I do alot of design patent work, so I’ve developed a habit of browsing through the issued design patents every week. It’s interesting to see some of the things that people patent.
This week’s case in point: US D652,615 for a “Combined beach umbrella and entrenching tool.”
This caught my attention because I couldn’t imagine how someone could use a shovel that had a large umbrella attached to the end of the handle. But, then I realized that the shovel appears to be detachable. So I guess it’s a convenience issue – carry your shovel and umbrella together. Still, when I see this image, I can’t help but imagine someone trying to dig a hole with a shovel that’s attached to a large umbrella.
