Well worth filling that gap!

AN entrepreneur woke up with an ingenious solution to a problem experienced by many motorists and hopes to fill a gap in the market in more ways than one.

John England designed his ‘Cabung’ product to stop loose change, keys and bank cards from sliding down the side of car seats.

The inventor is now pushing forward to try and sign long-term contracts with the major stores and is in the process of securing an international patent.

John, who lives in England, came up with the invention at 5am one morning, after thinking of all the lost minutes he had spent recovering items after a journey, and set about designing a simple device that consists of an inflatable tube connected to a hand pump.

“In my previous job, I averaged 40,000 miles on the road every year and often joked about someone inventing something to stop me dropping my phone, credit cards, money and food down the side of my seat,” he explained. “Then one morning I woke up with an idea to do it myself and went straight into my office and sketched the first ever Cabung, before approaching a company to help shape my idea into something that could be manufactured.

“There was no strict brief. I just wanted something that would fit most cars, is easy to fit and remove and would be aesthetically pleasing.

“It would also improve driver safety as it would prevent motorists taking their eyes off the road whilst trying to locate dropped items.”

He first displayed the Cabung at The London Motor Show in May last year, and is now hoping to hit the big time with the ingenious creation.

The company has already received the backing of former racing driver Tiff Needell and model Jodie Kidd, and is hoping this support will help it attract longer-term deals with car dealerships, retail chains, fuel stations and retail websites.

His efforts have also received a major boost after TV star, Fuzz Townshend, released a video endorsing the invention. The motoring show presenter said: “I drop lots of stuff down the side of my car. When I drop a bit of sandwich, crisps or money down the side of the car, you end up scrambling to get them back, and putting your hands into ridges you don’t want to put them into. You could solve all that with a Cabung.”

Cabung, which is located at the Hull Microfirm Centre, in Yorkshire, is on course to sell more than 1,000 units this year and is looking at how it can ramp up orders in the long-term.

Costing around BD6, and less for multiple orders, it fits most cars with a centre console and may also fit some commercial vehicles. The Cabung will fill gaps between 5mm to 45mm and when inflated will contour to the shape of the seats. The length is 425mm.

John enlisted the help of the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP) in the UK to help brand and package the device.

“This is a great example of how an issue that has plagued thousands of motorists can be solved with good design and innovation,” James Smith, manufacturing growth manager at MGP, said. “John used his own personal experience to come up with Cabung and, thanks to lots of external advice and specialist design support, has come up with a product that is about to take off.”

For more details visit www.cabung.com