Archive for the ‘Innovation’ Category

Innovative Ideas 2,3,4 & 5

March 7, 2018

Innovative Ideas 2,3,4 & 5

Most of us are innovative in our own way in our own fields of interest. But only a few of us have time enough to crystallize these innovative ideas into workable ideas. And still few of us have the wherewithal to develop these innovative ideas into products or into patents to be developed by others. So, it is natural I have some ideas innovative enough to present in a few blogs to follow. I won’t know whether they are good enough to deserve patents. But, even if so, I make it clear here, these ideas will remain free of any patent rights and hence any developer may use this idea or modify them in any way to evolve a product useful to the humanity. However if somebody finds it economically viable only to produce under a patent, then they can apply for a patent, but only with my express permission and agreement.

In an earlier blog, I had given an innovative idea (No.1) for having Battery (Replacement) Stations for Electric Cars, along the highways and main roads. I am giving below four more ideas for future development. Anyone interested?

2. Number Locks

Number Locks are of several different types. Some of them have a single dial with numbers to be set in a sequence. These are generally known as Combination locks. There are other locks in which 3, 4 or more individual thumbwheels, a combination on them can be set to lock and open the locks. These locks are available as separate devices which can be used with any box or luggage having a padlock. Such locks are also fitted into the box or luggage as an integral part. The required combination of numbers is initially set to all 0s and it is left to the user to choose his combination. There are two problems which affect their convenience. Coming to these issues with the lock:

  1. We set the combination to open the lock. How many of us realize the importance of remembering to change the combination randomly immediately after opening? Almost None. This results in outsiders knowing the combination with a casual look at the open lock.
  2. Once a combination is chosen, it is required to set this combination even to lock the box. Not only this is inconvenient, it also affects safety, since even locking the box is required to be done in secrecy.
  3. After closing the box, we should always remember to change the wheels to a random number to lock the box.

To make these locks safer, convenient and free from above defects, I suggest the following design changes:

  1. Locking of the box should be enabled, irrespective of any existing combination, as in a push/press latching system.
  2. When one locks the box as above, the combination should automatically change to all 0s, (to ensure the combination is not inadvertently remaining set to open)
  3. The box should be enabled to open only by setting the chosen combination of numbers.
  4. The system should automatically re-set to all 0s again as the box is opened.
  5. This means the combination should automatically re-set to all 0s after both open and close operation to ensure safety and secracy.

Hope all number lock manufacturers will use this idea, and re-design their future number locks in this way. Luggage manufacturers may specify these requirements to the suppliers of number locks for their luggage.

3. Elevators on Helical rails.

Most of the cabin elevators for movement of people are designed as a single cabin per shaft, operating on a wire rope pulled by a motor on the top. It has a counterweight to make it energy efficient. But in a single vertical shaft, only one cabin is accommodated. In public places like malls and super markets the option of escalators are chosen to handle the heavy traffic. But in multi-storied tower complexes of corporate offices and government facilities, both the options do not work well. My idea, as below is to have a helical rail for several cabins together which will be lifted to different floors by rotation of the helix. A reverse rotation of another helical rail likewise, may bring the cabins down. On the roof and basement, the cabins can be exchanged from one helix to the other by a lateral movement. The schematic shown below explains the basic principle. The cabins sliding down on thier own operate as counter weights for cabins going up. As the cabins slide down the helix by gravity, this helix rotates and acts as a supplementary force for the other helix to rotate the other way to lift the cabins. The process thus becomes energy efficient. Each elevator cabin stops on all floors. But the continuous string of elevators will make it time-efficient also. In addition we may have normal high speed elevators, only serving the higher floors, if required.  I leave it to my co-innovators to design other control, instrumentation and safety features. They may even add other features like withdrawal of a few cabins and stopping at alternate floors etc.

Helical Rails

4. Air-conditioner with a cool box:

Every room air-conditioner can come fitted, with an option of a Cool-Box for domestic use. Many households in India cannot afford costly appliances like Refrigerator and Air-conditioner. Need for Air-conditioner is sometimes felt more than a refrigerator. For most of the lower middle class households in India and other 3rd world countries, especially the vegetarians, there is hardly a need for a refrigerator as they generally cook afresh everyday and sometimes even twice a day. What they need is only a cool place, to keep their left-over food, say, for about 8-hours till they can eat it again. They also need a device to keep water, milk, fresh vegetables and drinks cool enough. A cool box as in a car will mostly serve their purpose. AC manufacturers may think of a cool-box fit-out as an option along with their AC. The AC may circulate the cool air through a small box at the eye level which can be used to store such items as above. A two or three liter box will be sufficient for this. Is any techno start-up willing to try this?

5. Gym Charger:

The public Gymnasiums have now become common in many cities, in office complexes, shopping complexes and apartment complexes. It is possible to design exercise machines in such a way that it generates electricity out of man-power instead of consuming the same. A treadmill can be designed to rotate a wheel which could charge a battery. Same thing can be achieved with any exercise bi-cycle. We may even design a gym where all the machines are connected to a common flywheel which may generate enough power to operate several devices in the complex like water-pump, garden irrigation, washing machines, dryers etc.

I have a few more ideas which i will explore in my future blogs. Techno-preneurs of younger generation may try and develop these ideas further.

L V Nagarajan / 07 March 2018Entrepreneurs