Magnetic Locking Box

myminifactory

Magnetic lock box, uses magnets for a keyed lock and hinge. Two versions are available: one locking box requires a ferromagnetic filament to work (like ProtoPasta's Magnetic Iron Filament), while the non-locking box works with regular filaments. I've been wondering for years if this would work, even though I don't have a use for it. Hinge - The hinge uses 4mm cylinder magnets as its center. By reversing the direction of each magnet (north to north, south to south), you can form a spring that works as the axis of the hinge. The 4mm x 10mm cylinder magnets inside the hinge are visible in one of the pictures above (shorter magnets will work too, but more of them will be needed). In the magnetic iron box, the hinge can be made with only two magnets since they will attach to the side of the box, but it's more secure when more are used. Lock - The lock uses 3-4x4mm cylinder magnets. They are normally recessed in the lid, but when the box is closed and the key is placed over the lock in the lock position, the magnets get pulled to the edge of the box, locking the lid in place, even after the key is removed. Holding the key in the open position against the box will push the magnets into the lid and open the box slightly (or press on the back of the lid to open). Different combinations of polarity can be used to customize the lock and key. Key - The key uses 6-4x4mm cylinder magnets, with each slot taking two magnets. The magnets should be inserted in the key to match the polarity of the lock in the lock position and may need to be glued in place. Customizing - The design is available in Onshape, so users can change the size of the box, types of magnets used, etc. Printer: Eustathios. Filaments used include ProtoPasta Magnetic Iron PLA and Atomic Filament Clearance Sapphire Blue PLA.