surge protector project

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pHASE 1:RESEARCH AND PROBLEM DEFINITION

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1.1 Design Brief ... 1-3

1.2 History of the Product ...4-5

1.3 Existing Patents ...6 + appendix 1.3

1.4 Reviews of Related Literature ... 7-10

1.5 Comparative Product Chart ... 11-12

1.6 Interaction Matrix ... 13-14

1.7 Sequence of Use ... 15-17

1.8 Questionnaire to User ... 18-19

1.9 Summary of Findings ... 20-21

1.10 Image Boards ... 22-27

1.11 Preliminary Sketches ...28, 29..

appendix

1.3 existing patents1.11 preliminary sketches

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wHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW A DESIGN BRIEF, BEFORE EVEN STARTING TO DRAW ?

..................................BECAUSE YOUR DESIGN BRIEF IS

everything.

who? what? where?when? what for?

how? why?

these questions should help you get as much information as possible so that you get an outline of the project,

your client and his expectations.

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Adressing the constant “socket shortage” people look to increase their outlets by any means possible - power strips, multiple outlet strips, extension cords, and electrical outlets - to keep up with the increasing electrical and electronic devices used in a household.Often they do this under safety hazard and thus increasing the chancesfor a fire or an accident (Compliance office).

Related to this matter, is the increasing number of people who work exclusively from home and people who bring work home. Meaning that there is an increasing need an exclusive place for work at home, or at least , certain power supply adequations.

Tying these problematics together, we can see the need for an integral managing system of electric and electronic devices, that not only tend to the power supply, but the entire apparatus, thus making it more efficient.

Project Outline-Develop an electric and portable home office accessory that manages electrically powered appliances.

The project will be divided into three phases:Phase 1 is Research and Problem Definition (2 weeks) 1.1 Design Brief 1.2 History of the Product 1.3 Existing Patents 1.4 Reviews of Related Literature 1.5 Comparative Product Chart 1.6 Interaction Matrix 1.7 Sequence of Use 1.8 Questionnaire to User 1.9 Summary of Findings 1.10 Image Boards 1.11 Preliminary Sketches

THE DESIGN BRIEF 1.1

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Phase 2 is Concept Development (4 weeks) 2.1 Sketch Evaluations 2.2 Brainstorming 2.3 Brainstorming Evaluations 2.4 Define “Ideal” Product 2.5 Refined Sketches 2.6 Sketch Models 2.7 Concept Evaluations- Design Direction 2.8 Concept Refinement Sketches 2.9 Final Concept Presentation Rendering

Phase 3 is Concept Finalization and Documentation (2 weeks) 3.1 Color Study 3.2 Photoshop/Rhino Rendering 3.3 Photo Documentation of Working Model Construction 3.4 Final Working Model 3.5 Photo Documentation of Working Model In-Use 3.6 CAD Documentarion of Control Surfaces

THE DESIGN BRIEF 1.1

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Studying the history of the product

lets you understand the development of

a product and even an industry.creating a visual timeline helps to

show the differences and the circumstances in which they took place.

the more you know, the better you’ll understandthe custumers need and the changes that need to be made.

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History of the product 1.2

It was on October 18th 1878, that Thomas Alva Edison made household electricity possible, since then , we have become dependant of it and the appliances it powers.The engineering of the outlet has evolved: we have gone from about ten different frequencies to just two in the world, and we have two standard voltages as well.

In the beginning light and other appliances belonged to two different accounts, being light the cheapest, and from this surged the appliances that used the light connectors to work.

Power strips came to be from the necessity for more sockets and extension cords, from the need of having an outlet, far from where there was one. So for both, the distribution of the power supply was crucial.Several features have being added over the time to the power strips:-Surge Protection-Additional chargers-Additional cable outlet (coaxial, ethernet)-On/Off Switches-Eco-friendly features, like instant switch-off and energy saving.

Tn order to get to the history of power strips, it is important to first now a little of

general household electricity history.

As electrical appliances evolve,so have the outlets that power them and in these days,with the increasing accumulation of electric and electronic devices, we can only conceiveof more and more power outlets.

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complementing the research for the historyof the product,

existing patentsallow for an in-depthsearch for the productsand methodsthat are registered.

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reviewing information about what ishappening about the product from

different types of resources like

blogs, trade journals,magazines,important websitesand the consumer.

What changes are occurring ?

what are the trends ?

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review of related literature and resources 1.4

“I hate to even suggest this, but you could run an extension cord from another room, which should (!) be on another circuit.

Make sure you use one of the large diameter ones, like you see on construction sites. I'm not kidding - if you run a cord over 25 feet, the current losses can be noticeable in the

wimpy cords you find at the supermarket. And current losses == heat, not something you want in your wiring.

example Monday, March 14, 2005

There are a (small) number of power strips and UPS that have sockets spaced out in consideration of bricks. Check those out.

ALso, talk to the landlord - see if he would be amenable to splitting the cost to have an electrician run a new circuit - you want a dedicated line from a circuit breaker to six well-

spaced outlets where your office is.

It would help him rent it in the future, so it shouldn't be a huge burden.

PhiloPhilo

Monday, March 14, 2005(The Joel on Software)

Like this post on a discussion group called The Joel on Software, there are plenty others, and just like that, people have a few dozen suggestions as of what to do about it.

Below, an excerpt of some suggestions:

Not enough power outlets in home office.

“I don't have enough outlets. I did an inventory today - between the wife's setup and my own, we currently need 29 outlets (10 of these are blocky transformers, which often hog adjacent outlets in a typical surge strip). With optional power needs (guests, etc) we could use 35 or 40 outlets.” (The Joel on Software)

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It seems that poor wiring in old houses makes for a lack for sockets, sincethere were not as many electric appliances and electronic devices to plug.However, even in more contemporary homes, the problem is the same- “socket shortage” (Lane).

In the UK, by set of the National House Building Council’s technical standards a three-bedroom house built today must have at least 38 sockets, more than twice as many as 30 years ago.Still, this isn’t enough, because new constructions only account for 160,000 houses per yeard of the 25 million existing homes in the UK.

What the britons are doing is buying extension boards or power strips a survey for Energy Experience, an online education resource, 92% of respondents said their household used an average of three extension boards.


It seems that our need for sockets has become insatiable, but where does it stop? The solution in the 80’s and 90’s was to simply add more sockets to the construction, but their is an increasing concern for more eco-friendly options. These eco-friendly outlet strips have options that cut the power from the devices that are switched-off, saving not only energy but money too (Lane).

This same phenomenon is happening outside the homes and is experienced everywhereyou could find a power outlet to charge your laptop or your PDA. This is happening as webecome more and more dependent from our cell phones, mp3’s,digital cameras,personal organizers, etcetera (Marriot).

There is a trend also as to bring aesthethics to these appliances, avoiding the clutter that usually accumulates underneath the desks .

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With the use of power strips, misuse of them comes along as well.Often in some buildings, especially older ones, to meet power supply needs, exten-sion cords or surge protected power strips are often interconnected, or “daisy chained,” to readily provide more outlets and/or to reach greater distances. Another common solution is to create a “mixed daisy chain,” interconnecting extension cords and power strips. However, interconnecting these devices is a violation of Occupa-tional Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and the National Electri-cal Code because doing so can cause them to become overloaded, leading to their failure and a possible fire (Compliance).Actually, according to the National Fire Protection Association, the use of electrical distribution equipment lik extension cords, was the second leading cause offire deaths between 1994 and 1998; this for the overloading or “daisy chaining”. The Office of Compliance, lists the following as the basic guidelines of use for exten-sion cords and the inappropriate use:

Basic Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of Extension CordsCords must be properly approved (by Underwriters Laboratory, etc.)Approved cords must be for temporary use only (no m ore than 90 days)Extension cords may be used for remodeling and maintenance or repair of structures or equipment It is permissible to use extension cords to light holiday decorations

Inappropriate Use of Extension CordsUsing as permanent wiringUsing unapproved extension cordsOverloading power capabilities of the cord during temporary useDaisy chaining (plugging one extension cord into another and another, etc.)Using one surge protector/power strip to power another

(Compliance)

Another safety hazard is employees falling in the workplace, which has become private industry’s third leading cause of fatal work injuries.In 2003, falls in the workplace caused 696 occupational fatalities and 257,100 nonfatal injuries. While 87% of fall fatalities are due to falling from a higher level to a lower level, not all falls in the workplace are related to raised surfaces. Obstructed walkways,loose floor materials, and unsecured wires can also cause a significant workplace hazard.The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires offices to remedy hazards like broken or missing hand rails, dislocated floor tiles, wet walkways, and wires crossing pas-sageways.

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PRODUCTMini Surge Protector with USB

Charger T12 POWER STRIP

model Part # BZ103050-TVL -

price $24.99 $120.00

manufacturer Belkin Tributaries

retailerTarget, B&H Photo

Video,Belkin, AmazonThe Home Depot, Ace

Hardware, Supreme Hardware

portability Compact and Lightweight Big and Rugged

surge protection

All outlets have surge protection

All outlets have surge protection

equipment warranty $75,000.00 $25,000.00

Pro

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Fun

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materials

dimensions - -electrical specfications 36,000 A, 918 J

4320 Joules of energy dissapation

outlets 5 (3 AC and 2 USB) 12 (8 are rotating)

extra features 2 USB chargersDSS/Coax/Phone and LAN

protection

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POWER TRACK Clamp Surge Protector Woods 6 Outlet Power Strip

- Part # BZ106000-10 552371

$270.00 $40.99 $5.99

Eubiq Belkin Coleman Cable

hardwarezone.comWal-Mart, Tiger Direct,

J&R,Amazon Ace Hardware Superstore

Mounted on walls Designed to clamp anywhere Relatively portable

-All outlets have surge

protection NO

- $15,000.00 -

Aluminum casing with Polycarbonate for insulation

max length is 3.6 m -1.1 x 3.1 x 11.3 inches ; 9.3

ounces

230Vac or 110Vac. 330V, 885J15 AMP, 125 volt, 1875 watt

max

Can fit up to 10 6 6

- - -

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Indirect Interaction Matrix/ direct interaction

/. desired interaction

X no interaction

Ground Feet Hands Wall Desk Chaircell phone charger

Plug / X X /. X X X

Cord / / /. / X X XOn/Off Switch X X /. X X X X

LED Light X X /. X X X X

Casing / / /. X X X /.

Sockets X X / X X X /.

Direct Interaction Matrix/ direct interaction

/. desired interaction

X no interaction

Plug CordOn/Off Switch LED Light Casing Sockets

Plug X / X X X X

Cord / X X X /. XOn/Off Switch X X X /. /. X

LED Light X X /. X /. /

Casing X /. /. /. X /.

Sockets X X X X /. X

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ASKING THE USER ABOUTTHE PRODUCT ALLOWS TOGAIN VALUABLEINFORMATION.

uSING AN OPEN QUESTIONNAIREWILL LET US KNOW OUR USER S THOUGHTs and feelings, MEANWHILE,

A CLOSE QUESTIONNAIRE WILLallow us to ask specific questions .

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS AND MORE QUESTIONS.

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questionnaire 1.8

I applied 15 mixed questionnaires ( both open and close questions) to people from 20 to 28 years old that are currently in college or have recently graduated. I decided to apply the questionnaire to this age demographic since they usually own various electronic devices.

QuestionnaireHome Office Accessory

Do you have a home desk? Where is it located in your house?

Do you work from home? Yes / NoDo your work at home? Yes /NoHave you ever struggled with having fewer sockets than what you need? Yes /NoIf you have, what have you done to resolve the situation?

What electric and/or electronic devices do you plug into the power outlets?

How do you manage their cables (tangled cords, cables sitting on the floor?

Which do you find to be more efficient in tending to your needs, a power strip, extension cable or neither?

Extension cord Power StripIf neither an extension cord nor a power strip helps you, what characteristics should the apparatus have?

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after detecting the areas of opportunities-what works, what’ is not working and how it can be

improved- parameters are set.

These parameters will be the

road map for the development of the concept.

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findings 1.9

The conflic situations that I encountered are:

1) Overloading the power capabilities and resulting in a risk of fire.2) Entangled cords3) Daisy chains4) Oversized transformers and chargers take up more than one socket.5)Tripping hazard from loose cables sitting on the floor.

The areas of opportunities detected are :

1) Betterment in the management of the cords of the appliances.2) Provide for wider separation among the sockets, so that all can be used, when using oversized chargers and transformers (wall warts).3) Longer extension cords to reach farther.4) Aesthetically pleasing apparatus.5) Featuring an extra thing like , a USB charger dock, or a telephone or ethernet outlet.6) Need of approximately a minimum 38 outlets per household.7) Avoiding the entaglement of the cords.8) Reducing the need for daisy chains.9) Integral management of the device that is being charged, instead of only its power supply.10) Avoiding power capabilities overload.

From the questionnaire I concluded, that even though a majority of my respondents don’t work from home, they do tend to work at home. They do their work mostly in their own bedroom and some have studios of home offices, there was another part that used the kitchen or dining room to work or study.Most have encountered the situation in which they need more power outlet and most prefer to use a power strip, however, their is little interest in managing the cables from the connected items.Among the items they connect to the power are:laptops, lamps, cellphones, ipod, ethernet cable, scanner, printer, external drive, fan, telephone, tv, hi-fi,dvd, alarm clock,refrigerator, xbox and router.

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REFERENCES

References_

History of the Product 1.2-A Powerful History: The Modern Electrical Outlet by Robin Hartman, June 19th 2008 ,http://illumin.usc.edu/article.php?articleID=181&page=1 Existing Patents 1.3-The United States Patent and Trademark Office Website http://www.uspto.gov/ Google Patents www.google.com/patents Review of Literature 1.4-Joel on Software Discussion Group http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?joel.3.93730.17 A Solution of the Socket Shortage, Megan Lane, BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6705313.stm Power Users, Ready for a Refill by Michelle Marriot , January 6, 2005 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/06/technology/circuits/06powe.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&position= Fast Facts Daisy Chains, Fast Facts Extension Cords and Power Strips, Fast Facts Slips, Trips and Falls http://www.compliance.gov/ Questionnaire 1.8-http://changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/open_closed_questions.htm

surge protector project

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