It's said that America receives tens of thousands of inventions every year. Of these only a few become (受欢迎的)and make a lot of money. There are thousands of inventions that (没有人) wants. Here are some of these.
In 1879, somebody invented a new type of "fire escape ". This was a hat which had a parachute(降落伞) on top. You (连接) the hat with a strap under your chin. With this special hat on you could jump from a building on (火) and fly down safely. With it there was also a special (双) of shoes, so the person could land safely.
There was a special alarm clock for people who had (问题) waking up in the morning. This clock had six pieces of wood that hung above your head. At the right time the pieces of wood (掉落) on you when you were sleeping. They hit you but did not (伤害) you, Therefore, you woke up.
Another invention was the bicycle seat to stop a thief. This seat had needles in it. When the (拥有者) rode the bicycle the needles were down. But when the bicycle was not in use, the needles were up. So a thief who jumped on the bike got a big (惊喜).
A 22-year old British student has invented a mobile fridge that could save millions of lives across the world.
Will Broadway's "Isobar" has been designed to keep vaccines(疫苗) at the ideal temperature while they are being sent in developing countries. And Will doesn't plan to make money from his creation. His purpose is to get vaccines to people who need them, which is why he won't be trying to get a patent(专利). Will's Isobar has won him the James Dyson Award that challenges young people to "design something that solves a problem".
Present methods of transporting vaccines can lead to the vaccines freezing(冻住) before reaching their places in developing countries, but the Isobar keeps a temperature of 2 to 8 degrees for 30 days.
Will's invention is expected to save the lives of 1.5 million people across the world, a number he says is "amazing". Having now finished college education, he is making an effort to take the Isobar into production. "I would be hands-on, all the way through it, knowing that it works," he says. "It's amazing to just give it a go, even in my back yard, and see the potential(潜能) of the technology."
The product has been designed to transport vaccines, but already Will sees the possibility of other medical uses in the developing world and beyond. "Blood donations, organ transplants(器官移植)- if they get trapped in traffic, you still use cold bags that really aren't good enough for a long time," he says.
There is also a possible, non-medical use of the Isobar. "It would be a great thing to take on a five-day trip where you have no power," he says. But he insists vaccine transportation is the primary function(功能) of his invention.
