The twelve patents of Christmas

Think Christmas and the number twelve often springs to mind because of the associations with the number: the twelfth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, the twelve days of Christmas found in a popular song and a book title. But were you aware that in some countries people celebrate the Christmas season for twelve whole days? Christmas traditions are not exclusive to the West, but are celebrated around the world. Feasting, festivities, family and love are common themes.

Clearly the subject has inspired inventors globally, as there are quite literally more patents and utility models than meet the eye when you do a word search on “Christmas” in Espacenet.

Taking a dive into the seasonal theme, one can find links to a rich array of associations, such as the exchange of greeting cards and wishes that originated in 1611, now available as an environmentally friendly method of reusing cards. Even the exchange of gifts gave rise to a patent by way of group gift cards. Does it surprise anyone that patent applications were filed for Santa’s sleigh? And there is even a method to feed his reindeer!

You will find many references and links to a number of patents throughout this article. Staying with the number twelve, in the next couple of paragraphs we will feature patents from twelve different countries or regions to highlight some of the main accessories we come across during the season. 

Numerous inventions pertain to lights. Whether indoors or outside, they brighten up streets, markets, shops and homes, and mostly have their beginnings in a patent filed in 1879 by Thomas Alva Edison for a long-lasting light bulb. 

Since then the popularity of lighting has soared, especially during the long winter nights. This trend is reflected in the quantity of IP rights that have been filed, many of them originating in Asia - such as this utility model of a Christmas light set filed in Chinese Taipei. 

Christmas trees play a big role during this season. Coming from a country not usually associated with a White Christmas, an idea for a snow covered Christmas tree is available through a patent filed in Greece. Innovative ways to keep trees watered are possible, as shown in a patent application from Canada for a Christmas tree watering system. Fire hazards are something to be dealt with when decorating your Christmas tree, as shown by an application from Mexico that doubles up to function as a tree ornament, entitled Christmas decorations for controlling possible fire in Christmas trees.

Stability is a must when it comes to putting up your tree, hence the Christmas tree stand,  originating in Switzerland in this instance. The use of real trees is not a universal solution and probably led to the search for alternatives; giving birth to the idea of artificial trees. These do not drop their needles and can be packed up and re-used the following year. Some even include motion features, such as this patent application from the United Kingdom for a rotatable and shape-changeable Christmas tree.

The market is flooded with countless choices when it comes to decorations. One of the most popular is tinsel, from the old French word “estincele”, meaning to sparkle. An innovative way to distribute it on the Christmas tree can be seen in a patent application filed in the United States of America titled devices for dispensing tinsel and the like adaptable for decorating Christmas trees. 
 

Baubles, another decorative element very often spotted on trees and wreaths, also deserve a mention. They can be found in a European patent titled Christmas ornament structure. Long-lasting decorative elements are much in demand and come in different varieties, shapes and sizes, such as this utility model from China called Novel Christmas ring. 

Christmas is also a time for playing board games with your loved ones. You can find a host of patented inventions, which help people with special needs to fully join in the fun, including, for example, a board game controller for visually impaired persons filed in Japan.

Christmas is a family feast especially enjoyed by children. It is also the season to be jolly, as the lyrics of a popular seasonal song tell us, so here are a couple of light-hearted inventions. Did you know a patent that was granted for a “Naughty or nice meter”? Or how about a bird reporting to Santa on the behaviour of children? Then there is a Santa Claus Detector to thrill the hearts of kids, not forgetting a key to let Santa Claus into homes. After all, not every residence has a chimney. 

The Patent Knowledge News team wishes all our readers happy holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year!