Velcro the Ultimate Helper

I would like to nominate Velcro as the best patented invention due to the impact it has had on the world and the way in which it comes into contact with almost everyone’s life in one way or another.

It started with George de Mestral taking a walk through the countryside one morning in 1941, while returning from the fields with his dog in Switzerland, he noticed how difficult it was to detach the flowers of the mountain thistle from his trousers and his dog’s fur.

Surprised at the tenacity of the flowers, he removed them carefully from his clothing so that he could observe them under a microscope. It was then that he discovered why they clung on so ardently: the flowers were covered in hundreds of tiny but strong hooks and where thus able to attach themselves to animal fur and fabric.

Velcro's versatility is used by the humble consumer who fastens up their coat, in the garden, for travel to name but a few uses, through to industry where car manufacturers and other industry giants use it as an alternative to other corrodible or heavy fastening systems.

The simplicity and strength of this patent has even helped in space with applications for keeping items secure in the holds of space shuttles through to improvements in the suits for the astronauts.

Best of all it helps to keep the nappy on my baby daughter and the clothes on her so that she is contented throughout the day!

Submitted by: Andrew Rothe