Citations › Citation ID: 92

C92. BOOK: David C. Robertson, Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry (Crown, 2013), p. 195-196.

Hassenplug was disappointed to find that the proposed kit lacked a 90-degree joint. On a piece of paper, he sketched out a small L-shaped joint, which would enable Technic beams to be connected at right angles in one seamless move. Without it, he argued, it would take an unwieldy combination of seven Technic beams to do the same job. Lund loved the idea but told them he couldn’t make it happen. The company’s internal FMC targets wouldn’t allow it, he explained to the MUPs. The cost of building a new injection mold to manufacture Hassenplug’s proposed piece would put Mindstorms over its budget.

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While investigating other options, Mindstorms designers discovered that a mold had long ago been developed for an L-shaped Technic piece that precisely fit their needs. Lund had easily obtained permission to add the piece to the assortment. The community dubbed it the “Hassenpin.”

A LEGO Mindstorms beta tester advocated for a part to make it easier to create 90° connections. 3×3 L-Shaped Connector w/ 4-Pins (Part 55615) is now sometimes referred to as the "Hassenpin".