Stick Stay - Walking Stick Holder
Those that have ever used a walking stick or crutches will be well aware of the inconvenience caused when they inevitably end up falling on the floor. Whether around the home or out and about, a simple solution is needed to prevent walking aides from falling over.
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Some products already existed on the market but they are all large ugly contraptions and most of them rely on the user finding a hanging point.
The original concepts included hooks, velcro and magnets but the most promising was built around a 2 piece design, each part with its own neodymium magnet. A clever cam design was used to make releasing the stick easier. By twisting the interlocking parts they would separate with greater ease. This concept was later refined to a single magnet and a decorated steel plate.
Arm Grip Strength Optimisation
Original Assembly Plan
Concept 1 Render
The final product included 4 parts. A single stick clip and 3 steel discs. All contained within one small package with install instructions shown on the back.
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The product was built around a single neodymium magnet that was secured to the stick with a clip. The beauty of this solution is that we found most places where the product was used there were already ferrous materials that could be used to attach to. From radiators in hallways to fridges, and car doors. For any other locations sticky backed steel discs are included.
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By far the most challenging aspect of this project was designing a single clip that would work for such a wide range of stick diameters.
It was discovered that the grip strength of the plastic moulding alone was not sufficient on smaller diameter shafts and so a foam insert is used to increase grip.
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The plastic part was optimised for injection moulding and adjustments were made to reduce tooling actions and hide split lines.
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