At this time of the year, we're all wondering what presents will be waiting for us on Christmas morning. The letters to Santa have been sent and the advent calendars are counting down the days to Christmas. But have you stopped to wonder whether your name is on Santa's naughty list or nice list? Will the presents of your dreams be waiting for you under the tree?
Fear not! For one savvy inventor has distilled Santa's formula for determining which list you will be on. If you're too impatient for Christmas to arrive, and you want some assurance that a lump of coal won't be waiting for you under the Christmas tree, help comes in the form of a naughty or nice meter disclosed in patent application US2008299533.
Simply use the twelve behavioural questions to determine where you rank on the naughty or nice meter.
For those who have made the nice list, we have found some toys reserved for the most well behaved boys and girls. The amount of joy provided by these reserved toys has been deemed so exceptional that the following applications for patent protection have been filed.
Haven't you always found that the enjoyment provided by a skipping rope is hindered by the rope itself? How many times have you been tripped and tangled because the rope has gotten in the way? US7037243 discloses a skipping rope with weights incorporated into the handles in order to simulate the weight of the rope. Now you can have all the fun of a skipping rope, without the rope!
Or if skipping isn't your thing, then how about a pogo stick with a little more bounce? US2929459 discloses a pogo stick with an internal combustion engine. The connecting rod for the engine piston also serves as the foot of the pogo stick, and the bouncing action causes a spark plug to fire. The sky's the limit!
And of course, who wouldn't like a little extra fire power in a snowball fight? Help takes the form of a snowball gun shown in US20110000473. Simply load your snowballs into the chamber and advance to victory on your snowy battlefield.
If you haven't made the nice list this year, sadly, instead of these awesome gifts, all you can expect on Christmas Day is a lump of coal, such as the coated fuel body in lump form found in US3356469.
Maybe with the help of the ingenious naughty or nice meter, in the future you can avoid the risk of forfeiting precious Christmas gifts due to unruly behaviour and ensure you make the nice list every year.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.