Home

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PROJECT BABY TRAY

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO

MAE 156B - FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF MECHANICAL DESIGN II

SPRING 2012

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

- Karen M. Kart

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PROJECT OBJECTIVE:

The multibillion dollar market for infant, toddler, and preschooler products represents one of the most dynamic and re-surging segments of the consumer goods industry. The products that children use for eating represent a large segment of this vast industry. When it comes to eating out with a baby or toddler, having the right product can make a parent’s night enjoyable, or turn it into a total disaster.

The project objective is to design and engineer lightweight, portable, and innovative children’s eating plates that balance the need for a child to have a functional and aesthetically pleasing eating surface while simultaneously giving parents a product they trust will stay in place on a table surface and one that is child-safe. The durable, lightweight, and portable baby trays with three eating compartments are to be designed to remedy the problem of having feeding be more difficult than it should be by providing a feeding dish that stays affixed to most tabletops via a suction cup on the bottom. To create such products, two possible design considerations will be implemented into computer models using SolidWorks 3D modeling software which will then be transformed into working prototypes via the use of rapid prototyping technologies. These products will include a lid feature that ensures a spill-proof product which can allow for the eating tray to be easily transported without worry in a diaper bag, as well as a suction cup feature that will allow each tray to be stay affixed onto a majority of flat surfaces. The suction cup is released through a slot that only an adult can reach through which is cleverly hidden on the side of the tray's surface. Further, we hope to take these cutting edge prototypes to the next level and turn them into retail ready products which will implement design for manufacturing techniques to allow these products to be marketable in the near future.

The design process focused around a retail-ready product that was to be injection molded and mass produced. In the end, two unique visually appealing, yet functional, baby tray designs were developed.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

KEY COMPONENTS:

Two design approaches were taken—the circular eating area (penguin shape) and the abstract (car shape). The circular eating area and its lid was designed as a modular unit so that various shapes could be easily implemented around the circular shape.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

BACKGROUND:

A common hassle for any parent of a child between the ages of six months to three years is feeding time. Trying to get food into the child’s mouth is already enough of a struggle, but to constantly make sure the plate of food does not go flying in the process makes it a near impossible task to end a meal without a mess. The durable, lightweight, and portable baby tray with three eating compartments was designed to remedy this problem by providing a feeding dish that stays affixed to most tabletops via a suction cup on the bottom. The suction cup is released through a slot that only an adult can reach through. The baby tray needed a watertight lid and be able to fit inside a diaper bag or purse. The baby tray and lid were drawn in the CAD program SolidWorks and prototyped using the 3D printer in UCSD’s design studio to make life-sized models. The design process focused around a retail-ready product that was to be injection molded and mass produced. In the end, two unique visually appealing, yet functional, baby tray designs were developed.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE "LIGHT BULB" MOMENT:

"My daughter, Sophia, was the inspiration behind my invention. In 2008, my husband and I took Sophia, then 18 months old, to a restaurant. She was a cute, precocious toddler at the time that required constant supervision. We sat down at our table, and I placed a plate in front of her containing small pieces of meatballs, spaghetti, and some peas. At her age, she was able to pick up small pieces of food with her fingers, but too young to eat with a fork. She started eating her meal, and I looked at my husband to say something to him. In a matter of seconds, I saw her grab the plate, toss it up in the air like a Frisbee, and watched it land on the man’s head at the table next to ours. He was covered in red sauce with meatballs and spaghetti. Ughhh! I was mortified! It was in that chaos that I said that I experienced a 'light bulb' moment and thought to myself, 'There’s got to be a better way.' It was in this moment that my invention was born."

Figure 1 | Penguin design consideration with a circular, modular eating area

Figure 2 | Vehicle design consideration with abstract eating areas incorporated within the aesthetic of the design

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Overall, the success of the product is directly correlated with the well-defined needs of parents and potential consumers. These needs are addressed within the functional requirements of the project statement. Ultimately, the aesthetics and material used in the final product is what will allow the product to be marketable and set it apart from competitor products. Since the product is targeted for babies and young children, the product must be environmentally friendly and consist of safe and non-toxic materials. And of course, since the product is to be targeted to a specific population, the aesthetics much match to ensure product success and profit making.

SHAPE AND FORM FACTOR:

Cute, child-friendly (animal or vehicle shape)
Portable
Three eating compartments
Lid feature
- Flat surface for child to draw on
- Integrate well with aesthetics
- Must be able to close and seal tray contents
Dishwasher safe

MATERIAL:

Child safe (BPA-free, does not leach harmful chemicals into food)
Environmentally friendly
Durable
Lightweight
Injection moldable
Low cost
Dishwasher safe

SUCTION CUP:

- Remains affixed to table for at least 15 minutes
- Food grade (child may bite it)
- Size and shape (compact but functional)
- Can be released by finger
- Low price
- Dishwasher safe

These functional requirements set the basis for the evolution of our design considerations, until a final design concept for each type of baby tray was developed. Further detail on our final designs can be found in the Final Design tab located on the sidebar to the left. The evolution of our design process can be found in the Multimedia tab, specifically within the Penguin Design and Vehicle Design subpages.

AWARDS:

Winner of the “Best New Invention” at the Mom’s In Business Unite conference held at the Joan Kroc Center for Peace and Justice in September 2009.

For more information on the award and conference, visit http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/09/17/idUS202053+17-Sep-2009+BW20090917.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PICTURE REFERENCES:

Baby Hands-Up: http://www.parentsconnect.com/parenting-your-kids/baby/newborn-care/the-best-baby-gear.html

Baby Spaghetti: http://www.evolveimages.com/media/06fae920-51c5-11e1-8437-cf7333b5a96a-mixed-race-baby-boy-eating-spaghetti-with-bowl-overturned-on-he

Page updated

Report abuse