Electric kettle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric kettles face issues with internal contamination due to plastic materials, risk of burns from stainless steel bodies, and inefficient heat insulation, leading to increased power consumption and compromised user safety and appearance.
Innovation Solution
A cylindrical electric kettle design featuring a double-walled stainless steel body with a heat insulation space between the inner and outer bodies, a handle with integrated temperature control and display, and a base that simplifies power supply and assembly, while minimizing heat conduction and enhancing aesthetic unity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a main body is made of plastic material, then it is easy to mold and arrange internal structure, but harmful components may be dissolved in hot water and the kettle is vulnerable to scratches causing internal contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The main body is divided into an inner body and an outer body, where the inner body contacts water and the outer body provides protection. This segmentation allows the inner body to be made of food-safe material while the outer body can be any durable material, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and prevention of contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The electric kettle uses composite material construction with an inner body made of food-safe material (stainless steel, glass, or food-grade plastic) and an outer body made of durable material. This composite structure combines the advantages of different materials to prevent contamination while maintaining ease of manufacture.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a main body is made of glass material, then it is excellent in hygiene and appearance, but it is heavy and inconvenient to use and molding is not easy
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the main body into inner and outer components, the design allows the inner body to be made of lightweight glass or stainless steel for hygiene, while the outer body provides structural support and can be made of lighter materials, reducing overall weight and improving handling convenience.
3Loss of energy
If a double-layer vacuum structure is used in the body, then heat insulation performance is improved, but there is a limitation in the configuration for handle operation and arrangement of electric wires connecting the heater
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a complex vacuum structure, the patent segments the body into inner and outer walls with a simple air gap for heat insulation. This simplified approach maintains good thermal insulation performance while eliminating the complexity of vacuum structure configuration, allowing easy arrangement of handle and electric wires.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the complex vacuum insulation structure with a simpler air gap insulation method, sacrificing some insulation performance for much greater simplicity in configuration and easier arrangement of electrical components and handle mechanisms.
4Use of energy by moving object
If the water is heated quickly, then power consumption is reduced, but the temperature of the main body rises causing burns
Solution Approach 1:
The segmentation into inner and outer bodies allows rapid heating of water in the inner body while the outer body remains thermally isolated and cooler, enabling quick heating with reduced power consumption while preventing burn risks through the thermal barrier provided by the outer body.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design improves heat insulation, reduces power consumption, enhances user safety, simplifies assembly and wire arrangement, and maintains a unified appearance, facilitating easy cleaning and maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a heating module configured to form a bottom of a space in which a fluid may be contained inside of the body and heat the fluid
Implementation Method 2
a heat insulation space between the inner body and the outer body
Data Source
AI summary
An electric kettle may include a body made of stainless steel and having a cylindrical shape with an open upper surface and an open lower surface, a heating module configured to form a bottom of a space in which fluid, such as water is contained inside of the body and heat the fluid, a handle that protrudes from an upper portion of an outer surface of the body, and a base configured to support the body at a lower side and supply power to the heating module in a state in which the body is seated. The body may include an outer body configured to form the outer surface of the body, an inner body connected to the outer body inside of the outer body and configured to form a space in which fluid is contained, a heat insulation space between the outer body and the inner body, and at least one body hole opened in the lower surface of the body and configured to communicate with the heat insulation space.