Old-style iPad strain relief

thingiverse

I wanted to experiment with flexible filament 3D printing and my wife's iPad cable was showing signs of wear near the connector, so here's what happened next! This design is intended to be printed without any supports and clips neatly onto the back of the iPad connector, gently holding the joint together where it meets the cable. The end result is a really sturdy cable support that makes removing the iPad connector from the cable easy without straining either the plug or the wire. I was pleasantly surprised by how tough this 3D print turned out to be compared to more standard PLA or ABS prints - you can pull and twist it without risking any damage. After printing this, I realized that TPU is a really practical way to create very strong objects.