CRITICAL MAKING STUDIO
House Able — Part 1
Using accessibility design to rethink the home
In my first real dive into product design, I learned how necessary iteration is. Although the concept was consistent throughout the semester, the final(ish) product bears little resemblance to the initial prototype.
Paper Prototype
I began my prototyping with a concept to create 3D printed attachments for kitchen appliance handles. These attachments would serve to increase accessibility for people affected by mobility disabilities.
I planned to use Solidworks 3D CAD software for custom part and assembly design, Ultimaker Cura as the 3D printer slicing application, PLA filament for the material, and an Ultimaker 3 machine for 3D printing.
Read more about this stage here:
Handle V1
For Handle V1, my design was simple, meant to attach to the majority of kitchen appliances via their handle, with filleted edges to reduce the risk of scratching skin upon insertion, and three slot holes for the bracket and hinged shaft collar on the back.
I learned quickly that I would need to run stress simulations in order to identify pressure points, and to slice my prints differently for optimal strength.
Read more about this stage here:
Handle V2
For Handle V2, I included gussets on the inner edges and printed the model upright to strengthen the sides.
What I found out during the clamp design stage was that in order to mount this handle, I would need slots on both sides.
After drilling, I was able to assemble my Clamp V1 and Handle V2 successfully.
However, it became clear that requiring (2) clamps, (4) screws/washers and (4) nuts for installation was overly complicated, and that the overall design needed improvement.
Read more about this stage here:
Handle V3 — Final Stage
After receiving user feedback, I went back to the Solidworks drawing board to create handle v3.
Before initial installation, I used Solidworks Assembly to ensure that the clamp drill holes lined up with the handle drill holes.
What came next was creating a variety of clamps, in order to attach the handle onto more than one kind of appliance.
The sleek design matches most modern kitchen appliances. Its tapered edge reduces the risk of slippage when pulling pressure is applied.
Clamps and Assembly
Why did I spend so much time on clamps? Because, as it turns out, if you make your own customized handle for kitchen appliances, you probably have to spend some time thinking on how it will be attached.
Clamp V1
This design required printing two versions. To avoid threading, I created slots for hex nuts to be inserted. The biggest issue with this design was that it required a complicated assembly, with (2) free-floating clamps, (3) screws, (3) washers, and (3) nuts.
Clamp V2
Initially, this design also required printing two versions, before I switched over to using Handle V3. This clamp also had slots for nut inserts (no threading). I also installed post-print a strip of rubber foam, in order to reduce slippage and increase customization.
The main issue with Clamp V2 was that it was bulky and still required (2) nuts, (2) screws, and (2) washers for install.
Clamp V3
For this design, I filleted all the edges, and removed the nut slots. Instead, I used a tap set in order to thread the screw holes, designed for a #6 countersink head cap screw (6/32). This reduced the amount of parts needed for assembly, down to just (2) screws and (2) washers.
I used parametric design (using the Equations tool in Solidworks) in order to make the dimensions of the handle length and screw distance adaptable to the parameters I set in place.
The only issue was that the material used for printing, PLA plastic, cracks if you try and tap the screw holes in order to thread them.
Clamp V4
For the final design, I reverted the screw hole dimensions to 0.185in, in order to accommodate a 6/32 threaded insert. I then created two slightly altered versions, in order to allow the handle to be attached onto different appliances.
Instead of using a tap set, I used a soldering gun and melted brass threaded inserts into the screw holes.
Future Plans
If I were to continue on with this project, I would further iterate to produce easier installation methods.
My next step would be to take my designs to a machine shop, in order to create more high quality parts.
I would then start user field testing with people who are affected by mobility disabilities, in order to identify what could be improved upon in for future iterations.
