X-Gear Fidget Widget

Last crawled date: 1 year, 10 months ago

Gears of Innovation Challenge

One of the hardest things for me is explaining the benefits of 3D printing to someone outside the realm of technology, like my Mom. Enclosed, interlocking, assembled and functional designs are great tools for teaching and inspiring.

The two Knobs provide attachment of the X-Gears to the base. Either one of the Knobs are co-dependant and will drive the movement of the two larger gears with the use of internal gear teeth. The larger X-Gears are co-dependant using a non-standard shape and external teeth.

The true intention of this Widget is for spawning new ideas and understanding in Engineering and Design. it's perfect for use as a conversation piece around 3D Printing or fidgeting with during long meetings.

This was designed using Autodesk Inventor 2014. I'll post the CAD files closer to the deadline of the competition.

There's more to this design than just a co-dependent gear system. It's overall shape mimics that of a spacecraft. The structure of the assembly uses a lean manufacturing approach by reducing material usage (waste) and maximizing strength, and finally; no assembly required!

Feedback or questions on this project are appreciated. As with all my designs, continual improvement is critical in making a functional, well-designed product that connects with an audience.

If you decide to download this model, please take a second and like it.