Powerhouse Museum Collection Search 2.5
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User keywords, or 'tags', are words added to object records by other users to enhance their discovery. You can add keywords that may be useful in helping others find this object.

We are experimenting with tagging because sometimes museums describe objects in language that is highly specialist and user added keywords are useful in bridging the 'semantic gap' between the language of the museum and that of the user.

Any keywords listed have been added by other users like yourself. You can click on them to use them as search terms to dicover other objects. User tags
Related subjects lists the broad themes that have relevance to the object you are viewing. You can click these themes to see other objects related thematically. Related Subjects
+ Australian Design Award
+ Australian product design
+ Inventions and innovations
+ Road safety
Theme containing this object
+ Prince Philip Prize for Australian Design
'Autogenerated tags' are a new feature that we are testing. These tags are generated by passing the object record through the OpenCalais service from Reuters. This service makes a 'best guess' at the names, places, companies and specialist terminolgy that is in the text of the object records.

By clicking on a tag you can find all other collection records related to that person, place or company.

Because the tags are autogenerated there are likely to be some errors. If you spot one of these then please flag the tag for deletion by clicking the 'x'. Auto-generated tags: [Beta]

Safe N Sound baby safety capsule, 1986

The Significance Statement summarises why an object is important and places it in a social and cultural context. An object may be significant for various reasons, including: historical use, rarity, design/aesthetics, new technology or changes in society. Statement of significance
In the 1970s Australian state governments made the wearing of car seat belts compulsory, and a variety of restraints for children came on the market. But there was no really secure way to protect babies in a smash until this Baby Safety Capsue was designed in 1984.

Rainsfords (later called Britax Rainsfords, part of Britax International), the makers of the Safe-n-Sound child seat restraint, came up with the idea of the capsule. It consists of a bassinette inside a base that can be secured by a seat belt. A release mechanism allows the bassinette to rotate in a crash, keeping the baby more upright and distributing forces uniformly over its body; at the same time, the bassinette pushes against an impact-absorbing bubble in the base. The capsule was designed to fit in an adult seat space. The bassinette can be removed from the base to carry the baby around outside the car.

Once the capsule was on the market, NSW public hospitals brought in a rule that parents could not take a baby home by car without one. Hospitals and municipal councils run hire services to encourage the use of safety capsules.

Since 1984 over 2 million little Australians have been protected by the Baby Safety Capsule. Despite this, and numerous design awards, sales to other countries such as the USA have been slow because they do not have compulsory restraint laws. The Australian Standard for infant and child restraints is one of the most stringent in the world, demanding an extremely rigorous degree of protection.
Production Notes include information about the design, manufacture and marketing of an object. Production notes
Designed by PA Design (later known as Invetech) with Rainsfords Safe-n-Sound designer Bill Botell and chief engineer Bob Heath.

Made by Safe-n-Sound Pty Ltd
History Notes include facts about what has happened to an object since manufacture. This could include who owned it and how it was used (provenance). It may also describe any cultural meanings with which it may have become associated. History notes
Winner of an Australian Design Award and Design Council Selection in 1985 and the Prince Philip Prize for Australian Design in 1986.

This capsule was donated as new from the manufacturer.

In 1991 a stricter Australian Standard was introduced for the baby capsule. The new standard required a fully body harness instead of the velcro body band used on this baby capsule. The new harness was designed to give babies a better chance of survival in a rollover crash. The velcro body belts were phased out from 1993 to 1996.

 This text content licensed under CC BY-NC.

Description
Baby safety capsule, plastic/nylon/lambswool, Safe N Sound Pty Ltd, Australia, 1986

Baby safety carry-cot in moulded plastic, with carry handles. Nylon straps and buckles fasten capsule to car seat. Interior of capsule has removable synthetic lambswool liner and a wide velco-lined strap to hold the baby secure.

Maker: Safe-N-Sound Pty Ltd; Lonsdale, South Australia; 1986
The Registration Number of an object is a unique identifying number applied by the museum at the point of acquisition. Current numbering format comprises the year of acquisition, followed by a sequential number. For example, '2007/45' is the Registration Number that represents the 45th acquisition in the year 2007. Registration number
87/544
Production date
1986
Height
680 mm
Width
435 mm
Depth
465 mm

 This text content licensed under CC BY-SA.
Subjects:
+ Australian Design Award
+ Australian product design
+ Inventions and innovations
+ Road safety


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