Introduction to Engineering Design and Solid Modeling Group Project
Dorm Furniture Design: Lazy Desk
This was our first design project using SOLIDWORKS to model our concept.
My group was the most efficient and motivated teacher assigned team I have ever been a part of.
I was the team leader. My main duties were to organize effective meetings with set agendas and goals to maximize our performance, while maintaining an open and creative atmosphere.
Kiana Sherman created the Lazy Desk concept (right). She drew inspiration from her personal needs. Kiana slept on the top bunk, and disliked the college issued safety bar. The bar fit loosely along the top bunk's side and shook under the lightest loads. It felt more like a hazard, rather than a precaution. Kiana also wanted to have access to a side table and a desk while using her bunk bed. Thus the Lazy Desk was born to combine the three needs into one utilitarian product.
Kiana built the desktop (left). It has an inlaid cup holder and indented cord ports for charging cables. She also produced the desk attachment hardware, and assembly file.
The desk attaches to the bed by a clamp (left). The clamp pinches the bed frame of the top bunk. The clamp adds to the designs versatility by allowing the user to attach the desk on different bunk bed brands and models.
While in the side bar position the clamp is the only means of support and safety for the user. In future development this piece will have to bed vigorously tested for user safety.
Annie Duong challenged herself, by creating the clamp.
The team brainstormed together in order to conceive parts to accommodate the desk's convertible design. After observing some similar moving desks in lecture halls, we decided to create what we called the T-Joint (right). The T-Joint orients the desktop, to two positions, in relation to the floor. The side bar position, is when the desk is perpendicular to the floor. The side table position, is when the desk is parallel to the floor.
Luke Conoroy did an excellent job modeling the T-Joint concept.
The desk position was harder to engineer. We needed the side table position to rotate inwards, allowing the user sitting in the bed to arrange the desk across their lap.
I came up with the idea of a lever lock on the supporting pipe (right).
The lever lock was based on extending walking sticks used for hiking. The walking sticks allow for adjustable heights, and must support a persons weight if they trip.
Our lever lock enables the user to adjust the desk's height and accommodate different body types. It also allows rotation of the inner tube of the support pipe. This rotation enables the desk position.
The strength of our team shone when we wrote our lab report.
Kiana focused on the organization of the report, and made a majority of our figures. Kiana is one of the hardest working students I have had the pleasure to work with.
Annie wrote and conducted a student survey, outlined in the report, to determine if the product had potential market demand. From her research we were able to determine that the Lazy Desk has the potential to be a popular item because of its innovative design and the services the Lazy Desk fulfills for students living in confined quarters. Without Annie's dedication and team spirit we wouldn't have written such a well rounded report.
Luke's dedication to the team was exemplary. His additions to the report were essential. Luke's continuous editing helped keep our team on track. He was a supportive and well spoken team member.
I also wrote portions of the report outlined in Appendix C. I helped expand upon others ideas, and focused my editing to create flow between the report's contributors.
I couldn't have selected a better team. We balanced each others strengths. Before this I had no idea group projects could run so smoothly. At the beginning we were strangers, but I for one would be excited to work with any of these future engineers again.
Our lab report PDF is available below.