Product Summary

Kidoor Catcher

There are more than 40 000 children that have been injured by closing doors each year. (Arte Viva (2003). Finger Alert. Retrieved July 14th, 2003 from http://www.arteviva.nl/products/fingeralert/) The children have visited the accident and injury department with injuries ranging from bruised fingers to fingers that have been completely torn off by a door. The majority of the injuries occur in children aged 1 to 4.

The Kidoor Catcher is used to prevent hand injuries caused doors closing for all ages but the main focus is for children. The product works to slow down doors from crushing a child’s finger between a door and a doorframe. Since most children can wander around the interior of the house, the product will be custom fit for interior doors. By slowing down doors while closing, even under a force, it will allow fingers to escape from getting squashed. The main components of the Kidoor Catcher are the clip for the door and a box component which encloses a V-shaped resistor.

Most interior doors are one general width so the clip for the door will be tightly fitted to keep the product from moving. The clip will be thin enough that it will not interfere with the door closing but be strong enough to keep the box in place. The resistance will be connected together by a hinge at the tip and a damper along with an elastic cord on the opposite end.

As the door closes, the two sides of the damper are pulled on, opening it, which will slow the v-shaped resistor from flattening quickly. Tension building by the elastic cord will also slow down the v-shaped resistor. The door will then close slowly allowing extra time for a person to notice the closing door. At the closed position, the elastic cord will be pulled and want to return to its natural state. When the door is opened again, the damper will slowly close with the aid of the elastic cord to put the v-shaped resistor into its natural shape.

The target market is for new parents with toddlers. There is an estimation that one family will buy around 4 products; two bathroom doors, child bedrooms, parent’s bedrooms. The price is set at $30, which generally affordable for small families and is within the price range of what most people surveyed would pay.

The Kidoor Catcher will be marketed towards door manufacturers without the clip and attached right on the door but also available for single consumers with the clip for the interior doors. Since the product is high on the door, it will be out of reach from children and keep it from getting placed into their mouths. This product is also light so in case it falls from misuse, there will be protection against injuries from it falling.

Since the materials that are being used are wood and sheet metal, the material costs are relatively low. The cost for production is $16.50 for one product. We will be generating the products at about six products per one hour in the first year working in a garage but will be moving to other facilities in later years.