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Gadget Storage

Discussion in 'Projects' started by Harry, Feb 24, 2013.

  1. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    I think when I did it the first time I just clicked on upload file and did not choose either
     
  2. Michael DiFilippo

    Michael DiFilippo Active Member

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    hmm interesting. Your design consists of a few more pieces compared to mine, not sure if that is a negative or not. The base wiring seems a little extensive as well, but again until we make up a working prototype hard to tell. So with your design you could have a second modular attached against ANY of one of the four sides? Am I correct? 100mm sounds good to me, still not too large that it would become hard to have on a desk.
     
  3. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    Yes that is correct. The assembly is a simply 1 input 3 output if it were an assembly it the power plate could literally be a hollow box. Just thought of something how many pinouts would we be looking for different things including adrino. The new thing is a lot less complicated at least to put together. I will draw something up with 5 pinouts but this could be altered
     
  4. Kevyn Watkins

    Kevyn Watkins New Member

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    Wow I've missed a lot of the conversation the last few days. I like some of the idea's being bounced around, but I do think it's perhaps a bit more complicated than entirely necessary, and I'm worried how clean the printed boxes will look with so many channels/grooves and interlocking pieces.

    Why can't we transfer power in a more simple, robust way? I was thinking something similar to the B Squares solar project from kickstarter?
    http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jmcrae/b-squares-modular-solar-powered-electrics

    that way every box can transfer power, whether it uses it or not, through to the next box. Data type connections would still require a connector like you have described in this thread however.
     
  5. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    I posted something like this early on but then after thinking about it I do not think that two permanent can't transfer power by magnetic field alone. They actually have to be conductive and in contact with each other.

    The power would also have to transferred from corner to corner in the same cube as well right
    Also what about exposed power could someone get a shock.

    I think this would be extremely clean, maybe I am just missing something ,which is very possible.

    Please enlighten me
     
  6. Michael DiFilippo

    Michael DiFilippo Active Member

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    Let's decide on how we want to transfer power/data. The method we pick should be (I think);
    A) Cheap to execute
    B) As simple as possible
    C) Robust so that we can do stuff like power and data if necesary.
    D) Common, this way the parts will be easy to out source no matter what
     
  7. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    I agree one clarification do we need to transfer data between cubes or simply power.
    I changed my plan to lose the power plate and incorporate the wiring whatever it may be to be in the base.
    So it has become simpler
    The issues I see here are getting the original power source into the cube, which I was thinking would be USBinto the base unit and broken out from there.

    The base would be open on top and connected to the cube via pins.
    The base would also have a USB socket plug that rise above the height of the base
    The cube would be a hollowed out cube with a floor with cutouts
    The USB socket plug on the base would pass through the opening into the floor of the cube bringing power to the inside of the cube.

    Internal workings of the cube would be based on the incoming USB power and split out from there to do whatever th cube contents are:
    Examples:
    charger for multiple devices based on the cover
    mood lighting ie variable color led lights - one led changes color
    something adrino
     
  8. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    MOST OF important to all is even though I have made drawings please do not assume I am pushing my design I am trying to learn my software and it is a bit daunting but I have probably made more than 5 or six different drawings and only showed some here. I am enjoying the learning curve I listen to what is said and see how I can incorporate that into a drawing. Whether we use it or not I am learning. So feel free to brainstorm and I will continue to draw things.

    Just wanted to make that clear and feel free to tell me things look good or bad
     
  9. Michael DiFilippo

    Michael DiFilippo Active Member

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    Why not keep it stupid simple and just go back to the original thought of using USB to connect cube to cube? You could make the cube 100x90x100mm. With 5mm radii all the way around you could create two "end caps" that would go on the left and right of a cube if it was being used with out an added cube. So for example
    Cube 1 is your Iphone charger, on the right side you have a power cap that plugs in, now the cube is 95x100x100mm, you now attach a second cube with an end cap on the right so now the final length is 190mm instead of 200mm since you are not including the extra two end caps.

    By using something like Mini USB to connect the cubes the end caps could provide the user with expandability and a way to "cap off" the chain for a finished look. My other reason for pushing USB is the circuitry would be simple, you have a board with a simple female and male mini USB that would span across the interior of the cube, on that board is also a standard female USB port so that all you need to do is plug in ANY USB cable inside of the cube. This way you have one cube that you can print as many times as you want pop in the USB board and print out different tops to finish off the cube as you wish, an Iphone plate, droid plate, LED light plate, an LCD... anything. But the basic cube is just a single model. Not sure if this makes sense? I will try to draw something up but imagine my last draft but the sides are removable. Still a solid bottom with magnetic top as well as magnets to attach the side caps.

    Here is an example of it together and an "exploded view" just real quick.
    Screen Shot 2013-03-10 at 10.31.22 PM.png all together, appears as a solid cube, this would be an example of a single cube example; JUST an Iphone charger (no top plate selected)
    Screen Shot 2013-03-10 at 10.32.05 PM.png exploded view, showing how you could replace the right end cap with yet ANOTHER cube and give the entire thing a seamless look, if this was the first cube in the chain the left block would be the power block and contain a male mini USB cable that would supply power (and data if plugged into a computer).
     
  10. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    I like KISS Not sure I follow the CAP description might need a simple drawing or just a quick sketch
    To be truly modular wouldn't you have to go with all four sides
    Distributing the power to all four side can make things tight inside the cube.
    What are your thoughts on how to tackle that
     
  11. Michael DiFilippo

    Michael DiFilippo Active Member

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    I just added a quick sketch sorry about that. I personally don't see a 4 way cube as necessary. I do understand what you are saying as far as being 100% truly modular but I think expandability one two directions is acceptable enough. For example I would rather have two phones side by side charging versus one behind the other. Could it be wanted by some? Sure, but you have to appeal to the masses and again keeping it simple.
     
  12. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    OK just playing devils advocate. I do like the removable side thing it does make it look better
    For clarity cube contents is the main function of the cube like charging, light , adrino etc.
    Cube one power input via usb most likely from back stand alone needs to get power to cube contents
    another cube on left now power needs to go to left side to transfer and in second cube power needs to go to cube contents. What about where the power comes in is that also there in the second cube or at the empty port for it.

    The gotcha is the power/data distribution from one side to the other including a port for the original input power
     
  13. Michael DiFilippo

    Michael DiFilippo Active Member

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    Not sure I am following Jeff. If you take a look at the exploded cube; the cap on the left would be the power cap in this example, so it would have a male USB mini plug embedded in it which would plug into the cube base, this would now introduce power into the cube. If you want just one cube put the right end cap on and call it a day. If you want to add another cube, remove the right end cap and snap on another cube. Cube #2 now gets power from cube 1 which gets it from the power cap. We would have to find out what the limitation would be (for example only 10 cubes could be chained together).
     
  14. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    Ok in your example the left side is a powercap and introduces power I want to add a cube to the right side of the cube(opposite of where the power comes in) so I remove the right side endcap attach another cube how does the power move from the left side of the original cube where the power comes in to the right side of the cube where the new cube attaches and at the same time get to whatever the cube is being used for. Somehow it has to travel across to the new cube. I think you mentioned some kind of board or assembly that had a USB in and another USB out for the cube functions but we also need to transfer it to the other cube for its functions in serial.
     
  15. Michael DiFilippo

    Michael DiFilippo Active Member

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    Internally a pcb will have to run across the cube, left end will have a female mini USB, right side will have a male mini USB and in the middle will be a full size female USB port for whatever the function of the cube is. Make sense? Think of it like a USB pass through.
     
  16. Michael DiFilippo

    Michael DiFilippo Active Member

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    Got a few more detailed drawings. This is around the new dimensions of 100mm cubed. I am showing details of the side caps (minus the cut outs for the connectivity but with cutouts for magnets) as well as the idea of combining cubes.

    Screen Shot 2013-03-10 at 11.26.00 PM.png both side caps and main cube
    Screen Shot 2013-03-11 at 12.22.48 AM.png detail of side caps and spots for magnets on main cube
    Screen Shot 2013-03-11 at 12.25.21 AM.png left top view two cubes combined
    Screen Shot 2013-03-11 at 12.25.29 AM.png top view, no top plates in place but showing detail of spots for magnets
    Screen Shot 2013-03-11 at 12.25.45 AM.png right top view two cubes combined.
     
  17. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    Ok this is what I thought I just dont recall the mention of a pcb board
    The issue I see is where would the power transfer plug female one one side and male on the other actually reside there does not seem to be enough width of one of each
     
  18. Michael DiFilippo

    Michael DiFilippo Active Member

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    the female would be flush with the main cube, ommiting the side cap and the male would jet out from the side so when pushed together (like how I show) they would be totally flush. Wall thickness can be altered in order to accommodate an exact fit. Imagine a PCB going from left to right inside of the cube. In the middle of the PCB would be a female USB for a standard usb plug to plug into. I don't have my calibers here with my right now so I can't measure to see if a mini USB male plug would be able to hide in the side cap but right now the side caps are 6mm thick. 5mm for the radii and an additional 1mm for the channel of the curved edges; again this can be adjusted as needed once we nail down specifics.
     
  19. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    OK then that makes sense just wanted to make sure we were on the same page so your power walls would have an internally faced holder for the male side and the other plate would have an internally faced holder for the female side.

    One thing I have seen Is connectors bent at a 90 degree angle which would allow for more room for the function of the cube.
     
  20. Michael DiFilippo

    Michael DiFilippo Active Member

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    Correct Jeff. 90 degree connectors could work. Now we need to talk to someone who knows PCBs and electronics and see if what we want is possible, a PCB that could pass USB along it and also distribute it, I don't see why not USB is very versatile. Also, does anyone who currently owns and uses a 3d printer; could a hole be printed in a vertical wall? If not then we would need to think of how to make it so that the main cube could contain the necessary cut out for the usb male and female.
     

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