Where Innovation and Technology Merge
Laura Hamrick
OnTray
Challenge
Shopping with small children can be a challenge. After a frustrating trip to the grocery store with her kids, Laura Hamrick swore never to take them ever again. Her little ones wanted undivided attention, entertaining activities and delicious snacks and they wouldn’t stop grabbing items off the shelves and placing them in the cart. By the time she was done paying, she had more groceries than she originally anticipated and was irritated. It was time for a solution. Laura needed something to occupy her children in order to shop quickly while remaining within her budget. The OnTray was born.
Laura realized all she needed was a small container that could carry both food and activities for her kids. Any plastic container could work, but it had to be stationary. She didn’t want her kids to be able to move the container – or throw it out of the cart. With a little imagination, she developed an idea that consisted of a plastic container with an arm attached that snapped on to the handle of a standard shopping cart.
Though her idea had great promise, Laura was a new entrepreneur. She had little knowledge of the processes necessary for bringing a new product to market: beginning with a design that would appeal to a particular market to mass-production.
On the basis of Laser Reproductions’ qualifications and expertise, Laura’s patent attorney recommended its services to assist her in the creation of her new product. Together they began the design process in October 2006 to produce a working prototype.
Solution
The foundation of the first designs began with the simple sketch Laura provided. The first drafts of the model showed promise but once prototyped, displayed some internal flaws.
In the earlier versions the design team relied on gravity to keep the tray in position. “The arm simply rested on the shopping cart , as opposed to snapping in place. This had potential, but it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, and more importantly, it could easily be knocked off by a child,” said Ray Crabtree, design engineer for Laser Reproductions. A more robust design would be necessary.
After discovering these potential problems, the focus of the attachment concepts were redirected. Laura and the design team tried a simpler approach by eliminating the support mechanism and making the arm more functional. The resulting design turned the “arm” into a “clamp” that could easily be slipped onto any shopping cart and stay firmly in place.
Laser Reproductions chose Somos® 8110 stereolithography (SLA) resins to construct the OnTray prototype. This resin best mimicked the functionality of the end material that was sought for this project. It allowed the flexibility necessary to snap on the clamp and slide the lid on.
Result
When the OnTray was finished, Laura had an appealing product for moms everywhere. It is made from FDA approved materials, microwave safe, dishwasher safe and easy to clean and store. It is approved for children ages six months or older, can be carried in a purse or diaper bag and is comes in a variety of colors. All of these elements made the OnTray extremely marketable to her target audience.
Laser Reproductions put Laura in contact with associates at Olan Plastics. They specialize in mass-production of products such as the OnTray. Olan now produces all of Laura’s OnTray orders.
Laura is having great success with her product through her Web site. OnTray has been gaining buzz through different media outlets and has been featured on the QVC network. Multiple retailers have been in contact with Laura to sell her product. This attention has Laura working on designing new packaging to make the OnTray even more marketable.
“I couldn’t have done it without Laser Reproductions. When I first approached them, I didn’t know anything about the steps necessary to take my idea to the market,” said Laura. “Laser Reproductions held my hand through the entire process. I would definitely use them again.”
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