Using LS-Dyna as an Aid to the Inclusive Design of Child Resistant Closures

The population of most developed countries is ageing. Despite continuing medical advances, ageing brings with it a host of issues, not least a loss in strength and dexterity. One major area of concern is the ability of elderly consumers to access packaged goods such as food and medicines. In previous studies, the authors developed an LS-Dyna model of a human hand that was used to investigate the effect of physical dimensions and the choice of grip type on joint stresses and hence levels of discomfort. The work was supported by consumer ethnography studies and lead to recommendations for inclusive packaging design. In the present paper, the model is applied to a product that is known to cause particular difficulties for the elderly, the “squeeze and turn” child resistant closure, identifying the specific ergonomic issues associated with it.