The Spark Behind the Latch: Our Story
Every great invention starts with a moment of clarity. For KinderLatch founder and inventor Scott Shaffer, that moment didn’t happen in a laboratory or a design studio—it happened on the sidelines of a local Little League baseball field.
A Father’s Observation
While watching his son play, Scott’s professional eye for detail caught something that most of us overlook every day. As a group of young players sprinted toward the dugout, he noticed the gate hardware: a standard galvanized steel “fork” latch, jagged and protruding at the eye level of the children running past it.
In that instant, he saw the potential for a high-velocity collision. He realized that a split-second “blind sprint” or an accidental stumble could turn a routine trip to the dugout into a serious injury. The jagged edges of the metal gate latch could easily cause a impalement or deep contusion.
A Safer Way Forward
Scott began looking closer at the fencing in his local community. He saw the same issues everywhere—from neighborhood playgrounds to municipal parks. Traditional latches weren’t just hazardous due to their sharp edges; they were often difficult to operate and had non-compliant protruding hardware.
He knew there had to be a safer gate latch solution.
From the Ballfield to the Drawing Board
Driven by the desire to improve the safety of play spaces for his own children and his community, Scott set out to re-engineer the gate interface from the ground up. He moved away from the sharp, “hooked” profile of the past and focused on a design that prioritized:
- Impact Deflection: A smooth, radiused silhouette that allows for contact without snagging or piercing.
- Ergonomic Simplicity: A trigger mechanism that is easy for adults to use, even with their hands full.
- Mechanical Protection: An enclosed polymer housing that shields the body from direct metal contact points.
- Smart Balance Design: A curved cover to act as a counterweight to keep the gate latch in position, whether open or closed.
Our Mission Today
What started as a concerned father’s observation at a baseball game has grown into KinderLatch. We aren’t just selling hardware; we are providing a better standard for the perimeters of our lives.
From the Space Coast of Florida to sports complexes across the country, Scott Shaffer’s vision remains the same: ensuring that the hardware on the fence is as well-thought-out as the game being played inside it.
“We can’t stop kids from running fast or playing hard—and we shouldn’t. But we can certainly give them a better environment to do it in.” — Scott Shaffer, Founder