Designing the Equipment for Golfers - Essay Example

? 26 March Inventions With a wide range of accessories and well-designed equipment for golfers, it appears that almost all their needs have already been met. However, a casual chat with professional and casual golfers alike unearths a number of unmet needs. The present paper describes how the needs of golfers were investigated to ascertain what they currently need the most. An invention that fulfils that need has also been described. As part of this assignment, a few notable golf courses such as the Ridge Creek Dinuba Golf Club and the Monterey Peninsula Country Club were visited. Golfers were questioned as to what they were missing the most during their game and what they would personally wish to acquire, if possible, to make their golfing exploits easier and convenient. As expected, their needs were diverse; however, the most common ones included a portable golf ball cleaner and a golf trunk organizer, amongst several others. A portable golf ball cleaner was an almost unanimous requirement and a vast majority of the interviewed golfers counted it as an indispensable requirement. A portable golf ball cleaner would ensure the best performance at every single shot as it would be possible to instantly clean a golf ball whenever it gets dirty enough to hamper maximum performance. A golf ball cleaner that is easy to carry would thus be of high utility for golfers. In response to this need, Gary R. Sansotta has invented a portable golf ball cleaner, under the U.S. patent # 6,553,598, which is yet to be acquired by or licensed to manufacturing companies (invention.net). The invention aims to offer a golf ball-cleaning device that is hand operated. An "arcuate groove of cut bristles" in the device would clean the golf ball as it travels through the groove via an entrainment block that would be hand-operated (invention.net). The block will rotate the golf balls to guarantee that the entire surface of every ball is scrubbed and washed thoroughly. The portable golf-ball cleaning device would possess a housing member with a hinged cover, which would be secured using a latch member. With the help of a hand-operated rotatable handle connected to a shaft, the entrainment block could be rotated. The shaft would help the entrainment block to communicate with the turning handle. The device would be equipped with a row of bristles that would extend further down from within the cover peripheral to the block, further appending the scrubbing capability of the device. The device would be provided with a pivoting handle for switching from an inoperative rotational position to an operational one. The portable "hand-operated golf ball cleaning device" would not just be simple and easy to operate but would also be highly economical because of its low manufacturing costs. As the device is hand-operated and not battery operated, its use is not restricted by battery life and other such functional and operational limitations. This invention has a huge market potential because of the current demand for a portable golf ball cleaner, and would prove to be of great utility for avid golfers. For the second part of this assignment, a number of high profile stores like Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus were visited and shoppers were interviewed as to what they needed the most. People were interviewed what they were missing and what they wish was invented to enable a better travelling and shopping experience. A wide variety of responses were received, of which, a highly versatile purse organizer was the most common. Most of the shoppers interviewed were women and their most common requirement was that they would like to have more organization in their purses. Purses are used to carry a host of things ranging from cosmetics, to phones, mirrors, pills, pens, credit cards, business cards, ID cards, combs and other utilities. Most handbags and purses have very few or no compartments and all items are often dumped into a single compartment. The next time one wishes to draw out a cell phone or a pen, the entire contents of the purse will have to be rummaged. Such a lack of organization in purses not only wastes time but also sometimes becomes a reason for embarrassment, especially when all the contents are spilled out while searching for an item. Moreover, most women own many handbags and purses, and change them frequently. Therefore, transferring each item from one bag to another every time a purse is changed becomes a hectic exercise and also comes with the risk of forgetting something important in the previous bag. Women desire their purses were more organized so that when they wish to draw out an item, they would know exactly where to find it. Moreover, they wish they could change handbags and purses in a moment without going through the hassle of transferring every single item from one bag to the other. In view of the high demand for a purse organizer, many brands have come up with portable purse organizers for women, an invention that is already witnessing huge sales in the market. This invention is handy and has multiple pockets along with a larger center storage area for keeping accessories, glasses, pens, lipsticks, cell phones etc, in a visible and accessible space. These organizers are also provided with zippered coin holders, credit card and business card slots, and key clips (harrietcarter.com). Purse organizers come in various designs and shapes and can be chosen based on their intended use. They are often made of stiff fabrics and are of a sturdy construction so that items can easily be slipped in and out, without holding the compartments. They are also cheap and affordable. Purse organizers come in a standard size so that they can comfortably fit in any bag or tote. While changing a handbag, all one needs to do is lift the purse organizer from one bag and insert it into the other without disturbing the contents. Therefore, though handbags or purses are changed, the contents and their locations remain constant and easily accessible. It also eliminates the chances of forgetting anything important in the previous bag. Works Cited Invention.net. 17 January 2011 < http://www.invention.net/sansotta.htm> harrietcarter.com. 17 January 2011 Read More