The Scoop and Dump Pickup has a central box body that houses two rollers as wheels along with a central hinge in the middle to allow the handles to pivot. The handles are used in a scissor motion with a slot on the shovel handle to allow the user to rake in toys into the scoop area. The extra items for more variability of use are the bin on the top, allowing the user to place items on the main body, and the button on the scoop, allowing the user to "dump" or release the scoop easily.
The important material aspects of this toy are that the wheels have a minimal amount of friction and the central joint is very strong. This whole device can be made of durable plastic in order to be low in construction cost, durable, and safe. By making the pickup all plastic, all parts can be manufactured in the same place and most likely the same method as none of the parts require extensive consideration besides possibly the main body and the button part. Plastic is very durable which is great for this device as it will probably be bumped around and be subjected to lots of force. The pickup will not have any small parts aside from the button which will be very difficult to remove. This device should be for ages 2 and up as smaller children may have trouble understanding how to use the device and also may swallow the one small button part if by some chance it does become detached from the pickup. In total, this product should cost somewhere around $19.95 retail value to match similar-sized toys made of plastic. Construction-wise, this toy would have a lot of fixed cost as the molds for each part would be expensive but the variable cost or plastic material should be inexpensive so it is estimated that each toy would have a construction cost of about $10.00.
The fundamental principle involved with playing with the Scoop and Dump Pickup is kinematics. The act of scooping requires a certain degree of force on the handles allowing the force applied to be transferred along the handles to the scooper in order to collect and lift items to be dumped in the desired place. This toy makes the activity of picking up toys fun and active. Most children love the idea of something having wheels and this device allows the user to push around a vehicle while dealing with the usually undesirable task of cleaning up toys. The two-handed interactivity along with the satisfaction of accomplishing a task gives the user a fun filled experience.
By Alex Au