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Trigger - Locking Mechanism
Problem and Process
I was tasked by CSP Technologies (Capital Specialty Plastics), headquartered in Auburn, Alabama to design a new mechanism for an airtight container that was child resistant but easy to open for people with limited dexterity. Essentially, a medicine bottle that keeps small children from getting into it without keeping adults out.
This project required lots of user research, knowledge of injection molding techniques, and prototyping using a 3D printer. Each new mechanism concept I came up with had to be possible to produce using injection molding while solving the problem of child resistant containers being too difficult for some adults.
My solution is Trigger.
Research
Extensive research was required for this project. I learned about injection molding from my professors and the engineers and designers at CSP. We took tours of their facilities and examined their products and prototypes.
After receiving my design brief I began conducting user research. I spoke with parents and caretakers to explore the dangers of containers that were not child resistant. I held a group interview at a local retirement home to find out what products they liked and which ones they had problems with. I looked at products that were already available and looked for holes in the market.
Key points from my research were that twisting at the wrist and pushing with the thumb were some of the worst movements for people with hand dexterity issues like arthritis. Children had difficulty with containers that required two motions such as pushing down and twisting.
I took these considerations into account while working on my concepts.
Refinement
The concept I chose to pursue was the Trigger. The design was based on the idea that as long as two actions were required to open the bottle, the mechanism did not need much force to keep children out of the contents. This allowed me to avoid twisting and excessive pressure while still making it too difficult for young children to use.
To open the container the user compresses the trigger with their index and middle fingers and lifts the cap with the thumb. The cap is connected by a living hinge and the trigger locks back into place on its own when the cap is closed.
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