Just got this today from Avaaz, a group I support.

https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/iran_rb/?cTkNlcb

Things are bad and getting worse in Iran. Please add your signature/support for the ordinary people of Iran.

Mike

Just got this today from Avaaz, a group I support.

https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/iran_rb/?cTkNlcb

Things are bad and getting worse in Iran. Please add your signature/support for the ordinary people of Iran.

Mike

Hi Guys,

I've got some great feedback on the stuff I have been working on and would like your thoughts on KinderKalc, an early math aid for kids, 3/6 year olds.

What put me thinking about making the KinderKalc was when I saw how one of my grandsons was being taught math at school and how he got somewhat frustrated when he was required to memorise a lot of basic stuff. He had no difficulty putting complex lego models together though! The difference from what I could see was the lack of a 'fun element' / creativity. Lego Making = Fun, Math = Pain!

I have come up with, what I hope is, a simple board and token system that I think works quite well with very young kids trying to figure out maths. I have completed quite a few tweeks to the design since getting the initial idea but am now happy enough with the end result as it can be produced at very low cost and packaging / postage will also be low. I have submitted a UK patent application which has been accepted, hopefully it will work out.

I am making a promo video which will be finished shortly and will post it here if there is interest in viewing it, but for the time being I am posting two images which I hope explains itself on how the KinderCalc works, the KinderKalc Board and Tokens (cut out board). Hint!, the key to the idea are the redesigned / modified numerals with token holding baskets.

Questions, comments / suggestions most welcome.

Mike

I hope I didn't depress too much with that last post.

Hi Guys,

I did a quick catchup read since my last comments. I see this thread is going strong with all sides having their say.

Even here is Ennis (a small town in the West of Ireland where I live ..... currently!) is showing the effects of the mess in Ukraine. I have met with a number of people that have fled the Ukraine and I welcomed them. They are just ordinary people like you and me trying to get by the best they can!

Until we see the World being run by 'ordinary people' we will never have peace and real prosperity. From what I see the World has and is being run by the elites from their cushy and safe positions. This has been the situation for many years. Does anyone seriously think that Hitler would have got into power and stayed for as long as he did without the backing of the elites?

So, until we see something that resembles Direct Democracy happening Worldwide nothing will change and we will see 'business as usual' for the Elites. As Major General Smedley Butler said ..... 'War Is A Racket'. I think it's a great racket if you are part of the Elite group that finances it and profits hugely from it. By the way, the real Elites have no country and they don't want one! It's just a case of profit and lose for them. I imagine they would be totally happy living in outer space if they could have all the creature comforts they are used to. From this position they could really treat us like pawns on a chessboard. I would include, Biden, Jinping, Putin, Jong-un, Johnson etc etc in the group of pawns even though may feel otherwise.

So you may as well start being happy being a pawn as it's not going to change anytime soon.

Hi Liam,

From what I've read it still in the early stages of development, but it looks promising. Used tires are a major pollution problem these days and concrete production has some red line issues in the manufacturing process so this could be a huge winner.

@gullfo said:

i'd probably done something a bit different - the opening is into the garage or other non-direct home access point - then a fixed size box which once the opening door is shut, a conveyor moves the package out and into the non-home room. video monitor warnings. etc. to try and prevent mischief. as a small edit - re-purpose some robotic vacuum/sweepers to perform the conveyance...

Thanks Gullfo for thee comment / suggestions. I take your point as regards installing the ParcelShute in a garage door of other position in the property walls.

My initial thinking was that it would be easier for the property owner to just upgrade toe front door and have a new front doo with a ParcelShute installed. However, I will give the options you mention some thought.

@box said:

Given almost a week to think and consider your product in relation to a single door environment.
And having consulted with quite a few of the security and safety authorities that I have worked with over the last 30 years, not to mention the average man and wife with a kid or two and a simple unbiased explanation of your expanding box(brilliant) and how you can easily open the box and remove the blockage...
none of them, not one, thought I was joking about the difficulty of getting out of a room when gasping for breath.
not one, none of them, thought it was a simple matter to open and remove the package while attempting to escape a burning building.
Your comment about the height of the doorhandle just left me speechless.

I have personally experienced this and have trained many people how to help people survive this sort of horror. Have you ever tried a fire evacuation simulation.
I seriously hope you have to convince a 'Fire Safety Office as strict as you' or you may find yourself living with the consequences.

Hi Box,

Thanks for the reply and your thoughts. BTW, I am not trying to be flippant even if it sounds this way.

The point you raise in the case of a single door environment must be taken very seriously and I do take it so.

The ParcelShute should not be full while the property is occupied. If a parcel has been delivered while to occupant is out, they remove it on their return before entering the property. If the occupant is on the property when the parcel is being delivered the courier hand delivers it to them in the normal fashion and the ParcelShute is not used.

I appreciate your comments as they have been / are great food for thought. Through your observations / comments I have included the emergency release for the ParcelShute front door which I feel makes for an safety improvement. I am sure there would be other improvements to the ParcelShute as its developed.

I suppose the bottom line is that if a ParcelShute could in any way hinder property evacuation it should not be installed.

Just learned about a project being worked on by scientists at Australia's RMIT University in which they have found / developed a way of using tire rubber in concrete. It looks very promising and maybe the project could 'kill two birds with one stone', not that I endorse killing birds in any fashion.

The bottom line is that we reuse tire rubber and mine far less and that has to be welcomed. The link to the article is here,
https://newatlas.com/materials/concrete-100-percent-tire-rubber-aggregate/?ref=thefuturists

As long as the building wouldn't be prone to wobbling. But again maybe a wobble capable concrete might not be such a mad idea in earthquake zones?

@box said:

@mike lucey said:

A person escaping from the inside would be able to simply lift the inner door (which is not locked in) and remove the contents of the box in seconds so I think there would be no issue here.

I doubt this would get by most safety inspectors. Anything that can hamper access is frowned upon.
Suggesting that someone crawling on the floor gasping for air can simply open the box and remove the package would not be an acceptable solution in most cases.

Box, I had to laugh at your comment (in good nature of course), "someone crawling on the floor gasping for air can simply open the box" ..... I hope I don't meet a Fire Safety Office as strict as you

Now, to continue the debate! I imagine that the poor sod crawling on the floor grasping for breath would also have little chance of even managing to pull himself up to actually open the Main Door in order to escape? As the lock opener is normally located 1.2M (on average) above ground he could easily do the business with the parcel removal on his elevation to the main door lock!

Maybe there might be a case for some kind of a safety escape button on the bottom of the main door or nearby that would automatically open the main door! Now there's a thought!

Thank Box for raising the issue of fire escape with regard to the DoorShute. I have been working on the issue and think that I may have come up with solution.

I have revised the outer door design slightly, particularly the bottom swing pin holder which is on the DoorShute frame. I have now set this up so that the pin can be dislodged and move forward when pressed sufficiently hard enough.

So, if a fire fighter knocks the door open by breaking the lock and pushes it back so that it hits a wall the DoorShute will collapse, pushing the the contents of the box (if any) towards the front door of the box and the front door in turn will 'pop out' of its holding which is situated at the bottom of the DoorShute frame. The top combination lock stay has also been modified to allow the front door to swing out from the top. With this set up any parcel can quickly removed allowing easy access to the property.

A person escaping from the inside would be able to simply lift the inner door (which is not locked in) and remove the contents of the box in seconds so I think there would be no issue here.

I have managed to get the design registered with the UK Patent Office so its fingers crossed that things will run smoothly. If / when I receive a patent I have no idea what I will do with it but am hopeful that some door company will show interest.

Hi Guys,

I just watched Seaspiracy on Netflix and I feel sick and mad a hell!

Seaspiracy is a 2021 documentary film about the environmental impact of fishing directed by and starring Ali Tabrizi, a British filmmaker. The film examines various human impacts on marine life and advocates for ending fish consumption.

I highly recommend viewing Seaspiracy to bring you up to speed on what’s happening to many marine species.

Ali traveled the world and produced a fantastic documentary which is bound to make you think hard about what to do about criminal activity on the seas from the low scale crooked plunderers to the high level, NGOs and government officials. Japan should be ashamed of what they are allowing to happen.

Ali also ‘red faced’ quite a few ‘legit’ seafood producers and he also put his life at risk on a number of occasions when he was ‘Following the Money’.

https://seashepherd.org is an organisation I discovered that is well worth supporting.

Plant based solutions could be the answer! Ali interviewed Dominique Barnes, co-founder of New Wave Foods. The bottom line for me is that I am going to look at the vegan isles in the supermarket and see what alternatives are available.

@box said:

An issue you may have missed is the restriction of access when a parcel has been delivered. If, as you have shown earlier, the door cannot open with a parcel in the chute because it will hit the wall, you will run into problems. You can't stop to open the chute and retrieve the package while trying to escape the fire/flood etc. It could even be an issue with entering the building in an emergency, whether it be fire/rescue services needing to gain access or even an unaccompanied person feeling threatened and needing to get inside their door quickly.
Perhaps a version that fits in a window opening like those awful aircon units for restricted access situations, or even a wall mount that sits flush next to the door and pulls out to create a box.

Hi Box, You are perfectly right about the possible situations you raise. An option for part of the window is well worth thinking about.

@mike amos said:

The biggest issues I can see sit around security and thermal efficiency. People are going to be more and mode conscious of the cost of running a home and both of those are affected by interruption of the front door. Looking at another demographic, those living in buildings above a certain height, fire doors on the front access are now a legal requirement and you cannot make openings in those.

Having said that, you break even point will be lower and a freestanding anchored version for back gardens might make for a different market again. We have one of the fire doors on each of our flats here despite being two level buildings, slam doors which are a pain in the Arthur Harris.

I hope you make good sales, there will be good demand for similar products for a long time to come.

Thanks Mike,

You raise some very good points that I had not considered, particularly in relation to Fire Doors. However, most internal fire doors are timber construction. I imagine it would be possible to design around any problems with the input of a Fire Safety Engineer. A friend of mine specialises in this area, I will bounce the question and see what he suggests.

The DoorShute is an all stainless steel construction and that in itself, I imagine, would go a long way in fire proofing. It would also be possible to insert brushes at the joints / sliding surfaces as is the case for ordinary fire doors at the closing points, door / jamb / frame.

In the case of apartments I imagine there would be space available on the ground floor for parcel storage. I also imagine new builds would plan for this space as demand would be there.

The unit I have designed is primarily aimed at average house, town houses etc.

Charles, Mike ... Yep deliveries can be messy at the best of times if there is no body home and no parcel securing system. The solution I propose could go a long way in making things more simple. Maybe all entry doors should have an integrated parcel delivery system. Over most entry doors have a built-in letter box so it might be argued the ParcelShute is a logical progression

@ntxdave said:

Thanks Mike. I think the video is good. Would be neat if it also included an animation a a package being inserted and the back side expanding to hold the package.

I missed the video link and the support arm on the back of the door in the original post. I also missed the. Sorry for missing them. Would have prevented the dumb questions. Guess that is one of the problems as we age.

I took your advise dave and knocked out a short video showing an animation of the DoorShute in operation. Its on my YouTube Channel here,

Doorshute in Operation.mov
https://youtu.be/rbQr7hdVy34

@ntxdave said:

So when the the container is completely closed, where is the Adjustable Roller Wheel? Is each section smaller / larger that the one behind it?

Would be neat to see animation of how it works (section collapses and Adjustable Roller Wheel action).

BTW: Have you taken any actions to protect the ownership of your design?

Yes Dave, each Sliding Section is smaller than its neighbouring Sliding Section and they slide into each other. The leading edge of the Sliding Sections have a beveled edge that allows for easy slide-in of parcels. Have you looked that the DoorShute Promo Movie link above, here again, https://youtu.be/xhjhGZ1YSEE It more of less shows the DoorShute in action.

I've been working on this idea on and off for a while. Its Patent Pending as of a few days ago with IPO UK GB2210481.4 and the DoorShute name is Trademark pending also with IPOIE, so its pretty much covered. I am optimistic about getting a patent as there is nothing like it on the market currently also Google Patent searches come up with nothing.

My next step is to have a prototype made. I will be contacting door manufacturers in the hope of finding one that sees the potential of the DoorShute and partner with them in some way on the idea. Normally front entry doors are sold only once in the lifetime of the house. Providing entry doors with an integrated DoorShute might be a good way of selling house owners a new door! Just a though.

I have no wish or intention of going into manufacture at this stage of my life, I'm primarily a designer and this suits me. I'm quite happy flushing out various ideas that I've had over the years that were put on the 'To Do Sometime Shelf'. If nothing else it helps to keep my gray matter challenged and functioning well.....I hope!

@ntxdave said:

OK

I take the back side is collapsable so when there is no package, it is collapsed so that it is not extended on the inside by default. So, that poses another question. Does the support leg collapse as well? How/where is it stored.

I know, bunch of silly questions. As I said, it is an interesting design. Just trying to clarify some of the details.

Dave, There are no 'silly questions' as far as I'm concerned. The Adjustable Roller Wheel assembly is attached to the most inner Sliding Section. As the sliding sections collapse the Adjustable Roller Wheel slots into a notch on the other Sliding Sections.

This image shows the setup,

and this image shows the protrusion of the Adjustable Roller Wheel. It's approx 23mm, 25mm at most. The entry door should open inwards as much as needed.

@ntxdave said:

Interesting idea and design. Looks like something you should pursue.

One question though: How does the delivery person open the door lock?

Hi dave,

Most delivery couriers text a message before a delivery. It's just a matter of texting them the combination code to the lock. Couriers that don't text beforehand on arrival would read a notice supplying your mobile phone number, text or phone you and get the combination code. This code could also be supplied at the time of item purchase and noted in comments to the courier.

It would also be advisable to have a wifi linked visual / audio security camera outside and inside the door. These camera are cheap to buy these days. They notify you on your mobile phone that someone has approached your front door and you can both see them and talk to them.

Even without the combination lock in place there is still quite an amount of security for the parcel.

Hi Guys,

They say 'Necessity is the mother of invention'! I have come across a number of problems with parcel deliveries to houses these days when more and more people are buying online and having their parcels delivered directly to their homes.

I'm a bit of a gadget nut and have stuff delivered on a regular basis. I haven't had any major problems as I advise when ordering that if there is no reply at the front door to leave the parcel in a garden storage shed at the side of the house.

However not all houses have convenient alternative drop off locations particularly town houses and apartments etc. There are a number of parcel delivery boxes of varying designs on the market but they require a space adjacent to the front door which not everyone has available.

I got to thinking about an alternative drop off place and after a while came to the conclusion that parcels should be delivered much the same way as letters are currently delivered! So I started working on a solution and came up with, what I now call, DoorShute. The name is a play on 'coalshute' a common feature in houses decades ago.

I have uploaded a DoorShute Promo video which explains the ins and out of the design on my YouTube Channel here, https://youtu.be/xhjhGZ1YSEE

The following images / comments explain the basics of the DoorShute.

I'd be interested in hearing your comments.

Mike