FLEXICA
Between 2003 and 2005 the Flexica electric broom project was developed for Imetec, in this case even though the brief called for the redesign of a traditional electric broom with a minor typological evolution. The result was this flexible broom.
Project description
Between 2003 and 2005 the Flexica electric broom project was developed for Imetec, in this case even though the brief called for the redesign of a traditional electric broom with a minor typological evolution. The result was this flexible broom. Finding a way to slightly adjust the usual view of an object, through its capacity to simplify our lives, often means altering its setup, structure and configuration, so making it less extraneous and much more user-friendly. The challenge is more complex if the product has to position itself, despite the innovations, in a competitive price range. Here, too, the cue came from observing the explicit or implicit needs of the user through practical use. Homes are cluttered with low furnishings (sofas, beds, etc.).
Cleaning under them with an electric broom is difficult, even if we lay it flat on the floor. The housing for the motor is cumbersome and the brushes are too voluminous to go under many furnishings). These operations are often entail bending over laboriously. The new broom has a motor housing/bag that slides along the tube/structure. Lifting it manually frees a hinged section like an arm that folds level with the user’s elbow, enabling the brush to clean the floor under very low furniture to a depth of about 80 cm, or the complete surface area under a double bed working from both sides. The appliance is further equipped with a rubber wheel that allows it rest lightly on the floor and move fluidly without spoiling surfaces.
TYPOLOGY: foldable electic broom
COMPANY: Imetec
DATE: 2004
EXHIBITIONS:
Triennale Design Museum, L’anima sensibile delle cose
PATENTS: Deepdesign with Imetec