Sturdy print-in-place draw latch

thingiverse

This is a small but sturdy latch that can be printed directly in place. It boasts a flat surface for your printing satisfaction. No supports, no rafts, no brim are needed. Just the way we prefer it. This type of latch is commonly referred to as a tension latch, toggle latch, toggle clamp, pull latch or other names. However, I like the name draw latch best for this type of latch. Tolerances range between 0.2 and 0.3 mm. I printed it with a lower middle-class delta printer (FLSUN QQ-S) that has a resolution of 0.15 mm. The key to a successful print is slight under-extrusion, particularly on the first layer. The snapshot of the printed sample shows that I overdid the underextrusion slightly. In terms of sturdiness: printing thick shells (I used 1.2 mm) is crucial, while infill is secondary importance. This latch can be attached using up to four screws, with a maximum size of M3. Glueing is also an option. A nice addition to a standard latch is integrated geometry at the moving parts that fixes the toggle and restricts movement in undesirable directions (see little nibs in dimensions drawing). I believe this is best achieved through additive manufacturing. Benefits of this model include: + print-in-place for the glory of 3D printing + sturdy for a 3D printed latch made of plastics + compact dimensions + integrated guiding geometry + somewhat visually pleasing Drawbacks of this model are: - not sturdy compared to non-printed, non-plastic latches - subpar printers might struggle with the tolerances I have not thoroughly tested this latch. However, both of my use cases were satisfactory. Designed with FreeCAD and quickly rendered with CADRays. Conceivably Engineering - Little competence, big smiles.