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mauraleigh
 
Not Rated
02/25/2009
It seems the only parts of a dishwasher that couldn't be folded down are the heating and washing elements. A folding-dishwasher could consist of a heat-resistant cover of waterproof fabric stretched over a collapsible frame. The frame would include tracks for racks to slide out of. The racks would also be collapsible. The cover would have a watertight slide-lock zipper to close up the dishwasher before running. Heating and jet elements and spaces for detergent would be on the bottom in a...
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mauraleigh
 
Not Rated
Storing reusable diapers, reusable personal wiping cloths and reusable menstrual cloths in water between use and washing can help prevent stains from setting, but the anaerobic conditions of a pail of stagnant water makes such stinky items even more stinky and can pose health risks. The introduction of oxygen to such a pail by an air pump and air stone (as used in aquariums and hydroponics) could help to control the growth of the anaerobic microorganisms that are the source of these...
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mauraleigh
 
Not Rated
This is a concentrator to concentrate the sun's energy to a point for cooking food or focusing it on a small solar battery recharger. I got the idea for this from Cool Earth's solar concentrators (see http://www.coolearthsolar.com/technology). In addition to saving energy, reducing pollution and speeding up the recharging of batteries (especially on cloudy days), food cooked in these concentrators would form fewer, if any, carcinogenic compounds during cooking compared to food cooked on a...
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mauraleigh
 
Not Rated
I would like a cart that I can use both on the bus and as a trailer behind my bike. In thinking about this it occurred to me that one could make several different kinds of carrying devices from a few different pieces that could be configured into different frames to support different fabric carriers. Such a device could be configured to make not just a cart and bike trailer, but a stroller, hand cart, dolly, sled and more. Some fabric carriers could be made to be used with more than one...
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mauraleigh
 
Not Rated
02/24/2009
This is simply a bib that includes a space to hold some food. You could also add a cup holder for it to hold beverages. Care would need to be taken to avoid spills, especially when a person bends down (the bib should swing from the neck). Also consider how it would fit on ladies. Even small breasts could interfere with the fit. I think this could be made at home with a food grade plastic container if it is large enough and has one side that is flat and reasonably wide. You would just...
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mauraleigh
 
Not Rated
The Spring-loaded Sling Bed would be an alternative to a foam or spring mattress. Different versions of the bed would be made to either rest on top of a platform bed (preferably one with an open bottom) or to replace the side rails of a bed. It is inspired by hammocks and the use of side rods as in the kanoe baby hammock (kanoe.us) and the "air chair". I am not an engineer. There are some specifics of the design that I have left to someone with engineering skills. That said, I think...
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mauraleigh
 
Not Rated
I have a handheld blender/cake mixer/dough mixer from Braun that could be improved upon. I don't see even see this product (or anything like it) anymore on Amazon.com, where I found it. Hopefully someone could bring back a product with these features, plus the features I describe below. Alternatively, maybe someone could make aftermarket attachments for hand blenders with adapters for different models. There are a number of places on hand blenders and their attachments that can be hard...
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mauraleigh
 
Not Rated
This would be a device that you would plug into a wall and plug a heating appliance, such as a slow cooker or dehydrator, into the device. You would set the thermostat for the temperature you would like the food in the appliance to maintain, or possibly two temperatures: one for the appliance to turn on at when it falls below it and one for it to turn off at when it reaches it. The sensor would be wireless, like some modern thermometers, and sealed such that it could be completely...