Random part of the day: Function Element, Female
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random part is 31509, 'Function Element, Female', which is a System part, category Connectors.
Our members collectively own a total of 617,939 of them. If you'd like to buy some you should find them for sale at BrickLink.
44 likes
34 comments on this article
I... what?
Ok, ok, if this is Function Part, Female, then is there a Function Part, Male? Function Part, Non-Binary? And how was it decided?
Why does the piece of plastic have a gender?
Why does this raise questions?
@Randomness said:
"I... what?
Ok, ok, if this is Function Part, Female, then is there a Function Part, Male? Function Part, Non-Binary? And how was it decided?
Why does the piece of plastic have a gender?
Why does this raise questions?"
“For electronics components, gender is used to distinguish "mating connectors." Mating interconnects match together in size, configuration and number of pins. In case you didn't know, a "male" connector usually has a pin or pins "sticking out" and the "female" connector is designed to receive those pins.”
Here before the comments go insane and get turned off.
@GBP_Chris said:
"Here before the comments go insane and get turned off. "
Also in! Also, want to know the counterpart... to.. mate...
Maybe it’s cause I’m non-binary myself, but I’m very confused by the choice of genders here :)
Looks like an updated version of https://brickset.com/parts/design-87617 and pairs with https://brickset.com/parts/design-87618 .
That's one red hot, pistol-packin' mama! Canon, actually, at least the way I look at it.
Pew, pew!
@StyleCounselor said:
"That's one red hot, pistol-packin' mama! Canon, actually, at least the way I look at it.
Pew, pew!"
Did you mean canon- or cannon? :)
@tedgarb said:
"Maybe it’s cause I’m non-binary myself, but I’m very confused by the choice of genders here :)"
The most likely answer is that tech borrowed from biology rather than society at the time, hence the lack of change since I'd say the 70's(?).
sometimes you see something on the internet and immediately think “people are definitely being normal and chill about this in the comments!”
@560heliport said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"That's one red hot, pistol-packin' mama! Canon, actually, at least the way I look at it.
Pew, pew!"
Did you mean canon- or cannon? :)"
Oh, man! That's the second time I messed that up this year.
Must be a byproduct of the Cap'n Rex Review Drinking Game™. (See, Comments to today's Review: 79006 The Council of Elrond).
This looks suspiciously like the RPotD from February 4th.
@R1_Drift:
Medical products are also classified by "male" and "female", when they're designed to interface with your downstairs plumbing. Some of these products are only needed when the patient is unconscious (either coma, or under general anesthesia), so they generally won't even be aware that these are being used on them.
@I_Otsuki said:
"Looks like an updated version of https://brickset.com/parts/design-87617 and pairs with https://brickset.com/parts/design-87618 ."
I've seen plenty of these used for architectural pillars and 4+ Star Wars cannons, but I had no idea they had a function. Must not be building enough technic?
Looked it up, and there it is functioning in a city firetruck. ¯\_(?)_/¯
I had no idea Lego made a bong piece.
Not gonna say it...not gonna say it...
We all start off as female, just sayin'.
Got four of these in red (via ) and a few in black from B&P.
And it's on the latter one that are more interesting:
They're the 'main body' of some type of machine gun w/the handle/grip being 'top down' (the weapon is held under the arm); added those...squeeze-bottle toppers in black at the end (top of this part's pic)an added stuff at the base/back for ammo boxes and the rest of the body. I really should add shoulder straps/harnesses...
Definitely looks quite male to me.
I mean, dare to say it.
It's certainly hard, but shorter than you think.
Fits perfectly, doesn't it?
;-)
Here I am thinking I've never seen this part before. And then I own plenty of them, in various colors...
Ok, many of the sets this comes in I haven't built yet, but apparently it's not very memorable
Too used to seeing these as gun emplacements from Star Wars, forget they have an intended role as a piston
Just noticed I've got 53 of this part, and every colour it came in.
I'm honestly amazed.
And even more amazing, going through the set list, it appears that other than dark red I have built with every colour version of it already. Just goes to show how little you can take notice of some pieces.
There's even a black one in the New York skyline set apparently, yet it can't remember where it went. You definitely don't see it in the finished product.
Cross your fingers and hope that 3220 My Dad doesn't find this in a bedside drawer.
@NotProfessorWhymzi said:
"(Dirty German mode:)
ze funktion of zis element does not zeem partikularly female. zat being zaid, i do happen to haff a veakness for females witz a funktional element. it makes my element functional."
Zere is no such Sing as "Dirty Schörmän Mode" - zere is only schörmän Mode!
Bricklink calls this "Cylinder 1 x 5 1/2 with Bar Handle (Friction Cylinder)"
and will tell you that it fits with and is usually used with the following Item:
Part 87618 "Bar 5L with Handle (Friction Ram)"
Nobody:
Brickset: this part is female.
Errr, that is an intersting part name.
I love Lego's descriptive part names, they really tell you what the part's for.
Unofficially serves as a LEGO Bazooka / Stinger missile.
An "official" missile launcher like build was in 70831 : Emmet's Dream House/Rescue Rocket! ) , even had a "boom box" that could shoot the projectiles as well.
@AustinPowers:
There’s a “friction ram” that slides inside this. So, I mean….
And the NYC part is buried in the second section of the new World Trade Center building, but I’m not sure what the point is. It’s basically just used as a 1x1x4-1/3 brick that doesn’t actually have anything attached to it at the top. It can’t be for stability, since they’re interlacing layers of 1x3 and 1x1 plates around it, when they could just throw some 3x3 plates in there if they didn’t have this. Maybe it’s supposed to represent something about the internal design, like the emergency stairs buried in the core.
@PurpleDave : indeed. Friction ram... Hmm
Whatever. I think I remember now why they used this piece in the new 1 WTC building. The top section is built around a bar piece that is slotted into this one. They could have perhaps used a different attachment method, but this one certainly increases the stability.
I could disassemble that part of my set to confirm, but I would have to dig it out of storage first.
@Duq said:
"Bricklink ... will tell you that it fits with and is usually used with the following Item:
Part 87618 "Bar 5L with Handle (Friction Ram)"
"
This keeps getting worse
@AustinPowers:
That appears to be the case. Third section looks like a shish kabob, with bars sticking out top and bottom. Bottom goes into this. Not sure why they had to use _this_ piece, since there are 1x1 round plates and 1x1x2/4 plate-brick-things that have fully hollow studs, and don’t require as much hassle to mount inside the second section.
It's a special part--and maybe a not-so-special set--when RPOTD well outpaces RSOTD for comments. But here we are.