shop4patents Blog

Copyright 2006. SunZag Creative Products. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the author. Part 3 of Wade Sun’s 4 part article on his 13 Rules of Invention Success will be posted here Next month).Wade Sun the inventor of the Disc Eraser TM continues to share the lessons he learned as he went through the process of developing his invention:

I wanted to design a prototype with a sliding fixture that would safely enclose the scarifier and permit sliding across the CD surface. I also needed a baseplate that would securely hold the CD in a precise position relative to the slider. As an inventor, the easiest and quickest way to make a prototype is to use or modify existing parts.

RULE #6 BE RESOURCEFUL: I came across a personal paper trimmer at Office Max and bought a few of them.

  Taking the slider out and disassembling it, I found out that I could stack 4 blades together inside the cutter after widening the hole with my Dremel tool. Behold, my first prototyped slider component! I went back and bought a few more replacement carriages for the blades. I wanted to create a simple baseplate with a sliding slot down the middle, that would hold the CD in position underneath. So I took the plastic rail from the paper trimmer, sawed it to a shorter length, and used clay to seal up the open end while sanding off the hinge tab on the other end so that it rests flat.

RULE #7 KEEP YOUR FIRST PROTOTYPE SIMPLE.

You are only testing the concept at this point. I created the outer “body” of the baseplate with clay. Nothing beautiful, it was a rough sculpt. Next, I placed a CD underneath this part, making sure the slot was in the proper position. I used a small disposeable aluminum tray to serve as the mold frame and mixed and poured the blue silicon mold compound over my parts. After a day of drying, I carefully cut out the part with my X-Acto knife and had my first silicon mold, which I trimmed smoother.
Next I mixed the Quick Cast, 50% resin, 50% hardener, and poured it into the hollowed mold. It took half day to harden and I peeled it open, amazed at the detail of imprints.

I sanded off the rough edges and surfaces, and some plastic remnants inside the middle slot, and snapped the slider into the slot. It fit, and I put a CD underneath the baseplate and tried to operate it.

The scarification it made wasn’t perfect, the sliding action wasn’t as smooth as I hoped. Upon careful examination, I found that my molded rail wasn’t exactly flat. It kind of curved upwards at the ends. This is common when you mold a piece of plastic, sometimes it warps when it cures. Also, I poured a little too much inside the mold, which caused some bulging. I have to admit, it is fun to cast your own plastic part, so I did it a few more times, and made better baseplates. The important thing is that my baseplate proved that my idea, my concept, and the sliding mechanism works. If it didn’t, then I would have to figure out why, and if I should continue or not. It’s a quick and simple prototype that served a mechanical function; my invention is still far from being developed. My advice: take small steps in the beginning, because there is always a learning curve. This was my first time casting my own plastic, and I enjoyed the versatility of it. It came with simple instructions on how to duplicate an object, and I followed it. But could I use it to create new shapes and objects? Read on to see…