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Innovative Design in Child Safety: A Case Study on Evenflo's Use of IoT
Technology Category
- Sensors - Autonomous Driving Sensors
Applicable Industries
- Automotive
- Equipment & Machinery
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Onsite Human Safety Management
- Smart Parking
Services
- Hardware Design & Engineering Services
The Challenge
Evenflo, a global leader in the development of innovative infant equipment, was faced with the challenge of making child safety simple with innovative and easy-to-use products. The company aimed to achieve this through a combination of engineering and industrial design. The key consideration in the design process was safety, but ease of use and cost control were also important factors. The immediate challenge was to redesign a car seat release handle, a crucial part that secures the seat shell to a seat base or a stroller. The goal of the redesign was to improve the styling and maintain the ease of use while maintaining or reducing the cost relative to the current part.
About The Customer
Evenflo is a worldwide leader in the development of innovative infant equipment with over 85 years of experience. The company's product range includes car seats, strollers, high chairs, play yards, and activity products designed to meet the needs of children from birth to the pre-school years. Safety is the key consideration in Evenflo's design process, but ease of use and cost control are also important factors. The company is constantly seeking ways to improve its products, both in terms of functionality and design, to ensure the safety and comfort of children.
The Solution
Evenflo incorporated solidThinking Inspire into their design process to generate early concept designs and assist the product co-development by engineering and ID departments. To use Inspire, the team needed a package space and a set of static loads for the release handle. As this was a replacement part, the package space was easy to create with a simplified version of the current part in Pro-E. The crash and abuse loads that the handle may see during its life are dynamic, meaning equivalent static loads needed to be developed. The initial Inspire results showed potential for a 30% mass and material reduction. The design was then developed in CAD and validated using standard corporate procedures. A FDM rapid prototype was built for stroller and sled testing.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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