Back-seat inspiration earns Government cash

Four years ago, Peter Wilcock was frustrated that it took him 20 minutes to install two child safety seats in the back of his car.

The most fiddly part was threading a metal clip on to the lap and shoulder belts and adjusting the length so the seat was anchored.

Doing this while cramped in the back of a car got him thinking that there had to be a better way.

Four years on, he and his two fellow directors in Petone product design company Exactus are about to launch their solution - a deceptively simple and inexpensive clip.

The glass-reinforced, plastic-hinged clip locks over the lap and shoulder belts in seconds, and can be undone just as quickly.

As simple as it looks, it hasn't been easy or cheap to develop, manufacture, test and patent.

It will hit the market in the next two months, and it could be years before it pays off.

Last week, Mr Wilcock was delighted to receive a $9700 Enterprise Award from Industry New Zealand. The money will pay for temporary international patents and safety testing in Australia last week.

Mr Wilcock and his partners Jon Fifield and Mike Francis - all former employees at Miramar's Interlock Industries - have focused on contracts with local manufacturers since setting up their product design business three years ago.

- NZPA