Print-in-place case button

thingiverse

Problem definition: I've built a custom PCB with a tactile pushbutton mounted to it. The electronics gear is going into a 3D printed case. I want a pushbutton on the surface of the case that: * is print-in-place (no extra hardware cost for an external button mounted in the case) * reaches down to the top of the tactile button on the PCB allowing the user to push it * doesn't stand up to thousands of presses - the user may press this button once a year or less * doesn't need to be air or water tight; other parts of the case expose parts of the electronics to the user I've now done 4 different test designs & prints with the button having different numbers of "spring arms". Like the Goldilocks story, the first test design/print had 2 spring arms and it was too "soft". It also allowed lots of movement from side to side; not that it would matter much as the centre post would touch the tactile switch and stop it from moving around. The second test had 4 spring arms, and it was a bit stiff - but would have worked well as there is very little travel needed to actuate the tactile pushbutton on the PCB. I settled on a version with 3 spring arms as it is an excellent balance between spring and stability. This was designed in Fusion 360.