Parametric Clip (one-way plugs and sockets)

thingiverse

To make my designs more accessible I've attempted to remove as many non-printed components as possible (particularly extraneous fasteners, such as bolts, screws, etc). Where practical this clip has been used to remove all other fastening mechanisms, though it can be supplemented with glue (either hot glue or an ABS and acetone mix) where additional strength is desired. This solution was developed after numerous attempts at designing projects with integrated connectors ultimately failed with significant (print time) costs and unreliable prints. This plug and socket has been designed to be tolerant to variable print quality while reliable enough to maintain a viable connection and is about as compact as off-the-shelf PLA will support, but has also been made parametric so that it can be scaled up as needed. To use it, subtract the back-to-back socket negative from your CAD project, and have your Makers print the back-to-back plug to join the parts in the physical world. The socket will print at a 0.2mm layer height without support for a horizontal or vertical joint. The pictures provided here are for version 4, however the uploaded model is version 6. The final two modifications were to finesse the the solution, inserting additional tolerance to support high speed printing while retaining a reliable fit and snap, and to add the bumps at the middle of the plug (originally designed to prevent model movement at the joint but also increasing durability at the greatest stress point (preventing leg breakage). I have provided a 3MF file for a test-fit-kit (one clip with two sockets) so that you can do a light-weight print that will let you confirm whether a good connection is likely with your printer configuration, and a 3MF file for the 9x print, to make clip batches easy to print.