Don't you just hate when this happens!

Don\'t you just hate when this happens!

Get this,
I read a post here on the forum that gave me a really good idea. So I start searching the net and the patent office to make sure I was not going to get myself in trouble. Three days I spent looking and after I thought I had a good thing going I start looking for manufacturers to work with and look what pops up during my search. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

Is it me or does this look the same?

Such is life! Now I get to explain this one to the people that had been interested in what I was doing. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif I guess the other stuff that came to mind will just have to come to life now. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

Re: Don\'t you just hate when this happens!

now that you mention it, yeah. I thought I had this brilliant idea and posted about it; a battery holder that had a set of leads going to a chip for each battery so that each cell could be discharged and charged a it's individual ideal rate (of course someone had to post telling me it was a bad idea for some reson)..then I see Kumkang has done it on their new searchlight..oh well, great minds, y' know? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

Re: Don\'t you just hate when this happens!

If it makes you feel better, I had a similar experience. It was with a mountain bike part. I had met with a patent attorney and had drawings, a machine shop set up, and a few bucks were invested, not to mention a considerable amount of time. Well to make it short, as I came to the end of this (pursuing investors), a big name company already started to produce a device extremely similar to mine. There are more details, but it gets me depressed that I missed my opportunity so I will stop now. Good luck with your future products.

Re: Don\'t you just hate when this happens!

Here's the link to That's A Cool Leash for those interested.

Re: Don\'t you just hate when this happens!

...and oh yeah, a few years ago someone ran a contest at CPF for the best "light saber" design to be used in a stage production for which I suggested a laser placed in the end of clear plastic rod with mirror caps... (sound familiar....?) Of course someone then entered the exact same idea, replacing my laser idea with a "Foton" light source and that person won the 'prize' - - /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twak.gif !! ..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Re: Don\'t you just hate when this happens!

when i was young (between 6-11?), i liked to draw out "inventions"

one of these was a self-stirring pot lid...several years ago, i even revisited the idea, and actually drew out some blueprints complete with moter, switch, mechanisms, etc...someone came out with one recently...i don't know who, if anyone has any information, i would appreciate it.

i also "invented" the plasma tv...although it was not so much a tv as a picture frame with moving images...