Double-Wall Electric Kettle Window Sealing for Heat Insulation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric kettles face issues with heat insulation performance, power consumption, user convenience due to lack of visibility into the heating body, and complex assembly processes, particularly with double-wall structures and window sealing.

Innovation Solution

A double-walled electric kettle design featuring a cylindrical body with a heat insulation space between inner and outer bodies, a mounting port for a window, and a window gasket for sealing, allowing for improved heat insulation, reduced power consumption, and enhanced user convenience by enabling internal state visibility and simplified assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If a double-layer vacuum structure is used to improve heat insulation performance, then heat insulation performance is improved, but the inside of the body becomes difficult to check

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat insulation performanceVSAvoidvisibility of inside of body
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The body is segmented into an inner body and an outer body with a heat insulation space between them. The window is specifically installed on the inner body, separating the insulation function (double-layer structure) from the observation function (window), thus resolving the contradiction between heat insulation and visibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If a window is formed in a double wall structure to enable internal visibility, then user convenience is improved, but the sealing structure becomes difficult to implement and assembly becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidsealing structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The window is extracted as a separate component that is installed only on the inner body, not on the double wall structure itself. This simplifies the sealing requirement to a single location (inner body window) rather than requiring complex sealing through the entire double wall structure, thus improving ease of assembly while maintaining user convenience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If the main body is made of stainless steel to improve hygiene and durability, then hygiene and durability are improved, but the temperature of the main body rises when water boils causing burns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehygiene and durabilityVSAvoidburn risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The body is divided into an inner body (stainless steel for hygiene and durability) and an outer body (separated by heat insulation space). This segmentation allows the inner body to maintain its hygienic and durable properties while the outer body remains cool to the touch, eliminating the burn risk associated with stainless steel bodies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Ease of manufacture

If a plastic material is used for the main body to facilitate internal structure arrangement, then ease of manufacturing is improved, but harmful components may be dissolved in hot water and the kettle is vulnerable to scratches

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufacturingVSAvoidharmful components dissolution and scratches
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The body is segmented into an inner body made of stainless steel (for hygiene and scratch resistance) and an outer body that can be made of plastic (for ease of manufacturing and structural arrangement). This segmentation allows each material to be used where it is most appropriate, combining the advantages of both materials while avoiding their disadvantages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 enhances heat insulation, reduces power consumption, improves user convenience by allowing internal state visibility, and simplifies assembly and productivity while maintaining a clean appearance.

Implementation Method 1

a heating module configured to form a bottom of a space for accommodating water inside the inner body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

a body made of a metal material, formed by an outer body and an inner body having a cylindrical shape with an opened upper surface and an opened lower surface, wherein a heat insulation space is formed between the outer body and the inner body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Data Source

PatentEP3711636B1Electric kettle
Publication Date: 2022.01.05 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3711636B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3711636B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3711636B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electric kettle includes a body (10) made of a metal material, formed by an outer body (11) and an inner body (12) having a cylindrical shape with an opened upper surface and an opened lower surface, wherein a heat insulation space (102) is formed between the outer body (11) and the inner body (12), a heating module (50) configured to form a bottom of a space (101) in which water is contained inside the body and heat the water, a mounting port (116) opened to pass through the outer body (11) and the inner body (12), a window (13) made of a transparent material and mounted on the mounting port (116) to see through an inside of the body (10), and a window gasket (135) disposed along a circumference of the window (13) to seal a gap between the inner body (12) and the window (13). The window (13) is doubly sealed in contact with the outer body (11) and the window gasket (135).