When applied on doorknob, the cover spins loose to prevent a firm grip. This product is made of simple, washable plastic. Customers need to also take into consideration the type of door knob (knob, lever, etc.), it's size, shape, and whether or not the knob has a lock that they also want to easily access in other situations. To deter a child from opening or closing a door but still make it as accessible to normal adult traffic as possible, a special mechanism is needed, potentially on the doorknob.

Therefore, by incorporating the functionality of a baby-proof doorknob cover into the doorknob eliminates the need for plastic manufacture, cutting down on overall gas emissions.Ī customer with a toddler needs to safeguard their home while the child is in a stage where they want to explore their surroundings and abilities but are unaware of hidden dangers. The magnitude of gas emission sin plastic manufacture are an order of magnitude higher for plastic manufacture than metal. The final recommendation that the doorknob cover be incorporated into the doorknob comes from comparison of both toxic and geen house gas emissions associated with plastic manufacture. Using EIOLCA software, emissions from both the doorknob and the doorknob covers were compared.

Overall door knobs cater extremely well to the casual market where consumers will probably replace a door knob when broken rather than attempting repairs themselves.įinally, DFE was performed to analyze areas for possible environmental improvement. The complex organization of the doorknob's inner workings are housed in such a way to convey a since of simplicity for the user and make installation easy. However, the overall structure of a doorknob is user friendly. In addition to making it difficult for casual repair in case of failure it also seems very difficult from an assembly line perspective. The individual components are housed within a long hollow tube and once removed are unable to retain their assembly order.

The most problematic area is the latch housing of the door knob, ironically where failure is very likely to occur. Selection of a fire proof plastic would solve this possible manufacture issue.ĭuring DFMA analysis it was found while the door knob cover is a relatively simple mechanism to assemble and failure easily identified, the door knob is much more challenging. Should the plastic not be fire retardant, in the case of an emergency door operation would become next to impossible and if achieved cause extreme injury to the user. The second area of concern during FMEA analysis is the possible fire resistance properties of the plastic used to construct the door knob cover. The recommended solution for this problem is to increase the tab size so that the operator has a larger surface area through which to exert force. The small size of the rubber 'friction tabs' used is uncomfortable and ill-suited for casual operation. By combining the information from both of these products, a comprehensive improvement plan can be produced that minimizes parts and cost while maximizing effectiveness.īased on FMEA the major issue encountered with the use of babyproof door covers is difficulty in actual operation by an adult. Varying standards in size, quality and complexity of doorknobs themselves complicate the manufacture of the door knob locks. Deconstruction and analysis must always take into consideration what effect each component has upon a doorknob. FMEA allowed possible failure areas to be outlined and ranked while DFMA structured possible improvements in a systematic fashion.Ī babyproof door knob lock's initial simplicity is complicated by its defined interaction with the doorknob mentioned previously. Via product dissection, a deeper understanding of each item of the assembly is gained. Locking and unlocking, the doorknob-to-door interface, and even the impact of rotation must be accommodated by the doorknob within a reasonable failure tolerance. This simple of objective has evolved a complex mechanism with many points for possible failure. By not only analyzing the babyproofing cover but also studying the complex mechanism of the doorknob itself, this study is provided extra depth.Ī doorknob's primary purpose is to allow selective entry and exit between connected rooms. By fully understanding the consumer needs in addition to the exact function and manufacturing methods of the system under study our team hopes to innovate and improve upon products already available for purchase. This information page analyzes both the babyproof lock in addition to type of door knob to which it is attached. Babyproof door knob locks are a common method in many households to restrain children within a certain area.