Obscure Patent: The Love Box

Written by Gene Quinn
President & Founder of IPWatchdog, Inc.
Patent Attorney, Reg. No. 44,294
Zies, Widerman & Malek
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Posted: Feb 13, 2008 @ 3:10 pm

Love Box
US Patent No. 4,194,629 [ PDF ] [ HTML ]
Issued March 25, 1980

While this patent is perhaps not wacky, I think it certainly qualifies as obscure. And in honor of Valentine’s Day an appropriate addition here.

Given that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day I thought it would be interesting to see what if any patents have issued with the word “love” in the title. There were some interesting ones no doubt, including some not approrpiate for a “G” rating. Nevertheless, the one that caught my eye was US Patent No. 4,194,629 on a Love Box. While this is not a newly issued patent, it is rather ridiculous and worth of our attention. This patent is further proof that virtually anything is patentable, at least in the United States. How this invention should be entitled to the status of a utility patent is beyond me, but go ahead and feel free to infringe, this one is already in the public domain!

Patent Abstract – “A box for use as a token between lovers for assuring their love to each other; the box including an instruction sheet that states the box is filled with love, and no matter how often it is opened, it can never be emptied; and to get a little love, the box should be opened for a short time, while to receive all the person’s love it should be left open all the time; the box including a case and a removable cover.”

The Only Claim – “What is claimed is [a] box for displaying a love message when closed or open, comprising a case having a bottom with an encompassing wall in combination with a cover pivoted at one end to said wall whereby said cover may be moved from a closed position abutting said wall to an open position providing access to said case, in combination with a love message and associated means for displaying said message in both closed and open positions, wherein said means comprise a flourescent substance deposited on the case bottom and including a card mounted in said case spaced from said material, said card having cut-out portions in the form of said message for display when the box is open and further cut-outs through said wall in the form of said message.”

About the Author

Eugene R. Quinn, Jr.
President & Founder of IPWatchdog, Inc.
US Patent Attorney (Reg. No. 44,294)
Zies, Widerman & Malek

B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Rutgers University
J.D., Franklin Pierce Law Center
L.L.M. in Intellectual Property, Franklin Pierce Law Center

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Gene Quinn is a US Patent Attorney, law professor and the founder of IPWatchdog.com. He is also a principal lecturer in the top patent bar review course in the nation, which helps aspiring patent attorneys and patent agents prepare themselves to pass the patent bar exam. Known by many as “The IPWatchdog,” Gene started the widely popular intellectual property website IPWatchdog.com in 1999, and since that time the site has had millions of unique visitors. Gene has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the LA Times, CNN Money, NPR and various other newspapers and magazines worldwide. He represents individuals, small businesses and start-up corporations. As an electrical engineer with a computer engineering focus his specialty is electronic and computer devices, Internet applications, software and business methods.