One Hand Zipper bag Clopener

The challenge

Satoru, a 78-year-old with hemiplegia affecting his dominant right hand, struggles with daily tasks, including opening a zipper bag of sesame seeds he eats daily. He lives with his sister, who assists him, but he wishes to be more independent.

Who it helps

This product is designed for people with difficulties when closing and opening Zipper bags, especially for people with hemiplegia. Zipper bags can be used to store and waterproof a variety of items and its use will bring people more independent lives.

How it works

The proposed solution, the Clopener, is designed to allow him to independently open and close the bag with one hand, reducing his reliance on his sister.

The Clopener features a grip with a rubber sheet on the bottom, enabling users to easily handle zipper bags. By holding its body, the user can press on and slide the zip to open the bag, and use the closing side in a similar manner to seal the bag.

Tools needed

Fusion 360

FDM Printer

Project details

• Stage: Prototype
• Built by the TOM International Community community, Global
• Team: Satoru Shibata
• Category: Daily Living
• 86 downloads

The build files for One Hand Zipper bag Clopener are free to download from this page - open source, shared by TOM: Tikkun Olam Makers.

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