Introduction
The Air Canada Luggage Scale and Tape Measure (see figure 1) is an instrument used to measure the weight of luggage. Airline passengers use the measurement to determine if their luggage meets the weight requirements of the airline. The luggage scale consists of the following parts: the handle, the base which includes the gauge and tape measure, and the hook. The instrument weighs 0.4 pounds and is 9.5 inches long from the top of the handle to the bottom of the hook. At the widest and thickest points, the instrument measures 4 inches and 2 inches respectively.
Figure 1: The Air Canada Luggage Scale and Tape Measure. Retrieved from: https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/air-canada-80-lbs-35-kg-luggage-scale-and-tape-measure/6000197765152
The Handle
The handle is a rectangular frame, similar to the handle on a briefcase, used to lift the instrument. The handle is 4 inches wide at its widest point. It measures 1.85 inches long until it curves inwards at approximately 45 degrees and extends another 0.5 inches attaching to the back of the base. The handle is made from a narrow metal frame and the top half includes a rubber grip which ergonomically fits approximately four curved fingers.
The Body
The body consists of two parts: a white circular gauge and a black rectangular case that holds a tape measure.
The Gauge
The gauge records the weight measurement. It is a metal frame that is 3.5 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick. Inside the frame is a white, circular disc, with a black circle marked inside. The black circle contains 84 evenly spaced markings on the outside of the circle, and 41 evenly spaced markings inside the circle. Each outside marking represents 1 pound, each inside marking represents 1 kilogram. In the center of the gauge are two pointers, the longer pointer is red, the shorter pointer is black. When the instrument is not in use, the black pointer rests at the zero marker. The red pointer can be manually rotated around the gauge. When the red pointer is set to zero, and weight is applied to the hook below the gauge, the black and red pointers rotate to the marking equivalent to the weight of the luggage. When tension on the hook is released, the black pointer resets to zero while the red pointer stays at the maximum weight.
The Tape Measure
The tape measure records the length measurement. The tape measure is coiled inside a black rectangular frame that measures 2 inches long, 1.75 inches wide, and 2 inches thick. The tape measure is a white, plastic material with a small metallic hook at the tip. The metallic hook is used to attach the tape measure to one side of the object you are measuring while you extend the coil to the desired length. The tape measure extends 39 inches from the base. There are 624 evenly spaced black markings, each measuring 1/16 of an inch on one side of the tape; on the other side of the tape, there are 1000 evenly spaced black markings, each measuring 1 millimeter.
The Hook
The hook lifts the luggage so that the weight can be recorded on the gauge. The hook is curved and metallic and hangs from the base of the body. The hook is 1.65 inches long. The shape of the hook is like the letter S. The curve nearest to the body base forms a tight circle, connecting to the base by a small O-ring. The curve at the bottom of the tip is much larger, approximately 2 inches, so the hook can lift the luggage handle.
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