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The Invention Process

The Invention Process

Tips for getting started on new invention ideas, laid out step-by-step in a way that applies to many different types of inventions.

Invention Trivia

Invention Trivia

A collection of interesting facts about some of the most significant inventors and inventions in history.

Helpful Invention Links

Helpful Invention Links

Here you will find links to other websites offering information and services that may be of use to inventors. The links are grouped into various categories for convenient navigation.

According to the USPTO,
361,400 patents were granted in 2022 alone

Others aren’t waiting to do something with their invention idea, so why should you?

What to do next?

You’ve heard us ask: “Have an invention idea, but don’t know what to do next?” But what should you actually do next? We believe getting started with InventHelp can get your invention professionally prepared to be submitted to companies.
So, let’s do the next thing for your idea!

Can you really DIY?

As an inventor, can you really do it yourself? Well, of course you can, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy! InventHelp can help by giving you access to our team of writers, researchers, and animators. We can also refer you to independent patent attorneys for more affordable patent services than those sought elsewhere. So don’t waste time trying to DIY – get started with InventHelp now!

The Invention Process

Check out these tips for getting started with new invention ideas!

The Invention Process

The Invention Process

Check out these tips for getting started with new invention ideas!

What kind of product have you come up with? If that particular industry is flooded with similar ideas, either consider tweaking your idea so it fits in another industry, or add features and value to set it apart from other new products. What can your product offer that others lack? What problem does your new invention solve?

What products are hot right now? Trends are constantly changing, but if you can get a sense for what is going to be popular in upcoming months, you may be able to alter your idea to fit in or stand out among up-and-coming trends.

What do other people think of your idea? Without disclosing too much information, casually ask your trusted friends and family what they think about your invention idea. They may have ideas on alternate uses or improvements which could be made. But, be careful who you approach if you don’t have a patent, and don’t take harsh criticism to heart.

How are you going to proceed from here? Make yourself a checklist and a plan. Remember to cross off each step as it’s completed. It’s much easier to achieve your goals if you write them down. Set both short-term and long-term goals, and remember to make them measurable. How exactly will you achieve your goals? If you’re unsure, InventHelp can help you.

What does your invention idea look like? A rough sketch and a non-working prototype help when describing your idea to others. A sketch can include stick figures and traced drawings; you don’t need to be an artist. A non-working prototype can be made out of cardboard, clay, tape – any material can help make a model of your invention idea. For a more professional approach, InventHelp offers prototype modeling services, Virtual Invention Presentations, and submission brochures.

Invention Trivia

InventHelp has put together this collection of invention trivia and fun facts for you to enjoy. Most of these inventors were inventing long before InventHelp opened its doors, but we want to remember them for their hard work and creativity.

Invention Trivia

Invention Trivia

InventHelp has put together this collection of invention trivia and fun facts for you to enjoy. Most of these inventors were inventing long before InventHelp opened its doors, but we want to remember them for their hard work and creativity.

Faced with a rubber shortage during World War II, the U.S. government asked scientists to come up with a rubber alternative. In a GE lab, engineer James Wright attempted to create an alternative by mixing boric acid with silicone oil. He was so pleased with the end result that he threw some of the substance on the floor and discovered that it bounced. Wright conducted a multitude of tests on the substance and discovered that it could not only bounce when dropped, but stretch farther than regular rubber, didn’t collect mold, and had a very high melting temperature. GE sent the new substance to engineers all over the world to try to find a practical use for it. After numerous tests, no one could not come up with a way to make the product useful. In 1949, the new creation caught the attention of toy store owner, Ruth Fallgatter, who contracted a marketer named Peter Hodgson. Hodgson offered a creative solution that proved to be invention trivia in the making. He purchased a large amount of the rubber, packaged it into plastic eggs, and sold it to children under the name “Silly Putty.” Today, Silly Putty brand products are offered in over 15 different colors in the classic egg-shaped packaging.
Nils Bohlin, a Swedish Volvo employee, became the answer to an invention trivia question when he invented the three-point safety belt based on his experiences working in the aerospace industry. He noted that the human body endures incredible stresses during a high-speed crash, and that current restraining devices were uncomfortable and difficult to operate. After a year of testing and engineering, Bohlin reached the conclusion that straps across the chest and hips were the most effective way to restrain vehicle occupants. In addition, this invention enabled users to fasten the restraining device using only one hand. Bohlin is the 1995 recipient of a Gold Medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and a member of the Automotive Hall of Fame.
Canadian inventors Chris Haney, Scott Abbott and John Haney created the board game in approximately 45 minutes. Michael Wurstlin, an unemployed artist, designed the board and logo for five shares in the company. The inventors spent four years trying to market their invention before it became successful.
Marion Donovan, a young mother during the baby boom era, was unhappy with messy cloth diapers that needed to be laundered, so she used a shower curtain to create the “Boater,” a plastic covering for cloth diapers. A year later, she added a disposable absorbent material to the Boater design to create the first disposable diaper. Donovan received a negative response from manufacturers, who thought her invention would be too expensive to produce, so she went into business for herself.
Chester Greenwood invented earmuffs when he was just 15 years old. As he was ice skating, he wrapped his head in a scarf to protect his ears from the cold, but found this method too bulky and itchy. To solve the problem, Greenwood constructed two ear-shaped loops from wire and asked his grandmother to sew fur on them. He later patented an improved version, “Greenwood’s Champion Ear Protectors,” which featured a steel band that held the earmuffs in place. Greenwood established Greenwood’s Ear Protector Factory and supplied earmuffs for U.S. soldiers during World War I. And here’s some more invention trivia about Greenwood: he accumulated over 100 patents in his lifetime, including one for the steel-tooth rake. He has been named one of America’s 15 Outstanding Inventors by the Smithsonian Institution, and his hometown of Farmington, Maine celebrates his achievements with a parade every December that features police cruisers decorated as earmuffs.
No, this oft-cited piece of invention trivia is pure fabrication. Research has indicated that this myth may have originated in Patent Office Commissioner Henry Ellsworth’s 1843 report to Congress. In his report, he states, “The advancement of the arts, from year to year, taxes our credulity and seems to presage the arrival of that period when human improvement must end.” It seems as though Ellsworth’s comments were taken out of context, and he merely meant to emphasize the growing number of patents. He even suggested specific areas in which he expected to see increased patent activity.
Italo Marchino, an Italian immigrant, produced the first ice cream cone in 1896 and was granted a patent in December of 1903. Although Marchino is credited with the invention of the ice cream cone, a similar idea was introduced at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. One very hot day, Charles Menches was selling ice cream in dishes, but there was such a demand for ice cream that he ran out of saucers before noon. After some quick thinking, Menches turned to his friend Ernest Hamwi for help. Hamwi was selling a Middle Eastern confection called Zalabia, which consists of a wafer-like pastry sold with syrup. Menches rolled the Zalabia and scooped ice cream on top.
Walter H. Deubner noticed that his customers were only purchasing the items they were able to carry, so he began to brainstorm ways that would enable his customers to carry more merchandise. After four years, he developed the grocery bag. Inexpensive, easy to use, and strong enough to hold up to 75 pounds of groceries, the Deubner Shopping Bag was born.

InventHelp® – Invention Services
For Inventors

InventHelp® Services

What can InventHelp do for you and your invention idea? InventHelp offers services that can help inventors submit their ideas to companies. Check out some of the services InventHelp has to offer.

Submission Services
Invention Websites
Patent Referrals
Prototype Models
Technical Drawings
Virtual Invention Browsing
Experience

Why Choose InventHelp®?

We give you our track
record right up front.

We only make a product claim if they are true. We make no promises and do not imply a likelihood of success.
We only make a product claim if they are
true. We make no promises and do not
imply a likelihood of success.

We state our prices
up front.

We are upfront with our fees. We state our fees upfront and rely on the fees paid to perform services.

We are upfront with our fees. We state
our fees upfront and rely on the fees
paid to perform services.

We will refer you to a licensed
patent attorney.

We refer clients to a licensed patent attorney, who may then offer legal opinions.

We refer clients to a licensed patent
attorney, who may then offer
legal opinions.

We present the facts
honestly.

We talk straight with you. We believe that only the marketplace can judge the quality of an idea.
We talk straight with you. We believe that
only the marketplace can judge
the quality of an idea.
Why Us

InventHelp® Sets the Standard

InventHelp®
Sets the Standard

So, you have an invention idea and don’t know what to do next. We can help! InventHelp is an invention service company that submits your idea to companies and offers patent referral services.

4 Decades of Experience

InventHelp is one of the leading service providers in the invention industry. Over the years, we have improved our services to better suit our clients’ needs. Our services are ready to help you, the inventor, pursue your invention idea.

The InventHelp Data Bank

InventHelp maintains a Data Bank of thousands of companies which have agreed to confidentially review our clients’ ideas.  Companies joining our Data Bank are interested in looking for new inventions and represent many different types of industries.  We call this the InventHelp Data Bank.

Is Your Idea Protected?

InventHelp offers patent referral services to its clients. These referrals have resulted in more than 10,000 patents for InventHelp inventors. We can refer you to an independent patent attorney who will advise you on the necessary steps to take toward potentially patenting your idea.

About Us

InventHelp®
Inventor Reviews

InventHelp®
Inventor Reviews

Real InventHelp inventors, real invention stories – how the Honest Invention Company helped them with their idea.

More Testimonials

InventHelp®
Inventor Reviews

Real InventHelp inventors, real invention stories – how the Honest Invention Company helped them with their idea.

Russell

New York, NY

“Me and my family want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you thank you thank you. You have no idea how much this means to us. I am a 64 yr old disabled veteran w/ 5 back surgeries and 3 knee surgeries. All I ever wanted was a chance to leave my family something of importance.”

Read Russell's Letter to InventHelp

Norbert

Austin, TX

“I am using InventHelp for the first time. The team at InventHelp has provided exceptional service for my invention. Everyone is engaged and responsive. I have chosen the full service to get from idea, to patents, to prototyping and marketing. I am very pleased with entire process and strongly recommend InventHelp to anyone who has a good idea…”

More Testimonials
Don’t know what to do with an invention idea?

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Who are we?

We are InventHelp, a leading inventor service company. We provide a variety of services to help inventors and we have been in business for over 40 years.

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♦ By proceeding, you agree that InventHelp, its affiliates, and agents may contact you (including calls and text
messages) at the phone number you provided, including for marketing purposes. Your consent is
voluntary and is not a requirement to use InventHelp’s services. You may revoke your
consent at any time by any reasonable means.

♦ By proceeding, you agree that InventHelp, its affiliates, and agents may contact you (including calls and text messages) at the phone number you provided, including for marketing purposes. Your consent is voluntary and is not a requirement to use InventHelp’s services. You may revoke your consent at any time by any reasonable means.

♦ I understand my personal information will be processed in accordance with InventHelp’s Privacy Policy. By clicking
 “Request Free Information” you consent to receiving SMS messages. Messages and Data rates may apply.
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