IP Couture: Method of Concealing Partial Baldness

Patent number 4,022,227, invented by Frank and Donald Smith of Orlando, Florida, is for a method for balding folks to cover up their scalps using extra long hair that they've grown on the sides of their heads. You may recognize this technique, known commonly as the "comb-over."

This is a real head-scratcher, both from the examiner's angle (non-obvious? really?) and from the inventor's side (I wonder how they planned to enforce it?). I suppose there's a certain cache associated with holding a U.S. patent. And, the Smiths were awarded the 2004 Ig Noble Prize for engineering.


Method of concealing partial baldness Frank J. Smith et al