DIGITAL DESIGN + FABRICATION SM1, 2015 M1 JOURNAL – Paper Umbrella Xing Yi 692049 Michelle James Seminar 1 Mon 3:15-5:15
Measured Drawings
The object I chose was paper umbrella. In order to measure this umbrella accurately, I chose its open state as my measured drawings. First, I roughly measured the height and width of the umbrella to determine the approximate size. Then I used ruler to scale different components of the umbrella, such as the radius by measured the length of ribs (including tips), simply measured the length of tube, runner, base and ferrule. And I also used compasses to measure some parts of the umbrella when the ruler can not reach, such as the diameter of runner, stretcher, ferrule and the base.
For the section and elevation drawings, I first researched the perspective view of a paper umbrella form the internet and then did the drawing by imagining a rough view of the umbrella with real measurements.
Analysis
The umbrella is made of paper (skin) and wood (bone) and can be simply seen as a triangle and a line. The wooden tube and stretchers support the whole structure. The runner controls the stretchers to make umbrella do the extend (opened) and retract(closed) movement.
The top spring is the key factor to fixed the umbrella in opened form. The runner will get stuck by the spring and can not move down.
The cloth of the umbrella can be simply made by folding a circular pieces of paper in half and half along with the dot points. The more the number of folds, the more creases showed on the cover for insetting the ribs to form a completed object.
Digital Model Because the paper umbrella can not be built from surface to solid, so I decided to build it by working on different components first and then combining them together as a whole. 1. Using “Solid creation” to build up a cylinder(tube)and a truncated cone(base). Then “Boolean” them in a same centre point. 2. Build up a cylinder(rib) in scale by using “Box”, then up -tilt it by “rotate 2-D”. Final, copy it in 23 items by “polar array”,then “Boolean” them as a whole and fix it at the top of the tube. 3. Same as step 1, build two tubes(runner) by using “solid creation”, then “Boolean” them and move it to fix in a same centre point. 4. Build a truncated cone as the ferrule of the umbrella. 5. Boolean tube, base and ferrule together as a whole.
About the stretchers, there are 2 ways to do it. First way: Same as step 2. But rotate in different direction and fix at the runner. [ step 2. Build up a cylinder(rib) in scale by using “Box”, then up -tilt it by “rotate 2-D”. Final, copy it in 23 items by “polar array”,then “Boolean” them as a whole and fix it at the top of the tube.]
Second Way: Copy the ribs group and rotate it by using “mirror”. Then use “scale 3-D” to shrink the new ribs group and also fix the concentrated point at the same centre point.
Build the cloth (skin)of the umbrella 6. Use “Polygon” to create a polygon with 23 sides, then fix each angle at each rib(leave some part for the tips)and “Extrude” to the concentrated points of the ribs. 7. Works the same as step 6 to create another skin and then scale it in smaller size to be the paper around the stretchers. Or, copy the cloth and rotate with mirror then scale it in smaller size.
Hole: Create a circle near the tube then use “Make Hole” to stretch the circle inside the tube but not penetrate the tube.
Top spring: Create a “curve” line, then use “Pipe” to create curve pipe and fix it into the hole.
Sketch Model Before taking apart the umbrella, I started to think what object is bone and skin structure. Then I noticed my desk which I was sitting on. Then I decided to make a beach chair which is bone&skin structure. So I separated into skin(paper colth) and bone(ribs & stretcher)
I first stuck every 2 ribs together, same with every 2 stretchers. The longest ribs played as the support of the back of the chair and also the leg of the chair. One of the short timber is also the leg of the chair, the other one is the surface of the chair. Use iron wire to connect those three components together. The stand responded to the principle of triangle stability, it supports the whole structure stable. (similar to the umbrella: tube, stretchers and ribs)
Use a timber to connect two triangle structures(refer to the page before) together to form the rough shape of the chair.
Use iron wire to thread all the timbers to make the every components movable (like the runner of the umbrella, push the runner up, the whole structure move). Same works on this chair, move one leg, the whole structure will move simultaneously.
Cut the cloth(skin) of the umbrella to make a skin, then made it cover the structure. The whole beach chair is completed. Although the chair and the original umbrella are totally different, but they are using the same material and both of them are bone and skin structure.
Sketch Design #1 Key Words: 1. Mask 2. Translucent 3. geometric
The mask cover people's eyes to prevent any eye contract which also stop the communication before they get in touch. The geometric shape also protect wearer's arms, and the spiculate triangle on the hand can be used as a weapon when wearer feel threat
Sketch Design #2 Key Words: 1. claws 2. horrible 3. extend
The claws first give people a sense of uncomfortable and horrible feeling. The claws cover all the upper part of the body give wearer a protection. And they can extend the claws as they want base on the situation.
Sketch Design #3 Key Words: 1. triangle 2. opaque 3. tips 4. geometric
The triangle has a stability theorem, it makes wearer feel steady. But the tips extrude outside the body makes viewers feel can not get closer to the wearer, and the opaque cloth also make viewer can't see through the body, this make wearer feel secure.
Appendix