February isn’t just the month of love. For many, it has also been the month of invention. In fact, February 11 is actually National Inventors’ Day!
Many inventors have seen their patents granted in February, allowing them to move forward with their inventions and change the world as we know it. Here are a few of the patents for inventions you might recognize — all of which were patented in February.
Digital Voicemail
Today, cell phones and voicemail are all an everyday part of our lives. This was not the case in the 1980s. Cell phones themselves had only been invented a decade before, and they were still the large, blocky devices that offered very limited time to talk before they needed to charge again.
On February 1, 1983, however, Gordon Matthews, Thomas Tansil, and Michael Fannin were granted a patent that made cell phones a little more like the inventions we know today. Digital voicemail.
This invention allowed for recorded messages to be stored in the phone’s database and retrieved and played later. Now, 40 years later, people still tend to fall into playing phone tag, but at least voicemails can help them know what they missed.
Dual-Vent Windows
On February 2, 1965, Alfonso Alvarez was granted his patent for dual-vent windows. These windows offered better ventilation by having two moving sashes instead of one, as well as a central sash control in the middle of the window that could lock or unlock the sashes.
Although the patent referred to these as dual-vent windows, we mostly know them today as double hung windows. These are the most common windows you’ll find in most American households.
Phonograph
This is one of the famous inventions that most of us learned about in school. In fact, of all of Thomas Edison’s inventions, the phonograph was reportedly his favorite. With a patent granted on February 19, 1878, Thomas Edison became known for the invention of a machine that could capture a sound and play it back.
By this point, Edison had lost most of his hearing himself. However, the phonograph set the precedent for recording devices of the future, including modern music players.
Need Help Patenting Your Invention?
If you have an invention and you want to apply for a patent, Garcia-Zamor can help! Regardless of industry, if you are going into business or already active in the marketplace you need to call Garcia-Zamor Intellectual Property Law.
We prevent competitors from stealing client brands, product names, slogans, and online identity. We have been preventing invention theft for more than fifteen years. As a full service intellectual property law firm, Garcia-Zamor attorneys provide patentability opinions, infringement opinions, patent and trademark application services, and copyright services along with contract, settlement, licensing and litigation services.
For startups we also create business entities and the associated agreements between business owners and investors. If you’re ready to protect your brand and intellectual property, Garcia-Zamor stands ready to offer you the maximum protection under the law. Contact us today to learn more about our IP law services or to schedule a consultation.
