Accidental Innovations

 

Microwave

As an Engineer, Mr. Percy Spencer, employed by Raytheon Corporation, invented microwave ovens by mistake. According to Mr. Ockenden (2014), Spencer Percy was a self-taught engineer without formal education. Mr. Spencer was researching and building a radar vacuum tube. The vacuum tubes produced microwave radiation, which is used in radar systems. In 1941, Mr. Spencer invented an advanced way to produce vacuum tubes. When testing his radar invention, he realized that the candy bar he was carrying in his pocket begun to melt. To prove if the microwave emitted from the new machine influences other products, Mr. Spencer decided to test it on popcorn. The popcorns popped when subjected to the microwave. Mr. Spencer's next action was to build a metal box that he could inject microwave in it. Mr. Spencer realized that exposing food to low microwave energy would lead food to cook. This innovation has led to the invention of a microwave that is presently used throughout the world. This incident made Mr. Spencer realize that he invented the new machine, which later became the microwave.

Raytheon "had a patent on the first microwave, the Radarange, which weighed 750 pounds and sold as a commercial cooker for $2,000 to $3,000 to restaurants, ocean liners, and passenger trains as a way to provide warm meals conveniently" (Stofko, 2016, para. 1). A microwave is a kitchen appliance, which he used for heating/defrosting food. When the food is placed in the microwave, and the microwave hits the food, the microwave makes the molecules in the water, and food substances rotate and hit rapidly, which establishes as heat. Unlike the natural food heading method, the microwave can rapidly heat food because they are steering the food molecules.

Inkjet Printer

In 1977, an inkjet printer was first accidentally invented by a researcher at the Cannon company in Tokyo.  The inventor of the inkjet was Ichiro Endo. The company hired Mr. Endo as a researcher. Mr. Endo unintentionally made contact syringe needle with the hot soldering iron. The syringe contained ink with the hot soldering iron. Contacting the hot soldering iron made the ink to be released from the tip of the syringe. The heat forced the ink to be released from its container through the needle, leading to the understanding that that heat will force ink to ooze out of a needle's tip.

The concept that an ink being released from a syringe when it is in contact with a hot object led to the current in-jet printer. The accident approach, the middle tip's contact with a soldering iron, was ultimately developed into a new mechanism referred to as BubbleJet printer. Cannon produced and demonstrated the first Bubblejet printer prototype in 1981, and the model of this printer went to market in 1985. Lexmark and Xerox further developed the innovation. Epson applied piezoelectric technology to develop inkjet printers. Currently, inkjet "printers apply tiny heating elements that reach temperatures of 500c vaporizing minute amounts of ink for a few millionths of a second" (Tiny Bubbles, 2001, p.1).

References

Blitz, M. (2016). The Amazing True Story of How the Microwave Was Invented by Accident.     

Ockenden, P. (2014, 09). Taking a sideways look. PC Pro, 65-67. Retrieved from            

Stofko, L. (2016). CIOs must stand at the forefront of innovation.Cio, Retrieved from\            https://proxy.cecybrary.com/login?url=https://www-proquest com.proxy.cecybrary.com/trade-journals/cios-must-stand-at-forefront innovation/docview/1830472531/se-2?accountid=144789

Tiny Bubbles. (2001, Jan). Technology Review, 104, 136. Retrieved from https://proxy.cecybrary.com/login?url=https://www-proquest com.proxy.cecybrary.com/magazines/tiny-bubbles/docview/195350820/se  2?accountid=144789

 

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