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Women in IP - Bavaria
"Women in IP" – Innovation and creativity are female
This year’s World Intellectual Property Day is dedicated to women: Event though almost half of the world’s population are female, women file significantly fewer patent applications than men, for instance. This needs to be changed, as women’s ingenuity and point of view shape the world. On the occasion of World Intellectual Property Day, the DPMA, together with its cooperation partners, the patent information centres, presents women inventors, designers and trade mark proprietors from all over Germany. The good news is there are many of them and the ideas they have implemented are quite different. Get inspired and join our tour of Germany to discover exciting stories about women in IP. We continue our journey in the south of Germany".
Bayern Innovativ GmbH - "Women in IP" from Bavaria
Since its foundation in 1995, Bayern Innovativ GmbH has been an important part of the innovation policy of the Free State of Bavaria. Its vision is a Bavaria in which every viable idea and technology becomes an innovation. The range of consulting services includes services for successful technology and innovation management, for patenting, for questions of cultural and creative industries, for participation in international innovation and cooperation projects and for project funding. Bayern Innovativ GmbH networks, promotes and advises companies, scientific institutions and organizations. Thinknet Bayern comprises over 75,000 players - the result is a dynamic, cross-industry transfer of knowledge. All activities focus in particular on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups. Together with Bayern Innovativ GmbH, we present creative women from Bavaria and their innovations here.
"Well protected" - fashionable hats and accessories for helmets
Eva-Maria Burner liked to wear hats even as a young woman. Because on the one hand they are chic and on the other they protect against rain, wind and sun. As the daughter of a paraplegic father, she was keen to reduce danger from an early age. However, she would never have worn a helmet on her bike when she was riding her city bike to work, shopping or to an appointment in normal civilian clothes. So she came up with the idea of crocheting a hat for the helmet. This sat well on the semi-circular city bike helmet she had bought and also matched the rest of her outfit much better. A seamstress friend then helped her sew such a hat out of fabric. From then on, she had much more motivation to put on the helmet and wore it "well protected" from then on.
After a knee operation in 2012, she feared that she would now no longer be able to practice her profession for health reasons. This led her to pursue her idea more concretely. Her life partner at the time with his advertising agency, conversations among friends and corresponding contacts in the textile industry gave her the courage to further develop the product "on top" hat to market maturity.
In cooperation with a regional workshop for the handicapped, the first two models with different brim widths were created from fabric in over a year of product development, which were then further developed into three designs. The special feature of these hats is that they can be combined with the wearer's own helmet (bicycle city helmet/riding helmet/skater helmet suitable), i.e. they are designed to be universal.
Her life partner then gave her the decisive hint to have the idea protected, so that she contacted the Patent Center Bavaria to apply for a utility model and have her trademark "EVaRIA" protected.
Industrial property rights applied for
- Utility model DE DE202013011546U1 - Hats and caps for protective helmets
- Trademark EM 012482808 "EVaRIA
From the first self-developed baby carrier to a utility model-protected carrying aid
The basic idea for Eva Sollanek's invention came about 34 years ago, shortly after the birth of her daughter. While remodeling her house in Umbria, she wanted to be involved and at the same time keep her baby, who loved to be carried, safe and close to her. At first, she experimented with a simple sling. She quickly developed the concept for a baby carrier that did away with meters of fabric, complicated tying procedures or grandiose pre-adjustment, and instead, with the help of simple and few handles, allowed a baby to be ergonomically fitted and carried directly. In 1989, she registered the first utility model. After this worked so well with babywearing in her cut cloth, she occasionally went to trade fairs in Germany, where she was able to inspire midwives, pediatric nurses and doctors and many mothers to implement and utilize the invention.
The original concept of knotting was then later developed in the sense of simplification with the technique of the ring bit (the connecting element of the ends of the fabric). This made it even smaller, lighter and easier to use.
In view of the booming baby carrier market, she secured the protection of a utility patent for her further developments several times and thus also achieved the unique selling point of the ring bit.
Industrial property rights applied for
- Several utility models, including DE20 2015 000 998U1 "Baby sling with connection systems and shoulder straps", DE20 2016 100 222U1 "Baby sling and fixing element" and DE20 2018 105 490U1 "Carrying device for a child".
- Trademark DE302015061972 "anna-mobil".
All IP documents are available in DPMAregister.
Last updated: 29 November 2024
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