Parametric screw-less plate paddle switch hinged cover
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Hinged cover that prevents accidental switch presses.
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Model information
- Source
- Printables
- Category
- Home Decor
- License
- Creative Commons — Attribution — Noncommercial
I've an unreasonable fear of the garbage disposal. This hinged cover prevents accidental switch presses.
Designed for Leviton screw-less plates, but you can adapt it for other brands using the attached Fusion360 source file.
Print in place hinge with a .2 offset. You can adjust this in the Fusion360 file for looser tolerances. There's a screwdriver slot on the back of the hinge to help snap free the hinge if it's really stuck.
The tab that slides behind the Leviton attachment plate is intentionally thin. The screw hole is large to sit around the screw. The screw is unusually short, so instillation may be ‘fiddly’. Tightening the Leviton attachment plate should be enough to keep it firmly pinched in place. The gray version in the images above was an earlier iteration that differs slightly from the final version, but installation is the same.
The corners and draft angles emulate the Leviton angles and edges, but I expect it will look fine on other brands too. These are set as variables for easy adjustment.
When printing in white, you may see infill. Increase your bottom layer to hide it. The infill is more visible in direct light, but garbage disposal switches are usually next to kitchen sinks, which are usually in front of windows, so that may not be a problem for you.
I've not been able to match the shade of white used on Leviton plate covers. If you figure it out, please leave a comment!
Room for improvement:
A compliant mechanism that closes the cover would be a marked improvement over the current gravity operated state. This paddle switch screw plate lock is inspirational in it's simplicity.
“Keep off” nub extending inside the cover to keep one side of the paddle depressed when closed. Different switch brands have different stand out heights and some switches can be harder to depress, so this might not be a feasible improvement. Plus a variant would be needed for “Keep on” - or upside-down switches.
It's difficult to use this switch while wearing bulky rubber kitchen gloves. Consider adding a blocky ‘grippy nub’ and/or a side opening variant.