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Design Overview
Design Overview
Our design, the ProprioClamp, is an extension and modification to the MaxiAid Liquid Level Sensor. It builds upon the concept of an auditory alerting device, adding a clamping device that allows for greater versatility in measuring different volumes of liquids in differing containers. By adding a clamping mechanism, magnets for stability, temperature resistant handles, silicone padding, and removability to the MaxiAid Liquid Level auditory sensor, our team has addressed the requirements outlined by the user, stakeholder, and caregiver, as well as the requirements determined through user observation and interviews. The method of use is as straightforward as possible, ensuring ease of use with limited limb usage and decreased proprioception.
Figure 2: ProprioClamp and all its components, initial orthographic projection sketch
Design Components
Design Components
Clamping Mechanism & Magnets
Clamping Mechanism & Magnets
Description
The basis of the ProprioClamp device, besides the auditory alert feature, is the clamping mechanism. This forms the main body of the design. It is a steel structure, in the shape of kitchen tongs. The top of the tong-like clamp has two handles in the shapes of narrow ovals, with a flat bottom. The bottom of the two sides of the tongs feature a small square structure of steel, which creates the surface area necessary to pick up (or clamp) various items. The whole clamp mechanism by itself weighs about 0.22 pounds. The dimensions of the clamp/tongs is 10 in x 1.5 in x 1.5 in. The tongs have a 7 inch distance from the bottom of the handles to the clamping end of the device, and a 10 inch overall length. The tongs are made of two identical parts, connected together at a gyration point 3 inches from the tops of the handles that allows the clamp to be opened and closed easily with one hand (similar to the motion/concept of scissors).
The magnets placed in the center of each hollow square end of the steel kitchen clamp are neodymium disc magnets, a type of rare earth magnet made of the strongest magnetic element. These have sufficient strength for the ProprioClamp’s purpose. Additionally, the magnets Each magnet has a diameter of 1.26 inches and a thickness of 0.125 inches. The magnets are protected with a corrosion (doesn’t rust or scratch) resistant Nickel-Copper-Nickel coating.
Rationale
User testing of initial mockups revealed that Gregory, our primary user, would prefer an adjustable device on the side of the container that is to contain the liquid (Appendix of User Testing). Taking into account the requirement that the design must be easy to use with one hand, a clamp-like device that could be slid up and down the side of the pot seemed ideal. By design, a pair of kitchen tongs, scissors, or other simple machines that consist of two levers pivoting around a fulcrum are meant to be used with one hand. Therefore, using this kind of design as a basis for the ProprioClamp fulfilled the one-handedness requirement, as well as the adjustable requirement. The steel material of the clamp is ideal as it is durable and washable, without compromising the lightweight necessity of the design. Our primary user can easily manage a device that is under a pound, and 0.22 pounds is far below this threshold. This allows room for the weight of the additional components attached to the steel frame of the clamp.
The average pots, pans, and mugs used by our primary user have the dimensions displayed below:
Pots:
10” wide by 7” high
11” wide by 6” high
8” wide by 5” high
Mugs:
3-4” wide by 3.5-5” high
The length of the clamp, 7 inches, is ideal based on these measurements. The 7 inch span of the clamp maximizes the versatility of the clamp in regards to the different containers that could be used to hold the desired volumes of liquid, as the maximum height of the vessels measured by our primary user is 7 inches.
The neodymium magnets placed at the ends of the steel clamp were chosen to allow stability once the clamp is placed at the desired height along the container’s wall. The strength of these magnets is sufficient enough to attract through the silicone covering around them, as well as the walls of the container that is to hold the liquid. Thus, the ProprioClamp does not need to be held with the user’s hand once the desired height of the clamp is determined. This allows the user to use their one hand to pour the liquid into the vessel without having to worry about the ProprioClamp falling or shifting heights.
Additionally, the magnets are corrosion proof and can withstand liquids, even though they are not directly exposed to the liquid (they are instead covered in a silicone padding). This was another determining factor in choosing this specific part of the design.
Figure 4: Clamp Mechanism used in ProprioClamp
Figure 5: Magnet used in ProprioClamp
Temperature Resistant Handles & Color Indicators
Temperature Resistant Handles & Color Indicators
Description
The tops of the clamp portion of the ProprioClamp are coated with a temperature resistant rubber material. This rubber material is a brightly colored red. On the side of the clamping mechanism that possesses the ability for the MaxiAid Liquid Level Sensor to be magnetically attached, there is a brightly colored indicator on the handle. This is the side to be clamped on the inside of the container that is to hold the desired liquid.
Rationale
Safety is a major stipulation in creating this liquid measuring device for the kitchen. The temperature resistant rubber coated handles ensures that the conductive nature of the steel body of the clamp does not lead to burning if our primary user is measuring hot liquids or materials. The composition of this specific rubber material is made to withstand the high temperatures that can be conducted by the steel. The red coloring of the handles ensures that our users with decreased proprioception and a decreased sense of vision will know which side of the ProprioClamp to grab. The colored indicator of the side of the clamp that is to be placed on the inside of the container being used is to specify which side of the clamp should have the auditory sensor attached to it. This is necessary as the two sides of the ProprioClamp are otherwise identical because of their pivoting nature around a set fulcrum. It also, again, indicates the side of the clamp to be placed on the interior of the container so that the user will be properly notified when the liquid has reached the user’s desired level/volume in the vessel being used. From our user testing and observation, we determined that our primary user is able to distinguish between different bright colors; thus, we used brightly colored indicators in our design to ensure safe handling and usage of the device (Appendix C).
Figure 6: Color Indicator added to ProprioClamp
Silicone Padding
Silicone Padding
Figure 3: Initial exploded view sketch of magnets encased in silicon padding
Description
At the bottoms of the steel clamp component of the ProprioClamp, the magnets and hollow square steel portion of the tongs are encased in a padding made from a 0.75 inch thick silicone sheet. This silicone sheet is, more specifically, a Food Industry High-Temperature Silicone Rubber Sheet. It is FDA compliant approved for direct contact with food. As the name suggests, the sheet is 100% silicone, or polysiloxane, which resists ozone and salt water (Appendix F, [1]).
When the ProprioClamp is used, it is clamped onto the side of the container that is to hold the user’s desired level of liquid. Once clamped, the ProprioClamp can be slid up or down to more accurately be placed at the desired liquid level. The silicone padding at the ends of the clamp is the part of the clamp that is in direct contact with the container as the ProprioClamp is slid along the side of the container.
Rationale
Gregory’s wife and caregiver expressed a concern for a feature on our device that ensures it will not scratch or damage the pots, pans, and mugs that it is used on. The silicone padding at the ends of each side of the clamp helps protect from scratches and damage as the clamp is slid up and down the sides of the container. The silicone padding also serves as a casing for the magnets that are nestled inside of it; it helps keep them in place as they attract to one another through the walls of the container the ProprioClamp is being used on. Also, because the magnets used in our design are of maximum strength, the silicone padding placed around them allows their strength to be slightly diminished, allowing easier removal of the MaxiAid Liquid Level auditory sensor and easier initial separation of the two sides on the clamp.
The specific material of silicone was chosen for this padding as it is safe to use with food and liquids. It can be easily washed. Additionally, silicone possesses scratch-proof qualities. The medium softness of this particular silicone (50A softness) was chosen to maximize scratch-proof and sliding qualities. A softer silicone would increase the friction coefficient, whereas a harder silicone would not be as scratch-proof.
Resources
[1] “McMaster-Carr.” [Online]. Available: https://www.mcmaster.com/
Removable MaxiAid Liquid Level Sensor
Removable MaxiAid Liquid Level Sensor
Description
The modification and addition of a removable feature to the MaxiAid Liquid Level Sensor is another central component of the ProprioClamp. The original MaxiAid is created to barely hang over the rim of the container being filled, therefore its only purpose is to prevent over-spillage of a liquid (Appendix D). Since the ProprioClamp uses the MaxiAid as an auditory alert for when the liquid reaches a desired level, the MaxiAid had to be altered to be removable and adjustable along the edge of the steel clamp.
The prongs of the MaxiAid were altered to be facing the opposite direction, facing away from the battery, so that they are the first thing that comes in contact with the liquid being poured. Additionally, a neodymium magnet was attached to the side of the MaxiAid so that it can be easily connected to the end of the ProprioClamp through magnetic attraction. The removable MaxiAid’s initial attachment location should be on the outside of the silicone padding on the side of the clamp meant for the interior of the container.
Rationale
The modification of the direction of the MaxiAid’s prongs was made in order to keep the battery portion of the device the furthest away from the liquid being poured. The use of the magnet on the MaxiAid was to create a removable aspect of the auditory sensor, which fulfills multiple determined requirements. The removability of the sensor satisfies the desire for the device to be washable, as the entirety of the device is washable without the MaxiAid attached. Also, the removability and adjustability of the MaxiAid’s magnet allows for further versatility in regards to various liquid volumes. Because the material used for the clamp part of the ProprioClamp is also magnetic, the MaxiAid sensor is able to be moved all along the side of the clamp. This solves the issue of the ProprioClamp being used on smaller, lighter containers, as the clamp can be placed all the way to the bottom of the container and the sensor itself can be moved up the side of the clamp. Once again, these design components all hinge on the fact that our primary user identified a sliding motion as the easiest way to adjust the height of the sensor and device (Appendix C).
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