History Of The Design
Work on this design begun with an attempt to look how to improve current camping chair feet designs.
Removable feet which were available in the market at the time were designed for specific chairs only and and had a lot of unnecessary geometry what made them quite heavy and difficult to pack.
The earliest surviving artefact related to this design dates from spring of 2015. It was hastily drawn on a piece of paper while working on the shop floor.
The main idea was clear by then. To make a chair foot which offers improved functionality it will have consist of two parts: low profile platform and small snap which is located above the plastic foot of the leg and is connected to the feet. Initial solution was an elasticated band.
Few months later first 3D printed prototype was made. The platform was falling off as soon as the chair was lifted so its shape had to be changed
The next prototype had a higher profile in the contact area which prevented chair feet slipping away. It had to be re-sized but its shape worked well.
After that we optimised the design for injection moulding. It was more streamlined and had a rib structure but it had to be made more structurally sound and less slippery.
After that the industrial design company we work with, Techstyle Europe (www.injectionmouldinguk.co.uk), created rib/rubber structure and one material snap. The source of inspiration for its S-shaped curves was elasticilty of modern car brakes.
The first snap design proved to be stand-offish and avoided proper contact with the chair leg
and finally..
Another three prototypes later, a secure connection was found that could be used with different chairs.
What makes this snap so versatile is its curved shape which can be extended and used in different angles. In the contact area, where the snap meets the chair leg, because of its narrower entrance point it can be used with legs of different diameters.
the short tale of the carrying case
Being able to transport and store your outdoor equipment without hassle is an important part of the user experience.
The slim shape of the Chair buddies carrying case is designed to fit it inside most chair cases. Two sets of poppers, which separate compartments, were added for ease of cleaning.
Another design was created. This carrying case design used poppers and folded fabric, not a zip, to close. The chair feet kept falling out of it. We went back to zip option.
The case, which has not changed much since its first prototype, can be attached to a rucksack by using a hook.