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Date: 28 Feb 2007 08:57:02
From: gscace
Subject: Interesting patent
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Funny as hell but not really coffee related unless you do as I did and
spew an espresso thru your nose while reading this. Search google for
patent number 5,443,036.
-Greg "Just call me Cremasnot" Scace
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Date: 28 Feb 2007 21:37:03
From: Danny
Subject: Re: Interesting patent
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gscace wrote:
> Funny as hell but not really coffee related unless you do as I did and
> spew an espresso thru your nose while reading this. Search google for
> patent number 5,443,036.
>
> -Greg "Just call me Cremasnot" Scace
>
Bugger - I've been excercising my cat this way for years, ever since I
bacame an early adopter of laser pointer technology by purchasing said
instrument from a street seller under the eiffel tower some 10+ years
ago (and it still works). We used it that night to scare an elderly
Parisienne lady walking her poodle by directing the beam from our 4th
floor hotel room window to the dogs head, thus convincing the lady
that her pet chien was a target for the Jackal.
It scares my other cat. Still gets excercise though, as he runs from
the room.
--
Regards, Danny
http://www.gaggia-espresso.com (a purely hobby site)
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Date: 28 Feb 2007 12:43:12
From: pltrgyst
Subject: Re: Interesting patent
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On 28 Feb 2007 08:57:02 -0800, "gscace" <gregory.scace@nist.gov > wrote:
>Funny as hell but not really coffee related unless you do as I did and
>spew an espresso thru your nose while reading this. Search google for
>patent number 5,443,036.
Yeah, the USPTO issues many patents for rather obvious methods and combinatorial
items. This particular one has made the New York Times and other newspapers.
In some cases, these are patents filed by idiot lawyers as teaching vehicles for
their children or students. They just want to see if they can end-run the
requirement for "non-obviousness", and they often can. That's what happens when
patent examiners work under quota mandates instead of quality mandates.
-- Larry
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Date: 28 Feb 2007 19:11:01
From: jim schulman
Subject: Re: Interesting patent
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On Wed, 28 Feb 2007 12:43:12 -0500, pltrgyst
<pltrgyst@spamlessxhost.org > wrote:
>They just want to see if they can end-run the
>requirement for "non-obviousness"
It's non-obvious how an invisble light laser will produce a a jumping
pattern of visible light.
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Date: 28 Feb 2007 19:57:33
From: Johnny
Subject: Re: Interesting patent
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"jim schulman" <jim_schulman@ameritech.net > wrote in message
news:cv9cu2t9ee80a4nn7d80jn71ivbg3hn21t@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 28 Feb 2007 12:43:12 -0500, pltrgyst
> <pltrgyst@spamlessxhost.org> wrote:
>
> >They just want to see if they can end-run the
> >requirement for "non-obviousness"
>
> It's non-obvious how an invisble light laser will produce a a jumping
> pattern of visible light.
Its all in the wording "a beam of invisible light" which I took to mean that
the beam itself was not visible which is usually the case unless it comes
across dust in the air. But you're right it is non-obvious when the sumy
is worded that way.
The actual patent 'DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS' says "emits an
invisible beam of light" which is easier to explain.
And later they go on to say
"The light pattern projected by the laser cat exerciser is invisible until
intersection with an opaque surface. Lasers emitting various colors of
coherent light can be used and the laser apparatus can be distinctively
shaped and colored for easy identification. "
Our cats love chasing laser pointers but I prefer not to encourage them for
fear that I will accidentally shine the laser directly in the cat's eyes as
laser pointers are typically 5mw which is too bright to be looking at
directly. It may be fine but I'd rather be cautious.
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Date: 02 Mar 2007 11:54:52
From: Mr A Nonymous
Subject: Re: Interesting patent
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If you are playing with apointer, and the beam is moving, then there is no
problem that I am aware of.
I used to operate a 6 watt laser, my safety training in respect to pointing
a laser beam - a block of wood held infront of the beam, with the boss
saying "never ever let the beam stop moving" as we watched the hole appear
in the beam.
The only time thereafter I used staionary beam was when one of the boys left
his drink on the bar, honest I thought he wanted the ice melted :)
the laser pointers don't burn when you point them at your skin, and
momentary glimpses aren't going to hurt, it's a stationary beam that is bad.
And at 6 watts it hurts like hell when you get in the way of the unprocessed
raw beam :( experience with both big and little lasers tells me this...
Brent
> Our cats love chasing laser pointers but I prefer not to encourage them
> for
> fear that I will accidentally shine the laser directly in the cat's eyes
> as
> laser pointers are typically 5mw which is too bright to be looking at
> directly. It may be fine but I'd rather be cautious.
>
>
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