Today we take a look at 5 of the most prolific inventors of
our day. From nuclear fusion methods to digital paper to floral
arrangements, each of our listed inventors currently holds thousands of
patents. Keep in mind: Thomas Edison, America’s most prolific inventor
for hundreds of years, only held around 1,100 U.S. patents. Keep reading
to find out more about what drives these inventors and how they left
Edison in the dust.
1) Kia Silverbrook
3,800 granted U.S. utility patents as of April 2011
11,146 patents worldwide
Although the numbers are constantly changing and sometimes
controversial, Kia Silverbrook currently holds the top spot for patent
production. With almost 4,000 U.S. patents and 9,000 patents or patent
applications currently registered with the International Patent Document
Database, Silverbrook patented his first invention in 1990 and hasn’t
slowed down since. Often cited as the most secretive of the prolific
inventors, the Australian inventor left Japan’s Canon Inc. in the mid
90’s and started up Silverbrook Research in Balmain, New South Wales, a
research and development and invention licensing company. He also
co-founded and became CTO of Memjet, a printer technology company, in
2002.
While most of Silverbrook’s patents deal with printer, inkjet and
digital paper technology, he also holds patents on various image
sensors, computer graphics and digital camera technology. This year, the
Washington Times
wrote a piece on Memjet’s revolutionary printing technology. While
laser and inkjet printers have dominated the printing market for years,
the article notes that Memjet’s new printers can produce one color page
per second, at around $500 a piece – and the ink only runs for 5 cents
per page, as compared to 12 cents for laser toner or 25 cents for
consumer inkjet ink!
2) Shunpei Yamazaki
2,591 granted U.S. utility patents
9,700 patents worldwide
Currently in the Guinness Book of World Records for “Most patents
held by a person,” 69-year-old Yamazaki currently holds over 2,600 U.S.
patents and thousands of patents in Europe and Japan. Founder and
President of Tokyo-based Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., a research
and development company, Yamazaki has been patenting his inventions for
over 40 years.
While most of his patents deal with computer and videos screens for
his business, he has also patented several methods relating to cold
nuclear fusion and an integrated circuit made entirely of glass. An
interview with
Portfolio.com
describes Yamazaki as a “neatly dressed, polite, trumpet-voiced man,
who comes across as something of a mystical seeker [and] attributes his
success to six years under a mentor who taught him the “emotional
spirit” of inventing.”
3) Donald Weder
951 granted U.S. utility patents
409 granted U.S. design patents
2,441 patents worldwide
Born and raised in rural Highland, Illinois, Weder has been patenting
his floral and decorative packaging products since the 70’s. In 1977,
Weder inherited Highland Supply Corp., a national floral supply company
started in 1937, from his father. Although relatively unknown outside of
the floral industry, his savvy business skills transformed a small,
family-owned company into a dominant market force.
Almost all floral arrangements have something to do with one or more
of his patents. His minefield approach to the patent game has made it
tough for any competition to encroach on his hundreds of patents dealing
with flowerpots, floral paper and wrapping methods. Nevertheless,
Weder’s green thumb also has a philanthropic spirit: the Weder Family
Trust and Highland Supply have planted over 100,000 trees in the U.S.
and Mexico and have preserved thousands of acres of timberland.
4) Paul Lapstun
951 granted U.S. utility patents
3,379 patents worldwide
It is no coincidence that our list features two prolific Australian
inventors involved in the printing industry: Lapstun is a colleague of
Silverbook’s at Silverbook Research. With many inventions listing
Lapstun and Silverbrook as co-inventors, Lapstun also co-patented the
wide-format inkjet print engine that has propelled Memjet into the
forefront of the printing world. A list of patents granted to Lapstun
can be found
here, including more than 85 so far in 2011.
5) Leonard Forbes
946 granted U.S. utility patents
2,010 patents worldwide
A retired professor from Oregon State University, Forbes is a native
Canadian and currently runs his own Oregon-based consulting office that
deals with solar cell technology. A majority of his patents deal with
semiconductor memories and thin film processes and materials. His
personal website provides more information, including his
2006 profile
published in the University of Alberta Engineer. The article
summarizes, “’I think when you reach the end of your life,’ he says,
‘you’d like to look back and say you made some positive contributions to
the world.’ It’s probably safe to assume Forbes will be able to do just
that.”
