Talk:The Clapper

don't do it—Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.41.18.140 (talk • contribs) 13:30, 11 September 2007

So if you plug a TV into this thing, you have to reset the clock every time you turn it on?—Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.72.21.221 (talk • contribs) 23:35, November 18, 2007

Yes, unless you have an old-school TV with 13 channels selected by a knob, in which case you should probably get a new TV. Charles 05:22, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

Inductance

Does it work with ALL items that may be plugged into a standard outlet? HID light ballasts often kill standard timer switches. Is The Clapper any different? Alvis 09:36, 4 December 2007 (UTC)

sources

can you get it from kissing? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.125.110.223 (talk) 20:03, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

Well, the article does say that it can be activated by intercourse [1] so maybe there's a link there. EEng 02:20, 13 June 2020 (UTC)

Bruce Almighty

Would it not be more accurate to say that the Clapper was "referenced" by Bruce Almighty rather than "appeared"? Because God quite clearly says that he doesn't have a Clapper, but does find the jingle catchy. R'win (talk) 13:56, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Movie Le Casse

The french movie Le Casse has an hilarious scene with a clapper type device to switch light on and off. When Jean-Paul Belmondo starts slapping Dyan Cannon, light goes on and off. The weird thing is that this movie was made before the clapper patent... --Tilman (talk) 17:25, 13 April 2009 (UTC)

The patent is for technology (or technical principles) and not for idea. Like people thought about flying devices like birds for centuries before invention of plane.59.162.170.113 (talk) 08:07, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

Patent Info

There is something wrong about the patent info. It says here that the patent was:

• Publication date Feb 20, 1996
• Filing date May 7, 1993.

While the article says it was in 1983. Am I missing something here? --Jak123 (talk) 12:33, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

Entirely possible for the product to be introduced well before the patent. Do we have a source for when the product was introduced? Googling seems to imply mid-'80s Joseph_Enterprises says: brand name: 1966!, design patent granted 1988. There was also a first, failed design that harmed the appliances, so perhaps that's the 80's design. --24.228.96.165 (talk) 09:31, 22 December 2017 (UTC)

If you think a product can be introduced well before the patent, then you know nothing about patents. This patent is for certain improved implementations of the basic idea -- better circuitry etc. EEng 23:59, 23 December 2017 (UTC)

Some products do have "patent pending" on them.--Auric talk 20:48, 4 January 2018 (UTC)

In the US you have one year from the time you start marketing the invention, or otherwise disclosing it, it apply for a patent; in many other jurisdictions you don't even get the year. While you're waiting for a determination on the patent ("patent pending") you can go ahead and sell the product. Anyway, like I said this patent doesn't cover the idea of a clap-actuated control device, but rather a particular way of implementing such a device. Undoubtedly it's just one of numerous such patents on this kind of device. EEng 20:57, 4 January 2018 (UTC)