National Tide 1980

Conventionally speaking, a new product can never be completed overnight from development to launch.

From an idea to the final product, there are many steps to go through.

Under normal circumstances, the first step in new product development is the design of the principle.

Take the trolley suitcase as an example. After generating such inspiration or inspiration, the inventor must first go through theoretical analysis and practical simulation.

We must first fully prove from a mechanical point of view that this trolley suitcase does have better labor-saving effects than all the products known on the market.

After completing this step, the next step is to convert the principles into design drawings.

For example, the location and style of the tie rod installation: single or double?

What size does a drawbar need to be ergonomically correct?

For example, are the trolleys mounted on the short side of the suitcase, or on the long side? Or is it the side?

How should it be connected to and secured to the suitcase?

After these issues are determined, the size and material of each part of the box and tie rods need to be accurate.

Not only do all the structural details have to be finalized on the drawings, but in addition to graphics, the inventor also needs to determine all aspects of the performance of each part.

How much pressure does the tie rod have to bear? How many times can a part be used without damage?

During this process, with the continuous improvement of design drawings, there are a lot of models that need to be trial-produced.

In short, there is always a cycle of discovering problems and solving them.

If dozens of iterations of testing can result in a finished design and then apply for a patent, it will be extremely efficient and fast.

Even after hundreds or thousands of iterations, it’s not new.

Therefore, starting from the idea of ​​an invention, it often takes several months or even years before the research and development work is finally completed and a relatively perfect formed product is obtained.

Then it can be mass-produced and officially launched on the market.

Historically, the real inventor of the trolley suitcase, the American pilot Robert Plath, also went through a long process.

At first, Robert Plath had the inspiration to add a simple stand to an ordinary suitcase for his own convenience, making a purely functional improvement.

Later, other flight attendants, especially the flight attendants, saw his little invention and thought it was very practical, so they invited Robert Plath to make luggage for them and asked if the appearance could be improved.

So from then on, Robert Plath started making trolley cases after flying. He first sold them to flight attendants, and later expanded to other colleagues and even passengers.

From 1987 to 1989, it took almost two years for Robert Plath to gradually realize the true value of this invention as his small side business became more and more popular.

He quit his job as a pilot and founded Travelpro, a brand that specializes in selling trolley suitcases with an iron tower shape as its trademark. This company is also commonly known as "American Tower" by the people of our Republic.

Since then, as trolley suitcases have become popular all over the world, Travelpro trolley suitcases have appeared in many movies. Travelpro has since become a favorite suitcase brand among European and American business people.

It was just that the company was easy to start, but product development iterations and patent applications took a lot of time, so it was actually until 1991 that Robert Plath officially applied for a patent for the trolley case.

It is conceivable that anyone can complete the demonstration stage of the invention of the trolley suitcase within a few months.

We have already begun scientific design of the overall style and selection of materials, which is really fast.

Zeng Xianzi, who was far away in Hong Kong City, had performed such a miracle, and he was deeply proud of it.

Speaking of which, Ning Weimin's guess was indeed correct. When he asked Zeng Xianzi to find a trolley suitcase for him, Zeng Xianzi was really deeply touched by this.

To be honest, if Ning Weimin hadn't asked for help, Zeng Xianzi would never have thought that there was a suitcase in the world that was equipped with hubs that could be easily pulled around.

Although he sent people to search everywhere, he finally found a suitcase with a leash produced by the American Samsonite Company for Ning Weimin, and the price was as high as six hundred dollars a piece.

It's not like Ning Weimin described it, with a retractable lever.

But don’t forget, he himself is a traveler who often travels with his suitcases. He knows at a glance whether Samsonite suitcases are easy to use or not.

What's more, his company also has leather products business, and it has just reached a strategic alliance with Pierre Cardon Company not long ago.

Now his OEM business volume at the Gangcheng luggage and leather goods factory is expanding rapidly, and he is considering expanding the production line and developing a flagship product.

Naturally, he immediately realized that this kind of labor-saving suitcase had great potential.

Very suitable for travelers who often need to travel for business.

Especially under the current background of international economic prosperity and increasing cross-border business activities, people's demand for such suitcases will never be small.

At least in Asia, the market must be vast.

Because the physical fitness of Easterners is no better than that of Westerners, their desire for this kind of luggage is certainly much greater than that of Westerners.

Not to mention he also roughly estimated the production costs.

He found that if the quality was the same as that of Samsonite, it would only cost HKD 200 per piece if produced in Hong Kong. If a factory was built in the mainland, the cost would be even lower, and HKD 100 would be enough.

Even if he spends money to buy a patent for something like this, selling it for $300 a piece is still a huge profit.

Not to mention that Ning Weimin accidentally gave him a better idea, which would most likely bypass Samsonite's patent.

That's it, Zeng Xianzi remained calm on the surface, but he was ecstatic in his heart.

Before Ning Weimin could leave the country, he sent special personnel to investigate the status of luggage patent registrations around the world.

In the end, I was even more surprised to find that the only one registered worldwide was in 1970, when American Bernard D. Sadow applied for a patent for a wheeled suitcase towed by a soft rope.

In 1982, the Samsonite company widened the suitcase on this basis and successfully stored the traction leather rope on the handle in the suitcase, making the appearance of the suitcase simpler.

As for other forms, there are no relevant patents related to drag-and-drop rolling suitcases.

At this point, Zeng Xianzi had no doubt that he was extremely lucky and unexpectedly discovered a wonderful business opportunity.

He thought Ning Weimin might have brought it up because he accidentally saw a foreigner using a trolley suitcase during his business trip.

But the fact is that it is very likely that the trolley suitcase was invented by foreigners themselves, but did not apply for a relevant patent.

So he was ambitious and planned to develop a trolley suitcase immediately and turn the genius idea he got from Ning Weimin into a physical object.

For this reason, he didn't even care about the booming market in the mainland. He made hasty arrangements and hurried back to the port city.

Then he recruited all his technical talents who designed and produced luggage and leather goods, and began to develop trolley suitcases regardless of the cost. The start-up capital for the research and development of this project alone was 2 million Hong Kong dollars.

In this way, from the beginning of August to the beginning of September, it lasted for a month, although the money was spent like water.

However, with the joint efforts of technical personnel, the trolley suitcase project was not only confirmed by data and tests, but also a basic model was established.

The skeleton and connection method of the tie rod are basically determined, and the research direction begins to focus on the details and appearance of the parts, as well as the specific dimensions.

At this time, not only was Zeng Xianzi extremely happy, but he also told his wife this in private.

"When I get the patent for this trolley suitcase, our family will be able to rest easy. This is a new trick that can be eaten all over the world. It's a pity that the young man who asked me to buy this kind of suitcase is not so lucky. He I was smart, but I didn’t expect to use this idea to develop and open a restaurant in Tokyo. As a result, I missed the opportunity. I thought, of course I can make a lot of money. I just discovered today that my life is really good. This is what I should do. I am developed."

Even the technical staff involved in the research and development of this project were very excited and took the initiative to work overtime to catch up with the progress.

These people all believe that the company has found a once-in-a-lifetime hit product. This suitcase will definitely make its debut on the world stage in the future, making Goldlion truly a world-famous brand.

It is even possible to defeat Samsonite, which makes money with its traction rope suitcases, and dominate the mainstream suitcase market.

When the time comes, the kind boss will definitely reward you generously, and everyone's future will be brighter.

But just when everyone here in Hong Kong City was singing "Our future is not a dream" with their souls, on the morning of September 10, a fax from Tokyo woke them up from their sweet dreams.

"Boss, boss, I'm sorry to bother you. But someone in Tokyo sent a fax. It's actually a drawing of our trolley suitcase?!"

The secretary knocked on the door of Zeng Xianzi's office in a panic, and then placed a fax on Zeng Xianzi's desk in person.

In the room, Zeng Xianzi, who was discussing the trolley suitcase with two technical leaders, looking at the drawings, was stunned.

He silently picked up the fax and read it, speechless for a long time.

With a final sigh, he put the fax down again, and issued the latest order dejectedly.

"Go and stop the trolley suitcase project. There is no need to rush the work..."

When the two technicians heard what the secretary said, they were already flustered and waiting anxiously beside them.

When I heard this, I almost jumped up.

Regardless of their dignity, they immediately grabbed the fax into their hands and started reading it head to head.

As a result, I was stunned when I saw the contents of the paper at a glance.

Because it was a fax sent by Ning Weimin from Tokyo, which contained the approximate appearance and size drawings of his patent application.

The purpose of this fax is threefold.

First, Ning Weimin informed Zeng Xianzi that he had submitted a patent application for a trolley suitcase in Japan.

Second, Ning Weimin also wanted to ask Zeng Xianzi to help him handle cross-border registration in Hong Kong City and the UK.

He will then mail the formal relevant information via international mail.

Third, I suggested to Zeng Xianzi that he should make up his mind to build a factory in the mainland.

You may wish to consider the relevant costs and location issues in order to further negotiate on specific cooperation conditions.

To put it bluntly, this is a clear announcement to Zeng Xianzi.

Tell him that I have successfully developed a trolley suitcase.

If you want to earn this money, be prepared to hand over the benefits.

"Boss, who sent this fax? How come he is developing this product like us? And it has already been completed?"

"Zeng Sheng, please think of a solution quickly. We can't just sit back and wait for death! This guy actually moves so fast? What can we do?"

The two technical leaders were all panicked. They were so frightened that they couldn't help shouting together.

Their emotions are actually quite normal. Who wants to waste a month of hard work?

However, although Zeng Xianzi was on the verge of tears, he was a self-made boss after all, and he had the sense and knowledge to accurately judge the situation.

"It's useless. Today's world is all about laws. There's nothing I can do about it. If someone registers a patent first, then it's an infringement if you use it again. Who made us not develop it earlier and register the patent first?"

"Wait, boss, take a closer look. The person who sent the fax seems to have just submitted the application, not completed the procedures. Then we still have a chance..." A technical person in charge was still unwilling to give up. remind.

However, Zeng Xianzi sighed again.

"You didn't understand. Yes, patent approval is not that fast. It takes one or two years for a patent to be approved. But according to the Paris Convention, as long as the patent agencies of various countries accept the patent application, this technology will It is protected. If you submit it again, even if you can prove that you are the real inventor, it will still be rejected..."

"Is there such a thing? Doesn't this mean that our children have been stolen openly by others!" Another technician was even more unwilling and shouted angrily, "Boss, is there no other way? Even if we Registration is also possible in Vietnam, Laos, and Brunei. In Southeast Asia, there are always some countries that have not joined those conventions, right? Our previous investment cannot be wasted..."

However, he did not expect that these words would actually make Zeng Xianzi blush with embarrassment.

"This...this, you can't say it like that. 'Steal' is too ugly. I won't hide it from you. To be honest, this idea was actually proposed by the other party first. I misunderstood that he was unable to develop it, so I tried it myself. I had to do it for a while. The original plan was to pay him a sum of money if he did it. But now, since they did it first, what else can we do besides admitting it? This is indeed their skill, and they are superior. "

Seeing the two technical leaders hearing this, they became dumbfounded and couldn't believe it.

Zeng Xianzi coughed a little embarrassedly and tried to explain from another angle.

"As for the countries you mentioned that have not joined the Convention, theoretically speaking, we can indeed do this. We can register. But the gain outweighs the losses. First, the economies of countries that have not joined the Convention are too small. .Even if we can produce or even dominate the market, we won’t be able to make much money.”

"Second, we Chinese have to be polite when doing things. Sometimes, human relations are more important than the law. If I really do this, it will be like breaking up with the other party. The original foundation of cooperation will be shaken, and future cooperation will also be affected. It won’t happen again, even my peers will think there is something wrong with my character. Is it worth it?”

"What's more, when I look back, the other party contacted me immediately. It was clear that they wanted to cooperate with me. They also talk about friendship, and they hope to make money together. I will definitely not propose it then. It’s too harsh a requirement. On the contrary, it reminds us to stop immediately, and it also saves us money. This is also a good thing.”

"Let's do this. When the other party's information is mailed, we will study it carefully to see if there is anything we can improve. Don't worry about being busy. I know everyone has been working hard recently, and I will take care of it. Red envelopes for everyone. Please comfort everyone for me."

Zeng Xianzi then decisively ordered his secretary, "Annie, go and reply to Ning Sheng in Tokyo immediately, saying that I have agreed to all his requests and will comply with them all. I also wish him a successful patent as soon as possible. I look forward to further cooperation with him, Let’s all get rich together. Also, tell him not to be polite, and if there is anything you need us to do, please feel free to contact us.”

In this way, after several subordinates looked at each other, they all walked out of the office with reverence for Zeng Xianzi.

In their hearts, their boss is really personable.

When faced with great events, one should not be disorganized, and when faced with interests or dangers, one should not lose sight of his old ways.

In particular, he is so forgiving, so open-minded, so broad-minded, and so kind.

In fact, however, they were only half right.

Because the moment the office door closed, Zeng Xianzi didn't even have time to pour himself a glass of water.

He started to hurriedly take out the antihypertensive medicine from the drawer and swallowed it with the coffee in the cup.

He leaned on the thick leather seat with his eyes closed for a while, and then he slapped the armrest of the chair with self-pity.

"This is what we call fate. I thought that smart people would be confused for a while and want to be greedy for heaven's merit. It seems that this fool is still me. This greed is really meaningless, ahem... It’s like spending money to buy a lesson!”