Wesley Huff EDSGN 468 Due 4/15/20

For this Mini-Design project I decided to design and model a phone mount that will fit in
my car to aid in navigation. All the parts in this design are modeled in a way that keeps 3D
printing in mind. This is not only for rapid prototyping but for ease of manufacturing and easily
reproducible parts if any were to break. The only two parts that are not 3D printed are the spring,
which would have to be bought; and the pin that holds the spring in place. The spring will be
easy to acquire at any hardware store and the pin is designed to be the width of a paper clip so
that part is already readily available.
Before I began designing everything, I did some prior research into car mounts to see if
any would be easy to replicate to some degree because it is not worth it to reinvent the wheel. In
doing so I noticed most utilized two modes of holding the phone in place, a clamping mechanism
or simply a dock, I went with the clamping mechanism because it seemed more secure.

Once that was decided it was time to get some dimensions on my phone.

With dimensions in check now its time to begin drafting. Because I chose the clamping
mechanism it allows this design to be more modular in terms of its ability to hold different
models of phones. So, I did not need to follow these dimensions too closely, I just had to make
sure they were close enough. The design I came up with has a slot in two pieces that allows them
Wesley Huff EDSGN 468 Due 4/15/20

to translate in one direction, with the spring trying to return it to its original position. The back of
the ‘non-moving’ piece has a tiny clamp attached to its back that allows it to then grip the air
vents of most cars. The exploded view shows how the mechanism would work.

The pins would go in the holes and the spring would lay in the channel that is currently hidden
from view. The specific details and dimensions can be found in the drawings that are submitted
along with this project. Some improvements that I have in mind and would come from
prototyping if necessary are:
1) Room for rubber attachments on the clamp to ensure the phone stays secure.
2) Thicker pins to ensure they do not shear
3) Higher walls or even curved walls, however, this would limit to a specific phone design.
4) Detachable clip incase there are several attaching mechanisms or a different way it would
sit in the users car.