From time to time I manage to find unusual things to repair. One of them is a branded vibrator from Fun Factory. We are figuring out whether toys can be repaired at all.
This experience is not new, and about 5 years ago I already tried to repair a toy of another brand – We Vibe . Then this experience ended with nothing (except for the lost $5), but will this stop our curiosity? I think the answer is in the title of this post :).
Root cause
There’s not much point in taking apart something that’s working, but when it’s barely working, that’s a whole other matter. As it turned out, this device wasn’t just not working at all, it was working somehow weakly. We had a working toy like that once, and I roughly understood how it should work normally. It felt like it had a dead battery that wasn’t delivering its full voltage. Another option was the way the magnet worked. Remembering the story of the diaphragm drive in Pentax cameras , I thought that the drive itself was heavily magnetized, which slowed down its movement. In any case, I had to take it apart and see.
Disassembly
Since everything was being done for the first time, I didn’t take any photos or videos. There was an understanding that I would most likely just ruin the mechanism, since the maintainability of these devices is questionable, and, moreover, these are not the products whose disassembly and “flashing” are on the same YouTube. So let’s start with this picture:
We can access this filling by removing this cover:
The cover is mainly held on by silicone and sealant (traces of both are visible on the cover itself), so separation takes some effort. First of all, it was decided to check the battery.
Its state was very discharged, while charging using Imax B6 it was possible to recharge it by about 1000 mAh.
Considering the native battery capacity of 1500 mAh, it was clear that the main problem was not the battery. Therefore, it was decided to move on.
The main task was to get the plastic base with the motors out of the silicone case. This should be done very carefully, because these two parts of the case are connected with sealant. Before disconnecting, it is also recommended to disconnect the wires from the board that go inside the vibrator. The fact is that one of them is connected to the motor in the “tail”, and if you are careless, it can be torn off.
The cone with the main motor looks like this. This vibrator belongs to the category of “pulsators”. At one time, this model was unique and it was because of this mechanism that the manufacturer Fun Factory gained its popularity. As it turned out, it is not exactly a vibrator motor that is used, but a magnet. Let’s try to disassemble it?
It will be a bit difficult to disassemble without any special consequences here, because in general the two parts are connected by four latches. Trying to get to the middle for a long time, I could not pry more than one at a time. Later it occurred to me that there are two grooves on the sides. If you insert a screwdriver into them, there is a chance to move these latches a little and open the case.
Carefully push the cables through the hole. In general, the execution of this part of the case looks quite collective farm – as if someone used a clerical knife to remove excess plastic. And this in a toy for 200 dollars? But… that was not the most surprising thing.
The case itself is nothing special, except for the fact that there is a rubber stopper inside.
We are more interested in the magnet itself, which is the driving force behind this vibrator.
Two spools, three washers, a “thermometer case.” An easy way to create something really expensive, right?
Either people were too concerned about the environment, or the manufacturer decided not to bother with the mechanisms, but the main part of the device is made of an ordinary paper tube. It is difficult to convey how much “crumb” of paper was in the plastic casing. Perhaps the toy was already retired, because the fragility of the paper was impressive.
Environmental friendliness, in addition to protecting the environment, is also about mold. It was inside the vibrator mechanism. On the plus side, the case is sealed, and it couldn’t get into you. On the minus side, seriously?..
There was such a “magnet” in the tube. In fact, each of the coils is turned on in turn, and the movement of this pendulum inside the paper tube activates the vibrator. I don’t quite understand why it was impossible to use some of the plastic options? After all, the durability and reliability of the toy would be much higher than “that’s all”. I got the feeling that the manufacturer didn’t expect that someone would ever climb into this very Bi Stronic Fusion and not find out how shoddily it was made.
I moved the magnet to the edge of the paper tube (near the head), and started putting the mechanism back together. I used universal silicone for sealing, but I would recommend using a clear one with protection against mold and mildew.
Having assembled in reverse order, I first brushed off the part between the “silicone cover” and the plastic tube, and then the base on which the plastic handle is mounted. This is necessary so that the product has the closest possible sealing to its original. Of course, I would not advise using it in the bathroom (under water) after interfering with the case, but otherwise it will allow you to continue using the toy.
Result
Honestly? It’s not what I expected. And there are several reasons for that. The first of them is the wear of the main part – the paper tube. I would be interested in printing a plastic tube on a 3D printer and trying to replace part of the original design. Perhaps the mechanism did not work as expected, because paper creates a certain friction. Plastic would not have it (silicone grease to help you), but I will not be able to check it. The second reason for dissatisfaction with the result is the fact that the motor from the “tail” arrived non-working. Here, again, either the issue is with the main board and controller, which worsened the work, or the motor simply failed. I did not check it, because (ugh) managed to tear it off when I was re-disassembling the vibrator.
I mentioned above that we already had this model in use, so I clearly understood how it should work. After the repair, it already “ran” better, but still did not give out the power that it had. Even in the working model, the force of that “push” was not enough to somehow take this model seriously and say “wow!” about it. In the repaired one, it is even less, and I decided to close his question there.
Thoughts
If you don’t count the price I got it for, there’s no point in repairing such toys. Simply because I keep coming to the conclusion that they’re not made for repair. You can only enjoy them for a certain amount of time, and when you pay a lot of money, you have to understand what you’re paying for your pleasure. Is it worth the money? Pleasure, yes. The toy, no.
The materials used in this product (I’m not talking about the mechanism, but silicone) are the most ordinary. They won’t give you any special sensations, and there are currently many similar and no less interesting options on the Chinese market for a much lower price. It was interesting to see how it works inside, but this device didn’t cause any surprise (in a good way). It’s an ordinary attempt to earn the most by doing the least. Nevertheless, I was interested in trying to repair it.
Author: Sa Crea
Hellmin
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