Designer explains slip joint mechanism mechanicsfrom @craighillcompany

Themes

• Problem solving
• Design iteration
• Mechanical engineering
• Quality craftsmanship

Techniques

• Oversized modeling
• Comparative demonstration
• Problem-solution narrative

Trends

• Design process transparency
• Educational brand content

Post caption

We love slip joints.

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  My first complaint about

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  locating the closure

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  at the front lip of the opening

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  if there's any like

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  wear and tear that happens

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  all of a sudden that lock

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  doesn't engage at all

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  My second complaint

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  it does obstruct

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  your access to the container

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  located

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  directly at the

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  most trafficked part

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  And then my third,

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  once you disengage this closure,

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  it's just a free spinning hinge

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  There's a possibility that it's

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  going to drop

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  pinch your finger

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  and so that's not good either

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  This is the general arrangement

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  that we used

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  for our first

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  generation of the

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  Summit Card Case,

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  we wanted to find a reliable

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  and also an elegant solution

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  that didn't interrupt

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  the clean unibody form

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  Instead of looking

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  to other

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  traditional lidded cases,

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  looked towards

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  some of our favorite

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  everyday pocket carry tools

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  They all have this

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  satisfying interaction

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  and there's a

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  common mechanism

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  that they use

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  to achieve that

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  let me try to explain

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  If we relocate

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  this closing force

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  move that over

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  to the hinge side,

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  it does nothing.

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  But if you also

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  make a small change

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  to the top part of the hinge,

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  it creates

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  a slip joint :)

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  it's very similar to the one

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  on your typical multi-tool

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  and it all of a sudden

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  solves all three of the problems

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  that I was griping about earlier

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  First,

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  it's a more resilient mechanism,

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  if there's any like

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  wear and tear that happens

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  it doesn't actually impact the

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  closing mechanism in any way

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  The second thing it solves

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  is there's no longer this

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  obstruction that is

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  directly in line

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  with how you're going

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  to access the container

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  The third

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  and I think most important,

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  it's not floppy anymore

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  As you start to open it,

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  that bulge is pushing

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  the leaf spring out of the way

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  and once you get past that

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  45 degree mark,

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  the assembly wants to push it

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  into the next position

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  and you have this second

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  stable position

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  Not only is it not gonna

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  accidentally fall shut

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  on your finger

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  and so that's not good either

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  but it is just such

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  a satisfying interaction

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  I like honestly

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  love slip joints

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  and I would like to use them