medibottle Awards
- Hammacher Schlemmer - "Revolutionary way to dispense baby medicine wins for America's best invention" (Press Release)
- Fit Pregnancy - "Best Product of the Year"
New York, September 12, 1996 - - Hammacher Schlemmer today announced the winners of SEARCH for INVENTION '96, a national inventor's competition designed to discover the best new consumer products of 1996. The announcement was made in the retailer's flagship store in Manhattan on 57th Street.
The final winners are as follows: (For product description refer to SFI Product List.)
Grand Prize ($5,000)
Product: medibottle (Dispenses Baby's Medicine Easily)
Inventor: Mark and Lori Burchett, Chicago, IL
More than four-hundred entries were narrowed down to twenty-one semi-finalists. The semi-finalists all clearly visualized a better way of living and solving everyday problems. Products making it into the final round of competition ranged from problem solvers such as a simplified way to install wallpaper borders, a personal safety device built into a glove, and a seat lift designed for people with limited mobility. Other semi-finalists ranged from a new instantly adjustable string suspension system for game rackets to a fantastic new vehicle which is a cross between a scooter and a stepping machine.
To be considered for the competition, the product needed to fall into one of the following four categories: recreation, personal care, utilitarian home/garden and personal electronics. In addition. inventions needed to have patents, working or non-working prototypes, and be designed for general consumer, not industrial or trade use.
A panel of three judges reviewed the twenty-one semi-finalists to select the winners. The judging panel included: Consumer product specialist Dick DeBartolo of CNBC; Barbara Burnes, an inventor and president of In~Net, Inc, an on-line forum for Ideas, Invention, and Innovations; Ed Curran, creator of "Technogadgets" heard on United Airlines and high tech contributor on WGN Television News and Dick DeBartolo, The Gizmo Wizard of CNBC's, "Steals & Deals".
Established in New York City, in 1848, Hammacher Schlemmer is the nation's oldest retailer of innovative consumer products. Just a few of the products the company has introduced over the years are the first pop-up toaster (1930), steam iron (1948) and microwave oven (1968). Today the company is based in Chicago and publishes monthly catalogs with annual circulation in excess of 35 million. Hammacher Schlemmer also operates stores in New York, Chicago, Beverly Hills, and electronically on America OnLine, Prodigy, CompuServe, and the Internet.
From the certificate awarded to The Medicine Bottle Company, Inc. from Fit Pregnancy:
"Congratulations - The Medicine Bottle Company - medibottle
Let it be known that the above named has been awarded this certificate in recognition of having a great new product that makes sense, eases a new parent's life and helps keep an infant happy and safe."