GROCERY BAG HOLDER FOR CARS

Paper i proceeding, 2009

The contribution summarises a Master thesis in Industrial Design Engineering, carried out at Chalmers University of Technology in the second half of 2007 in collaboration with Semcon Sweden AB and Volvo Cars Corporation. In the beginning of this thesis an array of questions was put together. The most significant ones were: Is there a need among car owners of having a grocery bag holder in the car? As well as: Could the bag holder be totally self-instructing? Through research based upon gathered information this thesis tries to answer these and other raised questions. The information was gathered using, among other methods, literature and user studies, analyses of existing bag holder used by other brands, as well as through user interviews and observations. When this information had been put together, focus was shifted on to developing trough the use of various design methods, focus groups and engineering of concept models. A need among users could be found and the project was therefore continued towards a functional prototype. This prototype was designed using the Computer Aided Design (CAD) tool Catia V5 and then engineered using rapid prototyping (SLS-technology). A critical review has been held throughout the project and work has been pushed forward through discussions within the group, with instructors from Chalmers, with Semcon and Volvo personnel as well as with contacts from other companies.