Pi 2 Case - slim with customization options

thingiverse

My first 3D case was a purchased laser-cut box that snaps together. Within a week, it had cracked at the joints. After struggling with other cases I downloaded and printed, I decided to design my own. As stated in the description, this is still a Work-In-Progress. My end-goal is to finalize a case that can be opened/closed repeatedly without showing signs of wear. For now, this is done with M3 screws and requires drilling on the Pi (ugh!) using a 1/8 bit. I like the M3 cap screws, but that's just a "style thing" and I will probably offer a version that doesn't need drilling. Options at this time include a plain cover, vented Pi logo cover, and solid cover with a partially inset Pi logo. Future updates will include cam, GPIO access, reset switch options. Note: current design is slimmer than the case shown in photo (top of cover has been lowered to align slightly below top edge of Ethernet port) Print Settings Printer Brand: Printrbot Printer: Simple Black Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: .2 or .3 layer height Infill: 20% infill recommended Notes: Pi logo should be printed at 97% to fit on the non-cutout lid with inset. On the cutout lid version, I printed the logo at 97% with a brim (recommend at least 8 lines) so it can be fastened with epoxy from the inside. One other touch: The Pi logo was printed in red t-glase. On my Printrbot simple, I printed this piece with temperature of 242, no fan, 20% infill, speed 25 to get a translucent effect. Post-Printing Fitting the Pi to your case This design is still being fine-tuned to give a good fit on the ports but not too tight. You may need to do some minor filing to so it will sit in properly. If the board does not go in easily or seems to stand up on the GPIO side, check the fit on the HDMI port. It may need to be filed at the top edge a little for this to set in place properly. Once the board is in place, check the SD card slot alignment. This design has a "trap" surrounding the sd tray, but the alignment should be close enough that the card can be inserted/removed without a lot of trial-and-error. It does not show in the photos, but the bottom of the case has hex nut countersink recesses. After cleaning excess flashing out of these holes, I was able to shim in the M3 hex nuts by pushing them in using the face of a small craft hammer. As mentioned before, the case in photos was assembled with M3 screws (18mm) which required drilling of the Pi PC board holes with a 1/8" bit. You should be able to use different hardware if you don't want to drill your board. How I Designed This DesignSpark Mechanical Parts Database DesignSpark mechanical had a 3D parts database feature that allows you to incorporate parts into your design. The power of this feature is that you can draw from the Pi 3D model and make adjustments to allow for real-world discrepancies. The original box was oversized, had peg-style standoffs and oversized ports (see top-left item in figure). Modified the original design to include separator walls for the USB/Ethernet ports. The logo was taken from the 3D part model and enlarged to fit on the cover. The 'solid' version of this logo is only 1 mm thick on the recesses, to allow for light to shine through. I am working on adding an LED that will illuminate the logo when the power is on. Case designed from scratch using 3D Pi model as reference. Final Notes I know there are a lot of slim cases already out there and this may look a bit generic. I hope that the ability to vent or even do a back-lit logo brings a little originality. I'm working on improvements still and constructive criticism, and suggestions for options/revisions are welcome. This is a great learning experience! Last disclaimer: any cover should be printed with top side facing the bed, stand-offs pointing up. This will be corrected in the solid cover version STL file.