This week, IP Goes Pop! makes patents fun (or at least tries)! Volpe Koenig Shareholder Randy Huis is back to explore the world of toy patents with host Michael Snyder.

In this episode we invite you to journey back to life before computer screens, to a time when a simple stick or a ball was the must-have toy and the United States Patent Office still required inventors to provide models of their inventions. Then, fast-forward to the 1990s, when the discussion turns to a toy that is now synonymous with summer shenanigans, the Super Soaker water gun. Learn how the design of this iconic water gun ushered in a new era of backyard fun.

Finally, play along with a trivia game to see if you can guess the famous toys behind the original patents. What is a “Whirligig”? Did you play with one as a kid, or even now? Find out in this episode of IP Goes Pop!.

In this episode:

• Toy patent model history and examples
• The Super Soaker water gun
• Potato Head
• Ernö Rubik’s timeless “cube” invention
• S. Patent No. 3,660,926, “Magnetically coupled toy assembly” (May 9, 1972)
• S. Patent No. 4378116, “Spatial logical toy” (March 29, 1983)
• S. Patent No. 3,005,282, “Toy building brick” (October 10, 1961)
• S. Patent No. 59,745, “Whirligig” (November 11, 1866)
• S. Patent No. 3,359,678, “Flying saucer” (December 12, 1967)