Team 3 Final Proposal Me 340

8/8/2019 Team 3 Final Proposal Me 340

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VAC-ON Proposal ME340 2/23/2009 Page 1

DESIGN PROPOSAL

VAC-ON THE COMPRESSIBLE CARRY-ON SUITCASE

Thomas OBrien

Robert Stottlemyer

Jacob Tufano

Andrew Troutman

February 23rd, 2010

Team # 3

Executive Summary

The VAC-ON is our answer to the stringent restrictions imposed on todays airline passengers.

With this cutting edge baggage travelers will be able to pack suitcases worth of apparel into a regulation

size carry-on. This could potentially negate the need for many passengers to go through the added

hassle and cost of checking luggage. Being equipped with wheels and a pull handle, but also a set of

backpack style straps will make this bag endlessly versatile. The VAC-ON will employ a small vacuum

motor to remove excess air from a zip-lock bag style inner compartment. The vacuum will easily plug

into any wall socket and quietly compress a travelers luggage into a more overhead compartment size.

The outer arrangement of pockets and the use of a water resistant fabric will hold a high level of

aesthetic appeal with todays fashion conscious tourists. Although the VAC-ON utilizes many advanced

features it is still competitively priced against other luggage of lesser distinction.


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Table of Contents

Pages

Executive Summary

1. Introduction 3

1.1 Background 3

1.2 Task Description 3

2. Problem Definition 3-4

3. Customer Needs Assessment 5

4. Engineering Specifications 5-7

4.1 Establishing Target Specifications 5-6

4.2 Relations Specifications to Customer Needs 6-7

5. Concept Generation 7-9

5.1 Patent Search 7-8

5.2 Design Concepts 8-9

6. Concept Selection 10

7. Final Design 10-12

8. Conclusion 12

9. References 13

Appendices 14-17


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Section 1 Introduction

Section 1.1 Background

In todays highly interconnected world, airplane travel has become a standard for many

people, a trend which continues to increase daily. According to the FAA, the number of U.S.airline passengers is currently growing by about 3.4 percent each year, and is expected to riseabove one billion by the year 2015 (1).

As one can see, there certainly exists a definite need among persons traveling by planefor useful and sensible commodities which will be safe, reliable, simple, cost-effective, andspace efficient. Airlines have long lists of rules that must be read and observed carefully. Theserules exist for many reasons; passenger safety, storage space and weight restrictions, securityconcerns, etc. Therefore, it is apparent that the average passenger should care a great deal aboutequipment, such as carry-on luggage, which helps streamline the process of transporting as manynecessary and convenient possessions with them as possible, while adhering to all of the

constraints of airline travel. In light of this information, it seems apparent that the needs of airlinetravelers are something which engineers involved in consumer product design should be veryaware of. Airline travelers are a type of customer with very specific needs, in an industry whichprovides a type of travel service which has become a standard in our globalized economy andsociety, and continues to do so.

Section 1.2 Task Description

Specifically, this proposal addresses the problem of storage capacity in airline carry-onbags. Due to strict size restrictions and passenger needs, carry-on luggage must maximizestorage capacity, while fitting well in the allotted space in overhead compartments. This is

especially true for passengers wishing to travel light, and avoid the hassle of checking luggage(and the possibility of having said checked luggage lost or damaged). Also, given the complexityof airline regulations, we needed to have a very clear knowledge of how this system createscomplications for the traveler, because these complications translate to customer needs. Travelcan be a particularly stressful thing for almost anyone, and so a product to be marketed to suchan industry must address these issues effectively, or it risks garnering the frustration, and evencontempt, of those who use it if it performs poorly. Physical size constraints also were of greatconcern, because there is a finite amount of space for storage on a plane, and every cubic inchcounts. Therefore, we cared a great deal about what kind of customer will have a need for ourproduct, and what elements of design they will be looking for.

Section 2 Problem Definition

This teams challenge was to design a new type of carry-on luggage, one which wouldsave as much storage space as possible. There were several design constraints. Strict compliancewith TSA and airline safety and travel regulations were essential. Currently, most airlines allow amaximum carry on size of 22 long, 14 wide, and 9 deep when fully loaded (2). Also, alllaptops going through security must be taken out and inspected, unless the bag happens to be of adesign which allows easy viewing in the x-ray machine (3). And lets not forget the practice


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most major airlines have adopted in recent years, charging an extra $15-$20 for each checkedbag (2),(5), leading many passengers to do their best to beat these costs as much as possible. Andfinally, the TSA prefers locking mechanisms specially designed for easy opening by TSAofficers at checkpoints, so there is the possibility that a non-approved lock could be cut (6). Allof these regulations, which apply only to the bag, before one even considers what is actually

inside of it, show just how fine a line most travelers must walk when selecting their travelequipment.

Durability of design was essential. We elected to explore vacuum bag technology to fitmore material in less space in our carry-on. However, a bag like this isnt very much use toanyone if it rips and tears easily. For instance, nearly everyone has heard of vacuum pack bags,such as Space Bags. However, there is quite a bit of chatter on the internet about the durabilityof such bagsthey feel cheaply made, and tend to lose their seals and re-inflate often (7). Also,the current economic state of affairs is significant. How is the airline industry doing? Well, thereis always fluctuation in the industry which is closely tied to fuel prices. However, air travel isstill a necessity and is weathering the storm. In fact, Southwest airlines posted an annual profit

for the 37

th

year running at the end of 2009. They also saw an uptick in business travelers,though most of their business came from leisure travelers (4)

The group which stands to benefit the most from innovation in this area is the typical

business traveler and the parent. Such a person typically goes on short trips to distant places,needs to carry a number of essentials in their luggage, and cannot afford to deal with the delayswhich can arise when checking large luggage bags. A business traveler needs to be efficient withtheir time, and needs to ensure that everything they bring with them is right where they need it,when they need it. A parent needs to be able to rely on a simple and effective solution so thatthey can focus on getting their children through security and keep them behaved in-flight. Bothgroups will most likely be looking to store compressible things, like clothes, blankets, and thelike, and still have room for phones, wallets, electronics, and books. A bag like this is not ideal totake to meetings or store paperwork in; a business traveler should be able to take this as a carry-on along with a briefcase.

To address the ideation process, group members had a lengthy brainstorming session todevelop and organize a collection of concept ideas, and then worked out a collection of problem-specific ideas once a concept had been selected. We used a concept selection matrix to assignweights to specific aspects of design, and rated them on their importance. This allowed our teamto select and refine the specific design parameters outlined in this proposal. Throughout the restof the design process, we continued to revisit these steps as needed in order to refine our solutionto its highest potential.


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Section 3 Customer Needs Assessment

Our research into consumer needs in carry-on bags led us to several properties that wewould look to satisfy for the customer. The main complaint was the size restrictions of theairlines and how they seem to keep reducing the allowable size of the carry-ons. We also found

complaints that some luggage companies misrepresent the dimensions of their luggage whichleads to delays at the airport as people will be forced to check bags that they didnt expect to.Another reason why size was our most important feature was that even if you meet therequirements of the airline, there is still no guarantee that your carry-on luggage will fit witheveryone elses on the plane. (8)

Some other needs we found that were somewhat important related to the use of the bag.From asking people who fly on airplanes often we found that they would like their carry-on to beable to store as much as possible in the allotted space, which led to our vacuum bag idea. Next,if there was to be an automated air evacuation system, everyone wanted it to be simple and easyto use. The last two needs we acquired from informal interviews were that the customers wouldlike the luggage to be lightweight, and durable. These were important since they will have to liftthe bag into the overhead compartment, and travelling around with the bag often could causesome wear and tear if durability was low.

Section 4 Engineering Specifications

Section 4.1 Establishing Target Specifications

After developing our base idea as an easy-to-use, collapsible luggage apparatus with arolling backpack feature, we realized that there were many ways to accomplish the task. Havingall traveled we each had our own unique needs and input as to what an ideal carry on wouldcomprise of. Having also done research on the available market we realized what would be

needed to set our product apart from the competitors. Realizing that todays travelers areconstantly burdened with increased restrictions and the ever present threat of a security check,we strove to address these issues in the best possible manner. See Table 1.


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Table 1- VAC-ON Metrics

Metric

Number Need Metric Value Importance(1-3)

1 Lightweight mass < 10lbs 2

2 Dimensions inches 5 years 3

Section 4.2 Relating Specifications to Customer Needs

By taking the importance of each of these needs we were able to generate ideas whichbest satisfied each area. As seen above, staying within airline restrictions was of a top priority,with all aspects of the deflation coming in second. At this point in the process, things such asaesthetics and fabric choice were not as important.

When deciding upon values for each of our metrics, careful consideration was taken as towhat was deemed as most desirable by a consumer. For metric number 1 it is imperative to keepthe bags weight low, so the maximum amount of goods is able to be placed inside while keepingit easy to carry. Also there are strict requirements for luggage weight so we took that intoconsideration. With the bag having a pumping device and also a handle and wheels it wasdecided that less than ten pounds was reasonable. For metric number 2 it was also imperativethat the maximum carry-on dimensions (22x14x9) were respected. Any larger of a bag wouldmake it useless as a carry-on accessory. The main feature of this bag is the pump so carefulconsideration had to be taken to find the best option. . In this day and age many decisions aretime based so naturally we wanted to choose the air removal method that would be the quickestand most efficient. Having realized that air removal can be accomplished through variousmethods we analyzed this further in the following table.


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Table 2- Air Removal Selection Matrix

D

urability

Speed

Energy

input

Ease

Air

Removal

Weight

Score

C

ontinue?

Vacuum 3 1 2 1 1 2 11 yes

Hand

Pump 2 2 2 2 2 2 12 no

Press Out 2 3 1 2 3 1 12 no

By using the chart above it became clear that the mechanical vacuum pump was the best

option for our bag. The vacuum scored the best in the speed, ease and overall air removal. All ofwhich seemed to be among the most important of our chosen pump criteria.

The volume of a bag with the dimensions of 22x14x9 is 2750 in3, we knew that thiswas our maximum value based on the dimension requirements. By comparing our design withthe vacuum bags on the market as of now we realized that a 50% reduction in volume could beachieved. This would give us a compressed volume of approximately 1375 in3, allowing theconsumer to pack more clothing in a smaller bag for ease of carrying on. We also felt itnecessary that the outer bag be somewhat water resistant. The inner bag will be sealed preventingany foreign material from entering the main compartment but having a water resistant shell withpockets will provide greater versatility. Also the growing nature of luggage as a fashion

accessory gave us great incentive to give our product a cutting edge style to set it apart from thecompetition. Part of this aesthetic appeal factor is the tasteful and useful placement of outsidepockets and other features for convenience. Also we wanted to develop a product that consumerscould rely on for many years, so choosing materials that were sturdy and cost effective was anadded challenge. Overall the choices we made based on our decision matrixes seemed to satisfyall the desires we had for our product in the most efficient manner.

Section 5 Concept Generation

Section 5.1 Patent Search

-Convertible backpack (See Appendix iii)

The backpack that this patent refers to is one that can convert from a conventionalbackpack to a wheel along luggage not unlike most carry-on bags. The bag contains severalpouches and has straps for your arms to go through. The extendable handle can completelysubmerge into the bag and is sealed off with a zipper, converting the luggage into only abackpack. This is similar to the design of our bag in that the shape is very similar. The maindifference between the bags is that theirs doesnt contain a vacuum bag.


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-Vacuum Packed Luggage (See Appendix iv)

This piece of luggage is suitcase shaped, and contains a rigid bottom with a removabletop that creates an air-tight seal which can be used to reduce the volume of the items inside it.The excess air is evacuated from the bag using a conventional vacuum cleaner, and there is avacuum release nozzle on the outside of the suitcase. This item utilizes a built-in air tight sealsimilar to ours, but our design doesnt require any additional items for use or contain parts thatcan get lost, it only requires an outlet.

-Suitcase with Compressible Packing System (See Appendix v)

This suitcase utilizes a plastic lining with a full volume which is larger than that of thesuitcase itself. After filling the lining, the bag is sealed and the air is removed with a vacuumpump that is fitted in the bottom of the suitcase. This design is extremely similar to ours in thatit contains the built in bag and electric pump. The main difference between the two designs isthat this design is for a suitcase which would be too large to be a carry on, while ours is smallenough to be a carry on and can even fit on your back.

Section 5.2 Design Concepts

During the concept generation phase of our product development, the team came up withthree ideas. Each idea held the general style of a carry-on luggage item but slight variations ineach dramatically changed the products target market.

The first design was simply integrating a vacuum bag into a standard carry-on. We feltconsumers would recognize the bag instantly as a carry-on and find the internal volumereduction to be a major advantage. This bag could easily be marketed to the standard carry-onuser quite readily. The downside this bag has is its rigid structure provides no outer volumereduction, thus making the bag no easier to store on an airplane than a standard carry-on. See

Figure 1.

Figure 1- Concept Carry-On 1

The second design was built around removing the rigid structure. By removing the rigidstructure, this allows for maximum volume reduction and the outer bag can conform to the shapeof the internal vacuum bag. This soft bag could be marketed exclusively on its ability tocompress to a small size and be stored in an airline carry-on compartment. The downside to thisbag is that the lack of rigid structure may make the bag feel unbalanced and presents the problem


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of where to install the air removal apparatus. Also, lacking a rigid structure provides littleprotection to the contents contained in the vacuum bag. See Figure 2.


The final design took on the design of a backpack, carry-on combination. Asking college

aged peers revealed a younger consumer market may desire to carry the bag on their back ratherthan carry or roll it everywhere. This led to the development of a carry-on combined with abackpack. This design has a rigid back and bottom but a soft, fabric front. Though minimized,the rigidity gives the bag overall structure and allows for mounting locations of an air removalapparatus. The downside to this bag is adding straps to the bag make the bag foreign to the carry-on market and may turn customers away based on its appearance. Also, the bag is expected toweigh approximately 7 pounds unloaded so a loaded bag may be very heavy for the averageconsumer to carry on their back. See Figure 3.



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Section 6 Concept Selection

Following the concept generation phase of our design process was the concept selectionprocess. Here we had to decide which of our three concepts we wanted to go with. See Figure 4

Figure 4- Concept Selection Matrix

Weight Concept

1

Concept

2

Concept

3

Comfortand Ease

20% 3 2 3

Durability 10% 4 2 4

Rigidity 15% 4 1 3

Appearance 20% 2 3 4

Total

Score2 1.35 2.25

Continue? No No Yes

Upon reviewing the matrix, the team felt the best bag was selected. The backpack design,Concept 3, performed very well in all areas within the selection matrix. We didnt marry anyfeatures from other concepts into this concept because all the concepts were similar in nature tobegin with so most of the primary features overlapped each other in concepts.

Section 7 Final Selection

The final design we chose was Concept 3. The decision was based largely on the twoconcept selection matrices, in which this vacuum bag has the design of Concept 3 and a vacuumpump to remove air. This bag integrated some of the primary features we generated duringconcept development yet retained the central elements of a carry-on bag that consumers areaccustomed to. See Figure 7


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Figure 7- Final Design of Concept 3

The consideration that the team accounted for throughout development was meeting thedimensional requirements for carry-on luggage set by airlines. All carry-on luggage must be no

larger than 22x14x9, which is an approximate volume of 2800 in3. This set the teams goal toreduce the volume of the luggage to approximately 1400 in

3or less to provide for sufficient

volume reduction. Our final concept bag measured 20x13x7, which gives an approximateouter volume of 2100 in

3. See Appendix i. The vacuum bags reduced volume is expected to be

1100 in3, which reduces the initial volume of the contents by about half and provides

approximately 1000 in3 for non-compressible items or items that wish to be easily accessedduring travel in the outer, non-vacuumed compartment. It should be noted that when choosingitems to be stored in the vacuum bag, they should be the most compressible items possible toensure a high volume reduction. This bag will meet the current airline luggage requirements aswell as reducing the bags compressible items volume by half.

Above all, the team wanted a durable, tough suitcase. To keep luggage dry, the outerfabric is all water resistant, the bottom and back of the bag are comprised as a singular, plasticbody, and the plastic vacuum bag is waterproof. The vacuum bag is 150 microns thick to preventunintentional puncture whereas most competing vacuum bags use 70 micron thick bags. Theteam also identified the problem with keeping the vacuum bag sealed during transport. Toprevent the vacuum bag from opening unintentionally, we developed a unique bag sealingtechnology that incorporates both a zipper and a plastic vacuum seal. This keeps the load exertedby the bag on the zipper rather than the vacuum seal. See Appendix ii. While increasing thequality of the bag will drive up product cost, the team felt sacrificing cost for durability andruggedness would develop customer loyalty towards our product.

This bags selling point is its ability to reduce its volume so the operation andperformance of the vacuum bag itself was paramount. The vacuum bag needed to be rugged,ease to open and close, and be quick and easy to deflate. The ruggedness and ease of use wascaptured in the 150 micron thick plastic and the dual zipper design. In deflation performance,this was dependent on the vacuum pump chosen for the bag. We needed a 120V, AC air pumpthat had a volumetric flow rate around two cubic feet per minute, which would allow the bag tobe evacuated of air in under a minute. Finding a pump that met this requirement was difficultbecause most of the small air pumps we researched failed to provide flow rate specifications as


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well as the price for bulk purchasing. We made the assumption that a pump equivalent to an airmattress pump would have been sufficient to meet the flow rate specifications but would need tobe configured to deflate instead of inflate. To operate the luggage, the user places compressibleluggage items in the vacuum bag, seals the plastic vacuum seal, sips the seal on the vacuum bag,plugs the pump electrical cord into a 120V AC outlet to begin deflation, and upon desired

deflation, removes the plug and stows in bag. During the bags development, the team wantedthis process to be very simple yet maximize the volume reduction of the bag and we felt thisdesign and deflation process captured all of these aspects.

An approximate cost estimate was generated for our product. The components thatmainly drive the cost are the vacuum pump, the vacuum bag, and the fabric the bag is made of.Assuming each bag could be manufactured for ten dollars or less, the overall cost of the bag tothe manufacturer is approximated at $60. This estimate was achieved by looking at the standardpricing of the components and slightly reducing those costs assuming bulk ordering could beimplemented. The estimated profit to the company is $25 so with an anticipated 5 year volume of3 million bags, the companys expected profit is approximately 75 million dollars. We anticipatethat the bag would be available to the consumer anywhere from $110 to $130 depending on the

desired profit of the retailer. These prices are competitive with other luggage bags that currentlydo not have a volume reduction feature. The economic viability for this product is very goodbecause the majority of the manufactured parts are inexpensive and the luggage market currentlycharges high prices for luggage. It is expected that the whole project would become profitablewithin the first year.

Section 8 Conclusion

Having set out to address the issue of airline luggage restrictions our design team createdthe VAC-ON. This wheeling backpack employs a small vacuum motor to effectively draw airout of a sealed apparatus, thus compressing the contents. With up to a 50% reduction in volume

the VAC-ON will allow travelers to stow more of their luggage in a carry-on size bag, possiblyeliminating the need for checked baggage. Compared to other products of this type, the VAC-ONoutshines them all with a high level of functionality matched with unparalleled aesthetic appeal.With the travel and airline industry growing each year the demand for cutting edge luggage willgrow in a proportional manner. The VAC-ON exceeds the needs of modern airline travelerswith its ability to reduce the volume of their luggage in an affordable, yet classically stylishmanner.


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Section 9 References

(1)Airline travelers to top 1 billion in 2015. The Seattle Times. March 18th, 2005.http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20050318&slug=airlinevolume18

(2)Airline carry-on luggage allowances. The Travel Insider. Oct. 18th, 2009.http://www.thetravelinsider.com/travelaccessories/airlinecarryonluggageallowances.htm

(3)Checkpoint friendly laptop bag procedures. Transportation Security Administration.Aug. 15, 2008.http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/simplifying_laptop_bag_procedures.shtm

(4)Southwest Airlines posts 37th consecutive annual profit. Jan. 22, 2010.http://www.centreforaviation.com/news/2010/01/22/southwest-airlines-posts-37th-consecutive-annual-profit/page1

(5)Baggage Policy. U.S. Airways. http://www.usairways.com/en-US/traveltools/baggage/baggagepolicies.html

(6)TSA recognized baggage locks. Transportation Security Administration.http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/locks.shtm

(7)Space Bag= Expensive Garbage Bag. Epinions.com. 2/22/10.http://www1.epinions.com/content_78932119172

(8)Airline Carry On Luggage Allowanceshttp://www.thetravelinsider.com/travelaccessories/airlinecarryonluggageallowances.htm
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/locks.shtmhttp://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/locks.shtmhttp://www.thetravelinsider.com/travelaccessories/airlinecarryonluggageallowances.htmhttp://www.thetravelinsider.com/travelaccessories/airlinecarryonluggageallowances.htmhttp://www.thetravelinsider.com/travelaccessories/airlinecarryonluggageallowances.htmhttp://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/locks.shtm


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Appendices

i. This is a dimensioned drawing of Concept 3 showing the outer dimensions of the case

ii. This drawing shows the vacuum seal system with a zipper on top and a plastic airtightseal below


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iii. Wheeled Luggage Backpack Patent


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iv. Vacuum Packed Suitcase Patent


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v. Compressible Suitcase Patent

Documents

Team 3 Final Proposal Me 340