

A women's garment with built-in breast support and no underwire, comprises an exterior fabric layer for covering the torso. An exterior fabric layer has an upper part for at least partly covering the breasts. An interior fabric layer is connected to the upper part of the exterior fabric layer and is sized to extend only over the upper part of the exterior fabric layer on the inner surface thereof to cover at least part of the breasts of a woman. A pair of side support panels are connected to the interior fabric layer, each at over one lateral area of the torso, the lateral areas being adjacent respective lateral sides of the breasts and are made of non-stretch material for supporting the breasts. A pair of tapes or other fixing mechanisms are connected to the interior fabric layer and extend along respective medial edges of the side support panels. [Abstract USRE41654E1]

Reference
Abercrombie & Fitch (website)
https://www.abercrombie.com/