PETLIBRO DockStream Cradle with Hinged Gate

A screw-down cradle for the PETLIBRO DockStream battery-operated fountain (PLWF115), designed to keep the fountain in place while still making it easy to remove for refilling and cleaning.

I built this because my cat would constantly knock off the fountain no matter what I did. I tried all the other setups, and it still managed to tip it off. I figured that I need something that holds it in place, and I decided that I'm willing to drill down my cabinet in order to fix it to the ground, and from there a cradle was a very reasonable approach.

This was designed with ChatGPT using GPT-6 Astra High, I had it drive Fusion to design the cradle. The front gate pivots on an M5 screw. On the other side, a printed locking pin and retaining key keep it closed. Remove the key and pin by hand, swing the gate open, and lift the fountain off its dock.

Printed and assembled: this version has been printed and checked on my fountain, and all the parts fit together well. The photos show the actual installed print.

Features

• One-piece base, five supports, and fixed rear rail.

• Hinged front gate with a hand-removable locking pin.

• Retaining key inserts from the accessible front side.

• Outward-sloping rear support with rounded connections to the rail and base.

• Rail centered 100 mm above the mounting surface; rail spans 88–112 mm.

• 252 × 212 mm base footprint and four mounting holes.

Files included

• All_Plates.3mf: three prepared plates with orientations, supports, and settings for a Bambu Lab X1 Carbon with a 0.4 mm nozzle and Bambu PLA Matte.

• 01–05 STLs: frame, gate, hinge sleeve, locking pin, and retaining key. Print one of each.

• STEP and Fusion F3D: editable assembly files for adaptation. Metal screw, nut, and washer bodies are references, not printed parts.

All STLs are already oriented on the build surface. Plate 1 contains the frame, plate 2 the gate, and plate 3 the small parts plus fit coupons. The small parts on plate 3 are the final assembly parts; you do not need to print duplicates.

Print settings

• 0.20 mm layers, 6 walls, 6 top and bottom layers.

• Frame and gate: 35% gyroid infill.

• Small parts and fit coupons: 100% infill.

• Normal snug supports, 45° threshold, 0.20 mm top/bottom separation, 0.35 mm XY separation.

• Frame: base down. Gate: top face down. Pin: head down. Rear-profile gauge: flat on its side.

• No brim or skirt in the supplied project. The gate uses zero first support-layer expansion to keep supports inside the bed.

The frame is 252 mm wide, so check your printer’s usable build area. Open the 3MF as a project to preserve the plate layouts and settings. For another printer or material, choose the appropriate profile and reslice.

OrcaSlicer estimates with the included profile, including supports: frame 10h 28m / 405 g; gate 2h 35m / 87 g; small parts and coupons 1h 40m / 56 g. Total: about 14h 44m and 549 g. These are slicer estimates, not measured print times.

Hardware

• 1 × M5 × 20 mm socket-head screw.

• 1 × M5 nut.

• 1 × M5 flat washer (nominally 10 mm outside diameter and 1 mm thick).

• Mounting screws suitable for your shelf or cabinet. The base has four 4.6 mm holes with 9.5 mm head recesses; screw length depends on the surface.

Assembly

1. Remove supports and clean the hinge, latch holes, and slots. Use the supplied coupons to check your actual hardware and printer fit.

2. Slide the M5 nut into the outside pocket beneath the left hinge seat.

3. Place the gate on the hinge seat and insert the printed sleeve. Add the washer and M5 screw from above.

4. Tighten gently against the sleeve. The gate should rotate freely with the screw secured; do not loosen the screw simply to make it turn.

5. Secure the base to your mounting surface, place the dock and fountain inside, and close the gate.

6. Insert the right locking pin, then push the retaining key from the open front through the tower and pin slots toward the rear. The broad key head stays at the front.

To remove the fountain, squeeze the key’s flexible tips, pull the key toward the front, and lift out the locking pin. Swing the gate open, then lift the fountain clear of its dock and remove it. Close and lock the gate again after replacing the fountain.

Credits

Bowl-contour dimensional reference: Petlibro (dockstream) bowl clamp by FoxVirus, including its negative cutout. Secondary contour reference: PETLIBRO DockStream Fountain Splash Guard by Ryan. Both are credited under CC BY-NC 4.0. This redesign adds the integrated cradle, hinged gate, sleeve, locking mechanism, and fit-test pieces.

Created with AI-assisted CAD development, followed by hands-on printing and fit testing. Shared under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0.