Key Carer

The Key Carer

The Key carer design was inspired by the similar design as the Swiss Army Knife. Its aim is to help people with impaired vision locate the correct key to the door.  The key Carer isn’t specifically restricted to people with impaired vision but can also assist elderly people, people with limited use of their hands and even ordinary people who generally struggle fiddling around trying to find the right key to the front door can benefit from the Key Carer.

The Design

I designed the key carer to hold up to 3 universal keys with a width of 1-1.5mm (standard key width for most keys) with a case. This can later can be modified to hold more keys. The Key Carer is a compact device that can be place easily in your pocket. The protruding dots on the key holder help the user detect which key is the right key for the door they wish to open. During my research process I became aware that not everybody could read Braille for example the elderly that went blind in their later years. I devised a simple dot system as it would be easier to learn and therefore be more generally successful.  

you can also use the key holders and individually place the key onto a chain.

Influence

I was influenced to design the Key Carer when I had attended a camp for people with special needs  helping assist them over a course of 6 days. I had met a person who was visually impaired.  I began to realise the day to day battles these children were faced with, and quickly started to imagine how my design could positively have an input in their daily activities. One of the challengers faced but my new friends was finding the right key to their rooms and having to rely on their carer’s. This encouraged me to find a solution.

Ive entered this competition in the hope that if i were to win i would be able to fund my mission trip to cambodia to help bring livelihood back into the lives of many children and adults by building houses and basic healthcare .

Instructions

There are 2 versions to this design its entirely up to preference, one design consists of a shorter body allowing a smaller body easier to fit into a pocket. the second design is longer and has an extended tail in order to protect the keys.

Step 1 

Printing the pieces (in CURA)(please ignore all red areas shaded on objects in slicing software) should take an average of up to 4 hours at:

Key Holder holder V2 stubbed.stl(new version smaller)

key holder key 1.stl

key holder key 2.stl

key holder key 3.stl

nut.stl

key holder holder.stl

·         1.5mm Layer Height

·         50-60mm/s Print Speed

·         120mm/s Travel speed

·         0.7mm Wall thickness

·         0.75 Top/Bottom

·         18-20% infill

·         Enable retraction

·         Enable cooling

·         Enable support

o   Everywhere

o   0.3mm Z distance 

Step 2

First place the grip of the key into the Key Holder and wiggle into place (don’t be scared to push hard).

Step 3

Place the Key holder into the key case with the dot pointing the direction of the groove (in numerical order).

Step 4

Place one end of the nut through the top or bottom of the key case, and through all three key holders and place the pin inside the nut on the opposite side pressing down firmly locking the keys into place.

Step 5

Open door!!