Gate 2: Bissell PowerForce® Bagless Upright Vacuum 6579-2 Product Dissection

Project Management: Preliminary Project Review

Thus far our group has worked efficiently together. We meet for a small period of time after each class to discuss where we stand and when a good time will be for every group member to meet for project work.

As outlined by our original gate 1 management proposal; we assigned roles to each other. These positions have seemed to work relatively well and we are completing our group deadlines. Some cause for concern would come with the fact that our group waited till the week before gate 1 was due to complete the required tasks and as a result some group members were tasked with doing more work than others; and the work became rushed towards the end. However, for gate 2 our group started working almost 3 weeks prior to the gates due date. On October 13th, our group met for the most task oriented portion of the project yet; the project archeology and dissection. The meeting went as planned and we chose to meet on campus in one of the group member’s apartment to do the dissection. The dissection was relatively easy with only a few difficult parts to remove and a welded motor casing that prevented further dissection. We chose to document the dissection by use of both Microsoft word in a step by step process, as well as, a video recording of the entire dissection with limited commentary.

Our Group works very well together and we see no need to change the roles that we assigned in the original management proposal. And although it is difficult at times to disperse the work load evenly, we discuss not only the time that a particular section will take, but also the difficulty involved with that section or the prior tasks a group member will already have to be doing. Additional tasks such as Such as making the wiki page or grammar correcting everyone’s work. We have had no arguments within our group and we plan on keeping it that way for the rest of the project.

Ease of Disassembly:

How difficult is each step?

How can you define a meaningful scale to rate the difficulty?

During the disassembly of the Bissell 6579-2 vacuum, most of the component could be separated and taken off easily. However, some parts such as the switch button (part 20) were more difficult to remove than other parts. The number scale below is based on the ease of disassembly and how many tools were needed to take off the component or to be separated. Also, it includes the amount of time needed for the disassembly of that part and how much force was applied to remove said parts. The scale ranges from one to five.

• Time: Most of parts took five to ten seconds. However, a few hard parts required five to seven minutes to remove.
• Number of tools: Most of the parts required just a Philips head screw driver, but some parts required more than one tool; some went up to 3. All of the hard jobs required 3 or more tools.

Table 1: Scale for Difficulty in Dissection

Scale number	Number of Tools	Approximate Time needed
1= very easy	0	0 to 10 seconds
2= easy	1	10 to 20 seconds
3=average	2	20 to 60 seconds
4=hard	3	1 to 3 minutes
5=very hard	4	3 or more minutes

Parts number assigned are from figure 2 from GATE 1

Table 2: Complete Dissection of Bissell Vacuum

Step #	Detail	Time (min)	Difficulty	Tools Used	Intended to be disassembled	Reason	Image
1	Separate both part 27’s from main assembly by unscrewing 4 Philips head screws.	1:00	#3	1: "3/16 Phillips Screwdriver"	yes	in order to disassemble main hose to clean.
2	Remove 4 philips head screws to remove part 34 from 29.	0:30	#3	1: "3/16 Phillips Screwdriver"	yes	in order to disassemble brush to clean
3	Remove part 33 and 35 (brush and belt) at the same time.	0:40	#3	0: No Tools Used	Yes	in order to disassemble to clean stuff that is stuck
4	Separate part 29 and its remaining components from main frame.	1:00	#4	0: No Tools Used	Yes	In order to clean the hose
5	Pull off part 30.	0:20	#2	0: No Tools Used	Yes	In order to clean the hose
6	Use flat head screwdriver to remove part 23 after removing one screw.	2:00	#4	2: "3/16 Phillips Screwdriver, Flathead Screwdriver"	Yes	In order to clean the hose
7	Remove part 26 from 24.	0:20	#2	1: "Flathead Screwdriver"	NO	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
8	Pull part 24 out from 25.	0:05	#1	0: No Tools Used	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
9	Pull 25 off from 29.	0:05	#1	0: No Tools Used	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
10	Repeated steps 7-9 for both right and left side.	0:30	#3	1: "Flathead Screwdriver"	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
11	Dislodge part 28 from 29.	5:00	#5	1: "Flathead Screwdriver"	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
12	all parts are now disassembled from part 29.	0:00	#	0: No Tools Used	Yes	in order to clean the hose
13	Removed parts 10 and 11 simultaneously.	0:05	#1	0: No Tools Used	Yes	In order to change the filter
14	Then pull part 11 from 10.	0:05	#1	0: No Tools Used	Yes	In order to replace the filter
15	Removed part 4.	0:05	#1	0: No Tools Used	Yes	in order to clean the dust
16	Removed parts 5, 6, 7 at the same time.	0:10	#2	0: No Tools Used	Yes	in order to clean the dust
17	Removed part 3 from frame.	0:05	#1	0: No Tools Used	Yes	in order to clean the dust
18	Removed 6 screws to remove part 41. (light/ filter housing)	1:30	#	1: "3/16 Phillips Screwdriver"	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
19	Remove Part 12 from 41.	0:10	#1	1: "Flathead Screwdriver"	Yes	in order to replace burnt bulb
20	Removed part 13 from 14.	0:05	#1	0: No Tools Used	Yes	in order to replace burnt bulb
21	Remove part 14 from 41(wire harness) by cutting wires.	5:00	#5	0: No Tools Used	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
22	Removing parts 15, 16, 17, and 18 at the same time by disconnecting wire harnesses part 14.	2:00	#4	1: "Flathead Screwdriver"	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
23	By pulling cut wires through, part 41 is now free of frame and all other parts.	0:10	#2	0: No Tool used	Yes	in order to change operation belt
24	Removed lock and seal lever(part 9 and 8) from part 41 by removing 2 screws.	0:30	#3	1: "3/16 Phillips Screwdriver"	Yes	in order to clean filter
25	Separate parts 8 and 9.	0:05	#1	0: No Tools Used	Yes	in order to clean filter
26	Removed power cord part 19 by un-clipping harness.	0:30	#3	1: "Flathead Screwdriver"	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
27	Pulled off parts 21 and 22.	0:20	#2	2: "Flathead Screwdriver, Pliers"	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
28	Remove part 20 by dislodging two locks on left and right side.	5:00	#5	1: "Flathead Screwdriver"	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
29	Remove part 36 by pulling on it.	0:10	#1	0: No Tools Used	Yes	in order to clean hose
30	Remove parts 37, 38, and 39 by pulling them from frame.	0:30	#3	0: No Tools Used	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
31	Remove 2 screws on outside to remove parts 1 and 2 from frame.	0:20	#2	1: "3/16 Phillips Screwdriver"	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
32	Separate part 2 from 1 using pliers.	0:30	#3	1: "Pliers"	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.
33	Separate parts 15, 16, 17, and 18 from each other using Flathead screwdriver	0:20	#2	1: "Flathead Screwdriver"
34	Used 12mm socket and 3/8 ratchet to disassemble parts 18 and 17 from motor with wrench	0:40	#3	3: "3/8 ratchet with 12mm socket, Flathead Screwdriver, Pliers"	No	not connected with any parts that need to be disassemble.

Most of the components of the Bissell 6579-2 vacuum cleaner are intended to be disassembled by the customer if need be with little to moderate difficulty. However, the motor was welded inside a casing so it could not be disassembled or tampered with.According to the user owner's manual it describes that the belt,and the filter need to be replaced periodically which means the product is intended to be disassembled in some level.

Document the connection of subsystems:

What subsystems are connected?

How are they connected?

Physically?

Signals?

Mass?

Energy?

There are four main subsystems that we can find in this vacuum cleaner. These subsystems are connected physically by a series of wiring and through physical contact with each other.

• Floor-brush Motor
• Hand Tools
• Air Filter
• Debris Chamber

Power cord is connected with switch and electric wire is connected with Floor-brush motor physically. Floor motor is connected with spinning brush with rubber belt. Hand tools are directly connected with top of the upper-outer assembly to grip, so it captures human energy. Air filter is connected through plastic dust container to floor-brush motor, so air can flow through it. Debris chamber is also connected with floor-brush motor directly to the motor to convert spinning energy to pneumatic energy. Each component of subsystems cooperates systematically in order to allow the vacuum cleaner to operate properly. The energy generated from the motor provides the power to the entire system. When we plug the vacuum cleaner in and turn in on, electricity supplies energy to the cleaner’s an electric motor 12 amp, and the motor creates torque 1 to 30 hp that produces electric power and allows the system to run. In the process, mutual connections between components are very important. Most of components are connected by wires and screws.

Why are they connected?

The vacuum cleaner is composed of various systems and subsystems that contribute to its main purpose which is cleaning. Customer, human, uses this vacuum cleaner by using electrical energy. To uses electrical energy power cord is needed and it’s connected with motor to covert electrical energy to spinning energy. To clean the floor, this energy needed to convert to pneumatic energy, so chamber is connected with motor directly. To reach the floor, hose and filter are connected directly too. We believe that In order for the vacuum to work it receives electrical energy by power cord into the system which is then converted in some sort of mechanical energy by electric motor that is used to suck in the debris as Figure 1: Functional Diagram for a Vacuum below. To do this job the subsystem must be connected with wire between electrical energy to mechanical energy. This is the main reason for the connection of all subsystems.

How are the connections implemented?

To show excellent performance during the vacuum cleaner operation, each part is required to maintain good connection. Most of subsystems of Bissell PowerForce Bagless Upright Vacuum 6579-2 are connected with wires and screws, especially metal screws were used to connect almost every component. The wiring connects the trigger to the power supply which is connected to the motor through different wires. From the motor the systems are connected solely by physical touching connections. The motor turns fan on which physically contacts the transmission system through a system of wires.

Figure 1: Functional Diagram for a Vacuum

FUNCTIONAL MODEL CHART.

How do global, societal, economic, and environmental concerns influence this?

How does performance influence the connection type?

Global

Vacuum cleaners are used everywhere in the world. So there are only a few global concerns that exist. The company only uses parts that can be assembled or disassembled with a Philips or flathead screw driver. These tools are used worldwide and most households have and know how to use them. The motor is generated by 110v which is only used in a few countries included the US.

Societal

The subsystem of Bissell 6579-2 between spinning brush, belt, and motor are influenced by societal concerns due to safety issues. When something is stuck in the spinning brush, the belt is broken and then motor is shut down right after. In an experiment, with Bissell 6579-2 the belt is broken within 30 seconds after a rubber band was stuck in the spinning brush, resulting in the brush seizing to move. If someone got their hair or something stuck in the brush and it kept spinning, it might become dangerous or difficult to remove. When the belt is broken, the brush is spinning freely, so people can pick the wedged debris out safely and easily. The plug for outlet has only 2 connectors without the 3rd post, the ground connector. For safety reasons, the plug should have been made with a ground connector.

Economic

The material and connection of subsystem are influenced by economic concerns. The Bissell 6579 is the cheapest vacuum cleaner among the brands that Wal-Mart sold at the time. The company uses plastic mostly which is relatively cheap to lower the price. The company also used too many screws to hold each part. Using less the quantity of screws could have saved more money in manufacturing costs.

Environmental

The material that a company uses is influenced by environmental concerns. The Bissell company uses recyclable plastic for environmental awareness. However, the company uses many metal screws which can be recycled, but since the metal screws are not recycled effectively, the screws are not necessary better for the environment.

Performance

There are three filters in the vacuum. For the performance, the dust filter is designed to filter the dust but allow sufficient air flow as well. The intake filter has larger air holes for best air induction. The HEPA filter is designed to filter the harmful stuff attached to the air.

For optimal performance, the right tension of belt is required. The belt is connected to the spinning brush to rotate and help collect dust. Since the belt is made of rubber, years of usage can cause a loss in tension and friction ability. Thus the structure should be made for easy belt replacement and the replacement part needs to be sold separately.

What is the arrangement of subsystems?

Is there a reason for each subsystems placement?

Are there subsystems which cannot be adjacent?

The subsystems are arranged as shown in the table below. The subsystems are arranged this way because the vacuum has a very specific overall function that it performs and because there are only a few subsystems that act to create its overall function of cleaning.

Table 3: Subsystems of Bissell Vacuum

#	Name	Pictures
1	Handel/ Upper handles assy
2	Power cord
3	Motor
4	Cyclone
5	Snap vacuum hose
6	Dirt cup
7	Belt Oem Bissell style 7
8	Bottom plate
9	Brush bar
10	Top (midnight blue)
11	Wheels
12	Body

Each subsystem is an essential part for the Bissell vacuum cleaner. The first sub-system is the Upper handle assy that allows us to convert human energy to help clean the floors. The next sub-system is the power cord. This system has the main function of transporting electrical energy into and throughout the vacuum to power the other subsystems. Electrical energy is first brought into the vacuum from its energy source by the power cord. An electric motor sucks in air and pulls it through the machine’s cyclone and filters. The cyclone is the most important part of the Bissell cleaner because the motor sucks air through the cyclone; it is the upper dust filter. As air and debris pass through the cyclone, dust spins out through a snap vacuum hose and collects in the dirt cup. As a result, the air hose and dirt cup are essential to suck up the dust through the hose and collect the dust in the dirt cup for disposal. Also, there is the Belt Oem Bissell style 7 which is connected between the motor and brush bar. The rotating belt gives power to the brush that is held by the Bottom plate. The brush in the top cover starts running to sweep the dust and dirt on and imbedded in the carpet. The top cover moves around through the use of two wheels. The wheels support the vacuum to stand up and move around. They are held onto the top cover by a small pin which is called an axie. As a result, each subsystem is necessary for the vacuum to run.

All the subsystems are adjacent each other because all subsystem contributes to the overall performance of the vacuum. As a result, all the parts are in adjacent design.