Cane base for remote¶
Snapping mechanism¶
We want to place the remote on the cane and give the user the ability remote in order to make it handheld, swap it with another one, or charge it without having to carry the entire cane. To achieve this, the mounting component and the remote that contains the circuit and the battery need to be separated.
It must be possible for the remote to be attached and removed from the base. The following options are available for holding the two parts together.
Magnet¶
A strong enough magnet needs to be placed on one of the parts and a piece of metal needs to be placed on the other part. If the force is strong enough the two components will stay attached. When the user pull the remote the connection is easily broken.
https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-Your-3D-Printed-Projects-Magnetic/
The way this mechanism would work in our solution is shown in the following sketch. The magnet is placed on the base and the metal part that is atracted by the magnet in placed on the side of the remote. The force of the magnet will keep the remote in place.
Snap Joint¶
A stronger connection than that of the magnets can be created using a snap joint. This uses a hook-like protrusion that then bends when it is pushed against the target and returns to its normal shape when it is in the hole. Because of its shape it won’t bend when pushed outwards and so the part remains in place.
The cantilever should be printed on the side to spread the force evenly across the printed layers
This solution is stronger than the magnet and more difficult for the user if the two componenents need to be frequently separated. There is also the possibility of the joint breaking and then a connection can’t be made anymore.
For the remote base there would be a hole and then the remote would have a cantilever that snaps on the case. Then the user can press through the hole at the top to bend it and remove the snapping.
