Product Design Firm Addresses Window Covering Cord Safety in Style

July 6, 2010 - PRLog -- For almost three decades window covering pull cord safety has been a primary focus for window covering manufacturers and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) as they attempt to reduce the number of injuries and deaths associated with strangulations.  Included in product recall statements and warning tags attached to every new window covering is an urgent plea to keep the pull cords secured and out of reach of children.  Both the CPSC and window covering manufacturers recommend mounting a cord cleat next to the window to secure loose pull cords.  However, “the only cord cleats readily available look more like what is used to secure a boat to a dock and are time consuming to use,” according to Hussein Zoroufy, President of Z Basics, a product design and marketing firm.  That is until now.  Z Basics has developed a line of fashionable cord cleats for window coverings called Z Cleats that are stunningly attractive and take only about four seconds to secure the average length pull cord.

“Increasing the rate at which widow covering pull cords are properly secured has been a significant yet elusive goal for many years,” says Zoroufy.  Industry statistics show approximately 800 million corded window coverings have been sold in the U.S. and Canada in the past 10 years and are considered to be in use.  According to the Journal of the American Medical Association and the CPSC, the rate of tragedies occurring as a result of pull cords not being properly secured has at one point reached as high as one accident every two weeks.  Z Basics hopes that by making cord cleats more attractive and easier to use people will use them day in and day out, greatly reducing the number of dangerous window cord situations that exist today.

It is not just the safety aspect however; Z Cleats are also a decorative solution.  “When it is easier to keep something neat and tidy, it is much more likely to be kept that way by everyone in the home or commercial space,” notes Zoroufy.  The patent pending Z Cleat was designed to do just that.  It creates a large enough spool area to make winding take only a few seconds and conceals the installation screws allowing the visible section to beautifully match any décor.  

Whether it is for safety, fashion, or convenience, Z Cleats are sure to be a welcome solution for anyone with corded window coverings.  Z Cleats are currently available in oil rubbed bronze, satin nickel, and antique brass finishes and can be pre-ordered directly from Z Basics at http://www.zbasics.com.  Along with the introduction of additional styles later this year, Z Basics is currently working with retail partners to make the Z Cleats available in retail stores nationwide.

Z Basics designs and markets solution products that offer fashion, safety, and convenience and is located in Middleton, Wisconsin.  In addition to introducing Z Cleats in 2010 and seeking strategic partners for their nationwide introduction, Z Basics also has a line of stair rods sold under the Zorrods brand for use with carpet runners on steps that are available at The Home Depot and through a growing network of independent dealers.  For more information please visit http://www.zbasics.com.