What does Patent Pending mean?

Answer:
The phrase patent pending simply means that

the creator or manufacturer of a product has officially applied for a patent for the item, but that a patent has not yet been granted. There is no guarantee that a patent will ever be granted for any product, and patent protections do not apply until such time that a patent is issued.

This phrase can only be used once a completed patent application has been formally filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Labeling an item with the phrase patent pending without filing a patent application is considered to be fraud, and anyone dong so is subject to legal penalties.