Puzzle Cube Project

 Step 1: Define Problem

Puzzle Design Challenge Brief

 Client:                                     Fine Office Furniture, Inc.

 Target Consumer:                  Ages 3+

 Designer:                                _____________________________________

 Problem Statement:

A local office furniture manufacturing company throws away tens of thousands of scrap ¾” hardwood cubes that result from its furniture construction processes. The material is expensive, and the scrap represents a sizeable loss of profit.

 Design Statement:

Fine Office Furniture, Inc. would like to return value to its waste product by using it as the raw material for desktop novelty items that will be sold on the showroom floor. Design, build, test, document, and present a three-dimensional puzzle system that is made from the scrap hardwood cubes. The puzzle system must provide an appropriate degree of challenge to a person who is three years of age or older.

 Criteria:

1.    The puzzle must be fabricated from 27 –  ¾” hardwood cubes.

2.    The puzzle system must contain exactly five puzzle parts.

3.    Each individual puzzle part must consist of at least four, but no more than six hardwood cubes that are permanently attached to each other.

4.    No two puzzle parts can be the same.

5.    The five puzzle parts must assemble to form a 2 ¼” cube.

6.    Some puzzle parts should interlock.

Step 2: Generate Concepts

•Brainstorming

•Part Possibility Configuration

•4, 5, & 6 Cube part designs (Think of as many as possible for each)

•Sketch out each idea using isometric paper

•Examples:

 

 

 

Step 3: Develop a Solution

•Exploring Possibilities

•Develop two different Puzzle Cube options using isometric drawings to show all 3 levels of cube

 

•Select an Approach

•Write a brief rationale of which option you chose and why.

•Developing a Design Proposal

•Create a multi-view drawing (including isometric drawing) for each Puzzle Cube part.

•Create an isometric drawing of the cube fully assembled

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 4: Construct & Test a Prototype

 

•Physical Prototype

•Build each part of your Cube Puzzle using the given materials from your teacher

•Take pictures of each complete part and the completed Puzzle Cube

•Place each picture in your notebook.

•Prototype Packaging

•Develop a packing element to “sell” your cube in.

•Take pictures of packing (inside and out) and place the pictures in your notebook.

•Virtual Prototype

•Build each part of your Cube Puzzle using Autodesk Inventor Software

•Create the following Drawings (These drawings will be placed in Step 6 – Present Solutions)

1.Title Page

2.Parts List/Exploded View

3.Assembly Page

4.Individual Parts Page (All 5 Pieces

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 5: Evaluate a Solution

 

 

 

Test, Evaluate, Redesign

Write a summary answering the following questions:

1.Why is it important to model an idea before making a final prototype?

2.Which assembly constraint(s) did you use to constrain the parts of the puzzle to the assembly such that it did not move? Describe each of the constraint types used and explain the degrees of freedom that are removed when each is applied between two parts. You may wish to create a sketch to help explain your description.

3.Based on your experiences during the completion of the Puzzle Design Challenge, what is meant when someone says, “I used a design process to solve the problem at hand”? Explain your answer using examples from the work that you completed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 6: Present a Solution

 

 

 

•Presentation

•Include your drawing files that were created in Autodesk Inventor.