Alice H. Parker, Black History Month 2023

No items found.
​
October 2, 2023
No items found.
Table of contents
  • Toc Heading
  • Toc Heading

As we move through October and temperatures begin to drop, many of us will be wrapping up, adding extra layers and switching on the heaters. Here's a woman that inspired many of the modern heating mechanisms we have today…. Alice H. Parker.

Alice was born in 1895, in Morristown, New Jersey, USA. She graduated with Honours from Howard University in 1910, a university historically known for its admittance of Black students.

Alice was inspired by the cold, harsh New Jersey winters to invent a heating system, feeling that coal and wood burning were not effectively heating her home. The indoor heating system she designed was comprised of mini furnaces, connected to a common air exchange. The system used hot air created from the combustion of natural gas. This contained air ducts for an even distribution around the home, and even allowed for the moderation of temperature in different areas.

Alice's invention is remarkable in many ways; it eliminated the need for a furnace and reduced the risk of house fires - a threat posed by the burning of wood and coal through a cold night. She was awarded a patent (number US 1,325,905) in December of 1919. Although her invention was never commercialised, it inspired the thermostat, forced air furnaces, and the modern zone heating we have today!

Alice's legacy lives on through the Alice H. Parker Women Leaders in Innovation Award, created by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. This award acknowledges the creation and innovation of Women in New Jersey.

Alice's patent was granted before the Women's Liberation Movement and the Civil Rights Movement – an incredible achievement, given the systemic barriers Black women faced at that time.

Much information about Alice's life is not widely known so I wanted to shine a spotlight on her as we recognise the contributions and achievements of those with African or Caribbean heritage this Black History Month.

You can find out a bit more about Alice here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_H._Parker

Written by Regina Johnson

Recent Case Reports

See all Case Reports

R.262A applications required to maintain confidentiality in UPC Proceedings
03 March 2026
The Court of Appeal clarified the necessity of formal applications to maintain confidentiality in Unified Patent Court (UPC) proceedings when disclosing ordered information. This ruling arose from a dispute involving patent infringement and confidentiality claims between EOFlow and Insulet.
​
Long arm not available for amended patent
02 March 2026
IMC Créations is a French company specialising in anti-theft systems for vehicles, particularly commercial vehicles. Among other things, it sells locks for the side and rear doors of commercial vehicles. Mul-T-Lock belongs to the Assa Abloy group and specialises in high security locking and access control systems, in particular pick-resistant keys and locks. IMC alleged that Mul-T-Lock’s MPV 1000 padlock infringes its unitary patent EP4153830 and the corresponding Swiss national validation.
​
Re-establishment of rights following failure to apply for a cost decision in time
02 March 2026
The dispute arises out of earlier proceedings between Heraeus Electronics GmbH & Co. KG (claimant) and Vibrantz GmbH (defendant), relating to European Patent No. 3215288. The Munich Local Division issued a substantive decision on 10 October 2025 addressing infringement and a counterclaim for revocation. Among other findings, the court partially revoked the patent in three Contracting Member States and dismissed the infringement action. In its cost decision, the court apportioned 40% of the costs to the defendant and 60% to the claimant.
​