2019
HEAT LEAF
A sustainable portable heater
Objective
The goal for this project was to take a product from the existing market and focus on minimizing its impact on the environment to make it more sustainable.
unboxing
what’s inside?
In terms of sustainability, the packaging method and materials used to package this product was not bad. The cardboard box it came in is recyclable, along with the two holding trays it came in to keep the heater safe and sturdy in the box. The plastic that was used, along with the rubber band and the twist tie is not recyclable. Overall, there are not to many extremely harmful components utilized for the packaging of this product, but there is still much room for improvement.
PRODUCT BREAKDOWN
To give myself a better understanding of the design, components, materials, and overall construction, I dissected an existing portable heater. This allowed me to gain better insights into the complexities and challenges associated with the development of this product.
USE CASE
Here I create a story board for the use case to show the interaction between the user and product. This is necessary to find underlying issues that occur between the two, whether it has to do with the overall experience or problems focusing on the its environmental impacts.
INSPIRATION
After researching different ideas through innovation, I came across the Eastern skunk cabbage. This is a warm blooded thermogenic plant, meaning it has the ability to naturally generate heat within itself. Not only did the plants organic features stood out to me, but also the overall form of the plant.
MOOD BOARD
BRAINSTORMING
I start to brainstorm ideas for improvements in portable heating. These include heaters with 360 degree direct heating, detachable parts, solar powered attachments, hanging heaters, and much more.
Phase 2
In this second phase, I go in depth to refine my sketches and create different concepts dedicated to a factor in the Okala wheel. I focus on solving a problem in each category and ultimately decided on the concept I created for reducing behavior impacts.
Refinements
Here I have three different variations for my chosen concept. I decided to move forward with the top design because of my intention of having a dual purpose. These concepts feature a detachable hand warmer, focusing on rethinking how to provide the benefit, as it can be shared upon multiple users.
final mock up
MAKING IT
After creating my model in SolidWorks, I decide to 3D print my final model. Since my part was too large to be printed in one, I had to split it into three different pieces and print them separately. After it was finished printing, I took off the stands and sanded it down smooth. I then super glued the pieces together, primed and painted it. For making the heating ball, I used grey dense foam and shaped it to a perfect sphere on the drum sander.
FINAL MODEL
BOM
PACKAGING CONCEPTS
Here I go into creating three different packaging concepts for my heater. I ultimately come to the decision with packing it in a standard rectangular box because of its ease of manufacturing and packaging.
PACKAGING LABELS
FINAL PACKAGING
Okala Impact Assessment Spreadsheet
Here I create an impact assessment spreadsheet for my portable heater. This is done to understand all the different factors that go into creating the product and the impacts it creates on the environment. This includes breaking down and analyzing all the components and its manufacturing processes, materials, end of life, transportation, lifetime hours, and power usage. I do this for both my reference heater, and own redesign, then compare the OIP totals to find the overall reduction and improvements made.
SYSTEM BILL OF MATERIALS: HEAT LEAF
Product: Portable Heater
Dimensions: 4in x 9in
Weight: 2.4lb
Brand: Heat Leaf
Model #: 0822097
The high percentages of total OIP reductions in each category prove the significant improvements in my design.
IMPROVEMENTS MADE:
The HEAT LEAF is specially manufactured to reduce material impacts by cutting out unnecessary parts that are typically used in portable heaters. The number of parts are simplified and decreased into two main parts for the exterior. The outer body is has a snap to join feature so this takes away the need for screws to join the outer parts. The HEAT LEAF is battery operated so by taking out the electrical outlet and chords, it drastically reduced the total OIP for my newly designed product.
For the packaging I reduced the amount of items and only used recyclable materials. Included inside are cardboard trays, and an instructions sheet, which is made of paper. Having a lesser amount of items and using eco-friendly materials helped to reduced the amount of waste and detrimental ecological impacts.
The HEAT LEAF is manufactured locally so there is no need for month long cargo trips or transportation by plane. By working with local manufacturer this reduces the total OIP transport by a huge number because cargo ships harshly impact environment.
How it works
Features
HAND WARMER
To activate hand warmer: Lift up ball and place it back on base
Wait 5 minutes for ball to heat up: Grab and ready to use
Maximum heating of 150°F
Lasts up to 45 minutes
BASE HEATING
Turn on: Tap on back to activate
Tap once: 30 min (will beep once)
Tap twice: 1 hour (will beep twice)
Tap three times: 2 hours (will beep three times)
WHAT MAKES IT SUSTAINABLE?
The Heat Leaf is portable heater designed to provide heat in an eco-friendly manner. It has a reduced ecological impact on the environment compared to regular portable heaters out on the market. I incorporate new features and use strategies from the Okala Wheel to improve the levels of sustainability within my heater.
