Echo Dot Outlet Mount

thingiverse

A sleek, minimalist design for seamlessly integrating an Amazon Echo Dot Gen 2 into a standard outlet. Exceptionally lightweight: boasting a mere 25 grams of plastic. Design Objectives ---------------- A design that harmoniously complements the Dot's aesthetic, concealing wires, eliminating unsightly face clips that obstruct the light ring, and preserving the speaker's unobstructed view. A single piece, optimized for minimal plastic usage and printability without support. After conducting a thorough search, no adapter (3D printed or commercial) was found to meet these criteria. Design Process -------------- *Body*: Upon measuring the Echo Dot, it was discovered that its diameter is tapered (at least on the Gen 2 model used). This allows for a compact ring mount with a snug fit, unaffected by printer tolerances. An additional benefit of this design is that it does not obstruct sound in any way. *Power Adapter*: The DC adapter necessitated both horizontal and vertical mounting. Initially, parametric design was considered; however, it was realized that the adapter can be designed as a single piece to accommodate both orientations (tolerances become more critical here, as there is a trade-off between the adapter becoming stuck or excessively wobbly). If the fit proves too tight, scaling the entire design by 0.5-1% will resolve the issue; the Dot ring is designed to adapt to this change in scale. *USB Cable*: The Echo Dot's accompanying USB cable is bulky, and while a cut-out was created for its accommodation, assembling the parts proved tedious. A short, 90-degree USB cable ([available here](http://amzn.to/2Cmn0QR)) was sourced; though both left- and right-handed versions work, one functions more effectively than the other, leaving the audio port accessible. It is likely that even more compact, shorter, and cost-effective cables exist; these will be incorporated into the instructions upon discovery. Potential Flaws -------------- At least one notable flaw exists: the Dot lacks rear support, so caution must be exercised to prevent it from becoming dislodged (possibly adding a piece of support at the back could mitigate this issue). A solution that accommodates outlets of varying heights without resorting to parametric design or screws (which would compromise the convenience of plugging and unplugging) has yet to be found.