Junior Design - Zoom Class Heroes

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  Multiview of assembly

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  Multiview of part 1 - Cart

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  Multiview of part 2 - Roller

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  Multiview of part 3 - Track

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  Multiview of part 4 - Basket

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  Multiview of part 5 - Cup

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  Multiview of part - Stool

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  Solidworks Assembly

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  Solidworks rope

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  Solidworks roller

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  Solidworks basket

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  Solidworks cart

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  Solidworks track

Inspiration

We considered multiple potential designs, such as sliding the coffee down a ramp attached to a weighted pulley system, but ultimately chose a horizontal cart transport system partly inspired by a conveyer belt.

What it does

The design transports a coffee cup a horizontal distance of 6.5 feet, across an elevated piece of wood. By placing a full coffee cup on a cart attached to a string-pulley system, a user can pull a full coffee cup towards them and return it the same 6 feet distance without spillage.

How I built it

We placed a 6.5-foot-long wooden plank on 2 wooden stools at table-level, so a user could get their coffee while working. We then attached a long strip of cardboard on the entre of the plank to serve as a track, so the cart would always move in a straight line. The coffee was placed in a basket attached to a cart, which was pulled using a crank-powered string system.

Challenges I ran into

We initially had the string-pulley looped under the track, but found it rubbed against the ends of our wooden plank. This created a lot of unwanted and unnecessary friction. As a result, when you pulled the string, the cart would not roll smoothly and coffee would spill.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

We fixed the friction problem by creating a crank out of re-purposed paint rollers with a cardboard tube attached to them. By running the string around these cylinders, we could easily fashion a crank system that would allow us to apply a consistent magnitude force on the string every time, so that the coffee would not spill.

What I learned

We learned to work as a team and build off each other's ideas. Brainstorming together, even virtually, was very productive and allowed us to come up with an effective design while also getting to know each other. Also, we gained a lot of useful experience building our design in SolidWorks and had a great time doing it.

What's next for Junior Design - Zoom Class Heroes

We are hoping the judges will see the practicality and simplicity in our design and believe that it is worthy of advancing to the next round!

Built With

• solidworks