Custom Mechanical Timer 1

[maxvl]

Hi fellow forum members,

I'm an Industrial Designer and I'm currently designing a product that will include an integrated timer for preparing tea. Since cost is important here, according to me, a safe bet would be a mechanical spring wound timer as you see in kitchen timers. However, I'd like a custom timer since the range needed is only up to 5 minutes, and the timer should be silent or at least very inobtrusive.

A list of preferred specs:
-0-5 minutes
-Silent
-Dimensions diameter max. 4 cm. heigth max. 1 cm.
-Only 3 settings needed
-Possibly water resistant, though not neccesarily so.

I've been searching all over the web for custom timers, but most Chinese manufacturers just have the standard 60 minute ones on sale.

Would any of you know if it would be possible to get an integrated timer for under 1 dollar? If any of you feel an electrical timer or another solution would be a better option, do tell.

I hope I've provided enough information.

Cheers,

Max

 

[zekeman]

"I've been searching all over the web for custom timers, but most Chinese manufacturers just have the standard 60 minute ones on sale."

Buy one of these, open it up and then make the necessary changes to meet your specs.
You can then go into the 0-5 minute timer business.

 

[byrdj]

I would have though electronics would be the cheapest.

how about a pneumatic timer?

 

[btrueblood]

I've seen spring wound timers as short as 15 minutes, they are commonly available as switch units to control, say, vent fans in restrooms.

like this: Grainer catalog - spring wound timers

I'd think you could rig a rotary stop to prevent rotating the dial past the 5 minute mark.

 

[TheTick]

Really? with all of the cheap electronic timers out there, you still want a mechie?

 

[btrueblood]

I'd think a Chinese water timer would be the cheapest approach. I.e., drill the appropriate sized hole in bottom of tea kettle, when the water stops dripping out, the tea is done...

 

[btrueblood]

Oh, wait, you probably actually wanted to drink the tea. Sorry, being a coffee drinker, that thought just didn't cross my mind.

 

[IRstuff]

Alibaba lists some egg times at about $0.35 for 100 qty. That's tough to beat for what the OP wants.

But, there are electric egg timers at the same price:

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/577185395/new_round_electric_egg_timer.html

The electric ones might also have a memory feature so that the user doesn't have to re-enter the time setting every time they use it.

TTFN
faq731-376

 

[vpl]

I use a coffee maker (that has never been used for coffee). I put watter in the top and loose tea in the where the coffee would normally go. It makes decent tea. I also make it the old fashioned way (boiling water, tea ball, tea pot.) There are products on the market now sold as tea makers for fairly cheap. You could buy one and see what they use as a timer. You could buy a coffee maker and see what they use as a timer. You could do a Google search (oh so difficult) and find products such as this, which claims to be adjustable between 1 second and 5 minutes:

http://www.canakit.com/5-minute-adjustable-on-off-cyclic-timer-kit-ck191m5-uk191m5.html

Patricia Lougheed

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[berkshire]

vpl (Nuclear)
Kenat and I are going to gang up on you, if you continue to make tea like that.

Step one: Brown Betty tea pot, ceramic with strainer in the spout.
Step two: Boil the water, use a little to rinse the teapot and warm it.
Step three: Add loose tea to your choice to already warmed teapot.
Step four: Bring the water back to a rapid boil, and pour it over the tea.
Step five: Let stand for two mins.
Step six: Enjoy your tea.
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor

 

[ScottyUK]

Mug. Add milk, teabag. Add hot water. Wring out teabag a couple of times.

Instant builders' tea.

 

[maxvl]

Hi everybody, thanks for the replies. Thanks for the tea making tips, although I do hope you don't use boiling water on a nice Pi Li Chun . I thinks I'll have to look into an electronic timer and maybe contact some factories and see if they can make my custom mechanical timer. Someone said adjust the available timers, although a
good idea, it won't really be feasible to do that for a large amount of products, because of the assembly costs.

 

[dgallup]

If you need a large amount of product I'm sure one of the 35 cent Chinese manufactures will be glad to make a 5 minute timer for you. Only the first one will work but really, who needs a timer to make tea?

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