Reverse Engineering: Product Observation

Product: Key Chain Tape Measure


1. What is the purpose or primary function of the object?

• To measure differnent items up to 3 feet long or high, etc
• Measure distances between objects
• The length can vary since the tape measure can be stopped at a specific measurement up to 3 feet with the button on the top
• It can be placed on a backpack since the tape measure has a key chain attached to it
• makes the product more available and convinient

2. Make an educated guess as to how this product operates. Use simple machines’ terminology to explain the object’s sequential operation.

• For a tape measure I assume that there is a coil on the inside

3. Identify the system inputs, intended product function, and outputs in a table (power point works well because you can save your slide as an image).

4. What mechanical components are visible?

5. What is it about this device’s function that you cannot identify, because the mechanical components are hidden from plain view?