Throughout history, inventors have come up all sorts of creations to make life easier, more fun, or downright weirder. While some ideas revolutionized daily life, others ended up as head-scratchers filed away in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. These entries, often quirky and hilarious, remind us that not every invention needs to make sense to be real.
The following list dives into the strangest patents ever officially submitted. These inventions may not have changed the world, but they’ve certainly raised eyebrows. Whether they were ahead of their time or just plain absurd, these patents prove that the human imagination has no limits.
8. Bird Diaper
Yes, you read that right: a diaper for birds. This invention was designed to allow bird owners to let their feathered friends roam indoors without worrying about messes. It includes straps to comfortably hold the diaper on the bird and a pouch for waste, definitely proving that pet lovers can be incredibly committed to cleanliness.
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7. Anti-Eating Face Mask
Intended as a weight-loss aid, this contraption fits over the lower half of the face and prevents the user from putting food in their mouth. It looks a bit like a medieval torture device and understandably never caught on. Still, it’s officially one of the strangest patents ever approved, and a truly extreme method of dieting.
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6. Dog Powered Scooter
This invention merges exercise with transportation that is powered by your dog. The setup includes a harness for the dog that attaches to a scooter, allowing your pet to pull you along as you ride. While it might be fun for energetic pups, it’s definitely a more unusual idea.
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5. Wearable Chair
The wearable chair is a device that straps to your legs and allows you to sit anywhere by essentially locking into place behind your knees. While it might sound handy for long lines or waiting at bus stops, the device looks incredibly awkward in practice.
4. Kissing Shield
Invented during the early ’90s AIDS epidemic, the kissing shield is a thin barrier placed between two people’s lips to prevent germ transmission during kissing. It was essentially a sanitary napkin for your mouth. While the intent was serious, the execution earns it a place on the strangest patents ever list.
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3. Motorized Ice Cream Cone
This motorized cone rotates your ice cream so your tongue can stay still while enjoying your favorite treat. Designed for “lazy” ice cream lovers, or those who want a more uniform melt, this gadget is undeniably bizarre and is equal parts amusing and unnecessary.
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2. High-Five Machine
This patent details a mechanical arm that delivers high-fives on command. Whether used to celebrate solo achievements or to greet customers in stores, this device shows just how far some inventors will go to automate even the simplest human interactions. Definitely one of the most delightfully pointless and strangest patents ever.
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1. Coffin Alarm System
Long before modern embalming, people feared being buried alive. This patent included a string tied to the corpse’s hand that would ring a bell above ground if movement was detected. It’s both creepy and clever, but easily one of the oldest and strangest patents ever recorded in the history of invention.
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