Brake Module for Trolley
Human-centered design at recycling center.
CHALLENGE
The purpose of the project was to develop a trolley for Stockholm Vatten och Avfall to be used at their recycling center in Bromma.
The current trolleys at the recycling center was proven to be difficult to use and therefore not very appreciated by the customers nor employees. A problematic situation that often occurred was that the users forgot to activate the brakes, resulting in trolleys rolling away when left unattained. This posed a high risk that could cause damage to both people and property.
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Field Studies
A preliminary study was conducted to investigate the users opinions about the trolley. The users experienced the trolley as difficult to maneuver and the brake system was not adapted to the recycling center.
Lots of mock ups were made on existing trolleys to try out new solutions for maneuvering. The mock ups were tested on the recycling center by the customers who were observed and then interviewed afterwards.
SOLUTION
Instead of creating a new trolley, we discovered that the most economical solution was to make some modifications on the existing trolley and complement it with a lightweight and durable brake module that can be mounted on the existing trolley.
The module causes the trolley to automatically brake when the user releases the handle, preventing the trolley from rolling away. The brake module also has a basket in the front where visitors can put smaller sized scrap.
Brake Module
The braking system consists of a small number of components, which facilitates maintenance. The fact that most of the components are made out of aluminum makes the entire module light and cheap without compromising on strength and durability.
Handle
The lower handle is placed at a comfortable distance from the upper, with a half moon shape that fits the upper handle. When the handle is released, a dead man's break guarantees immediate stop of the trolley.
Wheel stoppers
The stoppers are designed to make the brake rod slide into place and hold it there.
The stoppers are designed to make the brake rod slide into place and hold it there.
