Design development of an innovative electric kettle Simone Bancora Lorenzo Cordella Gianluca Tamburini

1. Master Degree in Design & Engineering
2014/2015
Design Studio Development 2
Professors Roberta Gorno, Alberto Villa, Paolo Nobili
Assistant Lecturers Francesca Randone
Group 4
Simone Paolo Bancora
Lorenzo Cordella
Gianluca Tamburini
ARTHESIO

2. Intro

3. The original product
and basic elements
KwK 220 elettric kettle by
Steam pipe for
shut down
Electronics and
heating resistance
Filter
Hot metal
plate
Lodging base
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4. About tea brewing
Boiled water is often used for tea,
thus using the kettle to brew it could
be an added value. But how is it
really done?
When:
Tea leaves must be dropped into
water after it has boiled.
How long:
Brewing time ranges from ~2 to ~8
minutes depending on the kind of
tea.
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5. Tea brewing issues
Tea gets spilled over the working
areea, in particular when pulling
out the tea from the water.
Kettles can get dirty and are not
easy to clean inside. Elements such
as the pipe interfere.
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6. A kettle meant for brewing
Some kettles on the market already integrate the brewing function as an
added value.
However they come with issues regarding complexity, functionality and
price.
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7. Project Brief
A new electric kettle designed to brew tea
Not complex or mechanical
Easy to clean
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8. Concept

9. How to obtain the brewing?
Several possibilities were tested along the way.
These solutions looked merely alternatives to existing products.
Innovation would have to be achieved through a smarter idea.
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10. The inspiration
Some products use flexible TPE parts to vary their geometry.
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11. The idea
A slanted plane was introduced to the mechanism to add rotation to the
usual translation.
The plane acts as a mirror for the flexible geometry, allowing to save
space in addition to the movement.
Exploiting this property of
the material could provide a
minimal-mechanical system
to achieve both translation
and rotation of a basket.
h
cosß * h = 0,6 h
ß
2
ß
2
PLANE
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12. Testing
Models were used to test the idea
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13. Developing
First drafts of the new product
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14. Project

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17. Position 1: the basket containing tea is lifted and slanted to
save space. This allows to boil water.
Position 2: the basket is lowered in the water after the boiling
to perform the brewing
The brewing system
1 2
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18. The lid come off completely to improve cleaning (a major concern in a
product designed to make tea). It seals with a bayonette clutch pressing
on a TPE gasket.
How it works
Closing the lid
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19. By just pushing or pulling on the cap the basket is moved from position 1
(submerged) to position 2 (emerged) and back.
How it works
Moving the basket for brewing
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20. By rotating the cap the basket is extracted instead. It can then be opened
to put tea inside.
How it works
Pulling out the basket
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21. Arthesio’s interface helps to measure water in numbered cups to avoid
wasting.
How it works
The right amount of water
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22. The electrical components were not
changed and the product still uses the
original patented system by Strix®
As in the original model, a lighted PMMA switch is pressed to turn on the
kette
How it works
The right amount of water
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23. A short video will now recap the
sequence of actions described
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24. Thechnical
details

25. The architecture
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26. Basket
TPE system
Bowl
Steam pipe
Lodging base
Electronics
The architecture
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27. The new lid component made of overmolded TPE allows for the
movemente of the basket without adding complexity or parts.
Product configuration
Basket movement
21°
l
l
21°
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28. Product configuration
steam pipe
Ease to clean was a priority. The steam pipe has been detoured inside
the handle to free the inside from any obstacle.
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29. Simplified assembly Lodging base
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30. Lodging base
Lower shell
Simplified assembly
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31. Lodging base
Lower shell
Electronics
Simplified assembly
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32. Lodging base
Lower shell
Electronics
Bowl
Simplified assembly
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33. Lodging base
Lower shell
Electronics
Bowl
Upper shell
Simplified assembly
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34. Lodging base
Lower shell
Electronics
Bowl
Upper shell
Handle
Simplified assembly
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35. Lodging base
Lower shell
Electronics
Bowl
Upper shell
Handle
Handle cover
Simplified assembly
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36. Lodging base
Lower shell
Electronics
Bowl
Upper shell
Handle
Handle cover
Filter
Simplified assembly
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37. Lodging base
Lower shell
Electronics
Bowl
Upper shell
Handle
Handle cover
Filter
Lid
Simplified assembly
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38. Couplings & details
Filter
overmolding
TPE-lid
junction Basket
Glass/upper
shell coupling
Some details from the product:
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39. Materials

40. PC-ABS
Easier to mold than PC
Less stiff than PC
Higher tg than ABS (not
enough alone)
Material already used
in hot running small
appliances
Plastic parts
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41. PC-ABS and TPE-S
Food grade TPE
Can make bound with PC
and ABS
High tg in a component
exposed to hot steam
Lid
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42. Bowl
Borosilicate glass
Higher thermal resistance
Widely used in home
appliances
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45. Thank You