{"id":9974,"date":"2022-07-12T16:36:16","date_gmt":"2022-07-12T22:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/volksswitch.org\/?page_id=9974"},"modified":"2024-09-26T12:55:42","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T18:55:42","slug":"tablet-stand-for-cases-without-one","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/volksswitch.org\/index.php\/volks-devices\/tablet-stand-for-cases-without-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Tablet Stand for Cases Without One"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Properly positioning\u00a0 a person’s tablet can make the difference between their success or failure in using an AAC app.\u00a0 The app needs to be positioned so that it can easily be viewed and accessed.<\/p>\n

Many of the most popular tablet cases don’t have a built-in stand.\u00a0 Instead, they rely on a bendable handle to lift the tablet off of a horizontal surface:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The “typing” position is often too flat for reading and the “watching” position is too upright – and unstable – for interaction with the\u00a0 tablet.\u00a0 To compound the problem, the tablet must rotate between the two positions.\u00a0 This changes the location of the home button, camera, on\/off switch, and volume controls.\u00a0 If the tablet is used with a keyguard, the regions of the tablet’s apps that are exposed by the keyguard can be upside down, making the app unusable.<\/p>\n

To address this problem, we’ve created a customizable, 3D-printable tablet stand that can be securely attached to the case and deployed by a child using only one hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The stand is attached to the case using low-profile “Chicago screws” – also referred to as “binding posts”.\u00a0 The stand incorporates a print-in-place hinge pin and allows you to control the tightness of the hinge.\u00a0 The design “borrows” heavily from a hinge design<\/a> created by Rohin Gosling.<\/p>\n

Creating a Stand<\/h2>\n

You’ll need several items to create your stand:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. a metric ruler,<\/li>\n
  2. an ink pen or marker,<\/li>\n
  3. a pin,<\/li>\n
  4. a short piece of masking tape,<\/li>\n
  5. some superglue – preferably the “gel” kind,<\/li>\n
  6. a drill with a 3\/16-inch drill bit,<\/li>\n
  7. two Chicago screws of the “appropriate” length (more on that below),<\/li>\n
  8. a 10 mm hook & loop (aka, Velcro) dot – unfortunately, you can’t buy just one<\/a>…,<\/li>\n
  9. a “sticky” material to put on the end of the stand to keep it from sliding on the table or desk (you have several options – see below),<\/li>\n
  10. a copy of the free OpenSCAD program<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  11. the stand designer that you’ll find here.<\/a><\/li>\n
  12. a 3D-printed tablet stand plate<\/a>,<\/li>\n
  13. a printed copy of the “angle tester” document<\/a>,<\/li>\n
  14. a designed and printed stand… (read on)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    But First… Getting the Chicago Screws<\/h2>\n

    Unless you happen to work with leather and make your own belts and saddles, you probably don’t have any Chicago screws on-hand, unlike the other items in the list above.\u00a0 These will have the longest lead time and you want to be sure to get the right size for your case.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Take your tablet out of its case and set it on a hard surface.\u00a0 Now stick a pin into the back of the case until you can’t push it any further because it has reached the hard surface:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Now, wrap a piece of tape around the base of the pin where it enters the case:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Pull the pin out and measure the distance from the bottom of the tape to the end of the pin:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    The case above is 3\/8-inch thick.<\/p>\n

    If your case is 3\/8-inch thick or greater, you should purchase a pair of 3\/8 inch Chicago screws – here’s one example<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    If you case is less than 3\/8-inch thick, you should purchase a pair of 1\/4-inch Chicago screws – here’s one example<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Collecting Some Measurements of Your Case<\/h2>\n

    When you launch OpenSCAD and look at the Customizer pane for the tablet stand designer you’ll see these three sections:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    The Stand Info<\/strong> section defines most aspects of your stand.\u00a0 The Fastener Info<\/strong> section controls the size of the openings in the stand for the Chicago screws.\u00a0 The Hinge Pin Tightness Info<\/strong> section is an acknowledgment that all 3D-printers are different and you’ll need to adjust the setting here to produce a hinge pin that can rotate but not be too loose or too tight.<\/p>\n

    Stand Info<\/h3>\n

    The stand info section controls the size and rotation capabilities of your stand:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Preferred Tablet Angle<\/h4>\n

    You can set the viewing angle that you would prefer for your tablet.\u00a0 Any of four values:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    15 degrees**<\/td>\n30 degrees<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    45 degrees<\/td>\n60 degrees<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    ** only reasonable for large tablets and cases<\/p>\n

    The angle of the tablet is controlled by how far the stand rotates on its hinge and the length of the stand’s leg.\u00a0 These values are “baked-into” the printed stand, so (at least for now) in order to change the tablet angle, you’ll have to remove the current stand and attach another.<\/p>\n

    It can be difficult to guess at what angle you would prefer to position your tablet, so we’ve provided a tool to help you with that decision.\u00a0 Refer to your printed copy of the “angle tester.pdf<\/a>” document.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Fold the page backward along the bottom line.\u00a0 Set the folded tab of the page on the surface where the tablet will be used.\u00a0 Place your hand on the folded tab so that the rest of the page is held vertically and hold your tablet and case against the paper:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Place your head in the location where you will view your tablet.\u00a0 If you’ll use your tablet with a keyguard, put the keyguard on the tablet.\u00a0 Launch the app that you use most often.<\/p>\n

    Now rotate the tablet so that it aligns with each of the large lines on the paper.\u00a0 Determine which angle gives you the best visibility of the app.\u00a0 If you interact manually with the app, determine which angle gives you the best manual access to the app.\u00a0 In the picture above, the tablet is aligned with the 30-degree line.<\/p>\n

    Select your preferred angle as the “preferred tablet angle”.<\/p>\n

    Mounting Holes to Case Bottom Distance<\/h4>\n

    Next you need to determine the distance between where the stand will mount to your tablet and the bottom edge that will rest on the desk or table.<\/p>\n

    We’ll start by placing the tablet stand plate (or a cut-out version from the angle tester print-out) along the inside, top-edge of the case.\u00a0 [Be sure to position the plate so that it is sitting flat against the back of the case.]<\/strong>\u00a0 We can use the line down the center of the plate (printed or paper version) and a ruler to position the plate as close the the center of the case (from side to side) as possible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Insert a pin through one of the openings and out the other side of the case:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Alternatively, you can drill through the two “holes” with a 3\/16-inch drill bit.<\/p>\n

    Measure along the back of the case from the pin (or center of a drilled hole) to the bottom edge of the case:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Enter the value you measure in millimeters into the “mounting holes to case bottom distance” option.<\/p>\n

    The remaining options represent these measurements:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    The larger your tablet, the wider you will probably need to make the foot, for stability.\u00a0 The toe width will impact the amount of friction you can create between the table and the stand because that’s where you’ll put the materials that give you the extra friction.\u00a0 On the other hand, the wider the toe, the more you will need to rely on a flat surface to keep your stand from wobbling from side to side.<\/p>\n

    Accounting for Fasteners<\/h4>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    These measurements will make room for the “screw” part of the Chicago screw.\u00a0 They affect the size of the holes that are part of the top of the stand.\u00a0 The three options have the following meanings:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    You can get these measurements from the Chicago screws:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Testing Tightness<\/h4>\n

    You’re almost render and print your stand.\u00a0 But before you do, you should check the tightness of the hinge portion of the stand.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Every 3D-printer has limited accuracy and some printers are more limited than others.\u00a0 A sloppy printer may not be able to handle the tight tolerances inside the hinge and may create a “frozen” hinge that won’t bend.\u00a0 You can loosen up the tolerances in the hinge by increasing the value of “hinge tightness” and make the hinge tighter by making the number smaller.\u00a0 As the comment says, you should try to stay between 0.3 and 0.5.\u00a0 Your goal is to create a hinge that will bend and stay in place until you bend it back.\u00a0 The hinge will loosen over time as it gets used so opt for stiffer in the beginning.<\/p>\n

    If you set “make tightness test” to “yes” the stand will be reduced to just enough for you to test the tightness of the joint.\u00a0 See if the default value prints well for you and adjust the value of “hinge” tightness and reprint, as necessary.\u00a0 Once you have a tightness you like, set “make tightness test” to “no” and render\/print your stand.\u00a0 The tightness setting is related to your printer and should work for all future tablet stands you print on that printer.<\/p>\n

    Mounting Your Stand<\/h4>\n

    You’re almost done, but there are a couple of things you can do to make your stand more reliable.\u00a0 That includes adding a “sticky” material to the toes of the stand and sealing the Chicago screws to the stand plate inside the case.<\/p>\n

    Watch the following video that shows the assembly process:<\/p>\n