As you know, in a woman’s purse you can find absolutely everything except order, but how long it will take is a completely different story. Igor Alferov, an inventor from Moscow, decided to make life easier for women and patented his know-how - “Light in a woman’s bag.” Of course, before him, developers from all countries had repeatedly taken up this invention, but their designs were too bulky and costly, so they were not further developed.
Alferov figured out how to attach LEDs to the lining of a bag, so that it would be cheap, reliable and minimally labor-intensive for mass production. He made a transparent plastic rivet into which he placed the LED. He patented this design as a utility model.
In Russia it is dark most of the day, so it is difficult for girls and women to find anything in their bags, and they have to use their mobile phones to illuminate it. With his invention, the author of the idea wants to make life easier for many women and preserve their already fragile nerves. He claims that 70% of girls who saw a prototype of the bag were delighted with this feature.
Since women are very demanding and will not buy a bag just for the sake of light, the author of the invention wants to cooperate with existing bag factories in Italy and Russia. Now he has already reached an agreement with three Italian manufacturers
Igor Alferov plans to release the first collection of bags made of genuine leather made in Italy in June 2017, and in August to release a collection of ECO leather made in Russia. The cost of the product will vary from 3,699 to 3,999 rubles.
At the moment, the inventor has already spent 200 thousand rubles on a patent and the development of 4 prototypes of the bag, three of which were unsuccessful. And now Alferov is preparing for a crowdfunding campaign, which is scheduled for March next year, and is also simultaneously looking for an investor.
A handbag is an indispensable attribute of any girl and woman. In it she carries a lot of the most necessary things, from cosmetics to a smartphone and tablet. If during the day there are unlikely to be any difficulties, then at dusk or at night ladies have to grope for the desired item for a long time before they manage to remove it from the bag. It’s especially unpleasant when it’s dark outside or in the entrance, and you urgently need to find the key to your apartment. In order to avoid such unpleasant situations, this video tutorial shows how to make a backlight for a woman’s bag with your own hands.
Required parts
So, we will need: a woman's bag, a small piece of LED strip, a battery box, a magnet, a reed switch.
We take the LED strip, attach it to the wire, and put it in heat shrink. We heat the latter along its entire length so that it fits tightly enough on the tape.
The device will use a boost module. Its parameters are such that the input can be 2-24 volts, and the output 3-28 volts.
Electrical characteristics
1). Maximum output current: 2
2). Input voltage: 2V~24V
3). Maximum output voltage: 28V
Solder the LED strip to it.
A switching reed switch must be built into the circuit. As you know, the principle of its operation is based on the fact that when a magnet is brought to it and vice versa, when removed, the contact switches. We put the reed switch in heat shrink.
Women's handbag with LED matrix 2.0
This amazing women's bag with a built-in LED matrix was presented by one of the visitors to the Maker Faire. Her unique product attracted a lot of attention from people around her.
The LED screen consists of pixelated RGB LED strips sewn into the bag, which are disguised under a mesh of leather strips. The result is a matrix with a resolution of 10 x 15 LEDs. The LEDs are controlled using the Adafruit Feather controller via Bluetooth, which is provided by a built-in data transfer module - Bluefruit LE. Using a smartphone, you can display various words, pictures and symbols on the screen, both in the form of a permanent image and in the form of a creeping line.
Since the microcontroller has a built-in charge controller lithium battery, then all you need to recharge is a small power supply with a USB connector. The battery and charging connector are hidden inside the bag.
In this instruction you will learn how to make your own women's handbag with a built-in LED matrix. This unusual women's accessory will help you always be the center of attention!
Step 1: LED Matrix
Of course, you can buy ready-made flexible LED matrices, but you can also make them yourself, and it's quite simple. The advantage of creating your own sensors is the flexibility to choose the exact dimensions and number of pixels that will allow you to create the desired sensor resolution. To make your own flexible LED matrix RGB, you will need the following components:
Flexible RGB LED strip with individually addressable LEDs, ideally with an adhesive backing. Currently, the two most available LED strip options are APA102 or WS2812. Any kind works great in this project. IN in this case Was used LED strips APA102, since they can be used with a wider range of microcontrollers, they are slightly more expensive than the WS2812, but have an additional data line. The choice rests solely on your shoulders.
- Vinyl base for fixing the matrix of LED strips.
- Wires, solder and other soldering supplies.
- Microcontroller for testing the functionality of the Arduino Uno matrix.
First, you need to decide on the size of your matrix. Keep in mind that 5 meter long LED strips are typically soldered together in ½ meter increments. The spacing of the connection points may vary slightly, which may break the symmetry of the matrix. This project used a 2 meter long strip containing 60 LEDs per meter. Accordingly, each detachable segment contained 30 LEDs. Next, the LED strip was divided into 8 equal parts, each of which contained 14 LEDs (every 15 LED was cut off).
Next, you need to cut a rectangular piece of vinyl large enough to accommodate the LED strips. Draw on it straight lines, indicating the placement of stripes taking into account the spacing between stripes. In this case, the distance between the LEDs on one strip was 1.1 cm, and the size of the LED itself was 0.5 cm; accordingly, in order to obtain a uniform grid of LEDs, the line spacing between the strips was made at 1.6 cm (measured between the centers of the strips ). After the marking is completed, the stripes must be correctly oriented, since data transfer is carried out only in one direction, from the end of one strip to the beginning of the next. The direction of data transfer is depicted by directional arrows on the tape.
Next you need to remove protective film on the sticky side of the tape and glue all the strips to the vinyl base according to the markings made. When the fixation of the strips is completed, you need to cut small pieces of wire to connect all the strips. In this case, 26 AWG wire with silicone insulation was used. Then all strips are soldered sequentially, observing the pin assignments and directions. After soldering was completed, the Arduino Uno microcontroller was connected to the LED matrix and the standard Adafruit Standtest Arduino sketch was launched, this is necessary to check the functionality of all LEDs in the matrix. After checking the circuit, use a hot glue gun to secure all solder joints.
Step 2: Electronics and Power
This project uses an Adafruit Feather M0 microcontroller with a built-in module to control the LED matrix wireless transmission Bluefruit Bluetooth LE data. The wiring itself is quite simple. Since the Adafruit Feather microcontroller requires a supply voltage of 3.3V, and the APA102 LED strip needs 5V, a logic level converter was used, which made it possible to connect two devices to one power source.
The power connection used a quick-release connector with wires that were soldered (connected) in the middle of the LED matrix to distribute the load evenly. The Adafruit Feather microcontroller receives power through a connection to the LED matrix.
To house the electronic components, a small plastic box with a hole for the wires was printed on a 3D printer.
Step 3: Woven Cover for LED Matrix
After the LED matrix is finished, you need to make a decorative coating for it. It is made by weaving thin strips of leather with crosshairs where the LEDs are located. In this project, the distance between the LEDs in the matrix is 1.1 cm (both vertically and horizontally), so the first step is to cut a lot of leather strips with a width of 1.1 cm.
Then, based on the LED matrix, a decorative mesh is weaved from cut leather strips. The weaving is done in such a way that the LEDs are visible through the decorative mesh in the corners of the overlapping leather strips.
To complete the production of the decorative mesh, it is necessary to fix the strips together with glue. To do this, transfer the mesh to something else and use a toothpick to apply glue between the strips at the intersection points. Under no circumstances do this on the LED matrix itself!
Once the glue has dried, lift up the decorative mesh and cut off any excess fringe.
Step 4: Sewing the bag
To make a bag you will need the following materials:
- Leather (the same as used for the decorative mesh)
- Fabric for lining
- Fabric for the outside of the bag
- Soft adhesive base (glues fabrics together under the influence of an iron)
- Two zippers - one for the wallet outside, and one for the lining
The size of your bag will depend on the size of your LED matrix. So if your die size is different from the size given in this project, you will have to resize some parts of the bag accordingly. Now let's start manufacturing.
You need to cut out the pieces of fabric needed to make the bag itself:
- Leather 40 x 24 cm – 2 pieces
- Fabric for the outside of the bag 38 x 14 cm – 2 pieces
- Fabric for lining 38 x 35 – 2 pieces
- One lining fabric pocket (if required)
Then you need to cut a rectangular hole in one of the leather pieces for the front of the bag. This hole is required to accommodate the LED matrix. This will be the front side of the bag. Since the die in this project measures 21.8 cm x 11.6 cm, a rectangular area is cut out of the leather piece to fit these dimensions. An indent of approximately 4 cm is made from the top edge of the piece to the beginning of the cutout; the cutout is oriented horizontally in the middle of the piece.
After this, use fabric glue to glue the leather decorative mesh into the cut out area on the back side. After the glue has dried, carefully sew the mesh around the perimeter using a sewing machine.
Miniature adhesive magnets are used to connect the leather mesh and the LED matrix. Magnets are glued to the four corners of the vinyl base and decorative mesh. After placing the magnets, the matrix can be removed and set aside until the bag is completely finished.
The following steps will not be discussed in detail, since they relate to sewing and all the necessary information can be gleaned from the images below. In a nutshell, you will need to join the leather pieces to the fabric for the outside of the bag, sew in a zipper, sew the inside pocket into the lining and install it inside the bag, and finally attach the strap. Then the electronics with battery are installed.
Software:
To transmit text or characters to the LED matrix, use a smartphone with installed application Adafruit Bluefruit LE Connect, available for free download in stores Google Play and AppStore.
For the microcontroller to work correctly, you will need to load a sketch into it ( program code) which is available at the link:
https://github.com/geekmomprojects/led-handbag
or
That's all, good luck to you!
Russian realtor Igor Alferov figured out how to turn on the light in a woman’s handbag:
After all, almost every woman there will break her leg (I confess, me too. Until I find mobile phone who is calling, he has already stopped calling).
The surprising thing is that a man came up with such a function. Although, if he had been a woman, he would have come up with it much earlier, but 25 long years passed from understanding the problem to its implementation. It was 25 years ago that he noticed how a friend of his, unable to find something very necessary in her purse in the dark, poured its contents onto the ground.
About 3 years ago, he came up with a solution to this problem - he decided to place an LED flashlight inside his bag. Or rather, instead of a flashlight, he came up with a transparent plastic rivet, inside of which an LED was placed. This rivet should be sewn behind the lining of the bag, with a USB port for charging the LED coming out. And at the top of the handbag there was a switch, with which you could turn this lighting on or off at any time.
The inventor patented (with the help of a patent attorney) his design as a utility model (he spent 220 rubles on patenting and creating a prototype of an illuminated bag).
Made a presentation video:
Created the page svetvsumke.ru:
And he started looking for an investor.
I saw his project on planeta.ru, and on gust.com, and on investgo24.com (sites where startups look for investors). At first he asked for 3 million rubles, then 3 million dollars (apparently changing the concept of his business along the way).
In the fall of 2015, he appeared on the TV show “Business Sharks”, where entrepreneurs are looking for investors, but he was rejected (but when investors refuse, it doesn’t mean anything, I’ve seen many businesses that, after such refusals, still become successful - due to energy, activity and perseverance of business creators).
You can watch a video of his performance in “Business Sharks” here:
In the TV show “Business Sharks” he showed his prototype, so you can evaluate the invention in action.
The prototype does not look like the one in the video above (to be honest, I personally was a little disappointed with it - the bag is not lit as brightly as in the video; the shapes of the lanterns are round - they do not fit in with the shape of an ordinary women's handbag; I would make them rectangular or long, along the entire edge of the bag - so that the entire area from the inside is illuminated evenly; but perhaps I’m just being picky and the shape of the lighting fixtures is not so important for women):
(the inventor demonstrates his handbag to mentors from the TV show “Business Sharks”)
For three years the inventor was looking for money to launch his project (I mean, our inventors do not despair - three years is not a long time for an invention).
During this time, the central media wrote and talked about him (the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets”, the television programs “Friday”, “Good Morning”, “Life in the Big City”, “Miracle of Technology”).
And recently on his website I saw information that the first release of illuminated bags will take place in the spring of 2017 (maybe he has already found an investor?). First, Russian-made bags will be released, later - Italian ones.
What is the inventor's hope that he will succeed?
Using the examples of two inventors: Bernard Sadow, who invented suitcases on wheels (and earned $20 million from it) and Robert Plath, who invented retractable handles for these suitcases (and earned $90 million).
A light-up bag is like an upgraded suitcase. Which at first no one knew anything about, but then everyone suddenly started using it - because it became convenient.
In the West, there have already been attempts to introduce internal lighting into a handbag. But the solutions were either cumbersome or expensive, so they never went into mass production.
By the way, I have come across attachments that other inventors are still inventing. Here is one of them, called Bulbo:
It is hung on the edge of the bag - with the ball on the outside, the rest on the inside. When walking, the ball sways and transfers its kinetic energy to the batteries inside, which illuminate the inside of the bag:
This, in principle, is also an interesting option. But if each user screwed the wheels to their suitcases themselves, would they become so popular?
Why was the inventor rejected by the Business Sharks?
In their claims to the inventor, I saw two reasons:
1. The inventor has not yet sold a single bag. All his marketing research boiled down to the fact that he showed women his luminous bag, they gasped with delight and expressed a desire to buy such a bag (but they had not bought one yet, because not a single such bag - except for the prototype - had been made).
My advice to aspiring inventors. Before you go to investors, sell yourself. This is exactly what the Americans do - first they sell to neighbors, then to city residents, collect statistics and only then go to investors or on TV shows similar to “Business Sharks”.
Igor Alferov should have agreed with some small bag-making factory that already makes women's handbags to make a trial batch of illuminated bags. And see how sales go.
2. One of the mentors suggested that bag manufacturers themselves will begin to sew in such devices for illumination - they will not need the devices that the Russian inventor wants to sell them.
Apparently, it was for this second reason that Igor Alferov decided to independently sell the first batches of bags. To do this, he has already come up with and calculated a sales scheme (you can read it on the page investgo24.com/project/10838, under the subtitle “Business Model”).
In short, he plans to create a trading company “Light in a Bag - Region” in each region of Russia, which for the first year and a half will play the role of an online store, accept group applications, bring 12 bags to the offices to choose from - from which they will presumably be purchased 2-4 bags. During the day, the manager will visit 3-4 offices and will be able to sell 5-8 bags.
In a year and a half, this company, after forming a customer base, will become a wholesale seller of women's and men's bags and other leather goods. And in the regions, with the help of local entrepreneurs, offline stores will be created, which, in addition to bags, will sell clothes, cosmetics, shoes and underwear.
But we'll see. Perhaps the creator of the LED sewn into fabric will actually soon become a millionaire (or billionaire). Follow the news on his website svetvsumke.ru.
In any case, the idea is very interesting. And someone should finally solve the problem of the difficulty of searching in women's handbags.