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My little boy (11 months old) has just discovered how the buttons and dials of the washing machine work. This is inconvenient, because the machine does not react well to random button mashing while it's running - leading to program changes, stops and the like.
How could a washing machine be made childproof?
Our machine has a pretty good implementation.
Activating child lock is done via it's (simple) menu.
While the machine is not running, its behaviour is unchanged. Most kids lack the strength to close the door so there is very little danger of a toddler washing the family pet.
Once the machine is started its behaviour changes in two key ways. First, the front panel goes dark to avoid attracting small children in the first place. Second it ignores all of its controls, EXCEPT for a long press of the start button, which is easy for an adult to remember and do, but most small kids don't have the patience to hold a button down for several seconds.
It's getting that balance right between having an action that is unlikely to accidental and not having one that is so convoluted that it annoys the user. @prince, I think the parallel between this and mobile phone unlock is a good one.
This also smells to me like a security issue, I'd put a child gate on the kitchen. :)
Some off the top of my head ideas:
It could have lock mode while working. To unlock there should be action performed which is difficult for child either physically or mentally, i.e. considering child's constraints.
At the same time from a manufacturer perspective the solution should be as cheap as possible because it is reflected on the machine price.
For the advanced washing machines it could be coded in the firmware and it is extremely cheap! Pretend, a washing machine asks you "1+3=?" (mental barrier).
More simple machines without screens it could be some tricky physical button (physical barrier).
Well, a washing machine needs to be used frequently but just to make sure someone doesnt accidently press any switches, we cannot or shouldnot provide high security or anything, i mean its after all the washing machine.
So i think it will be better to provide autolocking feature after the user doesnt press any button for sometime. Instead of giving a keycode to unlock it i think its better to take a page from the old mobile phone's book. Long press the lock button to unlock it!! How about that??
I think the older layout of washing machines was great for that exact purpose; the controls (and for the washer which presents a possible drowning hazard, the door) are on the top and to the rear of the machine. An 11-month-old has no chance of reaching them unless he's sitting on top of the machine, and if he's sitting on top then his parents only have to look in a mirror to identify the problem.
Many of the newer HE washer/dryer sets now have all the controls on the front at the top, for ease of access. Well, you wanted ease of access, you got it, for everyone including little one (assuming he's tall enough or can step up on a stool to get to the controls).
Many I've seen do have a "lock" feature. Press and hold a "lock" button for one second and the controls are disabled (and the door latch locked) until you press and hold some combination of buttons that a toddler ostensibly couldn't stretch his fingers far enough to hit at the same time. That's probably as good as it gets, and if you want better you should again probably look in a mirror; how is your 11-month-old kid getting enough time to himself in the laundry area (which has myriad household chemicals that could kill him) to mess up the washer cycle?
Remember the Douglas Adams adage: "A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools". That holds for children as well. In fact, nothing's ever labelled "childproof" anymore because that implies a 100% guarantee that a child could never get past it (leading to several lawsuits, often successful, against manufacturers of these devices). What was "childproof" is now "child-resistant". Take heed; that's really the best you can do.
As an aside, stoves and ovens used to have similar layouts as the older style of washing machines, and many still do. The recent move on electric stoves to putting the controls on the front is as much a safety thing as having them at the rear on a washer/dryer; it's kind of hard to turn off the burner when you have to reach through a column of boiling steam or flame to do so. Gas cooktop designers have known that for years, but electric appliances are just now catching on.
