Flo Desktop Fan

Press Kit

Unique Properties

The most remarkable feature of Flo is its compact design. Flo is a small desktop fan and provides a temperature setting with a stick stuck out of the head part. The stick helps to adjust the temperature setting between hot and cold. So it means users can use flo regardless of the season. And flo has a washable filter to filter out dust and viruses etc. Filtering out dust is a very crucial part of flo. Dust is the cause of respiratory disease and fire. For the most, it assures blow-out clean and dust-free air to users. Additionally, as flo has no grill, it is safe for children to use.

Dimensions & Packaging

Approximately, Width 178 mm x Depth 220 mm x 420 mm.

Tags

Desktop fan, Home appliance, Temperature setting, Dust-free, Washable filter

Production Technology

Flo is available to set the temperature from hot and cold according to the user's preference, moving the stick from left to right stuck out of its head part. Therefore, it makes users use flo all seasons. So users don't have to take out and move around a heavy and bulky fan and radiator every season. Also, flo has a washable filter. This washable filter can use permanently and filter the dust and virus in advance. And this will make users breathe in the pure and clean air. Flo is made with ABS plastic, which has high resistance to heat and deformation.

Design Challenge

The hardest part was coming up with a shape or design that won't get fed up easily by users, as this product aims to be used for all seasons.
So the first thing to consider was design. But, There's a famous quotation, ' form follows function' coined by architect Louis H. Sullivan.
The design had to make a balance with its function and purpose. After lots of research, idea sketches, and prototyping, Flo was designed.

Project Duration

This project started in April 2021 and finished at the end of June. And it was conducted by myself in my personal residence.

Operation Flow

Flo can easily adjust the temperature with the stick on the head, moving the stick from left to right, heating, and cooling. The gradation on the head states the temperature, making users set the right temperature according to the atmosphere or preference.

Flo has a washable filter. There's an issue of breathing in dust stuck on a fan grill. And the dust stuck on the grill of a fan and radiator can cause a fire in the long-term view. However, FLO's filter will help to prevent this situation.

Research

Online sources such as blogs, webs, and internet news were useful sources for the research. It was thought to be the fastest and valuable method to collect as much data in a short period, especially in the covid era. After the collection of the data, the concept sketch and dirty prototyping process have been gone.

Inspiration

The inspiration started from my curiosity and questions when I was washing two fans this summer. One day, I found out there was too much dust on the fans that I was using. Suddenly, I felt it is unpleasant to breathe in the dust from the fans. Then I decided to wash them. But disassembling fans was not easy for me in such weather. Also, I thought that using a fan in summer and a radiator in winter seems not comfortable to move around because they take up too much space. So my experience dragged me to start thinking about an idea.

Image Credits

All the images and contents uploaded on the main image to the four optional images are created by Soyoung An.

Patents

Flo is in the process of applying for the design patent. The application was received in July 2021 by KOIPA (Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency). The application number is 210530.
All copyrights belong to Soyoung An, 2021.

Colors of Flo Desktop Fan