They have christened it the Fidget Spinner and it is the fashionable toy on the playgrounds of all schools in the world . If you have a child nearby - children, nephews, grandchildren, students - you will know what we are talking about. If not, we will tell you.
The Fidget Spinner is a toy or gadget that has become fashionable among the little ones. But also among adults. And it has triumphed around the world. They enjoy watching it spin. Some even turn to it to relax.
But what exactly are we talking about? It comes from the United States and in reality, it is nothing more than a piece of plastic with three blades, dominated by a central axis . It fits in the palm of your hand and can work to combat stress.
The device does not stop turning and turning and the truth is that one cannot stop looking at it. It is absolutely hypnotic, so it has everything it takes to become a smash hit. However, it seems that the person who created it is not getting a single penny for his invention . But why?
Photo: Catherine Hettinger | TimeDot
Catherine Hettinger, the creator of the Fidget Spinner
Who is she? Her name is Catherine Hettinger and 20 years ago she devised what we now know as the Fidget Spinner. Considering how successful gossip has been, you might think we're talking about a rich woman. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The creator of the Fidget Spinner is from Florida . At the time she devised it to entertain her seven-year-old daughter. And the truth is that it registered.
Hettinger kept the patent on the contraption for eight years, but had to surrender it in 2005 because he had no money to pay for the renewal . At that time they were asking for $ 400. An amount that you were unable to pay.
Such has been the success of this device that some schools have banned it. Not surprisingly, it is so addictive that it is eating up mobile phones. And we thought that the screens were unbeatable.
Had she known in 2008 that millions and millions of Fidget Spinners were going to be sold , Catherine might have thought twice before losing the patent.
Catherine, 62, is aware of how difficult it is to be an inventor. You know that only 3% of those who invest manage to earn money. And in this case the business is being round.
But great for new manufacturers, who have appropriated the idea to manufacture and sell millions of Fidget Spinners around the world. He is aware that if he had not lost the patent, today he would not have problems paying for the telephone or the car bills.
She is not hurt by what happened
It seems that Catherine has no grudge against the manufacturers who are turning gold today. She says that she is actually glad to see that her invention is being useful to many.
Although in some schools they are prohibiting its use due to the distractions it generates in students, it seems that some teachers have known how to find it useful .
Catherine herself tells of the experience of a special education teacher who has used the Fidget Spinner to help her students, children with autism .
In fact, the idea came from the early 1990s, when suffering from myasthenia gravis (an autoimmune disease that weakens muscles), she had to invent something to entertain her daughter Sara. The first girl to play Fidget Spinner today is 30 years old.
Around two thousand people tried it at that time and got the idea registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent was his in 1997. In 2005, the Hasbro firm was interested in making the gadget , but at the last minute it gave up.
Now Catherine Hettinger has launched the project on Kickstarter. She wants to market the toy with the original design. Will it succeed?