I think I've rumbled a very dodgy trick in a major label toy product...

Malthusian

A great bit of mechanical sleuthing but unfortunately it violates Napoleon's rule about never assuming malice for what can be adequately explained by incompetence.

Most toys are so cheaply made and break so frequently of their own accord that it is simply unnecessary for a company to deliberately insert a component whose sole purpose is to cause the thing to stop working. With the consequent risk of the engineer responsible deciding to make a name for himself by telling the papers.

fleshandbone

i would hazard to guess that the component was a safety device rather than some kind of trick, it would make no sense for a manufacturer to fix something to become inoperable, this would only end in a loss rather than a gain.

can you name the toy and brand please?

paddyrg

Photos! Let's see some photos!

fleshandbone

Yes photo's photo's!!!

Pennywise

I'd suggest it's almost certainly the same workings being used in multiple different toys, so it may not be needed in yours, it may be an integral part of another. The factory/manufacturer can make them in much larger quantities, hence cheaper "per item" price.

No different to the widespread use of the same "innards" in electrical equipment such as DVD players, TVs, even washing machines etc., where you get the same piece of equipment, but the lower end model has a slightly different control panel (with maybe some buttons missing) but the higher end model having all options available - it's the same thing, but some models let you do more than others. The modern equivalent for computer controlled electronic equipment is slightly different control software that has some features enabled/disabled according to the model you buy!

I think it was Alan Sugar who was one of the major instigators of this model of various different "models" of the same thing. It was either with his HiFi systems or his PCs - I'm sure I remember it in his biography - exactly the same piece of equipment, but he was keen on "higher spec" for more profit, so he marketed "better" models costing more but which were actually the same, but just configured for more functionality!

andrewm1981

Pennywise, yes you recall correctly. IIRC, Alan Sugar went even further- he had a model of something (I forget what, perhaps a computer), but realised real profit was to be had in different versions where people are happy to pay more for a better model (eg iPads) . So he added a resistor or capacitor or something to one model that actually made it slower, enabling him to charge more for the standard model. Total genius, if not a little crafty :-)

fleshandbone

OP obviously having a laugh as no photo's supplied.

Ashmil

fleshandbone wrote: »

OP obviously having a laugh as no photo's supplied.

You mean "no photos"

Sorry folks, been maxed out this last few days, only just catching up with this now. Will post photos this eve!

I have to say I've listened to what's been said and I remain skeptical. It's such a simple mechanism with such a blantant blocking function which makes no sense other than to stop the cog moving. And the company declined to offer any explanation - just apologies for the inconvenience and a freebie. At the moment I'm going with Occam's Razor on this one...

Will reveal all later! (oh the power I wield...) - stock up on popcorn...

Ashmil

OK, here it is, late as ever. PDF is here, hopefully you can see it

https://app.box.com/s/o0o0u3rs53fmho9y86ixp3fz8uy4inyk

The product is Play Doh Sweet Shoppe - the grinding mechanism which turns Play Doh into little sweet-like balls is the part that has the locking component.

Let me know what you think folks. (ducks for cover)

sam.4000

Ashmil wrote: »

OK, here it is, late as ever. PDF is here, hopefully you can see it


The product is Play Doh Sweet Shoppe - the grinding mechanism which turns Play Doh into little sweet-like balls is the part that has the locking component.

Let me know what you think folks. (ducks for cover)

Hi
You might want to remove your name from your attachment for your own privacy.