Thursday, February 24, 2011

Could you put that cactus closer to my eye please?

When I hear the words "Greenhouse Helmet" I get an odd combination of Pauly Shore, Logan's Run, and Water World in my mind. It's something I picture as having the potential of being good, but actually being an utterly terrible idea for a wide variety of obvious reasons. What about Pauly Shore, Logan's Run and Water World is good and what is bad, either together or apart, I hear you ask? Well that's up to you.


This is remarkably simple in the overall context of patents. It consists of "a transparent dome completely over the head of a person." In this dome, there are shelves where plants are anchored to process the CO2 you exhale and provide you with O2 in an "economical and simple" way. Done and done.


**wipe your hands on your  jeans and exit stage left**


This patent is a small work of art in a vast sea of lesser patents. I say this because, in my personal opinion, it raises far more questions than it could ever hope to answer.



For example: Why, in the wide swath of life which falls under the umbrella of  "small plants," did Waldemar Anguita of Brooklyn N.Y. choose cacti as being the example for plants to secure to a shelf, right by your face? It was a choice, understand. Someone looked at this drawings and thought, "Yep, that is what we are going for."



The action taking place in fig. 1 to the left (click on the picture for a larger version) can only be described as 'jogging' or "calisthenics.' I honestly find it difficult to not be insultingly sarcastic while looking at this product of 1986 from the perspective of 2011. And yes, I'm aware that the perspective on now will be the same from 2036. Deal with it because we are all guilty.

I also can not help but respect the absurdity of the claims (what are the claims?), highlighted to the right. Click on the image for a larger version.

Claim 1: "A greenhouse helment which comprises:
(a) a transparent dome worn completely over the head of a person [read: a plastic fish bowl];

(b) means for securing said dome to said person [read: a chin strap];

(c) means for adequately filtering ambient air having carbon dioxide in and out of said dome to meet the needs of the person [read: the person has enough air];

(d) means for resting at least one plant within a pot placed in said dome so that carbon dioxide of said ambient air will mix with carbon dioxide breathed out by said person to be used by said plant to produce oxygen to be breathed in by said person in addition to the ambient air [read: there's a shelf to put plants on];

(e) means for securing said plants and pot upon said resting means within said dome [read: the plants are 'secured' to the shelf].

The patent coverage ran out in 2006, so your generic brand Greenhouse Helmets can come out of the black market garage sales and out into the daylight of late-night infomercials. May God continue to bless America.

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