Product Design Reflection by Ivan Fithian ('18)
My invention is an automated ice pick. When I was shoveling snow over winter break, I kept hitting a bunch of ice on the sidewalk. The ice was hard and it took a lot of effort with a shovel to break it up. My invention makes it much easier to break up the ice by using an electric motor to replicate the motions of a person trying to break ice with a shovel. In addition to making it easier to break ice, the machine can also make it so elderly, weaker and disabled people can break up ice without injuring themselves as well as have an easy and efficient way to get rid of ice. Stores and businesses can also use this machine to clear the sidewalk of pesky ice to help keep people safe as well as avoid lawsuits.
The way the device works is that it has an oscillating hammer that spins inside of a protected cage (like how small household fans do). The hammer is rotated by a small electric motor attached to a battery pack that can easily be recharged. Each rotation, the hammer hits a spring and compresses the spring enough so that the hammer can pass and complete another rotation. The spring is attached to a large rod and when the spring is hit, the rod is pushed towards the ground and exerts a force on the ground. This cycle repeats which creates a jackhammer like motion of the rod. By attaching an ice pick to the end of the rod, an effective way to break up ice is created.
To make the device more versatile, I also thought of being able to add different attachments to the front rod. The first idea started out with just an ice pick to break up ice, but two other proposed tips that I thought would be useful are a mop and a broom tip so the device can be used indoors. Another improvement that I thought of was how the device would be mounted. At first, I had the contraption set on top of some simple supports. Then I realized that if this was going to be breaking ice, I might want to add some skis to the supports so the device could be easily transported on snow/ice. After also realizing the device could be used indoors, I decided to add retractable wheels (like the ones on the goals at pier 5 which make the goals easier to move) to the skis so wheels could be used on hard grounds and the skis on the snow. Lastly, to make it so the device could be moved more easily, I made one of the supports retractable. This not only makes it more efficient to move, but makes it take up less space in storage.
Another idea that I had was to make a smaller handheld device that works in a similar fashion as the larger one. One of the problems with my original design is that it’s a little bulky for the simple task it does. By making a smaller handheld version, it would not only be easier to use and store, but it could have different functions such as scraping ice off of a window sill or cleaning a pool and so much more.
While my device could have applications for cleaning and being able to clear ice, it does have some problems. If improperly used/too much force is applied, the ice pick could damage the sidewalk/floor. The device is also quite bulky and might be hard to store in NYC where storage space is at a premium. Lastly, it might just be a bit too complicated to warrant replacing a person standing on the sidewalk and hitting the ice, even if it would be helpful for weaker people who cannot do that themselves.
The way the device works is that it has an oscillating hammer that spins inside of a protected cage (like how small household fans do). The hammer is rotated by a small electric motor attached to a battery pack that can easily be recharged. Each rotation, the hammer hits a spring and compresses the spring enough so that the hammer can pass and complete another rotation. The spring is attached to a large rod and when the spring is hit, the rod is pushed towards the ground and exerts a force on the ground. This cycle repeats which creates a jackhammer like motion of the rod. By attaching an ice pick to the end of the rod, an effective way to break up ice is created.
To make the device more versatile, I also thought of being able to add different attachments to the front rod. The first idea started out with just an ice pick to break up ice, but two other proposed tips that I thought would be useful are a mop and a broom tip so the device can be used indoors. Another improvement that I thought of was how the device would be mounted. At first, I had the contraption set on top of some simple supports. Then I realized that if this was going to be breaking ice, I might want to add some skis to the supports so the device could be easily transported on snow/ice. After also realizing the device could be used indoors, I decided to add retractable wheels (like the ones on the goals at pier 5 which make the goals easier to move) to the skis so wheels could be used on hard grounds and the skis on the snow. Lastly, to make it so the device could be moved more easily, I made one of the supports retractable. This not only makes it more efficient to move, but makes it take up less space in storage.
Another idea that I had was to make a smaller handheld device that works in a similar fashion as the larger one. One of the problems with my original design is that it’s a little bulky for the simple task it does. By making a smaller handheld version, it would not only be easier to use and store, but it could have different functions such as scraping ice off of a window sill or cleaning a pool and so much more.
While my device could have applications for cleaning and being able to clear ice, it does have some problems. If improperly used/too much force is applied, the ice pick could damage the sidewalk/floor. The device is also quite bulky and might be hard to store in NYC where storage space is at a premium. Lastly, it might just be a bit too complicated to warrant replacing a person standing on the sidewalk and hitting the ice, even if it would be helpful for weaker people who cannot do that themselves.
