Carabiner
An object that’s always by your side
Process
Over years various carabiners have been tested as a means to secure several objects to a safe place; usually a belt loop.
BY observing their function and the interactions with these objects, it became apparent that often they did not offer the interaction that a product which is used daily should.
This carabiner was designed unknowingly overs years of interactions and use of other similar products. Noticing flaws and areas for optimisation, the lightweight carabiner was designed for everyday use. This design by no means can withstand the stress and loads of that which an industrial style carabiner is created for, but it doesn’t need to. It performs one function well; keeping what’s important by your side.
Mold Design
The carabiner is designed utilising a one shot injection moulding process, this reduces the amount of possible failure points. As the part itself will be subject to continuous deformation during use, a subtle limiter sculpted to act against the opening arms keeps the object within a safe working limit. As the mold features one single injection location and a uniform part wall thickness around a continuous shape, ribs placed strategically around the parameter of the inner cavity support the part structure and integrity.
The underside of the carabiner is cored out the create the uniform profile around its parameter, this lends itself well to injection molding and simplifies mold design.
Function & Form
The tactility of an object which you interact with daily is important, its function and purpose must be closely considered to create meaningful interactions. The subtle distinctions in this carabiner in contrast to typical carabiners create a pleasurable and purposeful experience.
Objects are seamlessly attached and secured by putting pressure on the bending arm and moving the object toward the opening.
Removing an object from the carabiner requires a much more deliberate process, this in turns ensures objects are not dislodged mistakenly.
DFM
Part Tuning
To optimise the performance of the part, various processes including finite element analysis, material analysis and injection simulationhelp to optimise every parameter of the design. The design stage of any project has the most impact on the final outcome, close investigation of every aspect of the design will create a product which fulfills its purpose and function well.
