3D - Camera Security Clip

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3D Central

Laptop Camera Cover Clip

Update (Nov. 03, 2018): The first test-user group gave mixed reactions. For some, the 5mm gap of the clip was just right. I got the request to make a quarter inch version. Version 03 adds the ability to adjust the gap, using OpenSCAD, by changing a variable value. The STL for direct print is now set for 1/4 inch (6.3mm) which still fits my Acer laptop just fine. The back part of the clip moves "backward" with bigger gap values. The largest gap with the current design is 7.5

I saw a clip like this as a giveaway from a vendor booth at a conference. It slides onto the upper edge of a laptop to cover the camera. I think it is a perfect thing to add to this group of 3D print files. The original had just a blank space between the "fingertips". I decided to add text. The clip fits the screen bezel of my current laptops and Chromebooks which are about 5mm thick. You could adjust the dimensions to accommodate thicker screen edges.

The default Liberation Sans font used by OpenSCAD does not look solid enough at this size to print legibly on my printer so I chose another font on my system, ACADEMIC M54. The letters are thicker and worked great for me. I used OpenSCAD's color("black", 1.0) instruction to make the letters show up better here. The color of your filament will determine the solid color of the clip and words. Color impacts only the design preview. The number designates the alpha (opacity) level with 1.0 being 100% opaque.

The core elements of this design are cylinders and cubes. The design prints on its side. The intersected arrangement of cubes and cylinders, and their use with difference() produces the clip shape. The eyes are spheres and the fingers are also done with spheres in a hull(). I will leave it to you to scan through the OpenSCAD code to complete your own analysis and understanding of how the clip comes together. There are comments to help explain the parts.

NatickFOSS NatickFOSS.org is a Free Software (sometimes also called "open source") user group which meets monthly in MetroWest Boston. If you are close enough, please come to join us. 3D printing is not always a topic, but I am generally at the meetings and would love to share notes with you!

Available Files:

(In most browsers, right click each file you wish to download and select "save-as" from the menu options.)

SCAD files for study/modification and STL files for quick prints

clip03.scad - clip03.stl (1/4 inch gap) - without text so you can use it unadorned.
clip03-nf.scad - clip03-nf.stl (1/4 inch gap) - in case you want to show off your friendship with NatickFOSS.
GPL3 License