Valley Stream brothers win QVC contest

Despite being an essential part of a home, office or just about any other manmade building, the window doesn’t bring a whole lot to the table by itself. These days, for a window to be used effectively, it needs several accessories: screens, locks, shades or blinds and decorative holiday stickers. But now, two Valley Stream brothers are hoping to add another essential accessory to the world of windows.

Daniel and Alex Luca’s invention, Window Safe, beat out four other products and won QVC’s week-long contest that ended on April 6 and can now be pre-ordered on QVC.com through the end of April.

Window Safe is a protective device that attaches to a window frame without tools, according to its product description on QVC.com, and once it’s locked in place, it can only be adjusted from the inside.

The idea came to Daniel in 1997 when his mother would want to open her bedroom window at night, but feared someone coming through the window overnight. “It was a way of limiting how much the window could open,” Daniel said, “but yet have fresh air coming into the room.”

Daniel said while growing up, he always had an interest in mechanics and did a lot of trial and error while designing Window Safe.

Alex thought the idea was a winner from the start. “I said ‘let’s play with the product because we might have something here,’ and we just started working on it from there,” Alex said.

The two got a patent attorney a few years ago, who ultimately led them to Brian Fried, an inventor with plenty of experience in working with QVC representatives. Fried has been on QVC for two years, appearing on the channel about once a month over that span. He also hosts a weekly radio show called “Got Invention Radio.”

“I took a look at their product and I thought it was a very smart idea,” Fried said of the Luca brothers. “I presented their product to QVC in November and they liked it and decided to give us a shot.”

QVC launched its Sprout Program in March, which gives inventors the ability to work with less stringent requirements and walks them through the process of getting their product sold. There is a Sprout Program contest each week where the public votes to decide the best invention among a group of five products, according to Fried.

The brothers, who both graduated from Elmont Memorial High School, had mixed emotions heading into the week their product was up for public vote.

“We were confident that we had a good product,” Alex said, “and nervous going in because obviously you’re in the public’s hands. There was a lot of hoping and praying, and it’s just incredible that it turned out that we actually won.”

Daniel added that their invention was tested — and approved — by a few close friends. “Friends of mine were able to enjoy the product and have that little piece of mind right here on Long Island,” Daniel said. “My small sample group of friends liked the product, so I figured other people would also benefit from it.”

Friends and family have been calling and emailing the brothers to congratulate them on their success recently. Alex said he wasn’t sure if he was dreaming when he received word that their product had won.

Now that Window Safe has won its week, pre-order sales will determine whether the product will be sold on air. “If it does well in pre-orders then there’s an opportunity for us to go on one of the QVC telecasts coming up,” Fried said.

Alex and Daniel are confident that Window Safe could make a real impression on QVC shoppers.

“I could see the product having a lifespan of many years because it’s something that many people can benefit from,” Daniel said, “whether it’s a homeowner, an apartment renter, or someone sending their child away to college for a dorm room.”