Mk3 style heatbed cover for Prusa Mini with cable relief and thermistor quick-connect support.

prusaprinters

This is an improved (out of necessity) version of my own MK3 style heatbed cover for the Prusa Mini. It still features:MK3 style;Allows for heatbed connectors on top for optimal current flow;Reliefs the cable and helps prevents sagging;The new feature is the storage for quick-connects for the thermistor. This allows for swapping the thermistor cable with speed after it fatigues again or gets damaged in another way. It is more ecological (and cheaper) than replacing a perfectly good sensor.Since the quick-connects themselves are the largest part of the content, I tried to make the design as sleek as possible without hindering anything. Another minor change is the LED being covered up so it doesn't blind me anymore when I checkup on the print in the dark. It has a ‘breath’/light hole towards the bolt, so heat should not be any problem. Important noteDo note that this cover is longer than the original and could cause other issues. See below for additional recommendations.How to printMaterial: PETG is recommended for temperature resistance.I used Prusament Prusa Orange PETG (draft version)/ Galaxy black PETG ('production' version)Layer height: 0.20mm or 0.15mm for better visible slopes (like the top part)Perimeters: 2Infill: 15% gyroidSupports are (unfortunately) needed for both parts.Bottom partTop partBottom part needs support at the cable relief, holes for the nuts and the cable bridges. Use ‘auto paint’ in PrusaSlicer 2.6+.Top part needs support underneath the insides of the head itself. Try to avoid supports in the LED part.Use ‘auto paint’ in PrusaSlicer 2.6+ + extra supports around the circles.AssemblyFirst off: use these parts at your own risk. If you are not comfortabel touching the (very bare minimum of) electrics of your machine, skip this mod!Some screw holes on the top part are closed for printing purposes so that there is no need for supports on the previous model. They serve no use now on this new variation, but I didn't feel like putting energy into removing them. Just use a screwdriver to punch threw those holes when assembling everything together.Since there are 4 more holes now than the original part, you'll need some extra parts:4 x M3 10mm screw4 x M3 nut[2 or 4 x M3 washers (above each clamp and/or below the heatbed)] (optional)Cable shoes male/female for 0.5-1.0mm (red color usually)You can follow the assembly guide of the MK3 from step 3. Assemble everything once before trying to mount it to the plate so you know that all the screws grab properly or you will be disassembling it again!I've assembled everything in this order:ScrewWasherClamp (rotated 180° so that the plastic faces down instead of up)HeatbedWasherNutThe cable shoes just slip into their sockets. The wires can be passed through the little slit on both sides. If the thermistor wires from the sensor itself are still a bit longer, you can place/ziptie them on the little tray underneith the bed.This picture is from a draft version, but the concept stays the same.When fully assembled, you can use a zip tie to optionally secure the cable if it is not tight enough held by the plastics. Other advised optimizations in conjunction with this mod.I also changed the ‘hat’ of the controlbox so that the cable loom doesn't have to make such sharp turns anymore. Since this heatbed connector is a bit longer than the regular one, it could make things worse with the default cable routing. I'm using a remix of the Z-top (part by MaxT) for the moment, but I might make a remix that elevates the cable a bit more. SupportIf you like my effort, give this design a like and share makes!