Learning Curve had an award-winning product that was nearly ready to ship, but there were shortcomings with the design which prevented them from being able to release it. Creative’s task was to redesign the product to meet industry safety standards while preserving or improving cost and aesthetics. The product had to work the same way and fit in the same package.
Product Website: Lamaze Grip and Grap Rattle
More Information:
Client:
Learning Curve International
Creative Engineering’s Challenge:
Learning Curve had an award-winning product that was nearly ready to ship, but there were shortcomings with the design which prevented them from being able to release it. Creative’s task was to redesign the product to meet industry safety standards while preserving or improving cost and aesthetics. The product had to work the same way and fit in the same package.
Results:
Meets the safety requirements
Cost Reduced: saved 12 color-matched plugs and 20 sonic weld operations
Aesthetics and function are enhanced
Ships on time
Problems with Existing Design :
The sonic weld between hemispheres was sometimes failing and required a heavy wall, reducing clarity
The tubes were connected to the hemispheres using sonic welded plugs from inside each hemisphere. If even one of these twelve sonic weld operations failed, the toy would not pass safety tests.
Ear-like ribs had to be added to the tubes to pass the rattle gauge test. These ribs had to be oriented outward which complicated the assembly process.
A Robust and Attractive Mechanical Fastening Method
Creative solved the problem of numerous, expensive, and unreliable sonic weld operations by devising a mechanical approach to connecting the components. Creative moved the axes of the tubes outward to aim at the “equators” of the hemispheres instead of the centers. This allowed each tube to connect to both hemispheres of each sphere using “legs” grown out from each hemisphere which deeply engage the ends of the tubes.
Snap features were discretely placed on the undersides of the inner hemisphere’s legs to provide a positive mechanical locking effect to hold the entire assembly together. The result is a secure and structurally sound assembly with no fasteners, sonic welding, or adhesives. The placement of the legs enhanced the safety of the product ensuring that it would easily pass the rattle gage test. Aesthetically, the product takes on a softer look and the placement of the grip tubes allows the infant to grab it more easily.
