Welcome to the Forum for InventorSpot.com, the most popular invention related website in the world. Read our welcome message.
Moderators: Michelle, Scrupulous, citizen
HeadJerk Checking in ...
by Headjerk » Tue Jul 29, 2008 12:23 pm
- Headjerk
- White Belt
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2008 12:51 pm
Greetings. . . from a "newGuy"
My name is Bob but I'm known as the "HeadJerk". I invented and market a product called the JerkStopper . Technically it's a CRD (Cable Retention Device) designed to utilize any existing port (USB, RJ11 or RJ45) on a laptop computer as a stay or restraint to keep the very fragile AC power connector from being damaged from day to day tugging and pulling and jerking on the power cord.
My story starts a few years ago when my Sony laptop died a painful death (motherboard), my wife, having just procured a new Fujitsu Tablet PC, gave me her older Fujitsu laptop.
Nice laptop but like so many laptops, it had some issues. . . like charging intermittently or not at all and other problems that I finally identified as AC power plug related. After some research I decided to that the minimum $250 (OUCH) that Fujitsu and others would have charged me to repair or replace the connector was exorbitant.
WARNING: I decided to try and fix the problem myself. Laptop repair isn't really something that I would recommend to just anybody. It was pretty darn intimidating the first time I disassembled the offending system. Not only wasn't I sure I could fix it, It looked real easy to a. break "stuff" and b. get things put back together wrong. Slowly but surely I managed to get it un-assembled and find the damaged part .
The culprit was a poorly designed, easily breakable AC power plug connector (a tiny connector that is soldered to the back of the motherboard) . Long story short, after successfully repairing the system I realized that the daily jerking or pulling on the power cable had caused the problem in the first place. In searching for a "fix" I realized that almost every laptop made either has this problem or runs the risk of having this problem.
So I went to my local computer store(s) looking for a "device" that would take the strain off the plug if it were jerked by accident. No luck. . . . Likewise "looking" on the web, hardware stores, specialty computer stores, etc.
Sooooo, since I couldn't find anything on the market designed to "solve that problem" I went home and "cobbled" up a "thingy" to provide the required strain relief for the power cord. In fact I made 3 or 4 different versions for our laptops. I just couldn't believe that someone hadn't already identified this problem and solved it but after months of searching I realized that nobody made what I wanted.
My wife convinced me to draw up some plans based on the different test units and get off my butt and see a patent attorney. Then it was accurate drawings, prototypes and some ideas as to what it was going to take to produce and market the units. The product we offer is as a result of my wife's patience, a wad of money and lots and lots of testing and many months of me learning how to produce and go to market with a "new product".
The initial introduction of the product on the web (with some help from Engadget, Leo LaPorte, Chris Pirilllo, GizMag and many others) was excellent. Sales have been steady. With over 50 million laptop computers sold last year, the potential customer base is monsterous so now we are looking for advertising capitol to produce some 60 sec spots for TV.
Everybody that has seen the product has the same reaction...."why didn't I think of that".
Looking forward to your comments good or bad.
My name is Bob but I'm known as the "HeadJerk". I invented and market a product called the JerkStopper . Technically it's a CRD (Cable Retention Device) designed to utilize any existing port (USB, RJ11 or RJ45) on a laptop computer as a stay or restraint to keep the very fragile AC power connector from being damaged from day to day tugging and pulling and jerking on the power cord.
My story starts a few years ago when my Sony laptop died a painful death (motherboard), my wife, having just procured a new Fujitsu Tablet PC, gave me her older Fujitsu laptop.
Nice laptop but like so many laptops, it had some issues. . . like charging intermittently or not at all and other problems that I finally identified as AC power plug related. After some research I decided to that the minimum $250 (OUCH) that Fujitsu and others would have charged me to repair or replace the connector was exorbitant.
WARNING: I decided to try and fix the problem myself. Laptop repair isn't really something that I would recommend to just anybody. It was pretty darn intimidating the first time I disassembled the offending system. Not only wasn't I sure I could fix it, It looked real easy to a. break "stuff" and b. get things put back together wrong. Slowly but surely I managed to get it un-assembled and find the damaged part .
The culprit was a poorly designed, easily breakable AC power plug connector (a tiny connector that is soldered to the back of the motherboard) . Long story short, after successfully repairing the system I realized that the daily jerking or pulling on the power cable had caused the problem in the first place. In searching for a "fix" I realized that almost every laptop made either has this problem or runs the risk of having this problem.
So I went to my local computer store(s) looking for a "device" that would take the strain off the plug if it were jerked by accident. No luck. . . . Likewise "looking" on the web, hardware stores, specialty computer stores, etc.
Sooooo, since I couldn't find anything on the market designed to "solve that problem" I went home and "cobbled" up a "thingy" to provide the required strain relief for the power cord. In fact I made 3 or 4 different versions for our laptops. I just couldn't believe that someone hadn't already identified this problem and solved it but after months of searching I realized that nobody made what I wanted.
My wife convinced me to draw up some plans based on the different test units and get off my butt and see a patent attorney. Then it was accurate drawings, prototypes and some ideas as to what it was going to take to produce and market the units. The product we offer is as a result of my wife's patience, a wad of money and lots and lots of testing and many months of me learning how to produce and go to market with a "new product".
The initial introduction of the product on the web (with some help from Engadget, Leo LaPorte, Chris Pirilllo, GizMag and many others) was excellent. Sales have been steady. With over 50 million laptop computers sold last year, the potential customer base is monsterous so now we are looking for advertising capitol to produce some 60 sec spots for TV.
Everybody that has seen the product has the same reaction...."why didn't I think of that".
Looking forward to your comments good or bad.
by minnesotainventor » Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:34 pm
-
minnesotainventor - Blue Belt
- Posts: 291
- Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:53 pm
Mr. Headjerk, ...man...I hate to call you that...I don't like to ever name-call...but, it is your official name and all.
Any thought of re-naming the product?
You just gave a great understanding of your product...when I visited your site I figured it out on how it works with some deduction. Your discription here is better than on your website. I would recommend updating your web site and making it easier to understand and try to make it more fun.
The product itself is pretty straight forward, however not immediately recognizable when viewing it on your site. The images you provide here are much better! Try showing the product in action in a flash show or video?
It does not seem however the USB version would be one I would put at risk over the power (my personal opinion). I don't use the modem phone jack...most people do not these days...so yeah, the heck with that one...let's use it! I use my network one every so often so I would hope if that one is used the clip breaks before the connection does.
How many laptops did you go thru during your testing? Did they all hold out without damage to the laptop connections?
The marketing of your product...I would recommend a story on TrendHunter to start. I am a TrendHunter and if you want me to do the strory just ask (88+ million hits in last six months with only 4 submissions). Perhaps one should be done on InventorSpot....if Michelle asks nice...happy to help.
Good luck with your product!
Sincerely,
Steve Stark
Wham-O EZ SPIN Foam Frisbee Disc Inventor
Any thought of re-naming the product?
You just gave a great understanding of your product...when I visited your site I figured it out on how it works with some deduction. Your discription here is better than on your website. I would recommend updating your web site and making it easier to understand and try to make it more fun.
The product itself is pretty straight forward, however not immediately recognizable when viewing it on your site. The images you provide here are much better! Try showing the product in action in a flash show or video?
It does not seem however the USB version would be one I would put at risk over the power (my personal opinion). I don't use the modem phone jack...most people do not these days...so yeah, the heck with that one...let's use it! I use my network one every so often so I would hope if that one is used the clip breaks before the connection does.
How many laptops did you go thru during your testing? Did they all hold out without damage to the laptop connections?
The marketing of your product...I would recommend a story on TrendHunter to start. I am a TrendHunter and if you want me to do the strory just ask (88+ million hits in last six months with only 4 submissions). Perhaps one should be done on InventorSpot....if Michelle asks nice...happy to help.
Good luck with your product!
Sincerely,
Steve Stark
Wham-O EZ SPIN Foam Frisbee Disc Inventor
by Headjerk » Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:28 pm
- Headjerk
- White Belt
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2008 12:51 pm
minnesotainventor wrote:Mr. Headjerk, ...man...I hate to call you that...I don't like to ever name-call...but, it is your official name and all.
Bob works also . .
minnesotainventor wrote:Any thought of re-naming the product?
Spent a long time "fretting" over naming the device. Cable Retention Device is pretty generic... I have lots of dealers that market the JerkStopper without using the name. We provide written installation instructions with or without the Logo & name. And since the product itself is not "branded" it can be called whatever the dealer or installer wants.
minnesotainventor wrote:You just gave a great understanding of your product...when I visited your site I figured it out on how it works with some deduction. Your description here is better than on your website. I would recommend updating your web site and making it easier to understand and try to make it more fun.
Hmmmmm 99% of my post was a cut N paste from the site. Did you get a chance to browse the "Company Info" and "Press page"?
minnesotainventor wrote:The product itself is pretty straight forward, however not immediately recognizable when viewing it on your site. The images you provide here are much better! Try showing the product in action in a flash show or video?
I agree . . . The youTube Video that Chris Pirillo did doesn't show how easy the install is. I'm thinking I need to do an EZ install Video for YouTube and the site.
minnesotainventor wrote:It does not seem however the USB version would be one I would put at risk over the power (my personal opinion). I don't use the modem phone jack...most people do not these days...so yeah, the heck with that one...let's use it! I use my network one every so often so I would hope if that one is used the clip breaks before the connection does.
Originally we had some problems with our prototypes with the USB being too loose. A few changes and the USB unit actually works really well. Of Course it's not a positive lock device like the RJ series. The reason we offer three different versions to so that we can fit 99.9999% of the laptops in the world. And since (laptop) configurations are different the three different units allow the customer to choose a configuration that suits their particular laptop. I figure with over 50m laptops sold last year in the US I'd like to get my share of sales.
As an interesting side note I've been contacted by a couple of companies that want to purchase individual components in fairly large quantities for "unknown" or "unwilling to disclose" usage. Of of the companies is interested in huge quantities of the USB version. Another company that was willing to disclose the end use is using the RJ45 unit as a stay for a Pesky USB cable on a blade server that keeps coming loose.
minnesotainventor wrote:How many laptops did you go thru during your testing? Did they all hold out without damage to the laptop connections?
We tested the concept pieces, the prototypes and the 1st articles on more than two dozen different laptops ranging from very small to obscenely heavy.
Zero fatalities I'm happy to report.
minnesotainventor wrote:The marketing of your product...I would recommend a story on TrendHunter to start. I am a TrendHunter and if you want me to do the strory just ask (88+ million hits in last six months with only 4 submissions). Perhaps one should be done on InventorSpot....if Michelle asks nice...happy to help.
Thanks Steve. . . Every little (or big) bit helps. TrendHunter is really nicely done. Do you (or Michelle) need a sample of the product?
minnesotainventor wrote:Good luck with your product!
Sincerely,
Steve Stark
Wham-O EZ SPIN Foam Frisbee Disc Inventor
Thanks . . .
Bob (aka the headjerk@jerkstopper.com)
by makeworldbetter » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:10 am
-
makeworldbetter - Black Belt
- Posts: 1496
- Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:15 am
- Location: Silicon Valley
I am a computer engineer. People around me are all professional computer users and more than half of them use laptops. When I show your invention to them, their responses were like "no need". I am using desktop yet I have a laptop at home for my wife. And I feel no need, too.
Have you done a marketing search? Like getting a poll from street. $10 for something you don't need is really high.
And there is a reson power cord doesn't have a locking mechanism, too many people forgot they are plugin and take their computer and walk away with power still plugin. what would happen when the cable is locked by your RJ45 plug?
Have you done a marketing search? Like getting a poll from street. $10 for something you don't need is really high.
And there is a reson power cord doesn't have a locking mechanism, too many people forgot they are plugin and take their computer and walk away with power still plugin. what would happen when the cable is locked by your RJ45 plug?
by Headjerk » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:37 am
- Headjerk
- White Belt
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2008 12:51 pm
Thanks for your comments . . .
Yes I have done plenty of market research.....and I have run across people (both in and out of the industry) that see no need for the product. On the other hand, the largest percentage of laptop owners polled wanted to know where they could buy one.
The JerkStopper was never intended to stop some "people" from tossing their laptops across the room...btw the power pin is usually the smallest problem compared to the screen if you really toss a laptop. The device was intended to negate the day in and day out tugging and pulling on the connection that actually causes 99% of the damage to the port.
I certainly don't have any trouble selling them to laptop repair specialists as they understand what causes the power pin failures and we sell our fair share to IT departments world-wide as a result of the huge repair costs incurred for power pin problems
I almost forgot. . . .Look around at how large the "power pin repair business" industry is. . . . If there wasn't a problem with the port, there would be none of these guys (and gals) around.
makeworldbetter wrote:I am a computer engineer. People around me are all professional computer users and more than half of them use laptops. When I show your invention to them, their responses were like "no need". I am using desktop yet I have a laptop at home for my wife. And I feel no need, too.
Have you done a marketing search? Like getting a poll from street. $10 for something you don't need is really high.
Yes I have done plenty of market research.....and I have run across people (both in and out of the industry) that see no need for the product. On the other hand, the largest percentage of laptop owners polled wanted to know where they could buy one.
makeworldbetter wrote:And there is a reson power cord doesn't have a locking mechanism, too many people forgot they are plugin and take their computer and walk away with power still plugin. what would happen when the cable is locked by your RJ45 plug?
The JerkStopper was never intended to stop some "people" from tossing their laptops across the room...btw the power pin is usually the smallest problem compared to the screen if you really toss a laptop. The device was intended to negate the day in and day out tugging and pulling on the connection that actually causes 99% of the damage to the port.
I certainly don't have any trouble selling them to laptop repair specialists as they understand what causes the power pin failures and we sell our fair share to IT departments world-wide as a result of the huge repair costs incurred for power pin problems
I almost forgot. . . .Look around at how large the "power pin repair business" industry is. . . . If there wasn't a problem with the port, there would be none of these guys (and gals) around.
by makeworldbetter » Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:07 am
-
makeworldbetter - Black Belt
- Posts: 1496
- Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:15 am
- Location: Silicon Valley
Wait, wait... hold on a sec. No one is talking about tossing a laptop computer here. I was saying many people stand up, close and pack their computer and WALK AWAY without unplug the power first. That's why power plugs aren't locking.
I have repair my wife's laptop power plug once but that was caused by pulling but rather pushing. She pushed her computer too far against sofa so the plug got bent at its neck. You still need someone to repair the power pin.
I have repair my wife's laptop power plug once but that was caused by pulling but rather pushing. She pushed her computer too far against sofa so the plug got bent at its neck. You still need someone to repair the power pin.
by Headjerk » Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:12 am
- Headjerk
- White Belt
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2008 12:51 pm
makeworldbetter wrote:Wait, wait... hold on a sec. No one is talking about tossing a laptop computer here. I was saying many people stand up, close and pack their computer and WALK AWAY without unplug the power first. That's why power plugs aren't locking.
But they do "resist" being pulled and that little pin that makes the power connection and it's tiny plastic housing is very fragile. The part to repair the damage is cheap...I paid about $ 4 each for the ones that I've purchased. It's the labor to do the job that is so expensive. And it's worse if you have an angle connector power cord. A direct pull puts non linear pressure on the connection and easily overcomes the fragile plastic insulator on the pin.
makeworldbetter wrote:I have repair my wife's laptop power plug once but that was caused by pulling but rather pushing. She pushed her computer too far against sofa so the plug got bent at its neck. You still need someone to repair the power pin.
I suspect that if you'd had a JerkStopper installed on the rear of the laptop it would have hit the sofa first precluding damage to the pin. . . .
About 3% of our sales (as best as I can tell) are to people who have already damaged the connector and use the JerkStopper to hold the cord with pressure on the pin so it makes a connection and charges. This is not the intended use of the device however.
by Michelle » Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:11 pm
-
Michelle - Black Belt
- Posts: 1529
- Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:27 am
minnesotainventor wrote:
The marketing of your product...I would recommend a story on TrendHunter to start. I am a TrendHunter and if you want me to do the strory just ask (88+ million hits in last six months with only 4 submissions). Perhaps one should be done on InventorSpot....if Michelle asks nice...happy to help.
Good luck with your product!
Sincerely,
Steve Stark
Wham-O EZ SPIN Foam Frisbee Disc Inventor
I think one should definitely be done!
You got 88 million hits on your post in the last six months there? Wow.
That is quite shocking as we are very similar in overall traffic to them - they are at Alexa top 12,000 or so and we are at Alexa top 13,000 or so. So, I am really impressed at how you did that.
So, I am asking nice.
As far as I know, anyone can post there right? It's a great site. We'd love to do some of the things they do...maybe someday.
by minnesotainventor » Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:39 pm
-
minnesotainventor - Blue Belt
- Posts: 291
- Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:53 pm
Michelle,
Anyone can post on TrendHunter. I notice a lot of your articles will appear here first then there or visa versa. Let me know if you post one.
Sincerely,
Steve Stark
P.S. I misread my stats as the site stats as it appears under my account:
Site Statistics
Total Weblog Entries 20857
Total Comments 10023
Total Combined Page Hits 94266594
Anyone can post on TrendHunter. I notice a lot of your articles will appear here first then there or visa versa. Let me know if you post one.
Sincerely,
Steve Stark
P.S. I misread my stats as the site stats as it appears under my account:
Site Statistics
Total Weblog Entries 20857
Total Comments 10023
Total Combined Page Hits 94266594
29 posts
• Page 1 of 3 • 1, 2, 3