SOFT-GOODS DESIGN • PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT • INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
P235 TECH GEAR BAG & ONBOARD SURGE PROTECTOR
The P235 started from a problem every contractor has: limited outlets, too many cords, and no good place to put a power strip. I designed the bag and the four-outlet surge protector that nests directly into the bag, from category research and opportunities through factory samples.
DISCIPLINES
Soft-goods design / Electronics development / Ideation / Prototyping + T&E / UL testing & compliance / Production handoff
PHASE 01
RESEARCH & CATEGORY OPPORTUNITIES
INDUSTRY CONTEXT / COMPETITOR RESEARCH
Before any sketching, I mapped what existed in contractor bags and jobsite power accessories. The gaps were in mounting hardware and how existing bags and power strips held up on an actual jobsite. The one that mattered: nobody had built a surge protector meant to live on the outside of a tool bag, so every crew was still carrying a loose power strip that got buried, tangled, or left in the truck.
COMPANY
CLC Work Gear
CATEGORY
Tool Bag / Jobsite Power Accessory
ROLE
Product Designer / Developer
CATEGORY GROWTH - Projected growth opportunities for technology-integrated tool bags and carriers.
PHASE 02
IDEATION
SKETCHES / FORM EXPLORATION
This is where most of the actual design work happened, in a sketchbook. Bag form, panel layout, and mounting hardware were worked in parallel, because the surge protector couldn't be a bolt-on: it had to nest into the bag's own webbing and pocket structure without stealing tool storage. Dozens of passes on how the unit clips in, how cords route, and where it sits so it doesn't fight the handles, before a single prototype got cut.
BAG FORM IDEATION
PANEL LAYOUTS
MOUNTING HARDWARE DESIGN
SURGE PROTECTOR MOUNT DESIGN
FULL BAG STUDIES
PHASE 03
DEVELOPMENT
CAD / TOOLING / ELECTRICAL DESIGN
Sketches became CAD once the panel design and mounting positions were settled. Variations of the bag were explored, both open and closed. The surge protector was designed solely in Solidworks, with internal componentry developed by our overseas factory. At every CAD revision, the internal layout, receptacle spacing, wire gauge, and breaker placement were checked against real UL and CUL clearance requirements, before the final mold was cut.
OPEN-TOP BAG ORTHOGRAPHIC VIEWS
CLOSED-TOP BAG ORTHOGRAPHIC VIEWS
SURGE PROTECTOR - CAD & SAMPLE ELECTRONICS
ISOMETRIC VIEWS - Before handoff to the factory, we developed as much of the surge protector as possible with physical samples, then translated those components into Solidworks.
TOOL BAG & SURGE PROTECTOR TEST FITTING
CAD TO PHYSICAL SAMPLES - Wiring checks & reviews, and mounting-clip fit checks against the bag panel.
SURGE PROTECTOR SHELL DEVELOPMENT
HOUSING CHECKS & FITMENT - The outer shell of the surge protector was reviewed and approved by UL and CUL.
PHASE 04
PROTOTYPES & UL COMPLIANCE
PROTOTYPING / SAMPLES
First-article samples got seated in the bag and tested under a full cord load, checked for clip pull-out force, grounding continuity, and resistance to abrasion and impact testing. Utility and compliance drove every revision, not fit and finish. All final materials and finishes were selected to meet UL and CUL requirements.
01 - Protected design for grounded plug
02 - Overview of the wiring harness assembly
03 - Multiple samples sent to UL’s China lab for extensive testing
PHASE 05
FINAL DESIGN
IN-PRODUCTION
The P235 shipped as a standard 18 inch Tech Gear bag with a four-outlet surge protector that clips onto its face and doubles as a standalone jobsite power strip when pulled off. A Notice of Allowance for the mounting system was issued by UL on October 30, 2013.
01 18 inch Tech Gear bag with reinforced base and tool-specific pockets.
02 Four-outlet surge protector that clips directly onto the bag face.
03 On/off switch with reset breaker built into the unit.
04 Cords route through the bag’s own pass-through, nothing loose.
05 Surge protector unclips and works as a standalone jobsite power strip.
