Product Thinking in Life —— Puzzled Water Plug

A water plug refers to a plug used to block the water in a basin (sink or washbasin). Basically, every family will have this thing, or every hotel will have it. Generally, there are two kinds of water plugs at home, one is that the kitchen sink leaks to filter some kitchen debris, and the other is the pure water plug used in the washbasin.

In the early days, the water plugs in washbasins were mostly pressed. Whether it's push-up or push-over, users need to press the water plug directly after filling a basin of water.

When I was still in high school, there was a washbasin full of washing my face at home. Then every time I washed my face with water, I always put my hand into the washbasin full of facial cleanser foam, pressed the tap and drained the dirty water.

Later, the washbasin at home became a dishwashing basin, which was even more frightening. Be sure to put your hands in the detergent to let the dirty water flow out.

Now that I think about it, the water plug is definitely a disgusting way to use it.

In addition to the push-type water plug, I have also seen water plugs with chains in the homes of relatives and friends. The chain is usually tied to the faucet or next to the washbasin, which greatly avoids the embarrassment of putting your hand into the full dirty water.

However, there are still three problems with this chain. One is to pull out the water plug when it is not needed, which is very strange whether it is placed in the pool or on the table. Second, such additional design will inevitably make the design of the whole washbasin very ugly, and basically ugly, no matter how hard the overall design is; Third, the chain is easy to break. I don't know if it's the materials used in the past or what the reason is. In almost every friend's house where I have seen this kind of chain water plug, the chain is colored because it is broken. This is especially true in some low-end hotels. Once the chain is broken, the chain water plug is no different from the press type.

Some time ago, I took my mother to Thailand to play and stayed in a holiday hotel. My mother is the owner who never takes dirty clothes home when traveling, so after the coat is dry-cleaned, personal clothes are used to washing themselves in the hotel. When she finished washing clothes in a pile of foaming water and was ready to release water, she began to call me. She found that the faucet had no chain, and no matter how she pressed the faucet itself, the faucet didn't respond.

I've been studying the whole sink for a long time, and I still look confused. When I tried to press the water plug, I realized that the water plug should not break, but there should be an undiscovered controller, just like a traditional chain. I groped around the table with my hands, and then I came across a small iron bar. And this design is similar to the picture below.

The key point is that because of the design of the hotel at that time, the faucet was placed on the side, so you can't see the existence of this small iron from any angle, unless of course you have seen this design before or touched it like me.

I rented a suite with three roommates when I rented a house this year. I went home the first night, ready to wash my hands and eat something, and found that the sink was full of water. Look at the three roommates lying on the sofa at home. I asked silently, why not let the water go? Then, I saw the helpless and sad expressions of the three roommates, saying that the landlord's pool seemed to be broken and could not let out water. The experience in Thailand reminded me, and I said, "I don't think it's broken, but there is a small iron bar, haven't you seen it?"

However, experience is sometimes useless. No matter how I groped, I didn't find a trace of a small iron bar.

Based on the fact that the landlord still lived in his house the day before he rented it to us, and it is very unlikely that such a luxurious self-occupied house will break down the sink on the first day of our stay, I guess the controller is hidden in a corner. However, the countertop is clean and empty.

I silently opened the cupboard door under the sink and saw a pile of water pipes and a long iron bar. When I press it, the water plug is lifted by the lever. Hearing the sound of water, my roommate came running with a surprised and shocked face.

Seeing this magical design, I am glad that it is only at home. If you are in a hotel, how many calls does the front desk receive every year to repair the sink?

After so many years, the water plug finally fell off, so that we didn't have to press it in a basin of dirty water, but we played hide-and-seek again.

Life has been so hard, but the water plug is still difficult for us.

Push water plug-high availability, but low degree of goal realization.

Chain water plug-aesthetic negative score, durability negative score.

Table iron-the installer must make it visible.

The back cabinet is long and rod-shaped-the countertop is extremely small, which is only suitable for family scenes.

When finding an unsolvable thing, it is very important to believe that some bad product designs hide an important functional control in some impossible corners.