Seven inches from the end of each rods is a shirt stop, 1.5 inches in length, to keep the shirt from sliding
too far down the rods as Elsa leans into it. Our raised the concern that the shirt might unintentionally slip
too far down the bars during use, so this feature was added (see Appendix I: Design Review Summary for
more details from the design review). A joining bar at the base of the bars attaches them to each other for
additional stability and allows them to move as one unit, which was a component found to be useful during
performance testing (Appendix I: Performance Testing Summary).
STORAGE CLIPS
Each bar is paired with a storage clip that holds the rod in place when in the upright storage position. A
storage clip is shown closely in Figure 14. The clips are manufactured to hold a rod of 5/8 inch diameter.
They securely hold the bars by simply pushing them into the clips with a small force. To remove the
bars from the clips, you simply pull them until they pop out. Use of the storage using the clips frees up
more space in the room, which was a concern of both Meghan and Mary learned in the client interview
(Appendix B: Client Interview Summary).
Figure 14: Storage clip
HANGING CLIP
A clip hanging by a string is threaded through the end of a rod that extends outward from the board.
This clip and clip rod system is intended to hold open the neck hole of the shirt while Elsa is using the
DressyBars to put a shirt on. This feature was developed when we learned in performance testing (Appendix
I: Performance Testing Summary) that it was hard to find the head hole in the shirt. Figure 15 shows the clip
and clip rod.
Figure 15: The clip and clip rod
The end of the rod has a hole through which the string is threaded through. The rod is 10 inches long so
that the clip at the end of the string hangs slightly behind the nubs on the short rods, where the head hole
at the front of the shirt will be stopped. The rod is placed 2 inches from the top of the board so that it rests
10 inches above the shirt stops of the rods which will ensure enough clearance for her head so there is no
chance of her hitting it against the supporting rod. The rod is attached to the board by a hinge and a hasp so
it may rotate up and down between the use and storage positions. A hasp is located at the top of the rod to
lock it in place when it is in the outward position, again increasing compactness and storability.
14