Microwaving Illinoisan gets patent for round paper towels [View All]

BY LUCIO GUERRERO Staff Reporter

John Esparza has a simple idea for a rather irritating problem.

Every time the 60-year-old Esparza wanted to heat up a sandwich in the microwave, he'd cover it up with a paper towel. But he always encountered a little geometrical problem -- the square paper towel would slip off the revolving round plate.

So the Illinois inventor came up with a solution -- round paper towels. This month the U.S. Patent and Trademark office accepted his application for, as he calls them, "microbuddies," paving the way for the newest "must-have" in every kitchen.

"I kept having to tear the corners off the paper towels myself," said Esparza, a retired railroad worker. "I thought, 'Why don't they make round paper towels?' "

"When I saw there weren't any available, I decided to make them myself."
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-round24.html